The sound of water dripping kept ringing in the passage.
There is an iron door at the end of the passage, and inside is a huge, fully equipped laboratory.
The bottle was filled with animal body parts, placed neatly around it. There are many low and long tables arranged vertically and horizontally. On the tables are test tubes, distilling bottles and other equipment.
There are also cables in the aisle, and the lights are a bit white and dazzling, making people squint unnaturally when they raise their heads.
In front of a table, a slender figure stood there, holding a notebook full of words, thinking about something.
She has long, silky black hair, and her skin is as transparent as a candle.
He opened his mouth with fang-like fangs and let out a magnetic, hoarse laugh that made the body tremble.
"It's still a little bit closer... It's still a little bit close to being finished..."
What exactly was about to be accomplished, no one knew except himself.
"However, I also want to thank that guy Danzo for providing me with so many experimental subjects... It's a pity..."
He held the notebook, his mind no longer on it, and sighed softly.
"Sarutobi-sensei seems to be a little wary of me. There are still things that I haven't received yet... Should I wait a little longer? But... I don't have enough experimental subjects on hand anymore."
Being rigid about human ethics is sheer folly.
But...can I really be so cruel? The man began to ask himself.
Sarutobi-sensei, Jiraiya, Tsunade...the village that gave birth to him and raised him...
There were extremely complex colors in the man's eyes.
In the end, he just sighed and said nothing.
At this moment, the door to the laboratory was opened.
A little head poked its head out from the crack in the door, looking for something in the laboratory with curious eyes.
She walked in from the outside when she saw the man conducting research in the laboratory.
"Teacher Orochimaru, you are indeed here."
The man was talking to an eleven or twelve-year-old girl. She had a hearty smile on her face and looked like she knew the man very well.
"It's you Hongdou. Have you finished the homework assigned to you?"
Orochimaru turned around and saw the girl, with a smile on his pale face.
The girl is his student, her name is Mitarashi Anko, she is a lively and cute child.
"I finished my homework simply, Orochimaru-sensei."
The girl replied with a smile.
"Then why do you come to see me? I still have work to do here."
Orochimaru said as he put down the notebook in his hand.
"Orochimaru-sensei, aren't you tired of staying here all day?"
Anko asked curiously.
"It's not boring at all. This is something you must experience when searching for the truth. If you can't stand this boring thing, you won't be able to pursue the truth."
"truth?"
"I want to become an immortal ninja and learn all the ninjutsu in the world, so I do all kinds of experiments."
Orochimaru said without hiding anything.
There is actually nothing to hide about this matter, because his teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi, as well as his friends Jiraiya and Tsunade all know about his ideal.
It's just that they all regarded this matter as an unrealistic and boring fantasy from his childhood. But Orochimaru knew that he was serious.
In their understanding, no one is immortal, and it is even more nonsense to learn all the ninjutsu in the world.
"Why do you, Orochimaru-sensei, have to do such a thing? In my opinion, Orochimaru-sensei, you are already very powerful."
Anko said.
Orochimaru shook his head and patiently answered Anko's question: "No, this power is not enough. There is no limit to the pursuit of truth."
"Really? I still don't quite understand."
Anko tilted her head, looking like she didn't understand.
Orochimaru didn't pay attention, and then he remembered something, looked at Anko and said, "Speaking of which, you are now a chuunin. Is there any gift you want?"
"Gift?"
"Yes, as a gift for you to become a chuunin."
Orochimaru smiled and stroked Anko's head.
"Is anything okay?"
Anko asked.
Orochimaru nodded: "As long as I can do it, I will try my best to fulfill your wish."
"I only have one wish, and that is to go on a trip with you, Orochimaru-sensei."
Anko's eyes looked at Orochimaru, full of anticipation.
"travel?"
Orochimaru frowned slightly.
"Can't you, Orochimaru-sensei?"
"It's not impossible, but I can't leave the village for too long. When I travel with you, I may be back in less than a week."
"That's enough. I will look forward to this trip, Orochimaru-sensei."
"Since you don't object, it's settled. We'll set off the day after tomorrow. Before then, it's up to you to choose the place."
Orochimaru said.
"Yes, I understand. I won't disturb Mr. Orochimaru from your work. We will meet at the village gate the day after tomorrow morning."
Anko smiled and nodded, then left the laboratory.
"What a hothead..."
Orochimaru laughed and shook his head.
Then he turned around and looked at the notebook he had just placed on the table, his snake-like vertical pupils darkening.
"But, how long can such peaceful days last? It's really exciting...eternal life..."
◎
When night comes, the streets are brightly lit and people are coming and going, making it very lively.
"I didn't expect you to return to the village first. Such a big thing happened, but that guy Tsunade didn't come back."
