Sasuke's Defection (Long Chapter)

Land of Rice Fields, Sound Village stronghold.

Orochimaru had not appeared before everyone for a long time. He had gone out once in the interim, taking Kabuto with him, but when he returned, his expression was still grim. Kabuto said they had gone to find Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin, to treat Orochimaru's hands. Unfortunately, Tsunade could not heal them and had no desire to do so. They had also run into another of the Three Sannin, Jiraiya. The Three Sannin had fought among themselves, and Orochimaru had been forced to leave. Later, they heard that Tsunade had returned to Konoha and become the Fifth Hokage.

A few days later, Orochimaru had Kabuto deliver a message—everyone was to gather in the hall inside the snake skull.

When Yunju entered the hall, Sakon, Kidomaru, Tayuya, and Jirobo were already standing in a line. Kimimaro stood at the very front, his white hair gleaming with a cold light beneath the dim lamps. Orochimaru sat in a stone chair above them, his broad black robe concealing his body. His arms hung at his sides, hidden in his sleeves. No one could see what those hands looked like now, but everyone could sense it—Orochimaru's presence was much weaker than before.

But no one dared show him any disrespect because of it.

"You four, go to Konoha." Orochimaru's voice was neither loud nor soft, its ending rising slightly as though he were discussing something trivial. "Bring Sasuke Uchiha back."

Sakon raised an eyebrow. "Bring him back? Will that kid come with us?"

"He will." The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curved upward. "He is already impatient."

He did not explain why he was so certain. The Sound Four did not ask.

"Kimimaro stays." Orochimaru's gaze shifted to Kimimaro. "Yunju stays as well. I have other arrangements for the two of you."

Kimimaro nodded slightly. Yunju lowered his head without speaking.

The Sound Four turned and left, their footsteps gradually fading through the cave. Only Orochimaru, Kimimaro, Kabuto, and Yunju remained in the hall.

"Kimimaro, Yunju." Orochimaru's voice softened. "For the next while, the two of you will spar."

Yunju raised his head and glanced at Orochimaru, then at Kimimaro. Kimimaro's expression did not change at all.

"There will soon be a use for you." Having said that, Orochimaru closed his eyes.

Kabuto stepped forward and held Orochimaru's arm—not to support him, but to help adjust his posture and avoid touching any painful spots. The two turned and headed into the inner chamber, leaving Kimimaro and Yunju standing in the hall.

Kimimaro turned to look at Yunju.

"Starting tomorrow," he said.

"Fine."

Yunju left the hall and returned to his room. He leaned against the wall, his thoughts racing.

Orochimaru wanted Sasuke. The Sound Four were going to Konoha. Kimimaro and he were to spar. There will soon be a use for you—what did Orochimaru need them to do?

Yunju did not know. But he knew one thing: though Orochimaru was badly injured, his plans had not stopped. Sasuke was the next vessel. Kimimaro's body could no longer hold on, so someone had to take his place. And what about himself? What role did he hold in Orochimaru's plans?

Yunju closed his eyes.

Whatever that role was, he did not want to remain there for too long.

Leaf Village, hospital rooftop.

"Sasuke..."

Naruto looked at Sasuke with an expression Sasuke had never seen on his face before—not anger, not jealousy, but an earnestness that could not be put into words.

"Let's fight."

Sasuke turned and looked at Naruto. He did not know why Naruto would make such a request at this moment, and he did not need to know.

"Fine."

There was no referee, no rules.

Sasuke moved first, engaging in close combat. Naruto's shadow clones surged at him from all directions. Sasuke's Sharingan caught every movement, and he dispersed them one punch at a time. But Naruto's real body was craftier than Sasuke had expected—he hid behind the shadow clones, found an opening in Sasuke's defense, and drove a fist into Sasuke's abdomen.

Sasuke staggered back two steps, his breathing thrown off for a moment. He adjusted his stance and formed hand seals.

Chidori.

Lightning burst from Sasuke's right hand, its sharp chirping tearing across the sky above the rooftop.

Chidori and Rasengan struck out at the same time—

Kakashi flashed between them, and the two jutsu collided with the water tank.

