Ceiren POV

I let the sharingan recede from Sasuke's eyes as I slowly sidestepped a thick tree. These trees were unnatural and thick, overflowing with chakra. Wood style, I noted dully. I absently realized what that implies; the First Hokage. I was suddenly a tiny bit embarrassed, feeling the slight heat on Sasuke's cheeks as I realized I had completely forgotten about Orochi's reanimation jutsus. Honestly, very interesting things. Allows you to converse with people from times long past. I felt excitement sparkle in my eyes at the thought, my eyes raking over the area searching for Orochi with more enthusiasm.

In our head, Sasuke was surprisingly quiet. I thought he'd make a lot more trouble as I'd not only stolen his thunder and blocked his view but also pronounced that he'd be the snake-creeps student. Somehow, I think it was the last bit that made him quiet down. Honestly, I should have known Sasuke wouldn't mind. He was powercrazy, and wouldn't be picky with who he'd get said power from, or how. And Orochi wasn't in any sense weak, so it was understandable. Should have also been predictable, considering Sasuke actually also joined Orochi canonically. Though if memory serves me right, not quite this early on.

I was broken out of my musings by a sudden deep chill in the air, a chill that managed to raise even the hairs on my neck. Eyebrows furrowing, I followed sudden voices, apprehension tugging at the corner of my mind. Then I saw them.

Orochimaru and the Third Hokage were standing close together. Orochimaru was pale and cursing the Third out, while the Third was in his armor, a glowing blue blade piercing right through him, sweat running down his face as he focused. They hadn't noticed me yet.

Narrowing my eyes at them, a burning purple flashing past the dark onyx of Sasuke's eyes, I opened the link to Sasuke, allowing him to see through our eyes again. He didn't curse me out nor make a fuss, only haughtily asked,

Finally. What is going on here, Ren?

I wasn't sure. The chill didn't want to leave me alone, so I stepped forward. Sarutobi noticed me first, and his face paled.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here, leave, NOW!"

I completely disregarded the old man, derision not entering my eyes only because he had actually been a rather sweet one to me, back when I was my own person in the leaf village. So I just gave the worrying to death man an encouraging smile and stepped even closer, casting a glance at Orochi to point out to Sasuke his new sensei. By this point Orochi had noticed me too, and his eyes lit up in greed, before he grunted in pain, immediately ripped from his momentary distraction by some injury?

As I was getting confused, I suddenly felt that chill grow stronger. And suddenly, I had an epiphany. Looking up, I felt my purple shining slightly through Sasuke's onyx, and then I finally saw it. The spirit. It looked like an asura, a demon dressed fully in white. It had a spirit sword raised high in one hand, ready to chop. The other hand was stabbed through the Third Hokage's chest, and was grabbing and pulling something from Orochimaru. My eyes widened minutely when I realized what was going on.

Sasuke remained silent after hearing me, mulling over the situation in front of his eyes.

Could you beat it, Ren? Why aren't you doing anything?

I heard Sarutobi keep shouting at me to leave, but I let the panicked nagging pass through my ears like wind. Looking at the Shinigami, who's white face slowly turned to me when it felt my gaze, I felt it for the first time since coming to this world. Helplessness.

I could feel Sasuke's greed wash over us like putrid acid.

Are there other things you can't do? Powerful things, like this? Can he teach me?

I could hear the anticipatory hunger in Sasuke's voice, and knew he was looking at Orochimaru as he said it. Sasuke was powercrazy, not completely stupid. He realized the Third Hokage wouldn't teach him what was clearly a forbidden technique. Orochimaru on the other hand... considering he had the Third speared on a sword, their fight can be considered quite tied. And he was notorious for using forbidden techniques, he would feel no qualms teaching them to his protegé. Recalling Orochi's reanimation jutsus, curse marks and other crazy experiments, I could answer Sasuke's question in only one way.

That did it. I could feel the determination settling in Sasuke. And I felt it was serious when all of a sudden I could actually feel the oppression of my cage of golden bars. Sasuke was subconsciously using his control over me as my jinchuuriki. While not as strong control as a mangekyo sharingan can have on a bijuu, it wasn't a weak force when it was fueled by such powerful desire.

