Chapter Seven: The Test of Human Nature

...Uchiha Itachi, Kisame, Jiraiya, and Tsunade split into two teams—one to kill, one to rescue. It was a sound strategy, but unfortunately, the enemy had anticipated it.

At this moment, Kabuto Yakushi was accompanied by three people: the Third Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke.

“See? I told you it wouldn’t hurt, didn’t I?”

Wearing a white lab coat, Kabuto was tidying up his needles, vials, and other instruments.

“Damn it! What did you do to us? Let us go!”

Naruto struggled fiercely, ropes binding his body. Beside him, the Third Hokage and Sasuke were similarly restrained. The Third, however, was utterly composed, pipe in mouth, as if the destruction of the village hadn’t affected him at all. Or perhaps, it had affected him too deeply—especially since the one who destroyed the village was his own disciple. This storm of emotions left him unable to face reality, so he chose to escape into this mask of indifference.

Only Sasuke, consumed by thoughts of revenge, was blinded to everything else. Though the village’s demise pained him, the chance to learn from Orochimaru, the one who destroyed it, mattered even more. He was even secretly pleased.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and said, “You’ll be free in just a moment. To be honest, what I injected into you is a chakra virus. With a single thought, I can decide whether you live or die. By the way, you might want to know—someone could be coming to rescue you.”

Wearing the neighborly smile of an older brother, Kabuto removed his gloves and lab coat, and began untying the three. Among them, the Third Hokage was completely powerless, now just an ordinary old man. Naruto’s seal had been strengthened, so he could only use a small amount of chakra. Only Sasuke remained at full strength, completely unharmed.

But once freed, Sasuke made no attempt to escape. Instead, he actively blocked Naruto, who tried to run with the Third Hokage in his arms. What was Sasuke doing?

“Sasuke, what are you playing at?” Naruto shot him desperate looks, urging him to flee together.

Sasuke gave Naruto a fish-eyed glare. “Idiot.”

Kabuto had just said he could end their lives with a thought. Running now would be suicide. Besides, he’d also mentioned that someone was coming to rescue them. Sasuke scoffed inwardly—probably the Konoha shinobi who’d escaped by luck while out on missions. No one would come specifically to save him.

Kabuto paid Naruto no mind, but continued, “Naruto, I know you care about your friends most. Even if you tried to escape, you could only take the Third Hokage. What about Sakura? You like her, don’t you? What about Hinata? Lee? All your other friends?”

With each name Kabuto listed, Naruto’s expression darkened further—a hatred born from the destruction of his village and home. As Naruto’s mood soured, the Nine-Tails within him began to stir. Though the seal had been reinforced, the fox’s rampage was tied to Naruto’s state of mind. The more turmoil in his heart, the easier it would be for the beast to break free.

Kabuto stopped there, finally saying, “You see, with so many of your friends here, if you run, I’ll kill them all. Do you dare gamble that I won’t? Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait patiently for rescue? Only then will you be truly free of worry.”

A cold glint flashed across Kabuto’s glasses. “And what I injected wasn’t an ordinary chakra virus—it’s a form of hallucinogen. If it’s triggered, the Nine-Tails will emerge. When that happens, your friends, the villagers—they could all die by your hand.”

This final blow left Naruto wide-eyed, frozen with fear.

Kabuto turned his attention to Sasuke, whose cool facade remained unbroken, and offered a sly smile. “Among the rescuers is another Uchiha, I believe. Uchiha Itachi, isn’t it?”

“What?!”

At those words, Sasuke’s face twisted in a snarl. His Sharingan activated, all pretense of composure gone.

...

Uchiha Itachi and Jiraiya’s team, as well as Kisame and Tsunade’s, had infiltrated the vicinity of the prisoner convoy.

Itachi and Jiraiya hadn’t found Orochimaru, but they did find Kabuto. The two caught sight of the Third Hokage, Naruto, and Sasuke at Kabuto’s side.

Their eyes narrowed. This was the worst-case scenario: the enemy had brought the key captives with them. Any move would mean the hostages’ lives would be at stake.

Itachi sent a clone to find Kisame and Tsunade, informing them of a change in plans—Plan B.

Plan B was designed for situations where hostages were used as leverage. Itachi and Jiraiya would act openly, while Kisame and Tsunade remained in the shadows to aid the rescue.

...

Kabuto halted, and the Third Hokage, Naruto, and Sasuke stopped with him. The rest of the prisoner convoy kept moving, leaving only the four of them behind.

Ahead, Itachi and Jiraiya revealed themselves.

Kabuto smiled faintly. Finally, they had arrived.

Itachi’s face was expressionless. Jiraiya, without hesitation, whipped his hair forward, lengthening it to snatch the Third Hokage, Naruto, and Sasuke to his side.

Throughout, Kabuto made no move to stop them, his smile never fading.

Itachi frowned. Clearly, something had been done to the captives.

Kabuto pushed up his glasses. “I’ll give you a choice. Each of you does something for Lord Orochimaru, and we’ll release all the Konoha prisoners. You’ll be reunited—how about it?”

Of course, he had no intention of releasing them, but there was no harm in making the offer.

As expected, Itachi and Jiraiya both frowned at his words.

Itachi replied, “Even if we agree, Orochimaru will never let them go.”

That was obvious. If it were only a matter of threats, there’d be no need to capture so many villagers in the first place. Clearly, there was another purpose.

Kabuto smiled lightly. “Why not take a gamble? What if Lord Orochimaru actually lets them go?”

It was a test of human nature. Even if they knew it was a lie, just voicing the possibility kindled a spark of hope, and many would bet on that sliver of chance.

At this moment, Itachi cared for nothing but rescuing his brother. But Kabuto interrupted, “Itachi, you must realize I’ve done something to these three. Only I can control it. When the time comes, all three will die. Don’t think you can control me with genjutsu. Even if Tsunade, hiding in the shadows, acts, she’d only be able to save one person in time. Who do you think she’d choose? The Third Hokage? Naruto? Or your brother?”

Itachi’s eyes turned into Mangekyo Sharingan, but he didn’t use its power—Kabuto was right. Tsunade would not save Sasuke first.

He was seething, ready to kill.

...

Meanwhile, in a forest clearing, Hinata slowly awakened. Dazed, she realized her predicament and immediately became wary. Then she saw Orochimaru’s corpse nearby.

With a scream, she scrambled several meters away, covering herself in dirt. Orochimaru was dead?

Before she could process this, a voice echoed in her mind.

“You’re awake. Now, go catch up with the others.”

Hinata’s face went deathly pale—she recognized that voice. It was Orochimaru! Had he taken up residence in her mind?

“Hurry up, or I’ll take control of your body,” Orochimaru threatened.

To prove he wasn’t bluffing, he took direct control of her hands, placing them at her collar and tearing her top halfway open, exposing her shoulder.

“Aah!” Hinata shrieked.

“See? I’m not joking. Get moving.”

Orochimaru, now a parasite within Hinata, shared her vision—her Byakugan showed a world far clearer than ordinary eyes could perceive.

Hinata’s cheeks flushed, a mix of fear, shame, and despair. She pulled her clothes together and, following Orochimaru’s directions, began to run.

“Hm.” Orochimaru mused inwardly, “Judging by the time, Jiraiya and Tsunade should be catching up with the convoy soon. I can’t miss this show.”