Orochimaru's golden eyes were wide, fixed on Hikaru's face, which now stood clear of the shadow of his hood. The Sannin's usual sly smile was gone, replaced by a look of pure, utter shock.
He said nothing, his mind spinning wildly. 'So young...' The words echoed in his thoughts, a profound disbelief shaking him to his core.
His mind raced, trying to make sense of what he saw. 'How can this be?'
'I've seen many strange jutsu, used countless forbidden arts, even played with life and death itself. But this... this goes against everything! I know about how chakra works, about how the body ages, about time itself.' 'Did he use some ancient, hidden jutsu to make himself younger, something I don't even know about yet? Was this a body switch, but one that somehow reversed his age instead of just changing bodies? Or is there something else, something so deep and impossible that it shatters every idea I have about this world?'
The questions hit him hard, one after another, forcing him to face a truth he couldn't grasp. He stayed perfectly still, his shock showing only in his eyes, not in any movement.
A low, mocking chuckle came from Hikaru. He watched Orochimaru, his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan gleaming with amusement.
"What's the matter, Orochimaru?" Hikaru's voice was calm, but filled with a hidden bite. He spoke slowly, stretching out his words as if enjoying Orochimaru's confusion. "Surprised by what you see? Or have your 'scientificmethods' made you forget the simple truths of existence? Perhaps you thought all strong individuals must carry the heavy marks of many, many years?"
Orochimaru blinked, finally breaking his silence. He tried to regain his composure, a faint, forced smile returning to his lips. "Hardly, Hikaru-kun. I just find your... appearance... to be quite a mystery. One might even say it doesn't make sense, given the times we've been talking about."
He paused, his golden eyes narrowing, trying to dig for answers. "It suggests... a very special way of staying young. Or perhaps... a very long sleep?"
Hikaru scoffed, a short, sharp sound. He leaned back slightly on his makeshift rock seat, his gaze sweeping over the clearing, ignoring Kiba who stood tense and unnoticed behind Orochimaru.
"Staying young? Sleep?" His tone was full of teasing. "You are truly foolish, Orochimaru. Or maybe the long years have made your mind dull. Some things just are, untouched by the crumbling sands of your quickly passing moments."
He looked directly at Orochimaru, his Sharingan was visible. "You talk of 'your' world, 'your' Konoha, 'your' changes. But what if there's a world where these 'changes' haven't happened yet? Where the 'future' you speak of is just a far-off whisper, not what's happening now?" Hikaru's voice grew colder, more direct. "What if I come from a time when the idea of 'scientificmethods' to live longer was just a silly dream, not something people actually did?"
Orochimaru's forced smile finally vanished. He tilted his head, his golden eyes fixed on Hikaru, his mind working quickly. 'He's not just an old lad who found a trick to stay young.' The thought hit him hard. 'He's talking about time itself.'
A terrifying, yet exciting, idea began to form in his mind. It was an idea so wild it made even Orochimaru feel a deep chill, mixed with a strong desire for new knowledge.
'Could he be... from a different time? Not just living for a very long time, but actually jumping through history? From an age before what I know as the past even began? That's... impossible. Beyond anything even the greatest shinobi of old were said to do. Yet... his detailed knowledge of very old events, his young appearance, his strong dislike for my 'modern' ways, his comments about 'my' world and 'your' changes... it all fits. It all points to a truth that shouldn't be real, yet it stands right in front of me.'
Hikaru watched Orochimaru's face, a cruel amusement playing on his lips as he saw the Sannin finally understand the impossible truth. "My 'glory days,' as I mentioned, were very different from your current, messy life," Hikaru continued, his voice a low, dangerous purr.
"A time when the Uchiha clan was... strong and lively. When certain people were truly at their peak power, not just dreaming about it." He let the words hang in the air, a silent challenge.
The conversation between Orochimaru and Hikaru flowed smoothly now, almost like two old comrades catching up after a brief argument. They spoke in quiet tones, their words carrying the weight of ancient secrets and impossible truths.
Kiba, standing a few steps behind Orochimaru, was cursing himself for believing Orochimaru that much easily. They looked far too comfortable, too familiar, for the terror that Hikaru's presence brought.
'They're talking like they're on the same side,' Kiba thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. 'Like they just had a small disagreement and now they're back to planning. This is it. I can't stay here.' His eyes darted around, searching for a way out. His mind screamed for action. 'I have to run. I have to find Akamaru, then get back to the village and warn everyone. They need to know about this man, about Orochimaru, about everything.'
Suddenly, a faint groan cut through the low hum of their conversation. Kiba's head snapped towards the sound. Kankuro. He was still lying in front of the cave entrance, motionless until now. Kiba watched as Kankuro's fingers twitched, then his eyelids fluttered open.
