章 135: Three Years
Two hidden cloud ninjas were jumping through some trees.
One of them was a purple-haired woman who wore standard cloud ninja clothes, with the female version of their armor.
The second ninja was a black-haired man who had a different set of clothes on. In fact, he barely looked like a ninja at all.
He was shirtless with baggy martial arts pants and had a ninja tool bag strapped to his belt.
But the most noticeable thing about him was a blue tattoo covering his left arm.
This tattoo was very special; it had an important significance for the hidden cloud village. This tattoo was supposed to represent two things.
One, the man with this tattoo has mastered the hidden cloud's holy jutsu. The black lightning.
Second, this man will most likely become, or already is:
"Raikage sama, just yesterday you became our Fifth Raikage; is it okay to leave the village today?"
The female ninja asked the man; concern was audible in her voice.
"Anko, I have been waiting 3 years for this moment; it's been 3 full years since I last saw him."
The man said calmly; it turns out this mystery man was Sato all along. He had become the hidden cloud's ruling Raikage yesterday. Officially becoming the highest leader of Cloud Village.
And the very next day, he left the village directly.
"Raikage sama, you are taking a big risk anyway; you shouldn't be out here without your shadow guards."
"And I already know you are lying."
"You are doing this for me. I don't even know how I could repay such a favor.. Sigh.."
Anko sighed, but Sato fully ignored her. This was the best way to deal with a psychotic woman like Anko.
That's right, psychotic.
Anko always had such tendencies, but they were hidden. In fact, her self-made double suicide jutsu and her crazy obsession with her teacher were proof of her unstable mind.
She usually hid it well, but everything changed when she came to Hidden Cloud and started living under Sato. Something in the new environment broke her.
Her obsession had shifted from killing Orochimaru to repaying Sato's huge favor. In her words, she was stupid, and everyone just used her; only Sato tried to teach her.
He was the only person to tell he, that she could think for herself. He was harsh, but he carefully guided her.
Sadly, she was still too stupid to understand Sato Sama's greatness at the beginning, until one day she saw light.
'Itachi Uchiha, you are telling me this book tells us why Sato sama is basically a sage of six paths, and why we are lucky to serve him. Are you brainwashed, by any chance?'
Anko remembered asking this of Itachi, but then she read that book. It turns out she was the brainwashed one all along.
It might have something to do with her inherent psychotic nature, but she really connected with Itachi. Another well-known crazy person.
This book, written by Itachi, made perfect sense to her.
From that day on, her obsession with her teacher was gone. Now she had a new obsession, and a friend like Itachi to share that obsession with. How wonderful!
"Be careful, Anko; we are here. This is one of his last three strongholds."
"He is either here or in one of his two remaining labs. But I really hope he is here; I want to kill him with my own hands."
Sato broke Anko out of her fantasy and stopped in a clearing.
There was a cave in front of them with a faint chakra signature in it. This place was Sato's goal.
Step
Step
And just when Sato and Anko came near the clearing, someone's footsteps came out of the cave.
"Sato kun, long time no see. I thought I would die without meeting you again."
A man spoke in a hoarse voice while coming out of the cave. His voice and the iconic snake eyes made it clear who he was.
"Orochimaru, my friend, how did you spend these three years? Did I make it fun for you?"
Sato smiled gently, but Orochimaru's forehead throbbed after hearing this.
"Fifth Raikage, you have sent men after me for three full years. Your people killed me four times in total. You destroyed my labs one by one."
"When I tried counterattacking the hidden cloud, you killed me again.."
"You destroyed everything I built, bit by bit, just because I had killed three genin? So is this not enough for you?!"
"Now you have chased me down to my last stronghold. You even brought my old students together. Are you trying to be ironic??"
Orochimaru was hissing in anger. Sato had used every way possible to hunt him down, for three years straight.
The worst part was that today was the first time in years, that he saw Sato in person!
He was defeated without even meeting his enemy. This was a total shame for Orochimaru.
"Why are you upset? Didn't I promise that I would hunt you down?"
"You should have seen this coming honestly. You made an enemy out of me without considering who I was."
"Despite your genius mind, you were outsmarted and outnumbered. You shouldn't have messed with me, Orochimaru."
Sato chuckled. After subduing Anko, he began a manhunt for Orochimaru.
And the leader of this great manhunt was Itachi. When facing Itachi, Orochimaru lost every single time.
All of his extra souls were sealed and destroyed, and his inventions burned. Orochimaru went from an immortal ninja to a broken soul mortal.
"But it's a shame; I was hoping I would meet your real body today. But you are just a shadow clone."
"I must have found the wrong place; your body must be at a different stronghold. Although it doesn't matter, you will die regardless."
"Itachi and Shisui are attacking the two remaining strongholds as we speak. Which one are you at?"
Sato asked Orochimaru's shadow clone, who had a dark look on his face.
"The north one."
Orochimaru said grimly, and Sato looked at him with pity.
"That's the one Itachi is responsible for. Your luck is really bad."
Sato said while shaking his head with a smile. Orochimaru's face became green, thinking that he would have to face that horrible guy as his last opponent.
But then Orochimaru sighed and regained his calm. He smiled at Sato and Anko and spoke in his hoarse voice.
"It will die today Sato Nii. But you are not safe either."
"Before I go, I will tell you one last thing. An organization named Akatsuki is hunting tailed beasts."
"By the time you return home, the one-tail jinchuriki of the hidden sand village should have been captured."
Orochimaru smirked at Sato.
"Their next target will be the two tails of the hidden cloud. You are already on their hunting list."
"Try to survive this Sato Nii. Their leader has the legendary rinnegan: Try and live, like a rat hiding in the ditch."
"Experience what I have experienced for three whole years."
Orochimaru laughed and made a handsign to disarm his shadow clone.
Poof
With a puff of smoke, Orochimaru's shadow clone vanished. Leaving Sato and Anko alone in the clearing.
'So, the Akatsuki is hunting down tailed beasts? I guess Shippuden officially begins.'
'I am already a tailed beast; I need to be ready.'
Advanced chapters ahead on patréon
www.patréon.com/ImagineMaker
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