Naruto: I Became Orochimaru's Apprentice-Chapter 54: Tsukiyomi

"I assume your mission went well, Teriyaki?" Orochimaru queried innocently.

"Yes, there were no problems at all." Teriyaki said. He had been waiting at the Akatsuki hideout for orders, it had only been a day since the assasination.

"And Itachi helped you..." Orochimaru licked his lips.

Teriyaki could only nod before sitting down tiredly.

A few minutes passed and Teriyaki fell asleep calmly.

A few minutes passed and Itachi entered the room, noticing Orochimaru he hesitated briefly, but entered nonetheless.

The Akatsuki hideout was quiet, save for the occasional flicker of torchlight against damp stone walls.

Itachi Uchiha remained still, his crimson eyes cold and unreadable. Orochimaru, however, smirked, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement.

"You look even worse than before, Itachi," Orochimaru mused, his voice thick with mock concern. "That body of yours... deteriorating so soon? Such a waste of talent. If only you gave me a chance."

Itachi did not react.

Orochimaru stepped closer, his serpent-like movements smooth and deliberate. "You never understood, did you? The value of true immortality. You could have lived forever, Itachi, but instead, you cling to that frail, rotting form of yours." He chuckled darkly. "What a tragedy. Pride over power, I wonder how death will treat you."

Still, Itachi said nothing, treating Orochimaru like the insect he was.

Orochimaru clicked his tongue. "Oh, don't be so cold. Especially when I've taken an interest in a boy who reminds me so much of someone dear to you..." He grinned, deliberately drawing out his next words. "He has dark hair... the same age as Teriyaki... a remarkable set of eyes. So young, so full of potential."

For the first time, Itachi's fingers twitched.

Orochimaru's grin widened. "Oh? That got your attention, didn't it? Perhaps I'll mold him in my image. Or perhaps... I'll take his body next. But first—" His tongue flicked out, licking his lips. "Your eyes will make a fine addition to my collection once you're gone."

Itachi finally exhaled, his voice as calm as ever. "...Enough."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Oh? Enough?" His fingers suddenly twisted into a seal. "You think I came unprepared? You think I'm weak? This is my chance to take you down. I've been looking for you since the moment I arrived here."

"Of course you have." Itachi sighed, ready to end it all swiftly, he already knew Orochimaru's weaknesses.

Itachi's Sharingan flared. He moved, intending to cast a simple Genjutsu—one that would paralyze Orochimaru in place.

As Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with amusement, Itachi remained motionless, his gaze steady and unreadable. He had no time for the Sannin's games. With the slightest shift in his expression, his Sharingan spun, casting a genjutsu in an instant—silent, effortless.

But Orochimaru only chuckled.

"Oh, Itachi..." he purred, tilting his head. "Did you really think I'd face you unprepared?"

Before the illusion could take hold, Orochimaru stepped aside, and in his place, Teriyaki suddenly stumbled forward—his body instantly cast into sage mode, making the genjutsu almost meaningless.

"Sage mode Teriyaki."

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His body radiated power, his Sage Mode fully activated. His pupils had narrowed, his sclera darkened. Fang-like markings stretched down his cheeks, his skin suddenly shimmered with a scaly texture. Orochimaru's curse mark pulsed violently on his neck, veins bulging as his body stiffened against its unnatural control.

Teriyaki had activated sage mode because of the voice in his head, because of the pain in his system. What does he want now? Little did he know he would be facing Itachi, against his will.

Itachi's Sharingan narrowed slightly. Orochimaru had used him as a shield.

"So you know how vulnerable you are to genjutsu." Itachi muttered. "And you know sage mode grants near-immunity."

Orochimaru only cackled. "It's just a spark of genius from myself. I tell you, Itachi. I'm ready to take over your body, those eyes are mine. Prepare to DIE."

Teriyaki suddenly awoke in shock, Orochimaru had panged his system and in order to remove the pain clogging his mind he entered sage mode briefly. Now he faced Itachi, unsure of what was happening.

Itachi's eyes flickered toward Teriyaki. His voice, still calm, carried an undertone of warning. "Make the child leave, I don't need to kill two people here."

Orochimaru smirked. "Why would I do that? This boy is my weapon. And now, he's being put to use. I can't wait to take your body."

Teriyaki twitched, his muscles straining as if resisting invisible strings. His fingers clenched into fists, his breathing uneven. He was fighting it, but Orochimaru's control was suffocating and still unbelievable painful.

"He has Sage Chakra, Itachi. Unlike your frail body, he's only growing stronger," Orochimaru mused. "So tell me, do you really want to waste your energy fighting this losing battle? You won't last long in that condition. Just give in, give me everything."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. This could become problematic. Orochimaru's gamble was dangerous—not because Teriyaki was stronger than him, but because Sage Mode granted immense resistance to Genjutsu. If he engaged in a prolonged fight, controlling the battle's outcome would be hard with a factor like Teriyaki who he knew little about.

So he decided. He would end it immediately. He dashed around swiftly, so fast that he became a blur, so fast that you would think his body wasn't sick and deteriorating. He ended up right next to Orochimaru.

"Tsukuyomi."

Don't tell me-. 

Teriyaki's body moved on it's own, casting a perfect body flicker that placed him in between Orochimaru and Itachi. 

He's making me-. 

The last thing Teriyaki saw was the swirling Mangekyo sharingan in Itachi's eye before everything became torturous.

The world shattered in an instant.

The air was red. The sky cracked like broken glass. Endless, jagged towers of black stone stretched toward a distant moon, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Teriyaki stood in the middle of nothingness. His body was frozen in place, his breath hitching. Chains of pure suffering wrapped around his arms and legs, pinning him down.

Then—Itachi appeared.

He stood before Teriyaki, his Mangekyō Sharingan burning with an ominous glow. In his hand, a blade gleamed, its edge reflecting the crimson sky.

A whisper.

"For the next seventy-two hours... you will experience pain beyond comprehension."

And then, it began.