Forged Beyond

Escape

"Oh, don't be shy! Have some more!" A young woman chirped, her voice sweet yet coy. Her hair was styled in an elegant bun, secured with a traditional Japanese hairpin adorned with emerald pearls. She wore a pista green short kimono with loose sleeves and a tightly wrapped, intricately decorated obi. The collar of the kimono slipped just off her shoulders, giving her a refined yet alluring appearance. She balanced gracefully on traditional Japanese geta sandals, her beauty undeniable.

"Oh—no, no, no more," Danzo mumbled, setting down his latest glass of sake with shaky hands. Around him, seven ANBU operatives stood guard. Six were distracted with their own drinks, while the seventh, Uchiha Itachi, remained sober and watchful.

"Let's play a gamble game!" the young woman suggested, pulling out three dice with a playful smile.

"Young lady, I'd love to—" Danzo slurred, clearly intoxicated. His cheeks were flushed red from the alcohol, his movements unsteady.

"My lord, I think that's enough for tonight," Itachi interjected calmly, taking the glass from Danzo's hand with measured precision.

"You can't keep a lady disappointed, though!" Danzo retorted, giggling like a schoolboy.

"It's getting late—almost 11 PM," the woman remarked, standing up and placing the dice back on the table. She bowed politely before continuing, "If you'll excuse me, Danzo-sama, I must be going. But don't worry—I'll be back tomorrow." She winked and playfully blew him a kiss before heading toward the women's restroom at the end of the hall.

Once inside, her flirtatious demeanor vanished. "Disgusting old man," she muttered, weaving a series of hand signs. In an instant, her youthful visage transformed into none other than the legendary Sannin, Tsunade. Stretching her shoulders, she exhaled and performed another transformation jutsu, this time taking the guise of an ANBU operative. With her impeccable chakra control, her disguise was flawless—undetectable even to seasoned shinobi.

Exiting the restroom, she reached into her pocket and decided to try and retrieve a bunch of keys she had deftly swiped from Danzo while he was too drunk to notice. She turned a corner but accidentally brushed against a figure—Uchiha Itachi.

"A female ANBU?" Itachi asked, his crimson Sharingan flashing briefly. He folded his arms and studied her mask. "I wasn't aware we had any in our ranks."

Tsunade felt the weight of his scrutiny but maintained her composure. "If you'll excuse me, I'm delivering food to Sasuke's cabin."

"Where's the food?" Itachi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm on my way to get it."

"I'll deliver it myself."

"You can't," she replied curtly.

"Why not?"

"Stop asking so many questions," she snapped, keeping her tone neutral yet firm.

Itachi stepped closer, his gaze unwavering and piercing through her. His intensity sent a chill down her spine, but she held her ground, steady and composed. If I weren't fifty years older than him, I'd consider him attractive, she mused wryly

After a long, tense moment, Itachi finally relented. "Hm. Go ahead. Take care of my brother," he said, stepping back. "Not that it matters—he'll probably refuse to eat anyway."

Tsunade exhaled quietly as he walked away, her nerves calming. She adjusted her mask and made her way toward Sasuke's room, her mission far from over.

The snake, its scales gleaming like molten silver and its venomous fangs capable of ending Sasuke in an instant, began to shift. Its long, sinuous body twisted and contorted before transforming into a tall man. He was lean, with flowing black hair, sharp green eyes resembling those of a serpent, and purple eyeliner accentuating his striking features.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he instinctively tensed. He was too exhausted to activate his Sharingan, and his chakra was nearly depleted.

"Who are you?" Sasuke demanded, his voice steady despite his drained state. He fixed the man with a glare that belied his fatigue.

"Orochimaru," the man replied smoothly. "One of the Three Legendary Sannin."

"So, you're the one... the person Jiraiya and Tsunade warned me about," Sasuke spat, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Certainly," Orochimaru replied with a smirk.

He approached Sasuke with deliberate slowness, his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he circled the young Uchiha like a predator stalking its prey.

"What do you want, old man?" Sasuke growled, his gaze following Orochimaru's every move.

"I may be known as a criminal, but this time, I'm here to help you—solely because you're a Uchiha," Orochimaru said, bending down until his snake-like eyes were level with Sasuke's. He then moved behind him, effortlessly snapping the chakra-infused ropes binding Sasuke to the chair.

"What a cheap trick," Orochimaru muttered, clearly unimpressed. "How do you not know how to free yourself from this?"

"We were never taught," Sasuke replied bitterly, rubbing his torn wrists. "Team 7 wasn't sent on complex missions, so we weren't trained for situations like this."

"As expected from Kakashi," Orochimaru said with a scoff. "He let his students suffer under his nose, too focused on you or that loud-mouthed blonde."

"What about the other two Sannin?" Sasuke asked, his voice sharp with suspicion.

"Tsunade will be here soon," Orochimaru said, leaning against the wall. "She'll restore your chakra so you can at least run."

From the dark corner of the room, the faint jingle of keys broke the silence. Orochimaru turned to see Tsunade fumbling with an oversized ring of keys.

"Thirty-five keys!" she hissed, her patience wearing thin. "Who even uses this many for one door?!" Finally, she gave up, breaking the lock with a swift application of chakra.

Tsunade stepped inside, her sharp eyes scanning Sasuke's battered form before narrowing as she sensed Orochimaru's chakra. "I didn't think you'd actually show up," she said coolly, walking over to Sasuke without missing a beat.

Ignoring his raw wrists for the moment, she pressed her hand to his chest, focusing on restoring his depleted chakra. Her expression was calm, but her movements were quick and precise, aware of the time ticking away.

"What's the status?" Orochimaru asked, his arms crossed.

"Jiraiya's on the move," Tsunade replied without looking up. "His toads scouted a route—the safest one available. It leads from the back of the Hyuuga compound to an emergency exit in the south."

Orochimaru nodded once, processing the plan.

"I still don't understand why the three of us are doing this," Tsunade muttered as she finished replenishing Sasuke's chakra and rubbed her temples in frustration.

"Maybe because we see ourselves in them," Orochimaru said, his voice low as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Now, do your job," Tsunade snapped, resting her hands on her hips.

Orochimaru weaved a series of hand signs, creating a clone of Sasuke that was eerily lifelike.

"Make sure it doesn't 'poof' anytime soon," Tsunade instructed, her tone sharp. Satisfied, she transformed back into her ANBU guise and turned to leave.

"It's up to you now to get Sasuke out safely and to his friends," she said as she stepped out, her voice firm. "I'll meet you in the forest. Jiraiya will be shadowing you, ready to step in if things get messy." With that, she closed the door behind her, repairing the lock with precise chakra control. The sound of her footsteps faded into the distance.

Orochimaru secured the clone to the chair, tightening the chakra-infused ropes to mimic the injuries on Sasuke's wrists. Once satisfied, he glanced at the window and gestured for Sasuke to follow.

Without a word, they slipped out into the night. Rain poured heavily, drenching their hair as they sprinted through the dark village streets. The quiet was unnerving as they approached the Hyuuga compound. Sasuke's eyes darted around, his instincts prickling with unease.

He hadn't noticed that someone had already seen them running away.