Naruto - Azure Awakening

"I was getting so tired of waiting…" The voice continued, calm, cold, and soaked in amusement.

Both Shin and Akane snapped their eyes upward, searching for the source. The figure was clinging to the ceiling, legs fixed in place with chakra. He hung upside down like some monstrous insect, cloaked in shadow.

But his eyes were clear. Crimson. Slitted vertically like a predator's.

"Sensei… what is that thing?" Akane whispered. Her voice barely audible over the hum of tension in the air.

But instead of Shin, it was the figure above them who reacted to Akane's words and dropped down.

The figure landed without a sound, his movements smooth and effortless. He turned, long black hair draping over his face from the descent. With one hand, he swiftly brushed it aside and smiled.

Not a polite smile.

A wide, feral grin that sent shivers down Akane's spine.

"That's a rude way to ask someone's name," he said, voice light, almost playful, as he casually circled them. His steps were slow. Measured. Not stalking, almost like mocking. Every movement screamed one thing: you're not threats.

"Who are you?" Shin asked, his tone hard as steel. His hands remained just inches from his blades.

The figure tilted his head, eyes flicking toward Shin.

"Careful with those hands," he murmured, eyes narrowing slightly. "Wouldn't want someone to think you're going to attack the lady."

He gave a little flourish, tossing his hair with exaggerated grace. He was showing off and enjoying it.

'Lady?' Akane blinked. 'The hell is he talking about?'

"Sadly," he continued, "my father still hasn't given me a name. It's a little weird, I guess."

He flashed another grin, baring too many teeth. "But if you want, you could try giving me one. If I like it, maybe I'll ask to keep it."

He blinked and suddenly, he was gone.

Both Shin and Akane jerked back as he reappeared in front of them, standing so close he could have reached out and touched either one. No sound. No movement. Just there.

Akane's sword was out in a flash, her body moving before her mind caught up. Shin mirrored her, muscles coiled, both of them locked in ready stances.

But the long-haired man didn't attack.

He tilted his head, poking one of his sharp teeth with his finger, his expression puzzled.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice flat. The amusement had vanished. "Are you… trying to pick a fight with me?"

His tone dipped, calm on the surface, but something deadly bubbling underneath.

Then, just as suddenly, he relaxed.

"No, no, you wouldn't," he said, waving the thought away. "Father wouldn't send anyone like that."

He leaned in toward Akane, his face just inches from hers. 

His nose twitched. He was sniffing her.

Akane didn't move, afraid to start a fight they might not be able to win, but her grip tightened.

"Your hair," he said, grinning again, "it's beautiful. Maybe it's because it's the same color as my eyes… oh, wait… your eyes too."

He clapped softly, like he'd just figured out the answer to a riddle.

'Insane.'

That was the only word Akane could think of as she stared at the man in front of her. Up close, his features were clear. 

His face was beautiful, almost feminine. Too smooth, too symmetrical. His skin was pale, his features sharp and elegant in a way that looked sculpted, not born. His teeth, though unnaturally pointed, weren't jagged like those in the Land of Water. And despite the vertical slits in his eyes, there was something mesmerizing about them. Bright crimson irises swirled with streaks of gold, glowing faintly in the dim light.

But the longer Akane stared, the more wrong he looked.

It was the nose. Or rather, the absence of one.

Instead of a human nose, there were only two narrow slits - perfectly shaped, carved directly into the smoothness of his face. No ridge, no bridge, no curve. Just air holes, clean and unnatural. His cheeks were marked with two crimson lines, running parallel beneath each eye. Akane couldn't tell whether they were paint or skin - either way, they looked far too precise to be decorative.

'He looks like a snake, she realized.' That was it. Not just the slits in his eyes or the cold grace in his movements, but the total lack of human warmth.

The man was still grinning, content to bask in their silence.

Then his expression snapped.

"Why are you all silent?!" he shouted, his voice suddenly sharp, rising in pitch like a tantrum. "Didn't I ask you to give me a name? I've waited for so long, maybe I can finally have one…" His hands flailed upward in a dramatic, swirling gesture as he spun in place, his tone bouncing between desperate and amused.

Shin didn't move. He suddenly spoke:

"Your father told us to bring the kids out."

Akane turned to him immediately, eyes wide. 'What is he saying?' she thought. 'What is sensei planning?'

But the moment Shin spoke, the man's eyes lit up.

"Oh? Father finally wants to get rid of those annoying brats?" he asked, clasping his hands together like a delighted child. "Took him long enough!"

With a twirl, he darted toward the wall like a shadow caught in a breeze. He stopped at an old iron candle hung from the stone, and without a word, pulled it downward.

A loud mechanical click echoed through the chamber.

The stone wall next to the sconce rumbled, then slid backward with a heavy grind before shifting to the side. Dust burst into the air. Small pebbles dropped and bounced off the floor. The door hadn't been used in a while, its movements were sluggish and weighty.

Shin shot a glance at Akane, giving her a small nod.

'We're going in,' she realized, and tightened her grip on her sword, moving silently behind him.

But just as they reached the threshold, the man spun around.

"Wait!" he snapped, voice sharper now. His eyes narrowed. The smile was still on his lips, but it was no longer friendly.

"Father said he'd be the one to take the kids," he said slowly, as if testing their reaction.

