In the dim underground laboratory, faint candlelight flickered on the candelabra, as if it could extinguish at any moment.
The air was filled with a stale odor, mixed with the pungent smell of chemical reagents.
Water droplets continuously dripped from the walls, making an unsettling ticking sound.
On the experimental table, various dossiers and animal carcasses were laid out.
Glassware refracted eerie shadows in the dim light.
A gaunt man picked up one of the vessels from the table, shaking the liquid inside, which emitted a faint green glow.
He turned around and handed the vessel to a child kneeling on one knee.
“Here, drink this. It will make you feel better…” The man’s deep, hoarse voice came from above.
The boy weakly lifted his head, the black curse mark on his face already gradually twisting, and upon closer inspection, it seemed to be eroding his flesh.
He took the vessel with both hands, his tone respectful:
“Thank you, Orochimaru-sama…”
Yu Chuanwu drank the liquid, and the black curse mark on his skin gradually faded.
Orochimaru’s hoarse voice slowly resonated, echoing in the dim room:
“It seems Danzo’s intelligence was not false. That child named Shiratori Chichao truly possesses an incredible special ability.”
“Yes.”
His long tongue licked his lips, and Orochimaru’s gaze turned to Yu Chuanwu, who was still in his growth stage on the ground, his tone indifferent.
“How does the curse mark feel? Although it’s still in the experimental stage, it has made you much stronger, hasn’t it?”
Yu Chuanwu covered his neck, his eyes vacant.
“I’m sorry, Orochimaru-sama, I lost…”
“It doesn’t matter.” After speaking, Orochimaru turned and resumed his experiment:
“Go down. Your body is important experimental data. Rest well.”
“Yes.”
Struggling to slowly stand up from the ground, Yu Chuanwu covered his wound and retreated with his head bowed.
As he turned around, he couldn't help but recall everything he had seen at the Ninja Academy, a place full of freedom, full of the scent of trees.
Including the girl he had been observing, her brilliant smile clearly displayed before his eyes.
It was like a captivating dream.
A bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he slowly pushed open the rusty iron door before him.
It seemed he should wake up and return to his cold and bloody reality.
Orochimaru, feeling no abnormalities, continued to flip through the dossiers in his hand. His heart was exceptionally excited, and four words constantly echoed in his mind—Shiratori Chichao.
Grow well, Shiratori Chichao. One day I will obtain you and personally uncover the secrets hidden within you.
“Hee hee hee hee, ah hahahahaha…!”
.........
Meanwhile, in Konoha’s Hokage Office, Hiruzen had his hands clasped over his lips, his expression grave.
“I didn’t expect Orochimaru to act so early.”
Shisui, standing before him, also realized the seriousness of the matter:
“Since Orochimaru’s subordinates could infiltrate Konoha, does that mean there’s a traitor?”
Hiruzen was silent for a moment: “Not necessarily. Orochimaru is already very familiar with Konoha, and a child is indeed easy to sneak in…”
Shisui frowned, his expression serious:
“Then I will work with the Uchiha Police Force to conduct another internal investigation to see if there are any loopholes.”
Hearing this, Hiruzen lowered his hands, leaned back, and looked at Shisui with a softened expression: “Then I’ll leave it to you, Shisui.”
Nodding slightly, Shisui was silent for a moment, then raised his head again: “Third Hokage, regarding that girl… exactly…”
The atmosphere in the office became quiet. Hiruzen took out his pipe and lit it, standing up to look out the window at the approaching night.
“You must have noticed it too, the girl’s uniqueness.”
“Yes.”
Shisui recalled everything he had seen in the forest during the day: “I didn’t expect such Ninjutsu to exist.”
“This must be kept secret for now. We can’t guarantee there won’t be a second Orochimaru…”
Shisui understood. For the Village’s safety, and to keep an uncontrollable factor like Shiratori Chichao in their hands, preventing information leakage was, of course, the most important thing.
“By the way, Jiraiya-sama seems to have set up a barrier at the training ground they frequently use. Without their consent, even I cannot enter that place…”
Hiruzen shook his head: “It doesn’t matter. That place is a safe house Jiraiya arranged for Chizhao. Even if he’s not there, it’s a refuge if danger arises. You don’t need to worry about this.”
“I see… Jiraiya-sama is truly thoughtful.”
Shisui praised softly, looking at Hiruzen, who had turned around, and his expression became serious again.
Hiruzen took down his pipe and asked, his eyes full of smiles:
“Shisui, do you know why I assigned you this task?”
Shisui was a little puzzled: “This…”
“Because you have a very kind heart and you love the Village very much.”
