The Lamps in Their Hands, and What They Illuminated!

"What did you say? Gaara was...!?"

Baki and his party had rushed back to Sunagakure through the night, only to hear the terrible news that Gaara had been abducted from the village, his fate unknown!

Baki seized the Sunagakure ninja by the collar and demanded, "What the hell were you doing, letting criminals run wild in the village!!!"

The ninja's eyes darted about. "Those were the higher-ups' orders. There was nothing we could do...!!"

"The higher-ups...!!!" Baki's eyes widened as he suddenly realized something.

Temari ground her teeth audibly.

"I'm going to make those bastards pay!!"

Kankuro said, "I'm coming too!!!"

"Both of you, stop!!!"

Baki shouted them down.

"Temari, Kankuro, what will that solve!!!"

Temari said, "But!! He's my little brother! How am I supposed to accept this!!!!"

Baki said gravely, "I let my guard down! I should have realized it. Right when we nominated Gaara for Kazekage, the higher-ups sent us on a long-term mission. Whatever happens, stay calm... acting rashly won't solve anything now!!"

Temari and Kankuro were frantic, but all they could do was stamp their feet.

Just then, Sasuke, who had come with Baki, stepped forward and asked the Sunagakure ninja still held by his collar, "Tell me what those two intruders looked like."

That ninja and the other Sunagakure ninja present all gave him skeptical looks.

Baki's gaze flickered slightly. After learning outside the temple in Rōran that Sasuke had actually killed Red Sand Scorpion, he had watched him closely throughout their journey—and discovered that Orochimaru and Kabuto seemed to defer to him completely!

Shaken by that discovery, Baki immediately understood that Sasuke Uchiha was nowhere near as simple as he had assumed!

He had intended to keep quiet for now, at least until they returned safely to the village, then decide how to respond based on their next moves.

He had never expected... that something would happen to Gaara!

Although Baki still had no idea whether Orochimaru's group was using a visit to Granny Chiyo as a cover for some ulterior motive, they might be the only people he could rely on now!

Fortunately, all the Sunagakure ninja present were newcomers. None had participated in the attack on Konoha, and they did not recognize Orochimaru or Kabuto.

Thinking quickly, Baki said, "They... are from Konoha. They aren't wearing Forehead Protectors because we were carrying out a special joint mission. Tell them what happened!"

The Sunagakure ninja then described the two intruders' clothing and appearance.

The more Karin heard, the more doubtful she looked, and the more alarm filled her eyes!

Suigetsu, Jugo... those two? Was this some kind of joke? Had they really joined Akatsuki?

Sasuke recognized them too, of course. He simply kept his emotions off his face, though the hand quietly clenching beneath his sleeve betrayed that he was far less calm than he appeared.

He exchanged a glance with Orochimaru, and they both looked at Baki.

Baki seemed to understand their meaning and spoke to the Sunagakure ninja who had come specifically to report the news.

"I understand. If that's what the higher-ups wanted, there's not much we can say..."

Seeing even Baki, the person most likely to fly into a rage over Gaara, take that stance, the Sunagakure ninja finally relaxed. They promptly offered reassurance. "Lord Baki, we understand how you feel. He was your student, someone you spent every day with. No one would take something like this well. The village has already dispatched a rescue team, and any news will reach us immediately. Please wait patiently!"

The Sunagakure ninja left.

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Baki walked over to a sandstone wall and slammed his fist into it. Crack! Blood trickled from the dent in the wall, down between his fingers!

By the time he turned around, his gaze was calm again.

"Sorry... I lost my composure. From your reactions, I take it you know who those intruders are?"

Orochimaru said, "They're with Akatsuki, an organization I once belonged to. Akatsuki gathers powerful rogue ninja from every nation, with the ultimate goal of hunting Tailed Beasts. Red Sand Scorpion, who died earlier, was also a member!"

Baki's eyes shifted, gleaming. "I see. So that's why they targeted Gaara? Since you killed Scorpion, a member of Akatsuki, can I assume you're their enemies?"

Orochimaru smiled and saw straight through him. "There's no need to probe. I understand exactly what you mean. But I'm not the one who makes the decisions. Sasuke-kun is. Could you give us a moment alone?"

