Stealing Someone from Orochimaru

Aragaki Yasushi smiled, said nothing more, and turned to leave the inn. He found a secluded, deserted alley to avoid being spotted.

His figure flickered, and he vanished in an instant.

When he appeared again, he was in a forest near the Kaguya Clan's grounds.

Standing atop a tree trunk, he looked down toward the Kaguya Clan's territory.

Though it was already late at night and the fog in Kirigakure had grown thicker, making visibility poor, the Kaguya Clan's grounds were brightly lit and visible from a distance.

The clan's ninja had all gathered in the central square, each one eager for a fight, their eyes feverish. They looked ready to set out at any moment and overthrow the Third Mizukage's rule.

They were called ninja, but almost every member of the Kaguya Clan had come, young and old, men and women. Not one had been left behind.

After all, the Kaguya Clan were a bunch of battle-crazed lunatics. You could say the entire clan was a fighting force.

To them, this rebellion was nothing less than a celebration.

As the Kaguya Clan's massive force left their grounds, Aragaki Yasushi immediately teleported inside.

He remembered that in the original story, Kimimaro had been frail and afflicted with a bloodline disease, so he couldn't join his clan in battle. That was the only reason he'd survived.

The clan had treated the boy as a weapon for killing ever since he was little, keeping him locked up in a prison.

He had escaped only tonight, taking advantage of the chaos in the clan.

Thinking it through, Kimimaro had to still be locked up somewhere in a secluded corner of the grounds, getting ready to break out.

So Aragaki Yasushi searched carefully through the Kaguya Clan's territory, afraid he might miss Kimimaro.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he spotted several venomous snakes slithering slowly through the darkness, their forked tongues flicking out. The sight was unnerving.

Aragaki Yasushi understood at once.

Weren't these the pets of that scheming old snake, Orochimaru?

He was here.

At the thought, Aragaki Yasushi flickered and vanished without a trace.

When he appeared again, he was standing atop a large tree on the outskirts of the clan's territory, watching the grounds below.

Aragaki Yasushi patiently watched for a while before he spotted an oddly charismatic young man strolling into the grounds. It was Orochimaru.

Aragaki Yasushi's heart tightened. Had he come too late?

Had Orochimaru already found Kimimaro?

Looking more closely, he relaxed.

Thank goodness. He wasn't too late.

Orochimaru was alone and searching too. He clearly hadn't found Kimimaro yet.

Now was his chance!

Aragaki Yasushi swayed and vanished from the tree.

When he appeared again, he was standing silently behind Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's steps faltered. His body stiffened almost imperceptibly, showing that he had sensed something behind him.

Aragaki Yasushi deliberately drew out his words and spoke in an obnoxious tone. "Long time no see, Senior Orochimaru. What brings you to Kirigakure?"

"And sneaking around here to kidnap a child? That'd be pretty embarrassing if word got out."

Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes narrowed sharply. A flicker of surprise crossed his slit pupils, but there was no fear at being discovered—only curiosity.

Strange. There had been no one behind him just now. How had someone suddenly appeared there?

Could it be Space-Time Ninjutsu?

Orochimaru slowly turned around. When he saw Aragaki Yasushi, the corner of his mouth curled into a strange smile. He extended his long tongue and slowly licked his lips, his voice smooth and sticky. "So it's Yasushi. I didn't expect to run into you here."

Aragaki Yasushi wasn't surprised that Orochimaru knew him.

Though they'd never formally dealt with each other, Aragaki Yasushi was on good terms with Orochimaru's student, Anko.

Besides, he'd been tearing through the battlefield lately and had made quite a name for himself.

It would've been strange if Orochimaru hadn't heard of him.

"Senior Orochimaru, don't change the subject. You still haven't answered my question."

Aragaki Yasushi raised an eyebrow and pressed him.

Orochimaru acted as if he hadn't heard. Not only did he refuse to answer, but he stared at Aragaki Yasushi with his snake-like eyes and asked in return, "Then tell me, Yasushi. What brings you here?"

Aragaki Yasushi answered frankly. "Of course, I'm here on a mission from my village. You must know the village plans to overthrow the Third Mizukage, don't you?"

Orochimaru extended his long tongue and licked his lips, his voice smooth and sticky. "Of course I know..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp crack rang out nearby, followed by a snake's hiss. The sounds of fighting shattered the silence of the clan grounds.

Aragaki Yasushi raised an eyebrow and instinctively looked toward the noise.

By a nearby wall, a small child gripped a bone blade and chopped an attacking venomous snake in two. His movements were crisp and decisive, and there wasn't a hint of a child's fear in his eyes.

Aragaki Yasushi's eyes lit up.

Wasn't that Kimimaro?

So he really was hiding here.

The little brat looked young, but he was ruthless. The clan really was born to fight.

At that moment, Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes narrowed slightly.

Before Aragaki Yasushi could react, Orochimaru suddenly raised a hand.

Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

Several thick venomous snakes shot out of his sleeve, their forked tongues flicking as they lunged straight at Aragaki Yasushi. Clearly, Orochimaru wanted to restrain him first, then capture Kimimaro.

Aragaki Yasushi had already noticed his little move, but his face showed no alarm. If anything, he wore an even more obnoxious smile.

Just as the snakes were about to coil around him, Aragaki Yasushi vanished, perfectly dodging their attack.

When he appeared again, he was standing squarely in front of Kimimaro, looking down at the small child.

"Sleep."

Aragaki Yasushi spoke casually, as if making small talk, while activating the Hypnosis he had just drawn.

An invisible wave of drowsiness swept over Kimimaro. His eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep on the spot, the bone blade slipping from his hand and hitting the ground.

Aragaki Yasushi bent down, grabbed Kimimaro by the collar, and lifted him up like a kitten.

He turned to look at Orochimaru nearby, his face full of smug satisfaction.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Orochimaru slowly applauded, his golden snake-like eyes fixed on Aragaki Yasushi, his voice full of praise.

"Space-Time Ninjutsu, Yasushi. Your talent as a ninja really is exceptional."

As soon as he finished speaking, he leaned closer and tried to tempt him. "Would you be interested in working for me?"

"Follow me, and you can gain even greater power."

Aragaki Yasushi shrugged, noncommittal, and answered half-heartedly. "Maybe another time. I'm not interested for now."

"Senior Orochimaru, if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."

As he spoke, he deliberately swung Kimimaro, whom he was holding by the collar, and showed him off with an obnoxious grin.

"I'll be taking this kid with me."

After a pause, he added, "Oh, and I won't report to my village that you sneaked into Kirigakure to kidnap a child. Don't worry."

As soon as he finished speaking, Aragaki Yasushi flickered and vanished without a trace, taking the sleeping Kimimaro with him. Orochimaru was left alone where he stood, a trace of amusement flickering in his snake-like eyes.