Between Life and Death!

At that moment, a short distance away, a black figure suddenly appeared atop the fortress, tumbling awkwardly down from the sky.

He was lean and dressed in a Military Headquarters combat uniform. He seemed to have just survived a brutal battle. Now he was panting, leaning against the wall as he slowly sank to the ground.

In the setting sun, his face was caked with dirt, making his features hard to see. Only his eyes were still bright. He looked young—still a boy, perhaps.

When he finally got a little strength back, he casually wiped the dirt from his face and began bandaging his shoulder.

Blood from his right shoulder had already soaked his arm, yet he seemed not to feel the pain. He briskly tore open his clothes, applied medicine to the mangled wound, then pulled the gauze tight and wrapped it.

Beads of sweat rolled down his face, but the boy's gaze began to empty out, turning indifferent. It seemed he was long accustomed to enduring pain. His stillness was unnerving.

By then, the setting sun had sunk to the foot of the fortress. Its light suddenly flashed across the boy's face. He looked up and noticed two figures moving across the ground, seemingly battling, fighting, killing!

From a distance, he could see a child fighting an adult. As they traded blows, several bloody gashes appeared on the child's body, but he paid them no mind and kept attacking with ferocious speed, fighting as if he would never stop until one of them was dead!

As the fight grew fiercer, the child's wounds multiplied, but his fighting spirit only burned brighter. Misty blue chakra kept flaring around him, helping him rise again and again. His martial skills and battle experience were growing at a tremendous pace! And a few times, the boy saw brief flashes of lightning burst from the child, complementing his increasingly fierce swordsmanship—enough to amaze everyone present!

The boy watched in silence. For the first time, a strange emotion stirred in his usually expressionless eyes.

"Hey, Hyuga Makoto, your shift's over!" Just then, another shinobi jumped down. He looked at the boy with distaste and ordered, "Get out of here. The lab's waiting for you to come test some medicine!"

"Yes, Senior Shiyan."

Though he had just completed a mission, his body had barely recovered and his wound was still bleeding, yet Hyuga Makoto didn't complain. He obeyed without question.

He took one last look at the child on the ground, then stood and swayed a few times. Just as he was about to jump down from the fortress, Shiyan called him back.

Shiyan pointed with interest at the child in the clearing. "Were you watching him just now?"

"Yes, Senior."

"Do you know who he is?"

"He's a new recruit who joined Military Headquarters a few days ago. His name is Uchiha Akatsuki, and he's also Lord Orochimaru's student. Lord Orochimaru thinks highly of him," Hyuga Makoto answered honestly. "There's also a medical shinobi from his class named Kusama Shigeo."

There was no way he wouldn't know.

He had been at Military Headquarters for nearly six years. This was the first time he had seen Lord Orochimaru give such a prominent introduction to his students—and this time, there were two of them.

Many people at Military Headquarters didn't even know one another's names before they died.

"Then do you know why they came to Military Headquarters?"

Hyuga Makoto didn't answer this time. He only lowered his head as blood ran down his shoulder and dripped from his fingertips onto the ground.

"One is the eldest son of Uchiha Fugaku, the future heir of the Uchiha Clan. The other is the youngest brother of the Kusama Clan Head, destined to become a medical corps captain..."

"They're both here to pad their résumés."

Shiyan rambled on, his face twisted with spite. "So Lord Orochimaru told us to make sure they stay safe."

After speaking, he shifted his gaze to the Hyuga boy in front of him.

"I think you'd be the perfect person for the job. What do you say?"

Anyone could see that this was an extremely difficult assignment.

On the battlefield, even a Jonin couldn't guarantee their own safety, let alone look after a child. And these two children were both from powerful families. The slightest mishap could bring disaster.

It was an impossibly difficult task, one that could easily cost him his life.

"Yes, Senior Shiyan."

But Hyuga Makoto agreed without a moment's hesitation, like a machine with no feelings, obeying orders.

Shiyan smiled, triumph gleaming in his eyes.

That was right—

A tool ought to act like one.

"Good. Go on, then. Those people in the lab have been waiting ages for you. Clean yourself up. Don't go in looking filthy."

Shiyan waved him off, satisfied. Hyuga Makoto lowered his head slightly and withdrew, knowing better than to linger.

"Hmph. That sour face of his gets on my nerves. If he weren't still of some use, I'd have dealt with him myself for Lord Orochimaru." After the boy left, Shiyan sat down and took a drink of water. He picked up the binoculars and looked toward the West Training Ground, then sneered.

"Lord Orochimaru's personally sparring with him right off the bat. He really does cherish his students."

Thinking of the way Uchiha Akatsuki had cried in fear during a mission a few days earlier, he couldn't help sneering in contempt.

Let's see how many days these pampered young masters can last this time.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

In a barren field, blue light flashed now and then as cutting winds howled. Two figures darted through the dust and clashed, their weapons ringing with a mix of dull thuds and sharp clangs. Each brief pause was followed by an even fiercer exchange.

I'd failed to catch him by surprise again.

As the dust settled, my Murasame crossed blades with my teacher's Kusanagi Sword once more. I'd been utterly outmatched before, but with chakra reinforcing me, I could finally put up a fight!

"You're still not giving up?" Orochimaru still held his sword in one hand. Apart from his slightly disheveled hair, he was unscathed.

I, on the other hand, was covered in dust and wounds. My clothes were nearly soaked through with sweat, and my hand was trembling so badly I could barely hold on to Murasame.

If this had been me before, I would've fallen long ago.