His eyes, though still a little hazy, seemed clear, no longer empty. The blank look of being controlled was gone. Kankuro slowly pushed himself up, rubbing his neck where Orochimaru's snake had bitten him and his head where the rocks hit him. He was back to his senses.
Hikaru, still sitting on the broken cave rock, noticed Kankuro. His red Sharingan flickered towards the Sand shinobi for a split second, then just as quickly, ignored him. He continued speaking to Orochimaru, his voice unchanging.
Kiba desperately wanted to yell, "Kankuro, stop! Don't move!" But the words stuck in his throat. The sheer terror of Hikaru's presence, the memory of his cold power, froze Kiba in place. He was literally living his last death, paralyzed by fear.
Kankuro, now fully on his feet, moved with a sudden, shaky purpose. He didn't seem to see or care about Hikaru's calm disregard. His gaze stared Hikaru with only one motive to 'Kill Him', a glint of rage in his eyes from the recent control.
He reached for his kunai, his movements clumsy but determined. He charged, a silent scream of anger on his face.
Hikaru continued talking, his voice calm, even as Kankuro closed in. His right hand, almost too slow to be a ninja's move, reached back under his dark cloak, as if pulling out something from his back.
Kankuro was just a few steps away, his kunai raised, aimed directly at Hikaru's chest.
Then, in a blink, it happened. The kunai in Kankuro's hand suddenly flew straight up into the night sky, spinning wildly as if ripped from his grasp by an invisible force. And in the very same moment, a cold, silvery flash arced through the air.
A katana—a long, sharp sword—sliced across Kankuro's chest with brutal speed and precision. Blood erupted, staining Kankuro's clothes and the dusty ground. His eyes widened in shock, a gurgling sound leaving his lips.
Kiba, his own blood turning to ice, rushed forward instinctively, a choked cry escaping him. But it was too late. Kankuro's body crumpled, falling heavily to the ground, lifeless.
Hikaru looked down at Kankuro's fallen body. He spoke, his voice dripping with disgust. "Weak people like you should know your place. Or perhaps, it's better you learn it this way."
Kiba skidded to a halt beside Kankuro's still form, his anger finally breaking through his fear. He looked up at Hikaru, trembling not from fear, but from raw fury. "You!" Kiba screamed, his voice shaking with disbelief and rage. "How dare you do this to my comrade?!!"
Hikaru's gaze, sharp and cold, snapped to Kiba. His voice dropped to a chilling whisper, filled with immense power. "Silence. Who gave you the right to raise your voice against me, lad? Know your place." The force of his words felt like a physical blow, pressing down on Kiba.
Orochimaru watched Kankuro fall, a fleeting look of annoyance crossing his face. His inner thoughts, which had been racing with possibilities about Hikaru, were abruptly cut short. 'Foolish man!' Orochimaru thought. 'If only he had waited a few moments more, I might have come up with a way to deal with Hikaru. He broke the flow of our conversation! I was so close to understanding everything about him, about his origins!'
Hikaru turned his eye from Kiba to Orochimaru, as if he could hear the Sannin's thoughts. "What kind of people do you roam around with, Orochimaru?" Hikaru's voice was scornful, full of contempt. "You were not like this. Since when did you start to hang around with dog-looking people? Looks like you look clever by appearance only. But inside that head of yours, it seems your brain has become rotten because of age."
By hearing this Kiba got annoyed, his teeth grinding. Kankuro's still body lay at his feet, a fresh wound bleeding into the dust. There was a roaring fire in his chest, burning away all fear. He didn't care who this cloaked man was, or how strong. All he saw was his comrade, murdered.
With a guttural roar, Kiba lunged. He took out a kunai from his pouch, glinting in the faint moonlight, and charged directly at Hikaru, his face a mask of pure, uncontrolled rage. "You monster! I'll make you pay for this!"
"Kiba-kun, no!" Orochimaru's voice cracked through the air, sharp and urgent, a desperate shout that cut through the silence. The Sannin, who had been watching from his spot on the ground, moved instantly, blurring forward to try and stop Kiba. He knew Kiba had no chance.
Hikaru watched Kiba charge, his red Sharingan cold and dismissive. He didn't even bother to stand up from his seated position on the rubble. A faint, almost silent thought crossed his mind. 'Foolish, noisy brat. You really want to join your friend, don't you?'
Then, a chill spread from his body. Blue-white lightning crackled and danced around his outstretched hand. It wasn't a solid bolt, but rather many needle-thin, sharp spears of lightning, shimmering like ice needles shot out from his fingertips. They aimed directly at Kiba. "Chidori Senbon!"
