Reise zu Reinkarnation

XV.

Uchiha’s eyes settled on that new life within that chakra womb, fighting to keep his glee to himself. That child was almost ready, almost ready to be born. It was time, yes, now was the time. He just had to take control of the hand and leave the missive. Uchiha wasn’t aware of Orochimaru’s own counter, and had Orochimaru not been prepared, Uchiha would have succeeded. As it was, Konoha’s jounin were ready for the combined forces of Uchiha’s soldiers and Orochimaru’s soldiers. As the fighting began in full outside, a different kind of fight began within, and Sasuke collapsed on the floor of his home, a fever raging on in full as Orochimaru launched his attack against Uchiha.

Sasuke fought to get to his feet, dragging himself out of the apartment, fighting for every step he took as his body grew hotter and hotter. His vision swam, but still he pressed on, hearing the metallic clang of weaponry crashing together. He heard the screams of the dying, the yells of victory, and fought to make his way toward the Hokage’s Tower. His index and middle fingers crooked to make snake’s fangs, a meager defense but a deadly one. He only had time to use it once. The Sound kunoichi gurgled as she died, but her partner was already in position. He fell upon the pregnant man, his sword plunging through Sasuke’s chest. Screaming in pain, Sasuke whirled enough to force his attacker to withdraw the blade, to fall back. Sasuke pressed his hand to the wound, feeling the hot blood pulse out against his palm. He fell to his knees, feeling pain in his chest and his abdomen. His fever raged hotter, and Sasuke knew he was dying.

Somehow, he fell on his side and fought just to breathe, watching his attacker fall to the deadly grip of the Kyuubi.

Naruto was by Sasuke’s side in a flash, wasting no time in getting the Uchiha up into his arms, running for the hospital, trusting the other jounin to take care of the remaining members of Orochimaru’s group. He was barely within the emergency room’s door when he screamed for Sakura, taking a step and nearly slipping in the blood and fluids that suddenly stained his clothes, Sasuke’s clothes, and the floor.

“Sakura!” Naruto shouted when the pink haired woman appeared with her team and a stretcher. “Sakura, you have to help him!”

“I will!” Sakura yelled back. “Get him on the stretcher, Naruto, and let me do my job!”

Somehow, Naruto let Sasuke go, let the medic nin take his mate from him, watching them disappear into the operating room. He knew he should follow, but he couldn’t make himself move in that direction. Instead, he turned and left the hospital, and let the rage of the Kyuubi fill the streets of Konohagakure.


Orochimaru’s hands locked around Uchiha’s wrist, pulling at the same time the younger man was trying to push down, trying to crush his windpipe. Uchiha was snarling, wanting to end this as soon as he could simply because both could feel the pains of the birthing and the pains of death. Orochimaru’s only goal was to keep Uchiha from getting within the child’s body, and if he died in the endeavor, so be it. He only needed to keep Uchiha distracted a little while longer. Orochimaru tucked his legs between him and Uchiha and kicked out, his feet connecting with Uchiha’s chest. The brunette let out a gasp as ribs cracked, launching himself backwards to avoid Orochimaru’s next attack. The snake-eyed man rolled to his feet and charged Uchiha, leaping up into the air at the last minute to come down on the smaller man’s shoulders, hoping to break something with his weight.

Uchiha rolled forward at the last second, dodging Orochimaru’s attack and whirling to perform one of his own, throwing punches to maneuver his enemy into the position that he wanted him in. When Orochimaru was centered, Uchiha launched into his jutsu, rushing for the snake-eyed man when his jutsu was active. Uchiha launched into his attack, finding Orochimaru ready for him. Most of his attacks were blocked, only a few landing with enough force to actually cause some damage. Orochimaru’s hands twisted in several seals before shooting out to Uchiha’s face, the sheer closeness of the chakra burning the brunette’s eyes.

“I won’t let you touch that baby,” Orochimaru snarled.

Uchiha rolled to his feet, shaking his head to clear his eyes of the spots. He glared at the elder man, mouth splitting into a shark-like grin. “You don’t have a choice, old man.”

Uchiha launched into another attack, fighting to get toward his freedom.

Orochimaru was there to stop him every step of the way. The older man was at a disadvantage in that he refused to attempt any real jutsu, working simply to tire Uchiha out. He needed to tire him out if he wanted to win, needed to make sure the brunette wasn’t able to defend himself against any attack Orochimaru might throw at him.

Both were suddenly thrown off their feet as pain rocked through the void, the echoes of a scream vibrating their bones. Orochimaru spared a glance up to the mirrored sky, seeing the shadowed faces of people moving at a frenzied pace. He looked back just in time to see Uchiha right in his face. He dodged back to avoid the punch, spun to the left and lashed out with his leg, catching Uchiha in the chest and cracking his ribs even more. Uchiha hit the ground hard and rolled, avoiding the next attack that Orochimaru came at him with.

Uchiha got to his feet and launched into a series of punches and kicks, most of which were blocked. But Orochimaru wasn’t without his own tricks; each punch and kick that landed on his body was returned with interest, both he and Uchiha sporting broken bones and bloodied noses, bloodied lips and cuts all over their exposed flesh. Still, neither would give up, each wanting something so desperately they were willing to die for it.

Well, Orochimaru was willing to die.

Pain rocked through the void again and Orochimaru took the opportunity to perform a quick jutsu, sharpening his nails. He had to wait for the right moment or it would never work at all. He kept fighting Uchiha, forcing the younger man to block or take another wound, working them both into a frenzy of motion. The pain on the outside began to move faster through the void, making Uchiha’s movements sharp and quick, both knowing that the awaited time was drawing near. Uchiha feinted around Orochimaru when the pain made a crescendo, rushing to get away, to escape the void.

Orochimaru was there waiting for him, his butcher knife-sharp nails catching Uchiha around the throat. Nails pricked skin, sunk deep, and blood bubbled up around Orochimaru’s fingers as he squeezed tighter and tighter.

“I won’t let you ruin their lives anymore.” Orochimaru whispered, twitching his arm enough to allow his venom to pump into the younger’s blood stream. “It’s over.”

“You don’t understand!” Uchiha gasped, struggling against Orochimaru’s deadly grip. “I have to get out! You could come with me! We’d finally be rid of Konoha!”

“You didn’t understand then, and you don’t understand now. Just die.”

Orochimaru squeezed with every bit of strength he could, emptying his venom into Uchiha, cutting off his air at the same time. The younger man struggled, struggled in vain, as he struggled to breathe, struggled to stay alive. But Uchiha’s vision began to darken, began to tunnel, and his blood began to grow sluggish and cold. He reached up with his last bit of strength and wrapped his fingers around Orochimaru’s right eye. His arm fell limp as Uchiha breathed his last, but Orochimaru didn’t release his hold even as his eye was torn from its socket. He simply sank with the body, leaning over the younger man as he wrapped his fingers around the brunette’s trachea and pulled.

Flesh ripped as Orochimaru’s knife-sharp fingers tore through skin that hadn’t been cut, the muscles cording out as they began to rip as well until the whole thing came free.

Orochimaru stood up then, looking up into the pain filled void, covered in blood. He smiled though, and closed his remaining eye, holding up his bloodied hand as though the trachea resting there would be enough of an offering to save the life of the young man who was screaming in pain. Orochimaru closed his fingers around the trachea in his hand and brought it to his mouth, biting onto the tube as he worked his aching hands through his final jutsu.

As Sasuke’s pain reached its highest peak, Orochimaru and Uchiha became nothing but a whisper of chakra in the void, their energies intertwining with Orochimaru’s jutsu as it spread into Sasuke’s blood.