The Curse of Prophecy: Speed of Despair

Chapter 5 : The Hater's Debut

Naruto, or rather his clone, walked alongside Itachi and Shisui toward the heart of the festivities.

"Maybe some good food will finally put you in a better mood," Shisui teased, nudging Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto scoffed. "Doubt it."

Itachi, ever the quiet observer, studied Naruto out of the corner of his eye. The kid had taken everything Shisui threw at him and still had plenty left in the tank. He was strong, too strong for someone self-taught. That thought lingered in Itachi's mind.

But just as they were about to reach the banquet tables, the clone felt something. A smirk curled on his lips.

Far away, deep in the Hidden Sound Village, the real Naruto had just made his grand entrance.

---

The laboratory was a grotesque sight, rows of glass tubes lined each one filled with in-progress human experiments suspended in an eerie green liquid. Some of them twitched, barely conscious, while others floated lifelessly, their bodies warped beyond recognition.

Orochimaru, arms folded behind his back, admired his masterpieces with a satisfied smirk. "Marvelous, don't you think, Kabuto?" he mused, his golden snake-like eyes gleaming.

Kabuto, adjusting his glasses, nodded. "With your advancements, Lord Orochimaru, even the impossible becomes reality. Kimimaro's disease has been cured. Soon, nothing will stand in our way."

But then..

CRACK!

The sound of shattering glass tore through the room.

Orochimaru turned just in time to witness half his creations being annihilated in an instant. Tubes burst open, spilling out their malformed contents onto the floor as red-clad blur streaked through the lab at speeds beyond comprehension.

A harsh buzzing filled the air as a yellow-and-red figure stood amidst the destruction, his face obscured by a pitch-black mask with glowing red eyes.

Then came the voice, mocking, arrogant, and dripping with contempt.

"Oh no..." Naruto faked a gasp, his hands resting on his hips. "Did I do that?"

A vein pulsed in Orochimaru's temple as he took in the carnage. His precious experiments, his hard work, ruined in mere seconds. His voice was low, seething with venom.

"Do you... have any idea what you've just done?"

Naruto's smirk widened. He took a single step forward, his movements so casual it was almost insulting. "Hmmm..." He rubbed his chin dramatically. "Nope."

Orochimaru's fingers twitched, his rage barely contained. "I should have you skinned alive for this."

"Ooooh, scary." Naruto wiggled his fingers mockingly. "The big, bad snake man is mad at me. What ever shall I do?"

Kabuto, however, wasn't as quick to dismiss Naruto's intrusion as mere recklessness. His keen mind was already analyzing the situation.

No one had noticed him enter. No alarms. No chakra signatures. Nothing.

For someone to infiltrate Orochimaru's personal laboratory undetected was unheard of.

"...Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said cautiously, adjusting his glasses, "I believe we should be careful. This individual..."

"Is a pain in my ass," Orochimaru cut in, his golden eyes narrowing.

Naruto tilted his head. "Aww, come on, Orochi, don't be like that. I just came by to say hello! Oh, and destroy your little science projects."

Orochimaru's killing intent flooded the room.

The air grew heavy, an oppressive weight crushing down on everything. Kabuto, despite his experience, felt the sweat bead on his brow.

But Naruto?

The black-masked menace merely chuckled.

"Oh? Is that supposed to scare me?" he taunted. "That little parlor trick might work on Kabuto over there, but me? Nah."

Just then, the door slammed open as Kimimaro entered, his teal eyes narrowing as he sensed his master's fury.

"My lord," Kimimaro said, stepping forward, his spine already shifting into weaponry. His instincts screamed danger, this masked figure wasn't normal. "Who is he?"

Naruto turned his gaze toward him.

"Ah, great," Naruto sighed. "More company. Now it's three-on-one. That's hardly fair, don'tcha think?"

Orochimaru scoffed. "I don't need their help to deal with you."

Naruto grinned. "1v1 or 3v1, the outcome's the same."

Orochimaru's slit pupils thinned further. "Your arrogance will be your undoing."

Naruto's voice dropped into something colder, something menacing.

"Right back at you."

And with that, the first battle of the Reverse-Flash was about to begin.