Yuro decided to wait in Orochimaru's dimly lit chamber for the others to return. The air was heavy with the pungent aroma of various alchemical concoctions and possibly other darker things he did not understand nor know about or want to know. Orochimaru, with his unsettling, serpentine presence, reclined in his own chair, a sinister smile plastered on his lips as he anticipated the return of his loyal followers with their prized acquisition, Sasuke Uchiha.
Yuro, feigning a casual demeanor, had dragged a chair from its original position beside Orochimaru to a distant corner of the room. This small act of defiance, this petty move, was Yuro's way of coping with his loathing for the Sannin. He despised Orochimaru with every fiber of his being, but he needed to keep himself in check for a little bit longer.
As Yuro settled into his new seat, he began to reflect on his decision. Why had he agreed to this plan? Why did he care enough to intervene? Orochimaru's plan to take over Sasuke's body was progressing even smoother than regularly, and Yuro knew that if he waited any longer, the opportunity to eliminate Orochimaru would vanish, and maybe forever would stay that way. Sasuke's transformation into Orochimaru's vessel would make the Sannin virtually untouchable at least to him. It had to be soon, even if it meant Yuro might not survive the attempt. He felt a pang of resolve mixed in with another part of him saying to just continue playing along and wait for a better chance. But he decidedly ignored that part.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Yuro's eyes snapped towards the entrance as the door creaked open. In walked Sasuke, his face set in a determined scowl. Behind him trailed the Sound Five, though Yuro noted that Kimimaro was missing, his fate looking like it remained the same.
All of them were battered and bruised, their clothing torn, and their faces marked with exhaustion, yet they knelt before Orochimaru, of course, Sasuke not following suit. Their voices were strained as they reported their success.
"Orochimaru-sama, we have completed our mission, but Kimimaro has met his end at the hands of Sunagakures Jinchūriki."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with satisfaction, though he barely reacted to the news of Kimimaro's death. He thought more about Sunagakure's involvement than Kimimaro's death itself. To him, Kimimaro was just another tool, something replacable now that he could not become one of Orochimaru's hosts and already on his deathbed. Kimimaro in fact begged Kabuto to allow him to ensure Orochimaru's new host safely made it to Otogakure, still lamenting about himself being useless.
"Excellent," Orochimaru purred, his voice dripping with fake praise for them. "You all did well despite Sunagakure's unexpected involvement. Now, go to Kabuto and get yourselves healed. You all look ready to follow Kimimaro's footsteps. Yuro-kun, join them as well and take this opportunity to further your medical knowledge."
Yuro stood, his expression purposefully remaining unreadable. Inside, however, he was wondering why Kidōmaru, Jirobo, Sakon, and Tayuya were still alive compared to their original fate of dying during their mission like Kimimaro. He had no time to worry about that right now. Before leaving the room, he made brief eye contact with Sasuke before turning to follow the others. The look he gave Sasuke was filled mostly with pity for different reasons.
While they ventured to the medical lab, Yuro maintained his silence. He offered no assistance in helping them, no first-aid to ensure that they would make it to Kabuto before dropping dead. Even when Tayuya collapsed, Jirobo just silently caught her before hitting the floor, picking her up without even missing a beat, and continued on their way. His disdain for these four would forever remain.
Upon reaching Kabuto's domain, Yuro waited while the others entered first and when it was just him, he brought up two pairs of fingers and used one of Naruto Uzumaki's iconic techniques.
'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.' (Shadow Clone Technique)
The next moment, a single clone of himself appeared and it automatically went inside while he turned on his heels to retreat back towards Orochimaru's chamber where it was now just Orochimaru and Sasuke alone. Leaving any child with Orochimaru only portrayed bad things to come.
To Sasuke, the atmosphere grew even more tense. Orochimaru rose from his seat, his movements slow and deliberate. He regarded Sasuke with a mixture of curiosity and then disguised hunger.
"Welcome, Sasuke-kun," he said, his voice smooth and chilling. "You've made the right choice in coming here, though the journey seemed to have been quite difficult. However, I can guarantee that the decision was worth it."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "That idiot Naruto tried to stop me," he replied, his tone filled with both irritation and a hidden sorrow. "He even went as far as to say you wanted my body."
Orochimaru chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. "And do you believe him, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke's gaze hardened. "Yes, I do. But I don't care, as long as I get my revenge."
Orochimaru's smile widened, his eyes gleaming. "Your desire for revenge has only grown stronger over the years it seems. And with me, I will ensure it happens."
Orochimaru began to approach Sasuke, his steps slow and seemingly lacking any kind of hostility, yet Sasuke instinctively stepped back his body tensing up even more.
"Do you?" Sasuke asked, his voice low but steady.
Orochimaru's stopped moving forward, his smile growing even more sinister. "Do I what?"
"Do you want my body?" Sasuke demanded, his Sharingan flaring to life.
Orochimaru's eyes glinted with dark amusement and suddenly, his mouth unhinged and a grotesque transformation began as Orochimaru's true form emerged. A massive white snake, composed of countless smaller snakes quickly slithered out from inside Orochimaru's mouth, its mouth already gaping. The room was filled with the sound of hissing and the oppressive presence of the monstrous creature barely resembling the person it once was.
Sasuke tried to activate his curse mark, the dark symbols creeping across his skin, but pain surged through where it originated from, causing him to drop to his knees, teeth gritted against the agony. The curse mark ebbed away back into its dormant state.
Orochimaru loomed over him, his voice a chilling whisper. "Your battle with that fox brat has weakened you quite a bit. But your body... It's still perfect. And to answer your question," Orochimaru suddenly sprang forward to strike, "YES!!"
However, contrary to both expectations of Sasuke being swallowed, Sasuke felt a sudden impact that sent him flying away from the creature right before it made it to him. Dazed, Sasuke managed to catch a glimpse of the figure who had intervened before hitting the ground.
It was the same child he had seen a minute ago who gave him that look of pity, which, to shock Sasuke even more, was now blazing with the Sharingan same as his. The eyes that had held pity before were now shining with acceptance of what was coming and finality of that there was no turning back from this decision.
~
(A/N: I've had this thought for a while now, and I want to see if anyone else thinks the same.
Orochimaru = Voldemort
Now I think there is no debate about that. The debate is who did it better? British Orochimaru or Japanese Voldemort?)