Chapter 18

It's been a month since Izuna started learning from Tsunade. He had no longer a member of team 7 and often went on missions solo. Of course he was allowed because Tsunade knew how strong he was.

The clients would sometimes mock him about how Konoha would send one measly genin to do the work. And each time their opinions would change when they saw how competent he was.

Yesterday, Team 7 had come back from the land of tea with an injured Sasuke. Izuna knew what would go down in the hospital so he didn't bother to leave the house.

He had been leaning different techniques from the scroll of sealing. Techniques that he didn't even know existed. All in all, it was a very productive use of time.

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Sasuke will be leaving tonight. I don't want to complicate things by joining the rescue team.

Luckily I already have a plan for that. The Hokage can't summon me if she can't find me. I already have a Hiraishin marker on Madara's head at the valley of end, I just need to wait for the right moment.

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Sakura had just informed Tsunade about Sasuke's defection. She's unable to send higher level shinobi, so she had called her anbu to summon two people.

Shikamaru just enters the hokage office as an anbu lands in front of the hokage.

Anbu:"We didn't find him."

Tsunade's eyes widen while Shikamaru looks between the two in confusion.

Tsunade:"What do you mean you can't find him? He should be somewhere in konoha."

Anbu:"I had some anbu search the village. There is no sign of him anywhere. Moreover his room looked as if he had packed up."

Tsunade realized that it is as she feared.

She turned to Shikamaru, going straight to the point.

Tsunade:"Sasuke has left the village, and we have reason to believe that Izuna is with him. I'm assigning you a task. Gather a team of genin and go after Sasuke and possibly Izuna."

Shikamaru nodded before asking.

Shikamaru:"Lady Hokage, if Izuna is with Sasuke, should this rescue escalate into a fight and he intervenes..."

Shikamaru took a pause.

Shikamaru:"If he intervenes I don't think any of our current genin can face him."

Tsunade has a face of grave understanding before agreeing. Before either of them could say anything a figure blurred into existence in the room.

Both Tsunade and Shikamaru were ready to fight until they saw who the figure was. It was Izuna.

Tsunade:"I had anbu searching the village looking for you. Where were you?"

Izuna:"I have left the village, you're talking to a clone."

He finally dropped the bomb as Tsunade's and Shikamaru's eyes widen before she speaks.

Tsunade:"Then why tell us? You could have left without telling anyone, so why tell us?"

Izuna:"Because that would get me branded as a missing nin."

Realization finally reached shikamaru as he spoke.

Shikamaru:"So you're not defecting the village?"

Izuna:"No"

He lied through his teeth. Tsunade spoke narrowing her eyes.

Tsunade:"Then why did you leave?"

Izuna:"I'm leaving on a training trip. I didn't tell you because you wouldn't allow me to leave if I asked you."

Tsunade:"You really picked the worst time to leave. Sasuke has defected the village and now you've disappeared. This is not a good day. Is it possible for you to help us catch him."

He shook his head before answering.

Izuna:By now, the original me should have already left the land of fire. I'm just a clone. I only have enough chakra for roughly two minutes left."

Tsunade sighs before asking,

"When will you be back?"

Izuna:"I don't know. It might be in two years, maybe in three or four. I'm not sure. I'll be back when I'm strong enough, that's what matters."

Tsunade could feel a headache coming on.

Tsunade:"You will not be branded as a missing nin. You may go on your trip. *Sigh* even though you're already gone."

Izuna:"Let me give you some advice before I disperse. Beware of Danzo. He's more dangerous than you know."

And with that, he dispersed.

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The original was waiting on Madara's head in the Valley of end as he received the memory of his clone.

'In a few hours Sasuke and Naruto will be here.'

He waited for a few hours. He was a patient person but this was testing his patience. He was tempted to just go and kidnap Sasuke on his own.

Sasuke finally reached there as Naruto catches up to him. Izuna hid himself throughout the entire fight.

Looking at these two fight, he could see how they were regarded as the strongest shinobi in the future. Naruto had already started using the nine tails chakra as Sasuke's curse mark advanced to the final stage.

The nine tail chakra was too dense. Izuna felt pressured by it but managed to stay hidden.

Naruto prepared a rasengan infused with nine tail chakra while Sasuke prepared his curse-mark enhanced Chidori.

As they collided, a dome was formed around them. They were hidden from Izuna's view.

When the dome finally died down, Sasuke was standing over a knocked out and injured Naruto.

Sasuke finally leaves the valley of end to find Orochimaru as Izuna tails him. Izuna kept a large distance between him and Sasuke. He wasn't afraid of losing Sasuke because he still had a market on him.

After long hours of trailing him, he finally reached Orochimaru's hideout. Wanting to make a dramatic entrance, he waited for a few minutes after Sasuke entered to make his appearance.

'Hiraishin'

He disappeared from his position.

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Inside the hideout, Sasuke and Orochimaru could be seen walking. Orochimaru has just accepted Sasuke as his apprentice. They kept walking until a black flash appears behind Sasuke and a figure holds him by the neck.

Both Sasuke and Orochimaru are alarmed as they see who it is. Sasuke was struggling to speak with a hand on his neck.

Sasuke:"How...did you...find me?"

Izuna:"I have a Hiraishin marker on you. You can't run anywhere that I won't find you."

Sasuke's and Orochimaru's eyes widen.

Sasuke:"Are you here to take me back?"

He knew that if Izuna wanted to take him back, he wouldn't be able to fight him off. Both Sasuke and Orochimaru were surprised when Izuna just shook his head as he released Sasuke.

Izuna:"I'm here because I have things to gain from staying with Orochimaru."

He didn't bother hiding his intentions as he knew that in his current state Orochimaru posed no threat to him.

He then turned to Orochimaru before smirking.

Izuna:"During the exams I told you that we would meet again. Here I am."

Orochimaru looks surprised.

Orochimaru:"So you knew it was me. Why didn't you do anything?"

Izuna:"I knew that this would be the outcome. I'm also here to make sure you don't harm Sasuke."

Orochimaru licks his lips while looking at the two Uchiha.

Orochimaru:"kukuku...Interesting."