141-145

Chapter 141: The Byakugan of the Clan

The pain transmitted from his right eye to his brain constantly reminded him of his loss. The darkness that now filled his vision served as a perpetual reminder that he no longer possessed the prize he once took pride in. His eye would never again witness those strange and distant sights.

"Ao."

The door to the hospital room swung open.

Bi, with his gray ninja hat covering his now bald head, walked in briskly.

"Ao, are you okay?"

"Still alive!"

"You idiot!!!"

Bi sighed in relief. Ao still had the energy to joke, which meant the situation wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

But when Bi saw the bandages covering Ao's right eye, he felt a tightness in his chest. As comrades who had fought side by side on the battlefield, he might not be as clever as Ao, but he was wise enough to know how much Ao treasured the Byakugan he had captured.

Ao had even spent a great deal of time studying sealing techniques, crafting two charms to protect the Byakugan by wearing them as earrings.

Unfortunately, though those charms still hung from Ao's ears, the Byakugan was no longer his.

"What’s with your right eye now?" Bi asked, sitting down on the chair beside the hospital bed.

"They found a prisoner with the same eye color as my left one. They transplanted his right eye to me. According to the doctor, everything should be back to normal in about half a month. Though, honestly, I feel like I could leave now—I’m used to walking with one eye anyway." Ao muttered, touching the bandages on his face. Even as he grumbled, he remembered not to touch the eye directly, as per the doctor's orders.

"Half a month, huh?"

Bi muttered softly. Looking at the seemingly relaxed Ao, he was unsure of what to say next. Should he offer comfort? Would doing so remind Ao of his loss and reopen the emotional wound?

Unsure of how to proceed, he fell silent.

"Bi, have you finished the task Elder Genji gave you?" Ao, knowing his partner's personality well, broke the silence.

"It’s done."

Bi nodded.

"I won’t be able to take on any missions for a while. If Elder Genji has anything urgent, I’ll have to trouble you and Quanbei to handle it." Even lying in bed, Ao’s habit of worrying about tasks and actions hadn’t changed.

"That’s no trouble at all."

Bi shook his head with a slight, helpless smile. But his smile only lasted for a moment. Looking at Ao lying in bed, he hesitated before asking, "Ao, don't you... feel any regret handing over the Byakugan like that?"

"Regret?"

Ao looked up, his good left eye staring at the white ceiling.

"Of course, I regret it!"

That Byakugan was something he had fought and bled for on the battlefield. Now, to silently hand it back to the Konoha ninja—how could he not feel regret?

"But what can I do? We’re not strong enough to challenge Konoha. Even Mizukage lost. Aside from surrendering, we have no choice. Giving up the Byakugan... it’s for the village. If sacrificing my life could bring the village back to prosperity, I wouldn’t hesitate. What’s a single Byakugan compared to that?"

Yes,

As long as it was for the village, no price was too high to pay.

That was the thought that echoed in Ao’s heart.

---

Reception Room.

Sougen was hosting two distinguished guests. One was naturally Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage and the Three-Tails Jinchūriki. The other was an elder of the village, known as Elder Genji, a man said to have fought alongside the First Mizukage.

"...So, you’ve already made a decision? I thought it would take another ten days or so to receive a reply," Sougen said with a smile. "So, can I hear your answer?"

Yagura glanced at Elder Genji.

The elder, as immovable as an ancient pine tree weathering countless storms, remained silent.

Reluctantly, Yagura spoke. "The village has decided. We are willing to send reinforcements to support Konoha. Of course, we also hope that Uchiha Clan Leader will consider the great cost we’ve incurred and ease off the compensation demands for a while..."

"That’s fine. Konoha’s forces are stretched thin right now, so the more help, the better."

According to the latest information Sougen had received, Konoha’s situation was still holding. One of the Sannin, Jiraiya, had returned to the village and seemed intent on staying, which might have caused the spies in Iwa and Kumo to send word back. Both Iwa and Kumo had received news of Jiraiya’s return, causing them to momentarily hold off on their movements.