Kakashi seemed to have said something, but Sasuke did not hear it. To him, the damage to the water tank before him clearly showed the gap between himself and Naruto.

However, after he jumped down from the rooftop, he saw the other side of the water tank. The Rasengan had devastated it beyond recognition.

Sasuke knew Naruto was already beginning to surpass him.

Night.

"Are you Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke raised his head. Four figures stood before him, their shadows covering him. One had her hair tied into two buns, one carried a shuriken on his back, one had six arms, and the last looked like a mountain of flesh.

The Sound Four.

"Lord Orochimaru sent us to fetch you." Sakon tilted his head, studying Sasuke. "Want to get stronger? Come with us."

Sasuke looked at them without speaking.

"In the state you're in now, you probably can't even beat Konoha's dead last, can you?" Tayuya leaned against the wall, her tone lazy. "Lord Orochimaru can give you the power you want. It'll be much faster than training blindly here by yourself."

Sasuke clenched his hand.

"We'll wait outside the village." Sakon turned away. "Before dawn. If you're late, we leave without you."

The four vanished around the street corner.

Sasuke sat on the stone steps for a long time without moving.

Late at night.

Leaf Village, former Uchiha estate.

Sasuke pushed open the door that had not been opened in a long time. A thin layer of dust coated the room. He entered his own room, pulled an old backpack from beneath the bed, and stuffed it with ninja tools, money, and several changes of clothes.

His hand brushed against something on the bedside table—a group photograph of Team 7.

Naruto was grinning like an idiot, Sakura smiled shyly beside him, Kakashi stood behind them making a gesture, and Sasuke stood at the very edge with a cold expression. Sasuke stared at the photo for a long time, then placed it face down on the table without taking it.

He left the room without looking back.

The village gates shone with a cold white light beneath the moon.

Sakura stood before them.

"Sasuke..."

Sasuke stopped and looked at her.

"Don't go." Sakura's voice trembled. "Please, don't go. I know you're in pain, but... but we can think of a way together. Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and me... we all—"

"You don't understand." Sasuke cut her off.

Sakura bit her lip, and tears finally fell.

"I love you, Sasuke." Her voice was soft, nearly too soft to hear. "For a very long time... so please..."

Sasuke looked at her tear-streaked face and fell silent for several seconds.

His hand rose.

"I'm sorry."

His palm struck the side of Sakura's neck. Her body went limp. Sasuke caught her and gently laid her on a bench by the roadside.

Under the moonlight, tear tracks still marked Sakura's face.

Sasuke looked at her once, then turned and walked into the darkness.

When Kakashi arrived at the village gate, Sakura was the only one on the bench.

He crouched to examine her injuries—a slight bruise on the back of her neck, nothing serious. She had only been knocked unconscious. Kakashi raised his head and looked beyond the village, where the night was thick as undiluted ink.

Too late.

Deep in the forest.

Sasuke's footsteps made faint sounds against the fallen leaves. Four figures waited ahead amid the shadows of the trees.

"You came?" Sakon jumped down from a tree. "I thought you weren't coming."

"Cut the crap." Sasuke's voice was cold. "Lead the way."

The Sound Four did not move. Kidomaru tilted his head at Sasuke, his lips carrying a faint, mocking smile.

"We can lead the way. But first, you need to prove you're worthy of Lord Orochimaru's expectations."

Sasuke frowned.

"In your weakened state, any one of us could knock you flat." Tayuya toyed with the flute in her hand. "What Lord Orochimaru told us to bring back is a vessel with potential, not a corpse. So we need to see—whether you're worth the effort."

Sasuke clenched his hand.

"What do you want?"

"Fight one of us." Sakon held up four fingers. "You against one of us. Pick for yourself."

Sasuke's gaze swept over the Sound Four.

Sakon. Kidomaru. Tayuya. Jirobo. He could sense the chakra within them—not the amount an ordinary genin possessed. They were stronger than most of the opponents he had encountered in the Forest of Death.

But he had no way back.

Sasuke walked toward Sakon, his Sharingan slowly spinning in its sockets.

"You."

Sakon smiled.

Curse Mark. Black patterns spread from Sakon's neck to his cheeks, and his chakra surged. His speed, strength, reactions—everything rose by another level.

