Saints and Suffering: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 56

As Shijin approached the main Fire Army, his thoughts were racing. He needed to find Yama, but the man was truly impossible to locate. Shijin's eyes were unparalleled, but they were of no use to him right now, and it was at this moment that Kurama's words were finally impressed upon Shijin. Kurama had once said that Yama was a man without life, and it had become apparent. Shijin had no trouble sensing or seeing anyone else but Yama.

Shijin was about to go interrogate the Fire Daimyo on Yama's location when a small silver fox appeared in front of him.

The two looked at each other, Shijin's face was neutral, and Kurama's was obviously displeased.

Shijin inclined his head and greeted the nine tailed fox.

  "Ginou."

The fox snarled upon seeing the Rinne Sharingan that whirled in Shijin's eyes.

  "I have many questions about those eyes of yours, but we have bigger problems.

  Yama has disappeared.

  I've been watching over him, and he's destabilizing. Talking to himself, or to someone that isn't there.

  He's been locked away in his own little world, and I can't get him to respond to me.

  The Fire Daimyo had had him confined and locked away while under guard since he got here, but this morning something changed.

  I lost the ability to sense him through my remnant negative emotion sensing, and he wasn't in his usual cell."

  "What's happened to him?"

  "I said he disappeared, Uchiha. I know not beyond that!"

Shijin hesitated for a single moment, and Kurama spoke again.

  "Your heritage had been hidden before, during your so-called 'crippling', but I can feel it now; your chakra burns with the taint of Indra and your eyes only confirm it.

  However, Yama, as powerful as he is, is being corrupted by the totality of human negativity.

  If that wasn't as dire as it sounds, I would never deign to speak with you.

  Know this though, should you turn your eyes against me, I shall pluck them from your head and feed them to the vultures.

  We are allies of convenience for now, but after, I shall never again humor your presence around me."

Shijin nodded, agreeing that Yama was their top priority.

Several hours earlier, on a far away battlefield, Orochimaru took one last look at the night sky.

It was a cloudy and moonless night, pitch black, excepting the fires of the army laid before him. The fires, many since burned to embers, flickered weakly in the night, and the shadows danced at their periphery. The night watches that patrolled the encampment were starting to yawn, and the fire-watchers were also starting to tire, letting their braziers and torches burn down slowly. It mattered not though, dawn was soon approaching, and the camp would slowly wake to life and start to stir.

Orochimaru knew that men slept most deeply right before the dawn, and he would take advantage of that, like any proper ninja would.

His summons had already returned and made their reports.

Orochimaru had sent out a small horde of snakes and serpents to poison the water and food supplies of the Lightning Army before dinner the previous night, and they had reported their mission successful. Sadly, the army was simply too large, and there was no way to poison each and every soldier. However, the large fraction that would fail to wake after succumbing to poison in their sleep may prove pivotal.