“You will not hesitate to stand up for the weak. You will not hesitate to choose the Village when its interests are threatened…”
Hiruzen’s words surprised Shisui, and he quickly lowered his eyes:
“Third Hokage, you flatter me. I’m just doing my duty…”
Hiruzen laughed heartily, looking at the bewildered young man before him: “Hahaha, the ‘duty’ you speak of is an excellent quality that most people can hardly achieve.”
He rarely praised anyone so lavishly, but Uchiha Shisui was not a man who would become blindly confident because of his praise.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you with the surveillance work.”
“Yes.”
Konoha’s night sky was filled with twinkling stars, and on this peaceful night, the Village’s streets and alleys were permeated with a lively, common atmosphere.
However, Chizhao, dragging her exhausted body, had no mind to pay attention to her surroundings.
As soon as she returned home, she saw Keiko, looking anxious and about to go out.
“Grandma, I’m home.”
Upon hearing this, Keiko quickly walked to the entrance and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her granddaughter safely home.
“Why are you home so late? I was about to go out and look for you… And what happened to your clothes? Are you hurt?”
Keiko’s string of questions left Chizhao a bit overwhelmed. She could only respond to all questions with a smile.
She noticed the girl’s dirty little face and the messy scratches on her clothes.
With her rich experience, she immediately recognized that these were caused by sharp blades.
Her heart tightened involuntarily.
She sternly examined Chizhao from head to toe, and only after confirming there were no wounds did her expression soften.
Chizhao, too exhausted to resist, let Keiko do as she pleased.
The moment she arrived home, her taut nerves finally relaxed.
She slumped into Keiko’s embrace, her nostrils filled with the fresh scent of Keiko’s clean clothes, which involuntarily calmed her down.
“Grandma, I’m a bit tired today… I’ll lean on you for a while…” Chizhao’s voice was faint.
Looking at the tired girl in her arms, Keiko’s heart softened, and she held her tightly.
Her gaze fell on the sōran blade placed nearby, and she pursed her lips, her eyes filled with worry.
In her dream, Chizhao saw a boy with a face covered in curse marks. He just stood there in the darkness, staring blankly ahead.
“Yu Chuanwu?”
She called out softly, and the boy snapped back to reality, his gaze fixed on her face.
Suddenly, his expression turned terrifying, and he lunged at her with sharp claws.
Suddenly, Chizhao woke up with a start from her bed. She looked around, and her familiar room came into view.
She took a deep breath, calming her rapidly beating heart.
After that incident, Chizhao inquired everywhere at school about Yu Chuanwu.
He seemed to have only recently transferred to the school, and in the eyes of his classmates, he was reclusive and taciturn.
But for some reason, he had vanished as if into thin air, never appearing at school again.
She asked the teacher responsible for his class, but only learned that he had suddenly left and had not left any specific information.
Chizhao took out a Membrane Card from under her pillow, which contained the Ninjutsu she had obtained from Yu Chuanwu.
Ice Release: Giant Ice Spikes
A purple border, in the shape of a huge ice cone.
It should belong to the Bloodline Limit type.
She patted her cheeks, slowly stood up, and leisurely put on her clothes, her thoughts surging like a tide.
That familiar curse mark was definitely related to Orochimaru.
Yu Chuanwu’s actions seemed to be deliberately luring her to expose her abilities, or perhaps to confirm her abilities.
But she had always hidden herself very well.
No.
Jiraiya knew everything, and the Third Hokage was Jiraiya’s teacher. Judging by how the Old Man Hokage took care of her in various ways, he must have known something too.
Finally dressed, Chizhao faced the dressing mirror, picked up a comb, and combed her messy hair ends, her thoughts drifting again.
That crow yesterday… was it also sent by the Old Man Hokage?
And whose faction were the three Ninja who initially pursued her? Did they leak her information?
All these questions left her feeling confused. She hadn’t expected her actions to get entangled in so many troubles.
This was the so-called butterfly effect, wasn’t it?
“This is too complicated!”
She continued her actions irritably, and when she realized she was furiously yanking at her own hair, a large clump had already been pulled out onto the comb, and she froze in place.
“My hair, ah ah ah ah ah ah…”
Due to her excitement, she knocked over the bag on the table, and several Membrane Cards slipped out, scattering on the floor.
One of the One-Tail Shukaku Membrane Cards caught her attention. She paused, put down the comb, and squatted down to pick up Shukaku’s Membrane Card.
Speaking of which, since leaving Sunagakure until now, she hadn’t thoroughly studied this Membrane Card.
Perhaps, she could take advantage of Jiraiya’s absence to go to the training ground and study it properly.