In the barbecue restaurant in the center of Konoha, Orochimaru accepted Jiraiya's invitation to dine with Jiraiya.
"You see, that woman went crazy somewhere. I haven't contacted her for a long time. If she hadn't been in regular contact with the village, I would have thought she was missing."
Jiraiya sighed helplessly, complaining a little about Tsunade's behavior of not returning to the village.
"Maybe they don't want to see the village in such a state of desolation."
Orochimaru said.
He slowly poured himself a cup of hot tea and drank it without touching the barbecue on the shelf.
An intriguing smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, as if he knew something inside.
"Indeed, the village has changed very quickly recently. Although it seems that nothing has changed, I always have an ominous premonition that something else will happen."
"What do you mean? The person behind the Nine-Tails incident?"
Orochimaru played with the tea cup and looked at Jiraiya.
With the Nine-Tails Incident, it is an indisputable fact that Konoha's overall strength has declined.
If it hadn't been for the death of Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, Kumogakure wouldn't have dared to restart the war with Konoha at this time.
On the surface, this incident has passed, but as Konoha's top ninja, Orochimaru is very aware that the subsequent impact of this incident is not over.
The Hokage is directly under the ANBU and has been secretly investigating the incident.
It is said that the Uchiha clan is also involved, and the scope of the influence is too wide.
"Yes. There are rumors that it was Sakumo's three disciples who did it, but I think there is something fishy behind this matter, and it is not as simple as we thought."
Jiraiya looked serious.
Seeing Orochimaru become silent, he naturally changed the topic at the right time:
"Speaking of which, Sarutobi-sensei said that your recent behavior is a bit strange. Are you and Sarutobi-sensei having a conflict?"
"No. I've been doing research in the laboratory recently, but I don't have time to do anything else."
Orochimaru replied without changing his expression.
"No wonder you look more and more gloomy now. You almost didn't recognize it. I tell you, it's better not to do those studies."
Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru's increasingly sinister temperament, coupled with his candle-like transparent skin and snake-like vertical pupils, he was simply a dangerous person.
"Jiraiya, even you, don't try to interfere with my decision. This is the dream I have pursued throughout my life."
Orochimaru snorted slightly, expressing his dissatisfaction.
"In other words, you haven't given up on your unrealistic dream of immortality yet?"
Jiraiya remembered something.
Orochimaru had revealed this ultimate ideal to him and Tsunade more than once in the past.
"I will not give up lightly on the path of pursuing truth."
Orochimaru said firmly.
"How can people live forever? Passing our will to the next generation and letting them finish what we have not finished is what ninjas are."
Jiraiya shook his head boredly, feeling that Orochimaru, who he hadn't seen for a long time, was getting nervous.
Amidst the familiarity, there is an unconcealed sense of strangeness.
"You still have such naive ideas. Now that Minato has died for the village, where is the child of the prophecy you mentioned?"
Orochimaru asked rhetorically.
Jiraiya didn't answer, he just ate barbecue in a depressed manner, probably because he couldn't find anything to say to refute Orochimaru.
"Compared to my dreams, the child of prophecy in your mouth is truly out of reach."
Orochimaru stood up from his seat and looked at Jiraiya who continued to bury his head there.
He knew that the death of Minato made Jiraiya very painful and annoyed now.
While regretting why the Nine-Tails rioted, he was not in the village.
"Nothing's wrong, I'll leave first. Also, let me remind you, if the three disciples of Sakumo are behind the Nine-Tails incident, don't rush over without caring about anything when your head gets hot, you will definitely die. .”
After saying words similar to advice, Orochimaru stood up from his seat and walked out of the private room.
◎
After separating from Jiraiya, Orochimaru felt very irritable.
He did not choose to return to the laboratory, but wandered aimlessly in Konoha Village to disperse the annoyance in his heart.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the night market in the center of the village, the edge areas of the village seemed extremely peaceful. Orochimaru felt that his heart had become quieter with this peaceful environment.
Just as he was about to turn back, he suddenly heard the sound of metal colliding deep in the woods.
That was the unique sound made after the shurikens collided with each other.
Orochimaru quickly stopped and looked towards the source of the sound deep in the woods.
Passing through a dense jungle, it has not been artificially mined.
The shadow of the trees obscured Orochimaru's figure. As one of the three ninjas, even the jounin could not detect his presence as long as he did not want to expose his presence.
With the help of the shade of the trees, the boy who was practicing in the open space in front was naturally unable to detect Orochimaru's aura.
The boy is about five or six years old, wearing long sleeves and trousers with the Uanfan logo embroidered on them.
Uchiha clan? Moreover, I seem to have seen this child somewhere before. Orochimaru thought to himself.