Shock crossed Baki's face. I never imagined Orochimaru would openly admit that he follows Sasuke Uchiha's orders. This is unbelievable. I don't understand how this happened...

But he understood... right now, Sasuke was the person who could decide whether Gaara lived or died, and even Sunagakure's future!

"Please, Mr. Sasuke, I'll agree to anything you ask, as long as you can save Gaara!!!"

Baki bowed deeply to Sasuke, then withdrew with Temari and Kankuro, whose faces were full of shock, doubt, and agitation!

No outsiders remained.

Orochimaru spoke bluntly. "As we suspected, Suigetsu and Jugo joined Akatsuki after Tobi captured them. What I didn't expect was for Akatsuki's Tailed Beast Hunting Plan to begin almost three years early. It probably has something to do with the collapse of their fundraising scheme."

Sasuke said, "Our actions have already made the wheels of history turn faster..."

Orochimaru's expression grew more serious than ever. "The later stages of the Otsutsuki plan require the Ten-Tails' power. You understand what that means, don't you? Sasuke-kun, we can't always stand on the side of what ordinary ninja consider justice..."

Sasuke's gaze was somber. "Yes. I know this is a choice we'll eventually have to face. But Gaara is someone Naruto shares a bond with, and one day I'll have to tell Naruto the truth. As his closest friend, I owe him an explanation about Gaara! In short, we can let Akatsuki take the One-Tail for now, but we have to rescue Gaara!"

"Understood."

Orochimaru's slit-pupiled eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "It happened shortly after we entered Rōran. The sealing of the One-Tail has probably already reached its final stages..."

Sasuke said, "Whatever happens, I have to try. Do you know where they are?"

Orochimaru said, "Akatsuki usually seals its prey at the nearest hideout after a hunt. I have a rough idea of the sealing location: First Line Gorge, three hundred kilometers away. Kabuto, can we teleport there?"

Kabuto Yakushi shook his head. "Unfortunately, there's no Blade Reversal teleportation point there. Traveling at full speed, we could reach it in about six hours..."

Orochimaru's gaze turned grave. "This is no laughing matter. Prepare yourself, Sasuke-kun. By the time we arrive, Gaara may already be a corpse. Our worst-case fallback is Impure World Reincarnation, but that is fundamentally different from being alive..."

Sasuke clenched his fist hard. "Yeah... I understand!"

As Kabuto Yakushi listened to their exchange, his thoughts raced.

Sasuke-kun wants to become an Otsutsuki, so sooner or later he'll need the Ten-Tails' power. That makes Shukaku, the One-Tail inside Gaara, indispensable. But when it comes to Gaara, he needs to give the Naruto who matures in the future an explanation. Perhaps that isn't all, either. Gaara was someone Sasuke-kun shared a bond with in his previous life. Surely his conscience is tormenting him now? His rebirth changed the course of history, and will even inevitably bring harm to those close to him...

The future Sasuke-kun carries on his shoulders is already heavy enough... he shouldn't have to bear another needless burden!

True, Lord Orochimaru has kept reviving Gaara through Impure World Reincarnation as a fallback, but is Gaara existing in a reincarnated body really what Sasuke-kun wants?

Then think, Kabuto Yakushi. Is there a way to turn this situation around, one that Sasuke-kun, Lord Orochimaru, and the future Naruto can all accept with a clear conscience?

As I thought... based on what I know about the future, and what I can do right now, that method... no matter how I look at it, there's only one!!

Once Sasuke and Orochimaru had settled on a rescue plan, Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses. Deep in his eyes, hidden by the white glare on the lenses, lay an unusual resolve.

"Lord Orochimaru, this may be an inappropriate time to bring it up, but it's time to fulfill the promise you made to Scorpion. Otherwise, it would tarnish your reputation. I don't seem able to offer any meaningful help with rescuing Gaara, so at least let me take that matter off your mind..."

After a moment of surprise, Orochimaru studied Kabuto. He considered it briefly, then said with a subdued gaze, "Then, thank you for taking care of it, Kabuto..."