A person’s reputation precedes them. Even though the Sannin were no longer a cohesive unit, no one dared to underestimate any of them.

For now, the war surrounding Konoha hadn’t yet broken out.

But no one knew how long Jiraiya’s reputation would hold Iwa and Kumo at bay. If the Tsuchikage and Raikage were determined enough, war was inevitable. Konoha had no choice but to station a significant number of troops to guard the northeastern and northwestern borders against a surprise attack from the two villages.

The tension in Konoha wasn’t an exaggeration. The village had even cut back on taking mission requests due to the shortage of available ninjas.

"This is the item you requested."

Seeing the conversation between Yagura and Uchiha Sougen come to an end, Elder Genji extended a trembling hand, retrieving a small vial from his sleeve. Inside, floating in a translucent nutrient solution, was a pure white eye.

"Uchiha Clan Leader, we’re returning it to you."

Elder Genji pushed the vial toward Sougen.

It was a Byakugan—

Sougen looked at the floating eye, a flicker of crimson light flashing in his eyes as he confirmed that it was the genuine article. Not only that, but it was a perfect Byakugan, unaffected by the Caged Bird Seal. He was slightly surprised that the Mist Ninja had returned it so quickly.

Whether Ao had given it willingly or not, it didn’t matter. Sougen now had the Byakugan he needed to placate the Hyūga Clan.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 142: Joint Investigation Unit*

"I did receive the item."

Sougen fiddled with the glass bottle, gazing at the white eye soaking in the nutrient solution. "I can feel your village’s sincerity. I happen to have some good news for you as well. The Hokage has sent me a reply. If the Hidden Mist Village is willing to support us in Konoha, then... we could consider reducing or delaying the war reparations."

As for how much they would reduce?

How long the delay would be?

That would depend on how generous the Mist Ninjas were, and how the negotiations between both sides turned out. The higher-ups would set the main principles, and the details would be worked out by others, eventually coming up with a plan that both sides could agree on. There would be no need for the big shots to argue endlessly over the matter.

"This is good, very good."

Kushimaru Yagura breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he handled the many issues brought on by their defeat and carried the blame for being weak and selling out the village’s interests, he could step down peacefully, handing over leadership to the Fifth Mizukage, someone unstained and capable of bringing hope and a future to the village.

To be honest, the ANBU had already reported multiple times that some ninjas in the village were secretly gathering, and unsurprisingly, these gatherings were about plotting his assassination.

Since Kushimaru Yagura became Mizukage, this kind of thing had almost become a tradition in the Hidden Mist Village.

However, this time, Yagura did not launch a bloodbath, even though ANBU had already collected names of those careless enough to be caught. Despite his clear-headedness, the Fourth Mizukage restrained the frustration and murderous intent in his heart. He no longer wished to turn his blade on his fellow villagers.

Whether he liked it or not, Yagura had to admit that many of those plotting his assassination truly loved the village. Though there were a few with personal ambition, most were acting out of a genuine desire to improve the village. From their perspective, he, as the Fourth Mizukage, was undoubtedly to blame for the state the Hidden Mist Village was in.

And frankly, they weren’t wrong.

The village’s current condition was a result of complicated historical issues, but as a puppet of outside forces, he undeniably bore a significant part of the responsibility.

"Uchiha Clan Leader, there's another matter."

Kushimaru Yagura gathered his scattered thoughts and brought up another issue. "Regarding that one-eyed man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, does your side have any plans?" This was the foundation of the cooperation between Konoha and the Hidden Mist. Without this, they would simply be victor and vanquished.

Don’t even talk about forming an alliance; with enough time, the hatred between the two villages would only ferment into a new war.

But now, with a common enemy, someone who was against both major villages and possibly Uchiha Madara himself, Konoha and the Hidden Mist had been forced to join forces. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. While Konoha and the Mist had their conflicts, these were out in the open. In contrast, the hidden enemy, capable of overthrowing an entire ninja village, was a far greater threat.