Akane could feel her heart thudding now. She didn't know what Shin was doing. She didn't know who this person was. But she trusted her sensei.

"I don't know about that," Shin said evenly. "But your father gave me a scroll. Told me to hand it to you personally."

His hand slowly moved toward his side, slipping into the inner pocket of his robe.

Every inch of the man's gaze tracked the movement. His golden-slashed eyes glimmered with curiosity and building excitement.

"Really?" he asked, blinking toward Shin and appearing right in front of him.

'That wasn't a flicker.' Akane's stomach twisted. 'That's his actual speed.' 

She swallowed hard, eyes locked on the blur that had just materialized across the room like it was nothing. Just that alone - raw, impossible speed - would've made him dangerous. But she knew better. That couldn't be his only strength. Not with the way he moved. Not with that smile.

'We should never have come here,' thought Akane, shifting his stance and preparing for a fight.

Shin didn't hesitate. His hand flew to his sword and drew it in one clean motion, the blade slicing through the air with a high whistle before crackling to life as lightning danced along its edge, fierce and hungry.

But it never reached its mark.

The blade cleaved through an afterimage. The man was already gone.

"You…" the voice came again, angrier now, sharper. His face twisted with fury. "You dare pretend to be sent by father?"

He cracked his fingers, one by one, loud and unnatural, like he was snapping each joint to make a point. Then, without warning, he lifted his hand to his mouth and bit off his own index finger.

Akane flinched. 'What the hell'

He spat it to the floor, and a heartbeat later, it began to twitch. Violently. Thick, bluish liquid oozed from the severed flesh, twisting and expanding until an identical man rose from the writhing mess.

Her eyes darted between the two. The original was still standing, now scratching his own face, deep, jagged lines that bled freely but didn't seem to bother him. Already, his missing finger had regrown.

Akane didn't even have time to process the horror.

"I'll kill both of you," he snarled and vanished.

'He's gone.'

Akane spun instinctively, her senses catching the briefest flicker of movement behind her. Her blade lashed out, shimmering under the dim light, aiming straight for the neck.

It connected….

Pain shot through her wrist and shoulder, a jolt so sharp she nearly dropped the weapon. It felt like she'd slammed it into solid stone.

"You're weak," a voice whispered both in front and behind her.

And then she felt it.

His hand - already closing in on her back.

<<<>>>

Kaoru's fingers twitched as he felt the cold metal settle into his grip.

"What's this?" he asked, eyes glinting with curiosity.

"It's our traditional weapon, or rather, the weapon your ancestors used to wield in battle," Soma grinned, tugging away the last strip of cloth still covering it.

"It's not an exact replica," he added. "We had it made shorter and lighter because…"

He hesitated, clearly trying not to be rude. His sister, however, had no such restraint.

"Because you're way weaker than they were," Sona said with a smirk, tilting her head as she stared Kaoru down, tone playful but brutal as always.

Soma rolled his eyes and smacked the back of her head. "They were strong because we helped them get there," he said, trying to soften the blow. "You're just getting started. In time, you…"

"Might be half as strong as they were," Sona cut in again, laughing while rubbing the sore spot on her head.

But this time, Kaoru didn't glare or complain. He just laughed along and tossed it back.

"I'd still win against you, though," he smirked.

"Haha! She walked right into that one," Soma chuckled, shaking his head. "Honestly, Sona, he's not wrong. He'd probably still beat you even now."

Kaoru grinned, then turned his attention back to the weapon as Soma lifted it from the box.

"Do you remember when Sona's sword changed color during your sparring match, got sturdier and darker?" Soma asked, holding up the blade. Kaoru nodded. "This weapon works the same way. It won't require senjutsu to activate, but it mimics that effect."

He slowly drew the blade, revealing its elegant curvature and wave-like ornaments etched into the steel. Then, placing a finger against the flat of the blade, Soma let his chakra flow. A soft shimmer ran across the metal, darkening its edge until it looked almost identical to the form Sona had used to slice through Kaoru's water tentacle.

"It won't be as strong as true sage chakra, of course," he explained, withdrawing his hand as the metal returned to its usual silvery sheen. "But this alloy responds to chakra in a similar way, it can absorb, condense, and reshape it. That's why it can bypass techniques and slice through jutsu. Same trick Sona used."

Kaor's brows furrowed. "Didn't you say this weapon was the same as my ancestors used? So… they couldn't use the Leviathan Sage Mode either?"

"Some could," Soma shrugged. "Some didn't need to. This blade has a natural chakra-disrupting effect as long as it has a steady source of chakra available. So whether or not the user could use Sage mode didn't matter. It still allowed them to imitate the effect. It won't be as powerful, but still much better than ordinary weapons."

He slid the blade back into its sheath and offered it to Kaoru with both hands.

"Now it's yours."

Kaoru looked at it, excitement building on his face.

"Wait… does that mean I can also learn Leviathan Senjutsu?"

**

A/N -

A tiny spoiler ahead: 

You've probably noticed by now that I spared(am sparing) Orochimaru from fighting Hiruzen and getting his hands sealed. That's intentional. I've always felt like he deserved to be a bigger and more impactful villain.

I still haven't fully decided whether Azure Awakening will take that route… but I'd like to keep that door open.

Let me know what you think. Should Orochimaru remain the same as he was in the canon? Or should he make a grand, horrifying return?

Reminder - Break Tomorrow

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