The Sound Four Attack, Part One

After Sasuke had eaten and drunk his fill, he began cultivating Chakra. This was part of his daily routine. Then he started practicing Taijutsu, working to adapt to his current weights as quickly as possible. Two thousand kilograms was already extremely heavy. He decided not to increase the weight for another year, at least not until he made another breakthrough. After all, his body had not fully matured yet. He could add more weight after a year, but for now, he was close to his limit. He needed at least a year to make this crushing burden feel as light as a feather, so that even with all this weight on him, he could move as fast as he had when fighting Naruto without weights.

He had added a little too much weight and could not yet display his proper speed. Sasuke wanted to train himself during the journey. Life in Konoha had been too comfortable, which was why he had made this decision: to use the hardships of travel to temper his willpower to the fullest.

Sasuke cultivated alone until nightfall before preparing dinner. No one was around to cook for him anymore. If he wanted to eat his fill and eat well, he had to rely entirely on himself. That afternoon, he had found a small river. After training, he bathed there and caught two fish. He would be having grilled fish that night.

"Should we make our move?" Four people stood some distance away, watching Sasuke cook from afar.

"No. This is too close to Konoha. Do you remember Orochimaru-sama's words? Sasuke is not easy to deal with, so it would be best to wait until he is farther from Konoha. If he is willing to come with us, fine. If not, then we'll rely on you, Jirobo." The four were the Sound Four who had set up the Four Violet Flames Formation during Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha: Jirobo, Sakon and Ukon, Tayuya, and Kidomaru.

Sasuke had no idea that the four had set their sights on him. He thought Orochimaru had already changed bodies. After all, Orochimaru changed bodies every three years. But he had forgotten that this time, Orochimaru had not lost the use of his hands and could hold on for much longer. That was why the four had still come. They had not dared enter Konoha, so they had waited outside for an opportunity. They had not expected one to truly arrive—Sasuke had left the village alone, apparently intending to travel far away.

Sasuke did not know that his calculations had been wrong. If he had waited another month, there would have been no problem. But since he had miscalculated, he could only bear the consequences himself.

The night passed without incident. Sasuke woke early, cultivated Chakra first, then made breakfast. After eating, he dismantled his traps and continued on his way. He traveled only half a day at a time, walking step by step. He stopped at noon and trained for the rest of the day, then set off again the next morning. He was not getting very far at all.

Tayuya, who was rather impatient by nature, was getting fed up. "How much longer are we going to wait? At this pace, when will we ever make our move?" Kidomaru liked playing around and tormenting his opponents, but he was still fairly level-headed. "Wait a little longer. We still have time. Orochimaru-sama can hold on for a while yet. We need him to get farther away from Konoha. That would be the safest option. It would be troublesome if Konoha's people discovered us. He's heading toward the Land of Iron. The Land of Iron is a neutral country, so there are fewer border patrols there. It's also close to Otogakure. If we act there, it won't delay us by much."

"Fine. Let him walk for a few more days." Tayuya was the weakest among them. Her attacks relied on Genjutsu and her Summoning Animal. Though she was hot-tempered, she did not have much say in the matter. Meanwhile, Sasuke continued his training at an unhurried pace. Walking each morning was also a form of training. Traveling alone was dull. With no one to talk to, it was quite effective at training his willpower. Recently, he had felt that his Sharingan was about to evolve again. What surprise would the Five-Tomoe bring him?

Two weeks passed just like that. Sasuke's training had never stopped, but he was about to reach the border, so he became more cautious. A border was still a border. He could not let his guard down simply because the Land of Iron was neutral, nor could he underestimate it just because its people were all samurai. Thus, Sasuke set numerous traps every day to ensure the safety of his campsite.

Early that morning, after finishing his preparations, he was about to depart when he suddenly heard something cutting through the air. Sasuke swiftly drew two Kunai and assumed a defensive stance. Four figures shot out from the woods and took positions around him. The moment he saw who they were, Sasuke's heart sank. Why had the four of them come after all? Where had his calculations gone wrong?

"Uchiha Sasuke, Orochimaru-sama thinks highly of you and hopes you will come with us. He is very much looking forward to meeting you. Orochimaru-sama can also grant you power and help you take revenge. That's a good thing, isn't it?" Kidomaru said with a smile.

"Oh? Orochimaru? What power does he have? A loser defeated by Itachi Uchiha dares claim he can give me the power to defeat Itachi Uchiha. Don't you find that laughable?" Sasuke said disdainfully, though he was already working out a plan. All four could use the second stage of the Cursed Mark. Shiranui Genma's team had lost to them in the anime. If he did not use some strategy, he would be finished today. He had not expected to encounter such a major crisis the moment he left the village.

"Looks like you refuse, then. In that case, we have no choice but to invite you along ourselves." After Kidomaru spoke, he was the first to attack. Sasuke had barely dodged his whip kick when Tayuya and Sakon and Ukon began attacking from both sides. Jirobo, however, did not move. Sasuke instantly understood their intent and smiled faintly. This is the opportunity you've handed me. Sorry, but I'll gladly take it.

Sasuke's Taijutsu was far superior to theirs, but he did not press the attack. He merely continued defending in place. Jirobo moved closer, using the attacks of the other three to distract Sasuke. However, they had not activated their Cursed Marks, so they did not put much pressure on him. Sasuke sensed Jirobo approaching, but he acted as though he knew nothing, desperately resisting the attacks of the other three. The three were deeply puzzled. Hadn't Orochimaru-sama said Sasuke was very powerful? Why was he being suppressed now?

"Earth Release Barrier! Earth Style: Earth Dome Prison!" Jirobo shouted. The other three retreated at once and flung Shuriken as they did. Sasuke bent backward in a bridge to evade the attack, but a shadow fell over his face. Sasuke smiled.

The four outside relaxed. "What was that? He's not much at all. We caught him that easily. How could Orochimaru-sama have taken a liking to him?" Tayuya said contemptuously.