"Orochimaru!?"
Ryūjin Uchiha lifted his head and locked eyes with Orochimaru. The surprise on his face lasted only a second before it faded into understanding.
There were two men in Konoha who coveted the eyes of the Uchiha clan.
One was Danzō. The other stood right in front of him.
Ryūjin had personally witnessed their intentions before, when they used the Telescope Technique to observe and scheme against the Uchiha. He simply had not expected them to move so quickly, nor to target him specifically.
But thinking about it now, it made perfect sense.
Within Konoha, no one dared to openly harvest Uchiha eyes. The clan was the village's largest and one of its most influential forces. Acting inside the village would spark political chaos.
Now that Ryūjin had left on a mission, isolated and exposed, this was the perfect opportunity.
"An Uchiha child who attracted no attention possesses strength that even Danzō treats cautiously," Orochimaru said as he stepped forward slowly. His golden pupils gleamed with obsession. "How fascinating. The Sharingan truly is a masterpiece."
"The Sharingan is not something you get to covet," Ryūjin replied flatly. His tone was steady, unmoved.
He stood facing one of the legendary Sannin without the slightest hint of panic.
"Your dōjutsu has already reached its limit, hasn't it?" Orochimaru extended his tongue and licked his lips. "How do you intend to resist me now?"
Ryūjin let out a quiet scoff.
"Yeah right."
At that moment, he removed his sunglasses.
Behind the lenses were blood red eyes, tomoe spinning slowly within them.
This was the first time since awakening his true Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan that Ryūjin revealed his eyes to an outsider.
Why take off the glasses now?
Because Amaterasu could be cast through his vision even with the lenses on. Tsukuyomi was different. It required direct eye contact.
Orochimaru, ignorant of that detail, assumed Ryūjin's ocular abilities were exhausted.
"What exquisite eyes," Orochimaru murmured, unable to hide his greed. "I will gladly take them."
He raised his arm. A massive black snake burst from his sleeve, lunging forward with its jaws wide open.
Ryūjin did not move.
His Sharingan spun.
"Tsukuyomi."
The world shifted instantly.
Orochimaru was pulled into the illusion without resistance, far more easily than Ryūjin had anticipated.
Throughout shinobi history, countless skilled ninja had fallen to Uchiha genjutsu. Even elite jōnin like Kakashi had been helpless. The knowledge of how to counter the Sharingan's illusions was not widespread. Most victims made the same mistake, they looked directly into Uchiha eyes.
Orochimaru was no exception.
In the real world, his hand was still extended toward Ryūjin.
In the Tsukuyomi world, everything turned black and white.
The forest vanished.
In its place stood a vast, empty void. Orochimaru found himself bound to a towering cross, his limbs restrained by invisible force.
"What is this?" he hissed, straining against the bindings. No matter how he struggled, he could not break free.
He realized it immediately.
"Genjutsu. I was caught."
His voice remained calm, but the tension in his eyes betrayed him.
A distortion formed in the empty space ahead. From it, Ryūjin stepped out slowly.
In his hand was a long, razor sharp katana.
"Orochimaru," Ryūjin said calmly, "did you really think being one of the Sannin makes you untouchable?"
The blade flashed.
It pierced straight through Orochimaru's abdomen.
A muffled groan escaped his lips.
Even knowing it was an illusion, the pain was completely real.
"Is that all?" Orochimaru forced a grin, provocation flickering across his face.
Ryūjin withdrew the blade smoothly.
"Don't worry. I'll make it worth your time."
The void trembled.
From every direction, figures began to emerge.
One Ryūjin.
Then ten.
Then hundreds.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a suffocating circle around Orochimaru. Every single one held a gleaming katana.
Orochimaru's expression stiffened.
The blades descended simultaneously.
Stab after stab tore into him without pause. There was no mercy, no rhythm, no escape.
His screams echoed endlessly through the monochrome world.
The scene mirrored what Itachi once did to Kakashi, except this time the victim was Orochimaru.
"Kakashi endured three days and three nights," Ryūjin said coldly. "You're one of the Sannin. Last at least a week."
Time inside Tsukuyomi bent entirely to Ryūjin's will.
Six days and six nights passed in relentless torment.
In reality, not even a second had gone by.
Eventually, Ryūjin felt his mental energy nearing depletion. Maintaining Tsukuyomi against someone of Orochimaru's caliber for that long was no small strain.
He ended it.
The illusion shattered.
Back in the forest, Orochimaru collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Thud.
He lay there trembling, his body drenched in cold sweat. His breathing was ragged, unfocused. His limbs refused to obey him.
"What… was that genjutsu…" he whispered hoarsely.
He had barely expended chakra, yet his mind felt torn apart. His consciousness wavered on the brink of collapse. The fact that he remained awake at all was proof of his monstrous willpower.
Ryūjin looked down at him, expression indifferent.
No smugness.
No dramatic declaration.
Just quiet judgment.
Orochimaru tried to move, to retaliate, to form a single hand seal.
Nothing responded.
"Amaterasu."
Black flames ignited instantly on Orochimaru's body.
The inextinguishable fire began to devour him without hesitation.