It's been a while since I last updated. The reason was simple, procastination. This is the penultimate chapter, and then next one is the last as I'll work on my next fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Period
The Timeless Man
20th July 2118
Planet: Lozo IV
Location: Orochi Corps Special Experimentations Lab
0o0o0o0o0
To the general public, Lozo IV is a desert planet, a planet only for wild haired mad-scientist weirdos. They feel thankful that at least those weirdos don't live among the general public, who knows what their experiments will lead to. But they don't know one fact, that it was the same research that stopped the last Great War. Frightening as may seem, genetically enhanced soldiers had won the day that time. And on the forefront of this research was Orochi Corps, and it was considered Top Secret information even for the top echelons of the military. So naturally the receptionist got scared when a blond haired man walked up to her and asked for the Big Boss. After all, the Big Boss was only a myth, a fairytale of an invisible and immortal master her boss answered to, and this man must have gone mental asking for him, even though she did admit that he was cute.
"Um sir, I think you are very much mistaken...there is no Big Boss." She tried to reason with him as her hand inched towards the alarm button.
"Oh, is that so? Maybe you are right, there may be no Big Boss after all. So why don't you be nice and let me meet your boss?"
"I'm very sorry sir, but the boss is really busy, do you have an appointment with him?" Her hand had made its way to the button without him noticing. It was only a matter of him saying the wrong thing.
"No, I don't but I'll be meeting him anyway. Can you tell me where's his cabin?" He said with a bright smile.
This was all the response she needed to push the button. Two security guards ran up to him and pointed their guns.
"Drop on the floor with your hands behind your back. We'll not hesitate to shoot if you try anything smart."
"Oh my... why do people insist on violence at the first pretense of trouble?" He shook his head, it was going to be a long day.
0o0o0o0o0
"So what about the new specimens, are the ready?" The tall man asked looking at the screens.
"Hai, Kabuto sama, they will be..." The subordinate's answer was cut off by a loud siren.
"Attention all personnel. There has been a Level 4 breach near the West Wing. DC Protocol 33 in effect. Please remain where you are until the issue is resolved."
The subordinate immediately flipped open the ComLink and barked out.
"What the hell happened?"
"Sir an intruder has managed to break through the Secure Level 01. He's headed towards your location. We're trying to take him down but he's just too fast."
Kabuto had sat down on the chair and had an unreadable expression on his face. Whoever this intruder was, he had managed to break though Secure Level 01, the best security in the Confederation and then the direction he was headed...
"He's coming closer. We must evacuate the lab immediately."
"He can't be Kisuke, he couldn't have broken though Secure Level 01 without help..." the subordinate was still confident about the security.
Kabuto's line of thought was broken by his subordinate's voice.
"Uh yes, let's go." He didn't care if some nobody got to him, but to the world the Big Boss did not exist and he wanted it to remain that way.
Sadly for them however, the steel blast door separating the lab from the outer world blew up at that very moment, showering the occupants with red hot sharpnel. Kabuto was fast on his feet and ducked behind the table. His subordinate however did not get a chance and was impaled. It was the very moment he felt it...
chakra, that chakra.
He knew that hiding was futile considering this man. He could easily track him down using his chakra signature, but then again he knew that the other was not here to kill him. After all an immortal could not be killed.
"Ah Naruto-kun, a pleasant surprise. You could have sent a message, I could have prepared a better welcome for you."
"Sorry there, my bad. But then I wouldn't have got the pleasure of exploring this fine establishment you set up,
Orochimaru." He said smirking.
"So what brings you here. I'm sure you are not here to say hello."
"Well, I've got some good news and some bad news. What would you like first?"
Orochimaru was surprised to see his enemy before him, but did not show it. After all, a moment's lapse of attention could be dangerous. Not that he could be killed, but if information about him being here was leaked, it could have severe repercussions. And this person before him certainly hadn't come with friendly intentions. He had tried to capture the blond haired man several times in the past few centuries but had always failed. Well, now that he was in front of his prey, he'd try again.
"Its a nice lab. You resumed work on the
Red Eye, didn't you?" the question was spoken with a nonchalant air, but the threat was still there behind a layer of indifference.
