- Two & Half Months After Tsunade's Inauguration -
The moon, a sliver of pale light in the inky sky, cast long, distorted shadows across the silent Konoha gate. The air was thick with the stillness of the night, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze.
Two figures, cloaked in darkness, moved with a fluid, almost ethereal grace, their movements precise and silent.
Kin Tsuchi, her pale face obscured by the shadows, and Kimimaro Kaguya, his bone-white hair gleaming faintly in the moonlight, stood before the gate guards, their expressions devoid of emotion.
"Eliminate them," Kimimaro commanded, his voice a low, chilling whisper.
Kin nodded, her eyes flashing with a cold, predatory light. "As you wish," she replied, her voice equally soft.
With a swift, almost imperceptible movement, Kin's hands blurred, her senbon needles flashing like silver darts. The gate guards, their expressions frozen in surprise, crumpled to the ground, their bodies riddled with tiny, fatal wounds. Kimimaro, his expression impassive, surveyed the scene, his gaze sweeping across the silent gate.
"Efficient," he remarked, his voice devoid of emotion. "Let us proceed."
'We must be swift,' Kin thought, her eyes scanning the area. 'Orochimaru-sama's orders are clear. Sasuke Uchiha is our priority.'
The Uchiha district, a quiet enclave of traditional Japanese architecture, stood in stark contrast to the bustling activity of the rest of Konoha. The moon cast long, eerie shadows across the empty streets, creating an atmosphere of eerie stillness. Kin and Kimimaro moved through the district like phantoms, their movements silent and swift, their eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Sasuke Uchiha," Kimimaro murmured, his voice a low, chilling whisper. "He is our objective."
Kin nodded, her eyes narrowed. "We must find him quickly," she replied, her voice equally soft. "The longer we linger, the greater the risk."
They moved from house to house, their senses heightened, their eyes searching for any sign of their target. The silence of the district was unnerving, a stark reminder of the clan's tragic history.
"What of Tayuya?" Kin asked, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. "Should we not retrieve her as well?"
Kimimaro paused, his expression thoughtful. "Orochimaru-sama's orders were clear," he replied, his voice firm. "Sasuke Uchiha is our priority. Tayuya is secondary, an experimental subject. We will deal with her later, if time permits."
'Sasuke Uchiha is the key,' Kimimaro thought, his gaze fixed on the shadows. 'Orochimaru-sama's vessel. We cannot afford to fail.'
Kin nodded, her expression resolute. "Understood," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "Let us proceed."
The training grounds, a clearing nestled deep within the Uchiha district, was bathed in the pale light of the moon. The air was still and quiet, the silence broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves.
Sasuke Uchiha, his expression focused, stood in the center of the clearing, his katana gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
"He is here," Kimimaro murmured, his voice a low, chilling whisper.
Kin nodded, her eyes narrowed. "He is alone," she replied, her voice equally soft. "Perfect."
Sasuke, his senses heightened, turned to face the two figures, his expression alert. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice sharp and clear.
Kimimaro stepped forward, his expression impassive. "We are here to take you to Orochimaru-sama," he announced, his voice devoid of emotion.
Kin stepped beside Kimimaro, her eyes flashing with a cold, predatory light. "Resistance is futile, Sasuke kun, remember me?!" she added, her voice equally soft.
Sasuke, his expression resolute, drew his katana, his eyes fixed on the two figures. "I will not go willingly," he declared, his voice firm.
'Orochimaru,' Sasuke thought, his grip tightening on his katana. 'I knew this day would come. But I will not be taken.'
Kimimaro, his expression impassive, extended his arm, his bones protruding from his skin, forming a grotesque spear. "Then we will take you by force," he stated, his voice devoid of emotion.
Kin's senbon needles shimmered in the moonlight, their tips gleaming with a deadly light. "Prepare yourself," she added, her voice equally soft.