Well then, save him, Ren. Let's get my new sensei and get out of here. He can die once he's done teaching me.

It was, without question, a command. And I found myself strongly influenced to obey.

Looking at the shinigami, I didn't have much time to think. Darkness seeped out of my skin and coated Sasuke's hand, which I then quickly shot out to grab Orochimaru's soul. The two high level shinobi were stunned by the third party joining their battle of souls, and were caught completely off guard when I slowly started pulling the soul back into Orochi.

The look on Sarutobi's face actually made me feel bad. Complete, utter betrayal. Orochimaru on the other hand was only stunned for a moment before his creepily big mouth almost split his face with the creepy smug smirk he gave. I looked up at the Third Hokage and raised up my other hand to grab his shoulder. The dark mist couldn't heal, not really, it was a corroder. But it could build. I tried to reconstruct the Hokage's damaged tissue while helping Orochi drag his soul back. When he started feeling better and realized what I was doing, the Third Hokage raised his head again to meet my gaze. His eyes seemed to have lost the look of betrayal, now holding only kind understanding and resignation.

As if to say, 'I get what you're trying to do now, good child, but you don't understand. It's going to fail, but at least your heart is in the right place'. He really misunderstood. Its not like I was trying to end the conflict with no lives taken or anything. I knew the sword through his chest wasn't the only thing killing him, that the summoning of the shinigami cost a price. I was just about to open my mouth when the shinigami moved, his spirit blade slashing down. Orochimaru's soul had been almost completely absorbed back, the blade missed the soul and only severed the contact between Orochimaru and the Third, leaving Orochimaru standing while the Third fell down, a seal appearing on his chest where the Shinigami's hand had been piercing it.

The moment the Third's lifeless body hit the ground, I summoned my black mist that quickly enveloped Orochimaru and all his underlings, and transported all of us out of the Leaf Village, into a wild forest over two days' trip away. I figured it would be my last gift to the Hokage: I really did betray him, the least I could do was protect his village from the imminent threat. Right as we rematerialized in the forest, I was thrust back into the mindscape and my golden cage, and Sasuke came to the forefront. Orochimaru had just started laughing madly, eyes insane in their imminent victory when he had suddenly found himself in some forest. He quieted down and cast a teasingly questioning look at Sasuke.

That sick f*ck.

Sasuke was as Uchiha-like as ever, standing coolly and glaring at Orochi like the other was dirt on his shoe.

"I want you to teach me. Destruction of the Hidden Leaf can wait."

Seems like Sasuke is getting right to it. Seems he also understood my action. Maybe in my haste, I had accidentally projected my thoughts. I really did feel bad about Sarutobi, the Third was ignorant and sometimes annoying, but had some sweet aspects to him. Ruffling my inkblack feathers, I gazed out over the dark mindscape through my shining golden bars in sadness.

Orochimaru was intrigued to the point of a new piqued obsession, I saw it in his eyes as he looked at Sasuke. It was like the proposition put the Hidden Leaf Village completely out of his mind. Honestly I didn't mind Orochi. As a mental adult and a being so overpowered I had nothing to fear from him, I wasn't as scared by his hobbies and tastes. He actually seemed like a very amusing fellow to pass the time. And when I had been my own person, Cei, I had actually had a lot of fun teasing him.

Orochimaru gazed at Sasuke for a while, as his sound nin that my black mist also grabbed started rousing behind him. His long, snakey tongue peeped out of his mouth and he licked his lips with relish while looking at Sasuke like the most delicious dish.

"Sasssukee Uchiha. I knew you'd come to me. You want power, don't you? And the abilities you already display... you are quite strong already. Such a special boy."

Orochimaru's pupils dilated in infatuation as he kept looking over Sasuke, presumably completely engrossed in the idea of training Sasuke and later using his body as his own.

"A high maintenance student. So cute."

Licking his lips once again, Orochimaru grinned maniacally.