First Meeting with Orochimaru

In the incessant drizzle of the Land of Rain, gray was the dominant hue.

Pain stood upon a high platform, his deep purple Rinnegan fixed intently on Aoike.

After Konan voiced Aoike's thoughts, Pain showed no major reaction, merely watching them with an inscrutable gaze.

"What have you lost?"

"And what have you truly understood?"

"The hearts of men are unpredictable; the existence of greed and darkness makes mutual understanding impossible. Unifying the Ninja World is too difficult, and by then, every nation will view you as an enemy."

Indeed, the difficulty of merging nations that had forged blood feuds was no less than that of annihilating them entirely.

Eventually, Pain's figure receded.

"Since you have such confidence, then collect the Tailed Beasts first and we shall see..."

Pain was naturally aware of the growth in Aoike's strength over the past few years; it could be said that his raw power was second only to his own. As long as he did not harbor thoughts of deviating from the plan, he would let him do as he pleased.

He only wondered how much longer his own body could hold out.

Hidden in a secret chamber, Nagato silently maintained his emaciated and increasingly frail body.

At the very least, he had to hold on until the plan was complete; he could never let Yahiko's sacrifice go to waste. The Akatsuki's wish for world peace would surely be realized through his hands.

It was precisely by holding onto this conviction that Nagato had managed to persist until now.

Within the Akatsuki base, Konan helped Aoike pack his belongings. With Nagato's tacit approval, Aoike decided to head to Konoha alone to settle things with his past.

To be precise, he intended to purge the Hyuga clan, cleaning out a few pests. Surely the clan head would be grateful to him—probably.

He would proceed step by step, and once the Tenseigan finished its third fetal movement, he would go and wipe out that group.

On the Konoha training ground, Kakashi hid behind a tree, stowed away his book, and his expression turned grave.

Not far away, Sasuke was trading blows with his Shadow Clone, using the gaps created by Naruto's Multiple Shadow Clones to gain some distance.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball!"

The Kakashi (Shadow Clone) threw Naruto aside with one hand and dispersed the surrounding clones with a roundhouse kick.

After turning, he finished his hand seals just in time and pressed his hands to the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

A wall of earth carved with dog heads rose up.

Boom.

The two-meter-wide fireball shattered the corner of the wall, and the dust kicked up by the heat wave filled the surrounding air.

Naruto, hiding behind a tree, saw his chance and charged out without hesitation, only to strike at empty air.

Not far away, the ground beneath Sasuke turned into a quagmire, and a pair of hands grabbed his ankles, pulling him down.

"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"

The clone pulled into the ground dissipated with a poof, and an Explosive Tag connected to a wire blocked Kakashi.

Kakashi, observing from a tree, felt a bead of cold sweat slide down his face.

Was this the disciple the Third Hokage had chosen for him?

Although he had said before the battle to "come at me with the intent to kill," this determination was a bit too firm.

Sasuke, focused entirely on the battle, performed hand seals without hesitation: Rat, Tiger, Dog...

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Several small fireballs were spat out in rapid succession, completely sealing off all possible landing spots. Just as Sasuke was feeling smug, a large hand covered his shoulder.

"Not bad. You know quite a few ninjutsu."

Unfortunately, when he used the Headhunter Jutsu, the one that popped out was merely a clone (Body Replacement Technique).

Sure enough, as the flames crashed down, Kakashi, hindered by the Explosive Tag, turned into smoke and dissipated.

Sasuke, his chakra nearly exhausted, spun his Sharingan, attempting to drag Kakashi into a genjutsu.

It was that familiar night once again; Sasuke stood before the door, the scent of blood leaving his mind a blank slate...

After countering the genjutsu, Kakashi voluntarily dispelled his Shadow Clone, causing Naruto, who was attempting a sneak attack, to miss once more.

"Damn it, Kakashi-sensei! You're so cunning, I let my guard down for a second and you dodged again!"

"And you, cocky Sasuke, why are you just standing there?"

Naruto leaned in to check on Sasuke's state, completely failing to notice Kakashi approaching quietly from behind.

White Fang Secret Technique—One Thousand Years of Death!

In an instant, a pained Naruto collided with Sasuke, who was still immersed in the genjutsu, and they both tumbled into a puddle.

Outside the Konoha barrier, Aoike passed through smoothly after a few attempts.

Few ninjas in the hidden village were proficient in sealing techniques, and almost every squad had its own habitual style. Especially for those who had served in the Anbu or Root, guessing the passwords was about as difficult as playing Minesweeper.

A few weeks passed, a new waiter appeared in a Konoha izakaya, and Kakashi led his squad out of the village on a mission.

Aoike spent his time leisurely patrolling the village, recording the movements of most of the Hyuga. Fortunately, the Hyuga clan kept to themselves, and not much had changed over the past few years.

With the preparations complete, Aoike waited silently for the arrival of Orochimaru, who was disguised as the Kazekage.

News that Konoha would be hosting the Chunin Exams began to spread, so the day could not be too far off.

Clearing out the Hyuga on his own was impossible; the territory of a Konoha noble clan was vast, and even when the Uchiha were wiped out, they had the help of Anbu and Root operatives to keep watch.

At this moment, the only one with enough manpower to help was the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.

Finally, just as Kakashi was leading Team 7 back to the village, the Kazekage disguised by Orochimaru stepped into the village.

Night fell, and Orochimaru, as an honored guest, stayed in a courtyard surrounded by patrolling Anbu. Aoike, having snuck in, listened to the conversation inside the room with great interest.

Before long, a wave of dizziness washed over him. Aoike's chakra stirred slightly, and he easily broke free from the genjutsu.

"It seems Konoha's security is becoming increasingly lax, letting a rat slip in," the person inside the room said with a laugh.

Aoike no longer hid his presence; he pushed open the door and walked in. Trying to sneak up on a snake skilled in lurking and disguise was truly showing off before an expert.

"Long time no see, Kazekage... no, I should call you Orochimaru-senpai."

Wearing the black cloak with red clouds of the Akatsuki, Aoike stood before this extremely dangerous figure without a hint of fear.