"You, h-how..." Inside the cave, Nakashita So staggered to his feet after being sent flying, staring at Naraku in disbelief.
As expected, ignorance is the most terrifying thing of all! Naraku thought.
As for the Spirit Sealing Prohibition Nakashita So had just used, it was merely a simple sealing jutsu that could seal chakra. To Naraku, a jutsu of that level was on par with a D-rank ninjutsu.
He even knew a more advanced sealing jutsu of the same type, one that could seal not only chakra but also restrain the body.
Otherwise, if it could only seal chakra, it wouldn't be very effective against ninjas skilled in Taijutsu.
After cutting all the ropes binding Akimichi Yamaichi, Naraku turned to look to the side.
Yamato was lying unconscious there. Naraku swung his hand like a blade and cut the ropes binding him too, but when he saw the ghastly wounds on Yamato's back, his brows furrowed.
"What a troublesome guy."
As soon as Akimichi Yamaichi was free, he hurried deeper into the cave.
Nakashita So wanted to stop him, but Naraku blocked his way.
Looking at Nakashita So, Naraku wondered whether he should kill him or let him live. By now, he was certain that the man had some sort of connection to Orochimaru.
As for Orochimaru, Naraku didn't want to provoke him just yet. After all, he was still weak.
"Kid, you'd better not do anything reckless. Lord Orochimaru will be here soon. If he finds out you've laid a hand on me, he won't let you get away with it." Realizing he couldn't escape on his own, Nakashita So invoked Orochimaru's name.
"Is that so?"
Naraku paused at his words, then scoffed.
Perhaps the man really did have some sort of connection to Orochimaru. But claiming Orochimaru would avenge him was pure nonsense.
Naraku knew better than anyone what kind of person Orochimaru was: a staunch egoist.
Nakashita So's words struck Naraku as ridiculous. He made up his mind. So what if the man was connected to Orochimaru? Who cared? What did it matter if he killed him?
Naraku looked at Nakashita So. The instant their eyes met, his normally dark pupils changed, and his crimson gaze gave off an eerie, mysterious aura.
The next moment, Nakashita So's eyes went unfocused, as if he had lost consciousness.
Naraku gripped a kunai and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique. When he reappeared in front of Nakashita So, he swiftly drew the blade across the man's neck.
With a thud, Nakashita So's body fell to the ground.
Naraku closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they had returned to normal.
Just then, Akimichi Yamaichi came out of the cave, supporting someone.
When the two saw Nakashita So lying on the ground, their expressions changed. But only for an instant; the next moment, they had composed themselves.
"A member of the Hyuga Clan, huh?"
Seeing Hyuga Hi's pale eyes, Naraku recognized him. After all, in the entire Shinobi World, only members of the Hyuga Clan went around staring at people with the Byakugan.
After a brief exchange, Naraku got a rough idea of what had happened.
He looked down at Nakashita So's body, his expression conflicted.
In this world, who could say what was right or wrong?
After sealing Nakashita So's body in a scroll, Naraku turned to the two snakes bound by the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
He dealt with the Black Snake first. After a moment's hesitation, he tightened the chains. Bound as it already was, the Black Snake immediately vanished in a puff of smoke under the increased pressure.
As for the remaining White Snake, Naraku sealed it inside a scroll. This White Snake was unusual: it could change its size to some extent, much like the secret techniques of the Akimichi Clan.
Naraku was curious about it and decided to study it when he had time.
As for whether he had made an enemy of Orochimaru, Naraku wasn't considering that anymore. Even if Orochimaru really did hold a grudge against him, it might not be a bad thing. Having a Kage Level powerhouse constantly pushing him would help his strength grow faster.
Naraku lifted Yamato from the ground, and the four of them left together.
Nakashita So's body was stored in a scroll by Naraku.
The four of them first went to Frost Town and rested for a day. Aside from Naraku, the others were all in poor shape.
"Oh, so that fellow Nakashita really did fail?" Orochimaru's pale golden eyes slowly opened, and he licked his lips.
"But he ran into Uzumaki Naraku?" A trace of surprise crossed Orochimaru's face.
Never mind. None of that matters to me right now, he thought to himself.
"Besides, he was only a member of the Hyuga Branch Family. Even a true Byakugan couldn't compare to those eyes."
As if he had thought of something, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement.
The next day,
Naraku and the others left Frost Town together, heading toward the Land of Fire.
Naraku hadn't planned to travel with them. His and Yamato's mission had only been to rescue them. But Hyuga Hi and the others were still very weak, and running into trouble on the way back could have been disastrous.
So Naraku decided to return to the village with them.
Since Hyuga Hi and the others were in poor condition, they couldn't travel very fast. It took them four days to get back to the village.
Fortunately, with Yamato there this time, they were able to get a decent night's rest.
Hokage Office,
Though he really didn't want to, Naraku personally reported on the mission this time. He would have preferred to leave it to Yamato, but Yamato had passed out early on, so Naraku had no choice but to handle it himself.
First, he recorded the mission's general details in a scroll, then handed the scroll, along with the one containing Nakashita So's body, to the Third Hokage.
"Hmm? There are traces of Orochimaru's involvement too. Could Orochimaru have had something to do with Nakashita So's defection?"
The Third Hokage spoke gravely as he read the contents of the scroll.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. According to Nakashita So, he and Orochimaru had known each other for many years and had remained in close contact. That's why he defected after learning that Orochimaru had become a rogue ninja."
Hyuga Hi stepped forward and explained.
Naraku, however, couldn't help feeling speechless. Nakashita So might not have been very strong, but he certainly had a thick skin.