Sasuke's Sharingan caught his movement, but his body could not keep up.

A fist slammed into Sasuke's abdomen. His body flew away as though struck by a carriage, snapping a small tree behind him. He struggled to his feet, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"That's all you've got?" Sakon shook out his hand. "And Lord Orochimaru treats you like some treasure."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as Chidori exploded in his right hand.

Sakon did not even dodge. He met the Chidori head-on, twisting aside the instant the lightning touched his body, then smashed an elbow into Sasuke's back. Sasuke crashed to the ground, and Chidori dispersed.

"I said, cut the crap." Sakon turned away. "Take the medicine."

Tayuya took a sealed glass bottle from her waist. Inside was a dark red pill.

"What is that?" Sasuke asked, breathing hard.

"A medicine that forcibly awakens the Curse Mark's second stage," Tayuya said. "The side effects are severe—you could die. But we have a way to help you endure it."

Sasuke stared at the dark red pill.

"Take it, and you'll spend three days in a state of suspended death. When you wake up three days later, the Curse Mark's power will be ten times stronger than it is now."

Sasuke extended his hand and took the pill from Tayuya.

"Wait." Sakon stopped him. "Are you sure? You really could die from this."

Without hesitation, Sasuke put the pill in his mouth.

Agony.

It began in his stomach, as if something were tearing apart his organs. The Curse Mark's black patterns spread wildly from his neck, crawling over his entire face and into his eyes. Sasuke's body began to convulse, white foam spilling from his mouth.

Four Black Mist Formation!

The Sound Four each took a corner and formed hand seals at the same time. Black mist rose from the ground and shrouded Sasuke. Curse power flowed through the mist, suppressing the pill's side effects.

Sasuke's body gradually stopped convulsing. His eyes closed, and his breathing became faint—so faint it was almost imperceptible.

"Get the barrel."

Jirobo removed a huge wooden barrel from his back, taller than a man, its surface covered in sealing formulas. Sakon picked Sasuke up, placed him inside, and sealed the lid.

"Move."

The Sound Four lifted the barrel and vanished into the depths of the forest.

The next day. Leaf Village, Hokage's office.

Tsunade sat behind her desk, Sasuke's defection report spread out on the scroll before her. Her expression was not pleasant.

"So Sasuke went with them willingly." Tsunade's voice was heavy.

"Yes." Kakashi stood before the desk, with less of his usual laziness on his face. "The surveillance at the village gate and eyewitnesses both confirmed it. He was not coerced."

Tsunade fell silent for a moment.

"Does Naruto know?"

"He does," Kakashi said. "He came to find me and asked—no, demanded—that I send him after Sasuke."

"Sakura came too," Shizune added from the side. "She's kneeling outside the office and refuses to get up."

Tsunade sighed.

"Shikamaru." She looked at Shikamaru, who stood in the corner. "You'll lead the team."

Shikamaru looked thoroughly unwilling. "Why me...?"

Tsunade's tone allowed no argument. "Naruto, Kiba, Choji, Neji—you'll take them and pursue them. Bring Sasuke back."

Shikamaru opened his mouth, but ultimately did not object.

"Yes."

In the forest.

The five-man squad raced through the woods at high speed. Shikamaru took the lead, unfolding a map as he ran.

"There are four Sound Ninja. They won't be moving too fast. If we pursue them at full speed, we should be able to catch up near the border."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto looked like he wished he could grow wings and fly after them.

"Nothing." Shikamaru folded up the map. "But there's one problem—we don't know their exact route. So I need information."

He stopped and looked at Kiba.

"Kiba, your sense of smell."

Kiba crouched down, and Akamaru sniffed the ground beside him.

"Found them! This way!"

The five changed direction and pursued them into the depths of the forest.

A clearing in the woods.

Jirobo set down the wooden barrel and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"We've come this far. Shouldn't we take a break?"

"Cut the crap." Sakon kicked the barrel. "Lord Orochimaru is waiting."

Jirobo muttered under his breath, hoisted the wooden barrel onto his shoulder, and kept walking.

A rustling sound came from the treetops.

Jirobo looked up—

Naruto dropped from the tree, riding a howling gust as he planted a foot on Jirobo's shoulder.

