The Sound Four stared fixedly at Sasuke Uchiha, whom they had surrounded.
Sakon said calmly:
"Lord Orochimaru said... you must die once first!"
Sasuke's pupils contracted sharply.
I have to die once first?!
"Hahahaha... don't worry, Lord Sasuke. You won't really die."
As he spoke, he took a small bottle of medicine from behind his back.
"This medicine is called the Mind Awakening Pill. Please take it."
Seemingly noticing Sasuke's hesitation and confusion, Tayuya spoke:
"Your Cursed Seal is currently at stage one. Taking this pill will forcibly awaken stage two."
Kidomaru continued:
"But once you awaken stage two, the Cursed Seal will also erode your body much faster."
Jirobo stepped forward as well and said coldly:
"Under normal circumstances, mastering the power of Curse Mark Stage Two takes a great deal of time.
After taking the pill, you'll gain power equal to ours, but you'll probably die within minutes!"
Sasuke's expression grew even colder as he waited for them to finish.
He knew Orochimaru wouldn't let him die here.
Sure enough, Sakon continued:
"You don't need to worry. That's precisely why we're here.
We can counteract the pill's side effects with a barrier, reducing permanent death to a state of suspended animation."
Sasuke felt slightly reassured after hearing this, but he still hesitated.
"Does this barrier jutsu of yours really work?"
All four of them smiled at Sasuke's question.
Pride appeared on Kidomaru's face. He patted his chest and said with a smile:
"You may not know this, Lord Sasuke, but we're Lord Orochimaru's bodyguards.
Barriers, defensive ninjutsu, Cursed Seals, and Sealing Jutsu are all second nature to us. You can rest easy."
Sasuke Uchiha frowned, but said nothing more. He simply opened the bottle, tipped out a pill, and popped it into his mouth.
Hum...
The instant Sasuke