Kiba was still coming towards Hikaru, fueled by blind anger, when a sudden, white blur shot from the side. Faster than thought, a familiar furry body leapt into the path of the glittering lightning.
Akamaru.
He came out of nowhere, a loyal shadow, jumping in front of Kiba. The sharp spears of lightning tore through Akamaru's body. A loud, agonizing groan ripped from the huge dog's throat, filled with unbearable pain. He landed hard on the ground with a sickening thud, blood already pooling beneath him.
Kiba skidded to a halt, his mind refusing to accept what he saw. Akamaru was on the ground, twitching, a gurgling sound in his throat. "Akamaru?" Kiba whispered, confusion mixing with horror. "What... what happened? You... you just showed up... Wake up, Akamaru! Come on, let's defeat this piece of trash together! You can't leave me like this! You promised! Wake up!" Kiba scrambled to his knees beside his dying partner, tears blurring his vision. He shook Akamaru gently, desperately hoping for a response.
Hikaru let out a cruel, triumphant laugh. His red Sharingan glinted. "Heh, your dog is more useful than you, brat. At least he knew how to move when it counted."
He watched Kiba's despair with cold, uncaring eyes. "Don't worry," Hikaru added, his voice chillingly calm. "You will also join your dog very shortly."
Akamaru's struggles grew weaker. His eyes, full of pain and a fading light, slowly closed. The gurgling stopped. His chest rose and fell one last, shuddering breath, then fell still. Akamaru stopped breathing. Kiba stared, wide-eyed, then a silent scream tore through his mind. He was completely, utterly traumatized. His best friend, his partner, his family... gone.
"Kiba-kun!" Orochimaru's voice cut through the horror, sharp and urgent. He had rushed closer, his body now tense, ready for action. "Kiba-kun, this isn't the time to waste in sorrow! We need to move!"
Hikaru, still seated, looked at Orochimaru. "But... Orochimaru," he said, a faint, mocking smile touching his lips. "You are the first one... well then, thanks to you, I got some time to infuse chakra into my movements. How naive of you. You talked so much, and here I thought you were truly clever."
Kiba, fueled by a grief so profound it felt like a physical wound, slowly pushed himself up. All thoughts of escape, of warning the village, were gone. Only revenge remained.
Orochimaru saw Kiba rise, a dangerous glint in his eyes. His right arm suddenly transformed, turning into a tangle of pale, thick snakes that shot forward, hissing, aiming for Hikaru.
Orochimaru moved his body, preparing to follow the attack. He glanced back, calling over his shoulder, his voice urgent despite the flurry of snakes. "Kiba-kun! Let's—"
But to his sudden surprise, the space where Kiba had just been was now empty. It wasn't like Kankuro or Akamaru, whose bodies lay still on the ground were missing. Kiba himself was simply not there.
A cold voice, full of disgust, echoed through the clearing.
"Coward."
And it was none other than of Orochimaru.
_FLASHBACK ENDS_
---
QUIZ QUESTION:
* After Akamaru's sacrifice, Kiba's actions change from fear to immediate charge. What does this shift in Kiba's behavior most powerfully show about his character in that moment?
A) His sudden belief that he had gained a new power.
B) His deep-seated loyalty to his comrades, which made him forget all fear.
C) His confusion about what was happening around him.
D) His quick decision to follow Orochimaru's orders.
Share your answers in the comments down below!
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey everyone! Hope you're all doing great! I'm back with Chapter 42, and wow, what a ride it was, right? 🔥
This chapter really turned up the heat! We saw Hikaru's chilling indifference and incredible power as he dealt with Kankuro's brave but doomed attack. And the sacrifice of Akamaru... that was a moment that truly showed the depth of his loyalty and how much he meant to Kiba. My heart broke writing Kiba's reaction; that level of grief and rage is something else! 💔
Just when we thought the fight was about to explode with Orochimaru finally stepping in, we got that mind-bending twist: Kiba is gone! Vanished! And Orochimaru's final word, "COWARD," leaves us wondering who it's truly aimed at. What just happened?! 🤔
Get ready because the next chapter will pick up right where we left off, right in the thick of things! However, the intense storyline with Kiba, Orochimaru, and Hikaru in that confrontation is now complete. We'll be returning to the present, focusing on Naruto and the others, and what their next move is to protect the village. The tension is at an all-time high, and you won't want to miss what comes next! 💥
Oh, and just a heads-up for what's coming: this long and exciting arc, which has taken us through so much, is finally going to wrap up in just a few more chapters! Get ready for a thrilling conclusion!
Thanks so much for reading and for all your amazing support! Your enthusiasm keeps me going every single time. Keep those theories coming! 😉