I smiled without a trace of fear and released my chakra, pouring it into my bones and muscles. A steady stream of strength surged through me!

"I won't give up until you use your other hand."

As long as I still had chakra, there was no way I'd go down!

I charged at him, but with a soft smack, the attack I was so proud of was effortlessly stopped. Orochimaru seized my sword hand and looked at my blade with mild disappointment.

"You still don't know how to use this sword."

I ignored his taunt and flung several shuriken with my left hand, trying to force him back. Orochimaru simply turned his head and dodged them! A thought struck me. I let go with my right hand, and as Murasame fell, I caught it in my left. I slashed upward in a cunning move, finally putting some distance between us!

"Not bad. You're learning to use combat techniques." Orochimaru landed and gave me a rare compliment, then shook his head. "But you're still a long way from understanding the essence of swordsmanship."

"What essence?" I glanced at Murasame and saw that it was still the same as before: a pitch-black blade, unchanged.

"Could you stop talking in riddles?"

"You'll have to figure it out for yourself, Akatsuki."

Orochimaru smiled and held the Kusanagi Sword before him. He stared at its long blade, lost in some memory.

"Just as I did when I first tamed the Kusanagi Sword."

I didn't understand what Orochimaru meant, but I noticed he was distracted. My heart leapt!

My chance!

I rushed at him and launched a kick in midair! Without even looking at me, Orochimaru stopped it with ease.

I flew into a rage and slashed at him, only to be casually knocked back!

"Damn it..."

I was completely fired up now. Like an irritating fly, I attacked Orochimaru relentlessly. With my blade, fists, arms, and legs; twisting my body around him; I even nearly tried to bite him! But none of it worked!

"Looks like even your one remaining weakness has been made up for. You can use the second stage of Nintaijutsu quite well now." Orochimaru watched me panting like he was admiring a freshly finished work of art, as if searching for flaws.

"Good. I've had enough fun, too."

His expression suddenly sharpened, and he moved.

"We can move on to the next stage."

At his words, I tensed. Before I could react—or even see him—I was sent flying with a tremendous crash!

The blow was so powerful that I spat out a mouthful of blood while still in the air. Dazed and spinning, I saw the world flip around me. I thought I saw my own arm... my own leg... Then I hit the ground hard, with half the world above me and half below.

Then everything faded into a blood-red haze.

I felt as though the different parts of my body had been torn apart, lying like heaps of mud, completely beyond my control.

I lay on the ground, unable even to feel the pain. I could only retch up little mouthfuls of blood, helpless and terrified.

This was the worst injury I'd ever suffered.

I suddenly realized that although I'd been through countless fights, they'd all been minor scuffles. I'd never truly faced danger.

The training in the underground chamber had been brutal, but serious injuries were rare.

And though Fugaku had been strict when teaching me, he'd never put my life at risk.

But Orochimaru was different.

He didn't care about any of that.

He didn't believe in "holding back."

When he said training could kill me, he meant it. He wouldn't go easy on me because of my identity or status.

Even if I was a genius, even if I was the son of the Uchiha Clan Head, it didn't matter.

So... so he'd really tried to kill me just now.

The realization drained all the warmth from my blood.

I was afraid.

"This is a common situation on the battlefield, Akatsuki." Beneath the swirling dust, footsteps stopped beside my ear.

"The will to survive is also key to deciding victory or defeat."

Orochimaru's sword hovered over me, radiating a chill.

"When caught between life and death, what will you choose?"

"Ugh... cough..."

My vision blurred. Pain and fear left me helpless, and all I could do was clutch Murasame—the only weapon I had in this fight.

It was already stained red with blood. The ridiculous part was that it wasn't my enemy's blood. It was mine.

It had never left my side throughout the entire day of fighting, yet it hadn't so much as scratched my opponent. Instead, its own master's blood had soaked into it, turning it mottled. Even its last glimmer of cold light had vanished, leaving it a dark, eerie black.

I'm sorry, Murasame.

I'm... still too useless.

Through my tears, I watched the confidence I'd only just built up crumble at a single casual blow from a stronger opponent.

"If you don't move soon, you'll die."

At those words, I twitched. A small mouthful of blood welled from the corner of my lips and traced a winding line across the earth-colored ground.

Move... move... come on, move...

"Get up, Akatsuki."

The black figure stood right before me, but I couldn't even make out his face. His murderous aura swept over me like a gale, reeking of death.

I spasmed, desperately trying to move, but all I managed was to writhe on the ground like a worm... writhing... unable to move even an inch. Darkness began creeping into my vision...

"Click."

As my consciousness blurred, I heard the faint sound of a blade from somewhere above me.

I opened my eyes. The Kusanagi Sword had pierced my shoulder. Orochimaru twisted the hilt straight and yanked it out with a vicious pull.

Blood poured everywhere!

What was he... doing?

I looked up, shocked and terrified.

Orochimaru answered soon enough.

As the Kusanagi Sword came free, I heard my cartilage snap. The cold feeling of the weapon faded, replaced by a vast, tearing pain that swept over me!

But I couldn't even scream.

That was when I learned that, at its most extreme, pain left no room for tears. It could even silence your voice. The body shut down most of your senses to help you endure it.

"Do you really want to die, Akatsuki?"

The blade hovered right above my head, and my own blood dripped onto my face, drop by drop.

It was cold, utterly lifeless.

Across the endless, barren earth, Orochimaru smiled, a hint of regret in his expression.

"Looks like you'll have to die here."