Intelligence from Uchiha Itachi

As Tobi began making the rounds, trying to cozy up to the other members, Itachi glanced at the man with purple eye shadow in the dark corner, then slipped away without a sound.

In the shadows, the man with purple eye shadow ran his long tongue over his lips.

He set off after Itachi.

In the dank passageway, where dew dripped from the walls, the man watched Uchiha Itachi walk ahead without a care. He licked the corner of his mouth, eager for the hunt.

From the wide sleeve of his robe,

a brown snake's head silently emerged...

Hiss!

With a piercing cry, the long snake shot forward and coiled around Uchiha Itachi!

"Do you know what Eternity is, Itachi?"

The man smiled at Uchiha Itachi, who made no attempt to struggle and remained perfectly calm.

"I don't know yet. That's why I need a new body... the perfect body to make me eternal!"

Uchiha Itachi suddenly smiled. "Orochimaru, can my body grant you eternal life?"

Orochimaru paused, puzzled by Itachi's ease. "I can't be certain. But I've kept trying, kept searching. I've never stopped pursuing the eternal truth..."

Uchiha Itachi turned back. "...You may have the wrong person."

"What?"

"There's someone far stronger than me. You could try using his body to achieve Eternity. Or perhaps he'll tell you how to achieve it."

Orochimaru grinned. "How ugly, Itachi. Are you trying to buy time?"

"You don't believe me?"

Orochimaru frowned slightly. "Who is it?"

"Shinji... Uchiha!"

Bzzz!

Orochimaru's vision swam. He stared at Uchiha Itachi standing before him, watching him calmly, and his expression darkened. "Impossible. I fell under a Paralysis Genjutsu without even realizing it..."

Inside the Genjutsu.

Five enormous nails pinned Orochimaru's body in the void. "Was it when our eyes met? Splendid... What magnificent ocular power!"