"As for that matter..."

Sougen pondered for a couple of seconds. "I've been away recently and haven’t returned to the village for meetings. The Hokage has already tasked the ANBU with investigating it secretly. However, if you ask me, I would suggest that Konoha and the Hidden Mist each select a small group of elite ninjas to form a Joint Investigation Unit, specifically tasked with tracking down this impostor claiming to be Madara, rather than relying entirely on the ANBU."

At present, Konoha's ANBU had become too bloated and sluggish, burdened with too many responsibilities that had significantly lowered its efficiency.

"A Joint Investigation Unit?"

Yagura was still considering the proposal when Genshi, the elder, nodded repeatedly. His raspy voice broke the silence: "Establishing a Joint Investigation Unit is a great idea! It would be best to choose some talented young ninjas to join. Mizukage-sama, I believe Mangetsu and the others would be excellent choices." A pleased smile appeared on the elder's face. If they didn’t have the strength to oppose Konoha, then they should find a way to make Konoha their ally, at least in his view.

Unfortunately, past Mizukages were too fixated on opposing Konoha. It was true that the Land of Fire was the wealthiest of the Five Great Nations, and defeating Konoha would bring the greatest profits, but only if they could actually win. If not for Konoha’s frequent distractions with enemies on all sides, the Hidden Mist would have gained little, or even suffered losses.

Perhaps a shift in strategy—working with Konoha to go after the Cloud, Stone, and Sand villages—wouldn’t yield as much as defeating Konoha, but it would be far better than repeated costly attacks that ended in failure.

A flicker of doubt crossed Yagura’s eyes.

The idea was good. Even if they didn’t manage to track down this so-called Madara, having an official joint task force would help ease tensions and resentment between the two villages. But why was Genshi so enthusiastic about this?

"This is just my humble suggestion. The final decision rests with the Hokage. All I can do is offer my opinion." Sougen smiled, waving off the discussion, indicating that it was far too early to talk about personnel choices.

Still...

Selecting talented young ninjas to join this new unit?

Sougen silently agreed with the idea.

As he spoke, Genshi’s dry lips twitched slightly.

Leave it to the Hokage to decide?

If he wasn’t so old and slow, he might have laughed aloud. If he remembered correctly, Konoha was currently led by an interim Hokage. Fortunately, it was only temporary. When the actual Fifth Hokage took over, that would be the real challenge. In any village, powerful clans like the Uchiha were often seen as a thorn in the side of the Kage.

No one liked having such uncontrollable forces around, just as future Mizukages would undoubtedly dislike him, the “old man who refuses to die.”

And that included Yagura.

Even the next Mizukage wouldn’t be an exception.

As these thoughts crossed his mind, the elder’s smile faded, replaced by a sigh of resignation. Hopefully, Mei Terumi wouldn’t disappoint him. If possible, he would prefer to spend his remaining days in a temple, meditating in peace rather than dealing with these daily struggles.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 143: The Combination of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha Equals...*

Elder Genji, leaning on his cane, walked onto the street. Although Sougen had said it would be fine to just dismiss the shadow clone, the elderly man preferred to take his time and walk out the door himself. Using a shadow clone in this situation already felt disrespectful, and dismissing it without saying goodbye would seem even ruder.

This time, both Yagura and Elder Genji didn’t stay long after returning the Byakugan and finalizing the general terms of the alliance. They also briefly discussed the issue of dealing with the mysterious figure. After handling business, they exchanged a few polite words before taking their leave.

“Elder Genji?”

Yagura turned to look at the elder beside him.

“He’s impressive.”

Elder Genji’s response was somewhat cryptic.

Yagura was taken aback but soon realized that Elder Genji had come along not just to return the Byakugan in person but also to assess Uchiha Sougen with his own eyes. Tentatively, Yagura asked, “Elder Genji, what did you notice about the Uchiha clan leader?”

