บท 15: The Path of No Return
Danzo's eyes narrowed as he watched Orochimaru, his tone sharp with suspicion.
"What were you saying?" he asked.
Orochimaru didn't look up from the corpse on the operating table, his head bowed low in concentration.
"Nothing," he replied, his voice neutral.
Danzo's gaze pierced through his back, searching for any sign of deception.
He knew the snake Sannin all too well, recognizing the same driving ambition that fueled his own actions.
For now, Orochimaru still showed the proper respect, playing the loyal soldier.
But he wasn't naive. He knew that if Orochimaru ever left the village, he'd be impossible to control.
That's why he had always sought a way to keep him in check. He needed leverage, something to balance the scales.
But Orochimaru seemed to care for nothing and no one. He had no family, no friends, and not even his own student, Anko, could be used against him.
He was the epitome of a shinobi - devoid of human attachments, driven solely by his insatiable curiosity and ambition.
That same curiosity made him a formidable threat. His thirst for knowledge, for the secrets of ninjutsu and the very nature of truth, was unquenchable.
Danzo feared that one day, that thirst would lead him down a path from which there would be no return.
For now, their alliance held.
Each had something the other needed - Danzo's access to test subjects and village intel, Orochimaru's unparalleled genius in the shinobi arts.
But if that delicate balance ever shifted...
He cast one final, searching glance over his shoulder before turning to leave the lab.
The heavy iron door slammed shut behind him, the clang echoing through the room.
Orochimaru remained frozen, hunched over the operating table, his eyes the only thing that moved.
They darted to the side, confirming Danzo's departure before returning to their intense focus on the task at hand.
As soon as he was sure he was alone, Orochimaru straightened up, pulling the Necronomicon from the folds of his robe.
He flipped through the pages with feverish intensity, his fingers coming to rest on the passage that had so captivated him before.
"Cthulhu," he read aloud. "The Sleeping God, Lord of R'lyeh, one of the Old Ones representing water."
His mind raced, connections forming at lightning speed.
A god of water, worshipped by a cult in the Land of Water... it couldn't be a coincidence.
If Cthulhu was real - and the statue Danzo had spoken of seemed to suggest he was - then what of the other beings described in the Necronomicon?
What of Yog-Sothoth, the All-Knowing and All-Powerful One? The Gate and the Key to the secrets of the universe itself?
His hands trembled as he held the book aloft, its red cover shining like a bloody sunrise in his vision.
In that moment, the Necronomicon transcended mere pages and ink.
It was a roadmap to his destiny, a promise of power beyond his wildest dreams.
Immortality. Everything he had ever coveted was within his grasp. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
He laughed, high and wild and tinged with madness. It echoed off the walls of the lab, making the spiderwebs in the corners dance and shiver.
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"Good morning, Kagami!"
Kagami turned at the callof his name, a smile already forming on his lips. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.
And there was Hana, jogging to catch up with him on the way to the Academy. But this wasn't the Hana he was used to seeing.
Gone was the bulky, old-fashioned coat she'd worn the day before.
In its place was a sleek white vest adorned with a cartoon wolfdog, paired with stylish black cropped pants.
The transformation was striking.
With her new outfit highlighting her natural good looks, Hana looked... adorable. Really adorable.
"Morning," Kagami said, trying to sound casual. "You look nice today."
She ducked her head. "Thanks. I was forced to wear that old coat yesterday. It was my mom's, from when she was a kid."
"She made me wear it, saying it was like reliving her own first day of school all over again."
Kagami chuckled. "Moms, right?"
They fell into step beside each other, chatting easily as they made their way to class.
Hana seemed a bit self-conscious about all the curious looks they were getting, but Kagami paid them no mind.
He was just happy to have a friend to walk with.
As they reached the classroom, they parted ways, with Hana heading to the front row of the girls' section and Kagami making his way to his usual spot near the back of the boys' section.
Just as he sat down, a commotion erupted by the window. A group of girls were clustered there, giggling and whispering excitedly.
"Look, it's Itachi!"
"Where? Oh, I see him!"
"He's so cool, even just walking..."
"Ooh, he looked this way!"
Kagami rolled his eyes, already burying his nose in his textbook. He had more important things to worry about than schoolyard crushes.
But the boys sitting in front of him had other ideas. They started muttering among themselves, clearly annoyed.
"This is getting out of hand," one of them muttered. "Itachi's letting all this attention go to his head."
"Yeah," another chimed in. "Someone needs to take him down a peg or two."
Kaigo, the ringleader, turned to Kagami with a sly grin. "Hey, Kagami, you in on teaching Itachi a lesson?"
