Different forms of address corresponded to different identities.
Though they were all the same person, they stood in different positions.
When he opened the letter, it was addressed to Uchiha Yuu. Much of it questioned him and rebuked his actions, though it ended with words of concern.
It had been sent to Uchiha Yuu in the spirit of friendship.
Yet when the letter reached Uchiha Yuu's hands, he read every word, whether it was a rebuke or an expression of concern. Then he tucked it into his robes, nodded lightly, and said,
"Bring the ninja who delivered the letter to the main hall. Since they want confirmation of my identity, let everyone in Konoha know that I'm still alive."
"How interesting."
Orochimaru, whose mind had been filled with experiments in the Netherworld, stopped as he was about to leave and said with feeling,
"As expected of my disciple. The paths we walk are the same. We both still have companions in the village, but now that our identities have been revealed before them, can we truly bring ourselves to act?"
Orochimaru had never abandoned his identity. It represented his severing of ties with the past and his willingness to face becoming Konoha's enemy. Yet after Uchiha Yuu came here, he had always worn a mask. While that had dispelled some suspicions and ensured that Konoha would not target the Dawn Hidden Village in the early stages, had Uchiha Yuu truly prepared himself to meet them on the battlefield?
"I made my preparations long ago, Teacher Orochimaru."
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of fractures rang out as the mask at his waist shattered. It signified that Uchiha Yuu no longer needed to hide behind a mask.
He would once again stand at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World and become the