He asked this in a low voice, instinctively lowering his volume.

“As I’ve said before, it’s best to maintain good relations with Konoha. Don’t provoke them lightly. Our priority now is to recover and rebuild,” Elder Genji didn’t elaborate. He didn’t have any special visual powers or sensory techniques. He relied on the wisdom gained from a long life to assess people.

He hadn’t seen anything particularly remarkable in Uchiha Sougen.

To be precise, Elder Genji hadn’t uncovered any secrets about him. However, he did notice a deep, unspoken confidence in Sougen’s eyes, the kind of powerful self-assurance he had only seen before in the eyes of the First Mizukage, Hakuren, and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Unfortunately, after Hakuren suffered a crushing defeat at Madara Uchiha’s hands, Elder Genji never saw that light in Hakuren’s eyes again—not even until his death.

Even Madara himself didn’t have that gleam anymore.

Perhaps, like Hakuren encountering Madara, Madara had met his match in the form of Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage.

“I’m not sure how powerful the Uchiha clan leader is. Lord Mizukage, you likely understand his strength better than I do. But from what I can tell, he doesn’t see us as a threat. Not just the two of us, but the entire Hidden Mist Village doesn’t even register in his eyes.”

Elder Genji, leaning on his cane, slowly walked down the street.

Yagura followed beside him, listening to the elder’s sigh.

“Don’t feel ashamed. Being underestimated doesn’t feel good, of course. I remember how furious Hakuren and I were when Madara treated us like nobodies. But after Madara sent us running with our tails between our legs, we learned a valuable lesson: surviving is more important than momentary pride.”

Fearing that Yagura might do something reckless, Elder Genji sternly warned both Yagura and the young prodigies accompanying them, like Mangetsu Hozuki and Kisame Hoshigaki. He especially focused on those like Mangetsu, who were talented but hadn’t experienced many defeats. They were the most unstable elements, unlike the Fourth Mizukage, who had learned from past hardships.

However...

Neither Mangetsu nor the others made a sound.

They would have to be crazy to provoke Uchiha Sougen again. They had already experienced the terror of his power firsthand. With a casual flick of his fan, Sougen had sent Mangetsu, Kisame, and Zabuza Momochi flying. Zabuza was still recovering from his injuries, and it would be another month or two before he could fully heal and regain his full mobility.

“Remember, we’re shinobi. The ability to endure is what qualifies someone to be called a shinobi. Bowing your head to someone like Uchiha Sougen isn’t shameful at all. Because in the future, if he doesn’t meet an untimely end, the entire shinobi world may end up bowing before him.”

“Elder Genji, aren’t you being a bit too pessimistic?”

There’s no denying the recklessness of youth. Even after suffering a loss at Sougen’s hands, Mangetsu still harbored a hint of defiance. He acknowledged Sougen’s superior strength but found it hard to believe that the entire shinobi world would one day submit to him. That kind of description seemed far-fetched.

“Haven’t you suffered enough, Mangetsu?”

Yagura could only shake his head in exasperation.

“Once I fully master my clan’s secret techniques, I won’t lose so easily next time,” Mangetsu held onto hope. The Hozuki clan’s secret techniques were formidable. After all, the Second Mizukage had relied on them to fight the Second Tsuchikage, who wielded the devastating Dust Release, in numerous battles. Their final confrontation ended in mutual destruction.

“It won’t be that easy.”

Elder Genji sighed.

He was well-acquainted with the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, not just through reputation but from personal experience on the battlefield. The sheer destructive power of the Dust Release was something he would never forget. However, what many younger shinobi didn’t know was that the Second Tsuchikage had once been soundly defeated by Madara Uchiha.

And then there was Hakuren, who had also fallen to Madara.

The fearsome reputation of the Uchiha clan was undeniable.