Kagami looked up from his book, his expression blank. "What do you mean?"
"Knocking some of that arrogance out of him," Kaigo said, as if it were obvious.
Kagami just shrugged. "No thanks. I've got studying to do."
Kaigo's face twisted in a scowl. "Fine. Be that way. We don't need you anyway."
He turned back to his friends, huddling close to plot and scheme. Kagami tuned them out, focusing on the upcoming ninjutsu lesson.
A few minutes later, Itachi walked into the room, surveying the seating arrangements before making his way towards the boys' section.
Kaigo was quick to intercept him, blocking his path with a forced smile. "Sorry, this seat's taken."
Itachi nodded calmly and moved to another desk, but Kaigo's friend beat him to it.
"This one too," the boy said, not sounding apologetic at all.
"In fact," a third boy chimed in, "this whole row is full."
The lie was blatant, and the attempt to ostracize Itachi was transparent. But the young Uchiha didn't rise to the bait.
Instead, he turned and headed for the front of the room, his expression as calm and unruffled as ever.
That was when Izumi called out to him from the girls' section.
"Itachi-kun! There's a seat here, next to me!"
She patted the empty desk beside her, surrounded by a sea of admiring female faces.
Itachi hesitated for only a moment before nodding his thanks and taking the offered seat.
Instantly, he was surrounded by girls, all clamoring for his attention. They chattered and giggled, fawning over him like he was a rock star.
From the back of the room, Kagami could see Kaigo's face turning an alarming shade of purple. The boy was practically vibrating with jealousy.
If looks could kill, Itachi would have been a pile of ash.
Just as things were getting heated, their teacher, Daiko-sensei, walked in and put a stop to the drama - at least for the time being.
"Alright, class," Daiko said, clapping his hands for attention. "Today we'll be reviewing the hand seals for Fire and Water Release techniques."
He turned to the blackboard and started drawing diagrams, each one a perfect representation of a different hand seal.
When he was done, he turned back to the class with a smile.
"Let's see who was paying attention last time. Itachi, can you identify this first seal?"
Itachi barely glanced at the board before answering. "Water Release: Water Bullet Technique."
Daiko nodded, impressed. "Good job." He pointed to Kaigo next. "How about this one?"
Kaigo studied the diagram, then shrugged. "No idea."
Daiko's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, you don't know? We just covered this yesterday!"
Kaigo smirked. "I forgot, sensei. It's a tough one. I bet no one else knows it either."
Daiko's gaze swept the room, stopping at Kagami. "Is that so? Kagami, do you know this seal?"
Kagami looked at the board, then answered. "It's the Fireball Jutsu. Fire Release."
"Excellent," Daiko said. "And this one?"
Kagami looked at the board again, then replied. "Water Bullet again. Same as the first."
Daiko turned back to Kaigo. "See? Kagami knows them all. So what's your excuse?"
Kaigo retorted. "It's not fair! You already gave away the answers!"
Daiko smirked. "Fine then. Kagami, how about this one? No one's named it yet."
Kagami didn't hesitate. "Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. Also Fire Release."
Daiko's smiled. "Well done, Kagami. I can see someone's been studying."
He turned to Kaigo. "As for you... since you seem to have trouble sitting still and paying attention, you can spend the rest of the class on your feet. Up. Now."
Kaigo jumped up, his chair crashing to the floor behind him. For a moment, it looked like he might argue, but a stern look from Daiko shut him up.
Muttering under his breath, Kaigo kicked his chair aside and stood stiffly beside his desk, his arms crossed and his glare fixed on the back of Itachi's head.
Kagami just sighed and turned back to the lesson. This was going to be a long day.
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While the students were engrossed in their studies, a very different sort of education was taking place deep beneath the village.
Orochimaru studied the Necronomicon with an intense focuse. Every word, every syllable, etched itself into his mind, reshaping his understanding of the world and his place in it.
He had always known he was destined for greatness. His genius, drive, and lack of limitations set him apart from the common crowd.
But this... this was beyond even his wildest dreams. The secrets of the Old Ones, the true nature of reality itself, lay before him, waiting to be claimed.
And claim it he would. No matter the cost. No matter who or what he had to sacrifice along the way.
For Orochimaru had gazed into the abyss... and the abyss had gazed back.
And in that infinite darkness, he had seen his future. A future of endless power, of immortal glory.
It was a vision of madness. Of hubris beyond measure.
But to him, it was a vision of pure beauty. And he would stop at nothing to make it real.
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Why couldn't Sasuke awaken the Byakugan?
Because Hinata Hyuga.
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