Yellow eyes widened at that remark. How could he have known about that project? Only three people knew about the Red Eye DNA and his now dead subordinate was one of them. The other researcher had been dead for some decades. So how... no, he couldn't have hacked into the Carlos II installation.
"How do I know, huh?" the smirk on his face was infuriating the snake man, but he kept quiet. "I have seen something familiar. I'd know what it is, I've had a personal experience with that technique."
How his specimen had learned
chidori was beyond him, but Orochimaru had his suspicions. That was why he was bent on killing it. Now that the blond haired bastard had got the information he needed, it was time to act. He'd kill the specimen himself.
"I know what you were thinking Oro-chaaan", the blond's grin was getting wider. "You thought it was Sasuke, right? Well, you were correct."
"So what are you going to do now."
"You're too boring, you know that. Now for the news, the good news is Project Genesis has been terminated. I left no evidence of you being involved."
"And the bad?"
"That's the big one. Well, Sasuke is here now and I've cast my net. He's the last soul I have to seal and after that I'm home free. You know what it means, don't you?" His playful voice turned sinister as the room began filling with chakra. "You are going to die, and I'd see to it that you get the most painful death ever."
Orochimaru knew it was going to happen one day, and he knew that the blond here was going to incapacitate him so he would not interfere. He made his move. Kusanagi had struck straight through the forehead and had gone out through the other side. His opponent smiled, and Orochimaru's eyes widened.
Bunshin Daibakuha.
The explosion rocked the floor and activated the blood seals that had been painted on the walls of the building. Ten seconds later Orochi Corps' building was no more.
0o0o0o0o0
"So why the change in my sentence? I never thought them to be of the forgiving type."
"We need people to track down the rogue souls, and we have you already, so why not use the resource." The white haired shinigami sounded annoyed. It made sense in a way. Living long like that would invariably corrupt his soul, and they won't have to set up another tribunal after he returns again. They wanted to send him to hell anyway.
"Hmm, so these rogue souls..."
"Yes, these are the same which escaped from us shinigami when you blew it all up." It was evident that his white haired 'friend' was becoming irritated.
"Oh, ehehehe. Well then I'll just have to catch them right? Or do I have to kill them? I hate killing people, you know that?"
"No, you have to seal them so they can't escape. Killing them afterwards makes no difference."
He knew he wouldn't be able to escape the killing part. It was a part of his job description once, and they were getting a trouble'shooter' with an all expenses paid package.
"Now, you will be put in limbo. When the time comes, we'll get you out and put you in the field. You can ask your questions then. Now move." The white haired 'shrimp', as he put it, was impatient and clearly didn't like the job he had been given.
"Yeah yeah, lets get this over with."0o0o0o0o0
"I'd like some green tea, please." He said to the waiter before reading the news on his PDA.
"Lozo IV facility blown up by terrorist group? First Carlos II and now this. Looks like someone has an agenda against Orochi Corps." He mused. It was good in a way, payback and a breather from killers coming after him. He pushed up his glasses once again, trying think why he was feeling a bit of fear coming up his throat. Well, he would have to be ready for anything.
"Your tea sir."
"Oh... okay." He didn't know why, but he felt that sooner or later, he'd meet that guy with blond hair. His dreams were becoming more and more vivid and names were coming into his mind, as if memories of a previous life. Itachi was the first that came to him, and with it came feelings of despair and hatred, and love as well. He didn't understand it, and it scared him. But now he was sure, Project Genesis was not a government enterprise to create super soldiers, it was a private enterprise to recreate the Red Eye, or the
Sharingan as his memories had mysteriously told him.
He knew too much, yet he felt that it was only the tip of the iceberg. Somehow his memories told him that he was not PGS-0974. He used to have a name.
Uchiha Sasuke. That itself told him volumes more than the records of Project Genesis. Once he used to have a name, a family, a brother...a friend.
"
Uzumaki Naruto." It was another moment of inspiration that had struck him. And memories rushed up his mind. He sat sraight, dazed for a moment.
"Might as well finish the tea."
0o0o0o0o0
College and lectures had eaten up my brains and this chapter had been waiting for quite some time. This one went through 5 rewrites before I was satisfied. I hope it answers the question of what was Naruto's punishment, but the question of what he had done will have to wait for the last chapter, as well as the Orochimaru connection. Read and enjoy.