"Leave Sasuke Uchiha behind!"

Jirobo staggered back from the kick, and the barrel slipped from his shoulder, only to be steadily caught by his other hand.

Choji stood in the middle of the clearing. He still held a bag of chips in one hand, chewing with an unusually serious expression.

"Earth Style: Earth Prison Dome! Sakon, take the barrel and go first!" Jirobo shouted, staying behind alone to hold them off.

The Earth Style barrier, Earth Prison Dome, rose from the ground. Thick stone walls trapped Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji inside. Viscous chakra seeped from the inner surface of the walls, slowly draining the prisoners' strength.

Neji's Byakugan had already seen through everything. His gaze pierced through the stone wall and found the node in the Earth Prison's chakra flow.

"Choji, southeast! At the junction of the walls—the thinnest point!"

Choji did not waste words. His body curled into a massive ball of flesh and began spinning at high speed—

"Human Boulder!"

With a boom, Earth Prison Dome was smashed open with a huge hole. Sunlight poured through the opening as the four of them rushed out one after another.

Only Jirobo remained in the clearing. Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Sakon had already gone far away with Sasuke Uchiha's barrel.

Standing at the front of the group, Choji looked at the man before him, who was about his size, and stretched out an arm to stop his companions behind him.

"You go after Sasuke Uchiha first." Choji's voice was not loud, but it was firm. "I'll stay and fight him."

Shikamaru glanced at Choji without saying much. He understood him. Nothing he said at a time like this would matter.

"Go."

Shikamaru led Naruto, Kiba, and Neji around the battlefield and chased deeper into the forest.

Only Choji and Jirobo remained in the clearing.

Jirobo rolled his shoulders and twisted his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.

"Just you?"

Choji did not answer. He merely clenched his fists.

Jirobo moved first. Though massive, he was not slow. A heavy fist shot straight toward Choji's face. Choji raised an arm to block, but the impact numbed his arm and forced him back two steps. Jirobo pressed forward with another punch. Choji barely dodged it, but Jirobo's third punch landed solidly in his stomach.

Choji doubled over, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Jirobo reached into Choji's pocket, pulled out the bag of chips, tore it open, dumped the contents into his mouth, and chewed with loud crunches.

"Fat pig. Worthless trash." Jirobo tossed the empty bag into Choji's face. "That all you've got?"

Choji's hand trembled. Not from pain, but from anger. He slipped his hand into his pocket and touched the green pill.

The Spinach Pill.

The first of the Akimichi Clan's secret medicines. It could instantly replenish chakra and increase strength, with relatively mild side effects.

Choji stuffed the Spinach Pill into his mouth and swallowed it.

Chakra surged through his body like an explosion. Choji's body swelled slightly, his muscles tightening. Without further hesitation, he pulled several kunai from his ninja tool pouch and bound them to his arms and body with bandages, turning himself into a spiked ball of flesh.

"Needle Human Boulder!"

The spiked ball spun at high speed and crushed toward Jirobo.

"Earth Style: Earth Shore Return!"

Jirobo slammed both hands onto the ground, and a thick earthen wall rose before him.

Needle Human Boulder crashed into the wall—the wall shattered. It did not crack; it crumbled into powder. The kunai spikes carved deep grooves into the wall, and momentum carried Choji onward, straight at Jirobo himself.

Jirobo did not have time to dodge. The spiked ball grazed his arm, spraying blood everywhere. Several deep bloody gashes appeared on his arm.

"You bastard—"

Jirobo's chakra changed. Black markings spread from his neck to his cheeks, his skin turning dark gray as a violent aura burst from his body.

Cursed Seal: State One.

Jirobo's power more than doubled. Facing the Needle Human Boulder charging at him again, he struck out with his palm. The force of that blow was terrifying, sending Choji flying out of his ball form. Choji spun through the air several times before slamming heavily into the ground. Human Boulder was forcibly released, and kunai scattered everywhere.

Choji lay prone on the ground, gasping for breath. His vision had blurred, and his ears rang.

He remembered some things.

When he had been very young, other children had mocked and excluded him because he was fat. No one had wanted to play with him. No one had wanted him on their team. Only Shikamaru—the Shikamaru who always called everything troublesome—had stood up for him when he was bullied. He had sat beside him when he ate alone. He had said, "Choji is my friend."