In the woods under the moonlight, the boy's face looked extremely calm, not at all like the expression a child should have.
A large number of kunai and shurikens were scattered messily in the simple training ground in the open space, with numerous gaps and stains. Every kunai and shuriken had experienced strong impacts, and then Shot down.
On the trees around the boy, criss-crossing steel wires were arranged, connecting numerous traps.
The boy was holding his breath with a calm expression, a kunai appeared in each hand, and it was obvious what he wanted to do.
He threw the kunai away at lightning speed, cutting the wire and triggering a chain of traps.
From the dark depths of the forest, dense raindrops of kunai and shurikens were shooting at the boy.
The boy seemed to be frightened and stood there without moving.
Orochimaru's expression changed slightly when he saw this scene. There was naturally no danger to him at this level.
But for a five- or six-year-old child, it is already seriously out of line.
However, before Orochimaru could come to the rescue, the boy had disappeared from the spot, dodging the first round of kunai and shurikens.
The boy jumped into the air, turned his body, and pressed his fingers towards the ninja bag on his waist. He drew out a kunai from it and moved it beautifully in front of his eyes.
Every step was just right to avoid kunai and shurikens, and every blow was just right to knock down kunai and shurikens flying towards him.
All the kunai, shuriken, and attack trajectories induced by the trap were basically seen through by the boy in an instant.
A few seconds later, a batch of broken and chipped kunai and shuriken appeared on the ground again.
The boy landed lightly and silently on the ground, panting slightly.
There were also several cuts on his clothes, made by kunai and shurikens without noticing.
The boy frowned slightly, couldn't he avoid it all at this level?
In other words, I still have room to grow, and I am far from reaching my limit.
So, he began to rearrange traps and continue to hone his dodge and counterattack abilities.
Orochimaru, who spied this scene in the shade of a tree, was a little stunned.
Subconsciously, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked it gently on the side of his mouth, his eyes showing an evil light.
Uchiha...
The boy who was practicing there shivered violently.
Without hesitation, he turned around and shot out the kunai in his hand.
Two leaves fell down in the deserted place.
Illusion? The boy was slightly confused when he saw only two leaves falling but no human figure.
The feeling of being peeped on was very disgusting to him. It was as if a snake was licking his body with its tongue, making him feel physically repulsed and disgusted.
——Orochimaru has left the woods.
He stood outside the woods, staring into the woods, with a meaningful smile on his lips.
"Interesting, I didn't expect to be able to do this without opening the Sharingan. If the Sharingan is awakened in the future... I really look forward to this child's future. Maybe..."
The evil light in Orochimaru's eyes grew stronger and stronger.
While he was thinking, a shuriken suddenly flew through the air, carrying a sharp strong wind.
Orochimaru staggered away without thinking, but the breath of wind wrapped around the shuriken still opened a wound on his face, bleeding.
Orochimaru stared at a certain place with a gloomy expression, and there were two figures standing there.
Both of them were wearing black coats and looked at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru Yin sneered and said: "Oh my, who did I think it was? Isn't this our beloved Danzo-sama? Why are you here suddenly when you have time?"
The leader of the two is naturally Danzo Shimura, the leader of the Roots. Standing meticulously next to him is Ryoma Aburame, the deputy commander of the Roots. Danzo's right-hand man is also one of the top combat power in the Roots.
"You are. If you are not in your laboratory, what are you doing in a place like this, Orochimaru?"
Danzo's face was calm, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"Don't get me wrong, I just go out for a walk occasionally...but I didn't expect to find such an interesting child. I remember his name is Uchiha Itachi, is that the right name?"
Orochimaru chuckled.
Aburame Ryoma narrowed his eyes and stared at Orochimaru with murderous eyes.
"What do you want to say?"
Danzo asked calmly.
"You two can't be here to follow me, so the purpose of appearing here is obvious. That child must be very important to you... no, to the roots."
Orochimaru seemed to have guessed something.
Danzo remained unmoved, but took a step forward and said to Orochimaru: "Don't forget our agreement. Exposing everything will not be beneficial to both of us."
"Of course I know this. It's just that the way you look like you want to kill someone and silence them is really scary."
"Huh, there are some things that you can't interfere with."
"So, are you still going to disobey Sarutobi-sensei's orders and handle Uchiha affairs according to your own ideas? That kid is indeed very good, but he is not qualified to deal with the powerful Uchiha clan. Be careful of playing with fire and getting burned. "
"This is nothing you need to worry about. If there is nothing else, just go back to your base and continue your research."
Danzo issued an eviction order.
"As you wish. But forgive me for talking, you can't sit in the position of Hokage if you keep hiding in the dark."
Orochimaru seemed to be advising Danzo.
