Border of the Land of Lightning, Underground Abyss on the outskirts of Ryūchi Cave.
The air reeked with a nauseating stench. The flashlight beam swept across the cavern, revealing dark-purple crystals covering both rock walls. They were not minerals, but densely packed giant snake scales, each reflecting a chilling gleam.
"Drip."
Cold droplets struck the puddles, their echoes stretching endlessly through the cave.
Sasuke stopped on the water's surface. The Kusanagi Sword pointed diagonally at the ground, arcs of electricity snapping violently along its blade. Kakashi stood half a step beside him, his right eye fixed on the depths of the darkness while the Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his left eye spun madly.
On the massive stone platform directly ahead sat a bizarre creature cross-legged.
Fine white scales covered its pale skin, and four malformed horns protruded from its head. Most revolting of all was a dark-red fleshy tube as thick as a thigh extending from its abdomen like an umbilical cord, buried deep into the earth.
Kabuto Yakushi pushed up his round glasses, his golden snake eyes filled with mockery.
"Sasuke Uchiha." Kabuto licked his lips, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper scraping glass. "I thought you were going to hide behind Naruto Uzumaki until the war was over. What? Finally willing to cut that nanny string and come out to die on your own?"
Clang!
Sasuke casually spun his sword, and lightning instantly illuminated half the cave. "Enough nonsense. Put away that pile of rotten flesh and undo the Impure World Reincarnation. I'll leave you an intact corpse."
"An intact corpse?" Kabuto seemed to have heard the greatest joke in the world and suddenly burst into hysterical laughter. "Making such boasts in a sage's domain!"
He abruptly brought his hands together, forming a bizarre hand seal.
A sudden change