“Don’t think I’m lying to you. In Sougen, I see a shadow of his ancestor, Madara Uchiha. But strangely, there’s something else... something reminiscent of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.”

Elder Genji hesitated for a moment before sharing his thoughts.

“Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha?” Yagura scratched his head, wanting to ask, “Are you joking, Elder Genji?” The combination of Hashirama and Madara? What kind of terrifying combination is that? “Elder Genji, you must be joking.”

“Just make sure not to provoke Konoha.”

Elder Genji didn’t go into further detail because he couldn’t fully explain what was more of a gut feeling.

The truth was that Elder Genji had spoken from his heart. In Sougen, he saw the same confidence and strength that had radiated from Hashirama Senju. However, deep within Sougen’s eyes, there was a coldness and cruelty that Hashirama never possessed—traits inherited from the Uchiha clan.

The combination of these two qualities...

Was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

If Hashirama, who was both strong and gentle, could inspire a sense of reassurance even in his enemies, Sougen possessed a similar strength but none of that kindness. Instead, he embodied the cold ruthlessness that the Uchiha were known for.

(End of chapter)

Chapter 144: The Sorrow of the Hyūga Clan

Sōgen was unaware of the high praise the departing Genji had for him, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care much. A compliment or two wouldn't make him lose his sense of direction—it's not like they came with any tangible benefits. After sending off Kikuji Yagura and Genji, Sōgen summoned Hyūga Masayuki.

This elder of the Hyūga Clan had followed Sōgen to Kirigakure.

However, given his deep dislike for the Mist Shinobi, the old man had kept a low profile during this period, avoiding interactions with them. After all, their delegation didn't have much work to do, with Sōgen leading the negotiations and the Nara Suzaku-headed advisory team handling the details.

As a result, about two-thirds of the delegation had little to occupy themselves.

Sōgen, unwilling to let these high-level jōnin sit idle, requested Kikuji Yagura to allow his jōnin to spar and exchange techniques with the Mist Shinobi. Yagura understood the true purpose of this "exchange"—it was a display of strength meant to suppress the Mist Shinobi.

However, this suited Yagura just fine.

Just as Sōgen wanted to intimidate the Mist Shinobi and prevent further rebellion, Yagura and the higher-ups also wished to avoid any rash, irrational behavior from their ranks.

So, they selected some of the more rebellious troublemakers from the village to spar with Konoha's shinobi. On one hand, it could temper the wild ones, and on the other, it was a legitimate way to gather intelligence on Konoha.

With the encouragement of both sides, sparring between Konoha and Mist Shinobi jōnin had been ongoing for some time. Naturally, these matches weren't publicized, as Yagura aimed to quell the rebellious spirits of the troublemakers without demoralizing the village.

After all, every Konoha ninja in the delegation was an expert.

Uchiha Fujika and Ringo Ameyuri had sparred four times, with Ringo losing all four. Though she wasn't bothered by the defeats—each loss only made her stronger—the news of her losses, if spread, would further damage the village's already low morale.

Then there was Maito Gai, a man with a bowl-cut, thick eyebrows, and a green jumpsuit, who didn't look particularly formidable but had been using his overwhelmingly powerful taijutsu to teach the Mist Shinobi harsh lessons. So far, eleven Mist ninjas skilled in taijutsu had been crushed by Gai.

Yes, crushed, not just defeated.

Even those who prided themselves on their taijutsu skills no longer dared to claim expertise after facing him.

So far, the Mist Shinobi jōnin had suffered more defeats than victories. Yagura had achieved his goal—those formerly rebellious troublemakers had become much more subdued.

The jōnin from the Hyūga Clan had not participated in these exchanges. First, the old grudges hadn't faded—the shame of their Main Branch’s Byakugan being stolen still gnawed at Hyūga Masayuki. Secondly, the Hyūga Clan jōnin weren’t confident of victory. This was the clan's most embarrassing predicament.