"Is this your feelings as a loser after your failure in competing for the Fourth Hokage?"
Hearing Danzo's words, Orochimaru started laughing.
Without saying anything, Orochimaru disappeared from where he was.
"Orochimaru is getting bolder and bolder. He seems to have forgotten who has been supporting his research behind the scenes. Without the help of Roots, none of his research would have been completed."
Aburame Ryoma snorted in dissatisfaction.
"Don't say that. At least his mind is worthy of recognition. As long as he can continue to study for us, some contradictions are nothing."
"The matter about Uchiha Itachi..."
"We'll wait and see for a while, now is not the best time to contact him."
Danzo shook his head, and after saying this, he turned and left.
◎
In the Kingdom of Rainbow, there is an abandoned wooden house in the forest, surrounded by dense trees and covered with snow.
A woman with long red hair stood on a snow-covered branch, as if standing guard there, inspecting the surrounding environment for anything unusual.
There were also ninjas hiding in some trees next to her.
The aura is concealed very well, and it is obvious that he has undergone strict training in this aspect.
They communicate with each other using the latest radio communicators in the Kingdom of Ghosts, which can easily transfer information.
As time passed, the snow fell heavier and heavier, and the pale snow scene was covered in front of my eyes.
In this extremely bad environment, everyone did not complain. They just insisted on standing guard in their own positions and scanned the surroundings without blinking.
The woman with long red hair was obviously the leader. She sensed something at this moment, pressed the button, and triggered the radio on her lips to turn on.
She quietly contacted the other team members:
"Attention, there are strangers who have broken into the warning range. Three people at 250 meters at three o'clock. Six people at 310 meters at 11 o'clock. Two at seven o'clock. One hundred and sixty meters away, four people. Deal with the enemy as quickly as possible, don’t let anyone escape!”
After the red-haired woman gave the order, three figures spread out from the three trees and rushed towards the three directions pointed by the woman.
The attackers were unaware that their whereabouts had been revealed.
They used the wind and snow to cover up their scent and moved forward cautiously and lurking on the snow.
"The target is just ahead, are you all ready?"
The leading ninja of one of the teams turned around and asked in a low voice.
"yes."
"Okay, follow my orders later and attack at full speed. The target is the head of the Fourth Mizukage Gotachibana Yagura!"
The leading ninja drew his ninja sword from behind, his eyes shining with bloodlust.
The subordinates are also ready to attack, looking ready to attack.
"Now! The action begins!"
Seeing that everything was ready, the leading ninja took the lead and charged forward, followed by three subordinates.
At this time, on the snowy road ahead, snowflakes were flying wildly, and a figure appeared silently, blocking their way.
"Anbu? Don't get in the way here!"
The leading ninja's eyes narrowed, and the ninja sword drew a sharp slash like a full moon in the air, and then passed through the figure's body.
"W-What!?"
There was no physical sensation of cutting into the flesh, just like it was being sliced through the unobstructed air.
"What's going on? It's obviously a hit, why can't it feel real..."
I don't know what happened, but in the eyes of the leading ninja, it was almost a fatal blow, but it didn't feel like it hit the body.
It was the first time in my life that I felt this weird feeling.
Illusion? The leading ninja thought for a while and rejected the idea. This sense of cutting without substance is more ethereal than illusion.
The figure lying across the road was just a teenage boy with a spiky head. On his clothes, there was a very iconic fan badge embroidered on his clothes.
"You are from Uchiha...why do Konoha's ninjas appear here?"
The leading ninja noticed something and looked at the boy in great surprise.
Their goal this time is obviously to assassinate the fourth Mizukage Gotachibana Yagura. Why are there Konoha ninjas here?
Could it be that their intelligence was wrong? Impossible. They had made a lot of preparations in advance and it was impossible for such a low-level mistake to occur.
The hedgehog-headed boy didn't care what these people were thinking. He stood there forming a seal with his hands and immediately spit out a fireball from his mouth and rushed towards one of the enemies.
The man immediately jumped away to avoid the fireball.
"Be careful, he's behind you!"
I thought it was too late to come to support, so I could only shout a reminder.
"What?"
The man turned around in surprise, only to see the spiky-headed boy who was still on the snow appear behind him at some point, mysteriously and abnormally.
His right eye glowed red, and strange black lines appeared in the eye.
Wherever the red eyes looked, the air was directly twisted into a vortex, and the space also felt abnormally distorted.
One of the attackers, like a magic trick, magically erased traces from the sky and disappeared.
The other three attackers, including the leader, stared at this scene in disbelief and had no idea what was happening.
The hedgehog-headed boy stared at the remaining three people with his red right eye and said to them:
"Take care of one first, then it's your three's turn."
