Fujiwara Kirito placed the porridge back on the plate and asked with a smile, "When a man gives a ring to a woman he loves, what do you think it means?"
"Is this… a proposal?" Izumi smiled, but at the same time, tears welled up in her eyes. She was crying tears of joy.
"No, this isn't a proposal—it's a marriage," Kirito corrected her. He took the ring from Izumi's hand and gently slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand.
"Aren't couples supposed to exchange rings when they get married? Where's your ring?" Izumi asked, wiping away her tears.
Hearing this, Kirito smiled, pulled out his own pure gold ring, and handed it to Izumi. "Put it on for me," he said casually. Even though he was a few months younger than Izumi and not yet eighteen, wearing the pure gold ring in advance didn't seem like a big deal.
That night, Kirito did not leave Izumi's room.
—
"Ahhh! Damn old man Hiruzen! Damn Fujiwara Kirito!"
In a dim underground laboratory, the flickering candlelight barely illuminated the room. Orochimaru, his hands wrapped in bandages, sat down slowly on a stone chair, supported by Kabuto Yakushi. His painful groans echoed in the chamber, laced with resentment.
If it weren't for the Third Hokage, he wouldn't have lost both of his hands. He wouldn't have been stripped of all ninjutsu that required hand seals, nor would he be suffering from the ceaseless burning pain in his arms.
But the one he hated most was Fujiwara Kirito.
Kirito had clearly foreseen that Sarutobi Hiruzen would resort to the Reaper Death Seal in desperation, yet he had chosen to remain silent. He had even pretended to be affected by the battle, only to watch as Hiruzen sealed Orochimaru's hands.
Kabuto stood in front of Orochimaru, adjusting his glasses with a fawning smile. "Lord Orochimaru, it wasn't an easy battle. After all, you were up against the Hokage—renowned as the strongest among the Five Kage. But you still did incredibly well. Even though the Fourth Kazekage was ultimately killed by Fujiwara Kirito and Pakura, it was all orchestrated under your guidance. In a way, you eliminated two Kage at once."
"Spare me your flattery," Orochimaru sneered. His already pale face darkened further as he glared at Kabuto with murderous intent. "Don't say things that sound like mere consolation—or I'll kill you."
Kabuto immediately silenced himself, lowering his head slightly. The reflection of his glasses hid his expression. After a brief pause, he spoke in a respectful tone, "That was not my intention. Though we didn't capture the village, one of our main objectives was to acquire Uchiha Sasuke—and that, we have accomplished."
"Sasuke inherited the exceptional bloodline of the Uchiha. He has the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan. Once you take over his body and unlock that power, you will finally be able to counteract Fujiwara Kirito's genjutsu. With time, he'll be the one on the losing end."
"Heh…" Orochimaru let out a raspy chuckle. Kabuto's words brought him some comfort. His eerie laughter echoed through the vast underground laboratory. "You're right. I earned this with my own hands—at the cost of all my ninjutsu."
"If I could have taken Uchiha Itachi's body instead, none of this would have been a problem. But that's no longer possible. That man… just like Fujiwara Kirito… is stronger than me. That's why I left the Akatsuki organization."
As soon as Orochimaru finished speaking, the agonizing burning sensation in his hands flared up again. His body convulsed, and cold sweat dripped down his face.
Watching Orochimaru writhe in pain, Kabuto's mind wandered to the images of Kirito and Uchiha Itachi clad in their red-clouded Akatsuki robes.
Thinking of their monstrous strength, he felt a mix of fear and admiration. He sighed inwardly. "Fujiwara Kirito and Uchiha Itachi… truly terrifying individuals."
"One is a master of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, with virtually no weaknesses. The other possesses the legendary Sharingan."
"Within Akatsuki, aside from the mysterious leader with the Rinnegan, these two are likely the strongest. Konoha certainly breeds its fair share of geniuses."
Orochimaru furrowed his brows but did not disagree. "None of that matters right now."
"So what do you plan to do next?" Kabuto asked cautiously, clearly aware that one wrong word could cost him his life.
The unbearable burning in Orochimaru's arms flared up again, more intense than before. With a loud thud, he collapsed to his knees, letting out a tormented wail. "Damn you, Hiruzen!"
"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto rushed forward, attempting to help him up, but Orochimaru shoved him away.
"Go and bring Sasuke to me!" Orochimaru ordered.
"But isn't it too soon?" Kabuto hesitated. "The Curse Mark embedded in him isn't fully matured yet. He hasn't reached the point where his hunger for power outweighs his caution. He might not be willing to leave Konoha."
"I don't have time to wait anymore. Go make the arrangements," Orochimaru snapped.
At this point, Orochimaru had already undergone three body transfers.
The first reincarnation had not been revealed in the original events.
The second occurred during the Konoha Crush plan when he fought Hiruzen Sarutobi. His host at the time was a female ninja whose body had high soul compatibility, allowing him to fight at full strength.
The third time was after his battle with Kirito. Due to the damage from Kirito's Rasenshuriken, Orochimaru had been forced to abandon his previous host and transfer into a new, less compatible body.
Now, because of Hiruzen's Reaper Death Seal, his body was suffering from severe rejection symptoms. If he continued like this, his current host would deteriorate before Sasuke was even ready to defect.
Seeking out Tsunade to heal his arms, as he had done in the original timeline, was out of the question. Tsunade had already become the Fifth Hokage, and her hemophobia had been cured. If he approached her in this weakened state, she would likely kill him on sight.
—
On a dark, breezy night, a lone figure walked down the tree-lined paths of Konoha, heading toward the village's exit.
The moonlight filtered through the dissipating clouds, casting a pale glow on the young man's face. His furrowed brows, sharp features, and cold expression painted the picture of someone walking a path of solitude.
This young man was none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
Though he was not as prodigious as Itachi, and certainly not on Kirito's level, Sasuke was still a genius.
Recently, he had successfully learned the Summoning Jutsu.
Perhaps it was fate. Through the power of the Heaven Curse Mark, he managed to summon a green snake and forge a summoning contract with it.
But despite that achievement, Sasuke remained restless.
Because even with the advantage of the green snake and his own growth, he still found himself unable to match Naruto in battle.
Naruto, with his vast chakra and army of shadow clones, continued to overwhelm him. And the moment Naruto had unleashed the Rasengan…
Sasuke realized just how far behind he was.
It was not something he could accept.
And so, with that frustration burning inside him, he made his decision.
(End of this chapter)
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