The Hyūga had numerous jōnin, and with their clan's signature Byakugan, their average strength surpassed that of the Uchiha. However, their strength was too evenly distributed—there were no standout elites. Even their clan head, Hyūga Hiashi, was only slightly stronger than the average jōnin, far from being a top-tier expert.

Individually, there were Hyūga jōnin willing to fight against the Mist’s best, but unlike the Uchiha, they didn't have a powerful clan leader like Uchiha Sōgen. If an Uchiha jōnin lost, it would be seen as their personal failure. But if a Hyūga jōnin lost, it might tarnish the reputation of the entire Hyūga Clan.

Therefore, Hyūga Masayuki simply ordered his clan’s jōnin not to act without permission.

“Clan Leader Uchiha, is this...?”

“It’s the Byakugan from your clan’s Main Branch.”

Sōgen casually pushed a bottle containing the Byakugan toward Hyūga Masayuki. He had considered studying the Byakugan, but ultimately decided against it. This particular Byakugan was well-known—everyone knew the Mist Shinobi possessed it, so it wouldn’t be suitable for “private collection.” Moreover, he wasn’t sure what studying the Byakugan would yield. While there were undeniable ties between the Byakugan and Sharingan, making such connections wasn’t as simple as theorizing.

Instead of wasting effort on that, Sōgen decided to focus on mastering the Flame Fan. This branch contained overwhelming information from the Divine Tree, and although Sōgen had fully controlled the fan, digesting all of its knowledge would take considerable time and effort.

In recent days, most of his energy had been devoted to studying the Flame Fan.

The rewards were immense, but turning them into actual power would require more time and dedication.

“Is it really coming back to us?” Hyūga Masayuki’s hands trembled as he cradled the bottle, his veins bulging as his Byakugan activated. After carefully inspecting the eye several times to ensure it was genuine, he looked up at Sōgen. “Was this returned by the Mist?”

“Yes, it was just delivered.”

Sōgen nodded.

“And... what of the thief who murdered our clan’s heir?” Masayuki asked.

“What do you mean?”

Sōgen cast a puzzled look at him.

“The one they call the Byakugan Killer—was he punished?” Masayuki clarified, clearly displeased by the mention of the title Byakugan Killer.

“Masayuki-senpai, don’t insult the Mist Shinobi, please,” Sōgen’s mood soured at the old man’s thoughtless comment. “If someone dies in battle, don’t blame the enemy for being too strong. Blame your own weakness. If you want revenge, go do it yourself. Is the Hyūga Clan so incapable that they need others to avenge them? My agreement with the Mizukage only involved returning the Byakugan; it didn’t include delivering Ao’s head as well.”

Returning the Byakugan was a reasonable demand.

But demanding Ao’s death would push the Mist Shinobi too far. Even if Ao were willing to sacrifice himself, the Mist’s rebellious spirit—seen in their frequent assassination attempts on their own Mizukage—wouldn’t tolerate such a humiliation.

Relentlessly oppressing a defeated foe would only lead to total war, which Sōgen wanted to avoid.

“Masayuki-senpai, if there’s nothing else, please take the Byakugan and go.”

(Chapter End)

Chapter 145: The Shikotsumyaku

"Can't you just let me go?"

"No."

"I don't want to go to Konoha with you."

"No means no. Even if you cry, it won't work. And besides, you don't even know how to cry."

On the road leading to the Village Hidden in the Mist, two figures, one tall and one short, were walking slowly toward the village. The white-haired child seemed very reluctant, dragging his feet and moving exceptionally slowly, occasionally stopping to argue with the taller young man beside him.

Despite this, the young man with a bandaged right shoulder remained incredibly patient. Not only was he unhurried, but he even spent time indulging the child's stubbornness.

Even though the Hidden Mist Village was already in sight.

They continued their conversation on the road just outside the village.

These two were Uchiha Shisui and Kaguya Kimimaro.