Choji braced a hand against the ground and slowly pushed himself back up.

His hand slipped into his pocket and touched the second pill.

Yellow.

The Curry Pill.

He put it in his mouth and swallowed.

Blue-white chakra erupted from Choji's body like a burning flame. His eyes brightened, and the chakra flooding through him stopped the bleeding from his wounds and sealed them over.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

Choji's right arm instantly expanded into a pillar-like limb, and he swung it toward Jirobo. Jirobo crossed his arms to block, but the slap was too powerful. His feet plowed two deep trenches through the ground as he slid backward more than ten meters.

It was not over. Choji followed up, hammering Jirobo's chest, abdomen, and face with a series of heavy punches. Jirobo was beaten back again and again, unable to lift his head at all. Choji kicked him in the waist, sending his entire body flying.

Jirobo adjusted his posture in midair. When he landed, he grabbed Choji by the ankles and flung him into the sky.

Choji spun through the air, but he did not panic. He formed a simple hand seal—

"Super Expansion Jutsu!"

Choji's body expanded in midair. Not merely larger, but as vast as a mountain. His palm blotted out the sky overhead as it pressed down with overwhelming force.

Jirobo had no time to evade. Choji's gigantic body crushed him beneath it, driving a massive crater into the ground.

But Jirobo did not surrender.

His cursed seal deepened once more.

State Two.

His skin turned dark red, horns sprouted from his head, and his body expanded until it was nearly the same size as Choji's. Chakra poured from him, roiling like steam. He stretched out both hands, caught the giant Choji pressing down on him, and heaved upward—

Choji's body was thrown away, smashing through several large trees. His size rapidly shrank back to normal. He collapsed amid shattered wood and fallen leaves, with not a single part of his body free of pain. The yellow Curry Pill's effects were fading, and its side effects began to surface—aching muscles, depleted chakra, and even breathing felt exhausting.

Jirobo stood up, brushed the dust from himself, and walked toward Choji.

"That all you've got?" Jirobo's voice was low and hoarse. "I thought the Akimichi Clan was supposed to be impressive."

Choji lay on the ground, his fingers curling into the dirt.

He remembered something someone had said. Who had said it again? It seemed like Shikamaru.

"Choji, you're not worthless. You're the strongest among us."

Choji reached into his pocket and touched the final pill.

Red.

The Chili Pill.

The Akimichi Clan's forbidden medicine. Once consumed, it would increase his power a hundredfold. But the price was—he could easily die.

Choji put the red Chili Pill into his mouth.

And swallowed.

His chakra ran wild. It did not erupt like before—it exploded from his body like a volcanic eruption. Choji's body was burning—not figuratively, but truly burning. His fat was rapidly consumed, and his body changed from plump to lean. Something burst from his back. Not bone, not muscle, but chakra.

The chakra condensed into the shape of butterfly wings, slowly spreading from his back.

Butterfly Transformation Mode.

Choji stood up. His face was expressionless as he stared directly at Jirobo. There was no anger in his eyes, no fear—only pure, unwavering resolve.

Jirobo's pupils contracted.

"You... what is this..."

He did not finish.

Choji moved. He was so fast that Jirobo's eyes could not follow him at all. One punch pierced through Jirobo's chest. Not sending him flying, not knocking him down—piercing through him. Choji's fist entered through Jirobo's chest and emerged from his back, covered in dark red blood.

Jirobo opened his mouth as if to say something, but only an indistinct breath escaped.

His body slowly fell. The cursed seal faded, his skin returned to its original color, and his eyes closed.

They never opened again.

Choji stood before Jirobo's corpse as the chakra wings behind him slowly faded away. His body swayed, then collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Blood seeped from his mouth and nose, and his breathing was so faint it was almost imperceptible.

His eyes were half-closed as he looked at the leaves and sky overhead.

"Shikamaru..." His lips moved slightly, his voice too soft even for himself to hear. "I won..."

In the distant forest, Shikamaru suddenly stopped and looked back the way they had come.

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing." Shikamaru turned back and kept running. "Let's go."

The pursuit continued.