After their battle with Orochimaru, Shisui’s right shoulder was severely injured. He also realized from Kimimaro's memories that his mission had already failed. Since he could no longer continue with the mission, he decided to bring Kimimaro back to the Hidden Mist. Along the way, Kimimaro attempted to escape multiple times and dragged his feet, turning what should have been a short journey into a trip that lasted more than ten days.

As the gates of the Hidden Mist Village came into view, Kimimaro felt a twinge of frustration. He had tried to escape nineteen times over the past few days but had failed each time. Even though the man beside him could only use his left hand to eat, he always managed to catch him. Was it because this guy had defeated Lord Orochimaru?

Thinking of this, his mood sank further.

If even Lord Orochimaru had lost, did he have any chance of escaping this guy and returning to Orochimaru’s side?

"Why are you so determined to take me to Konoha?" Kimimaro asked, looking up.

"Because I can't stand by and watch a child go astray," Shisui answered matter-of-factly.

Kimimaro wasn’t highly educated, but he had already asked Shisui what "going astray" meant. "It was Lord Orochimaru who saved me. My life belongs to Lord Orochimaru. Whether it's the right path or not doesn't matter to me. I just want to return to his side."

Sigh "I told you, no means no! Orochimaru saving you and your life belonging to him are two different things. Your life doesn't belong to anyone but yourself." Shisui had said this many times before, but Kimimaro was as stubborn as a mule, and no matter what he said, he couldn't change Kimimaro's mind.

The next second, Kimimaro retorted, "If my life belongs to me, then I have the freedom to decide what to do with it. By not letting me leave your side, aren't you the one controlling my life? You're just trying to fool me!"

"That's not the same thing."

Shisui couldn't help but want to scratch his head.

The kid appeared cold and quiet, but once he started talking, he was sharp-tongued, leaving Shisui at a loss. "I've already said, you're still a child. And I don’t plan to harm you. But staying with Orochimaru will only bring you harm sooner or later."

"To be of service to Lord Orochimaru is my greatest wish," Kimimaro said firmly, word by word.

Shisui sighed deeply. Every conversation ended in this unsolvable loop. He couldn’t understand how Orochimaru had brainwashed this kid so thoroughly. Despite finding no signs of mental interference in Kimimaro's mind, the grip Orochimaru had on him was undeniable.

And that made Orochimaru all the more terrifying! To manipulate someone’s will without using genjutsu or any other mental techniques—especially a child whose mind wasn't fully developed—was truly horrifying. Shisui’s intent to eliminate Orochimaru only grew stronger. He even began to regret not using genjutsu on Kimimaro from the start, had he known Orochimaru’s soul had such issues.

"Shisui, what are you standing around for? Are you arguing with a child? Isn't that a bit embarrassing?"

A familiar voice from ahead pulled Shisui's attention away from Kimimaro. Looking up, he saw Sougen and asked in surprise, "Sougen, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Sougen rolled his eyes. "Shisui, take a good look at where you are. You’re a Konoha shinobi, and you've been standing outside the Hidden Mist’s gates for half a day. Do you think the Mist shinobi are blind?" Sougen had just sent off the elder Hyuga Yoshiyuki and was planning to go into seclusion for training when someone reported that Shisui had returned and was standing with a child at the village gate.

Sougen had to postpone his seclusion and came to see what Shisui was up to.

"Did you already find what you were looking for?" he wondered.

"Well, I have my reasons..." Shisui began to explain helplessly. "This kid..."

"Who's this kid?" Sougen cut him off, uninterested in Shisui’s explanation. He glanced at Kimimaro, who had taken a defensive stance and showed some interest. "Not bad! His stance looks trained, and his chakra is impressive—both in quality and quantity. Shisui, where’d you pick up this kid?"

"What do you take me for?" Shisui replied, half-laughing, half-crying. "Just listen to me—"

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Sougen squatted down and looked at Kimimaro with his white hair and green eyes. He didn't immediately recognize him as the genius who had tragically passed away from the Kaguya clan’s genetic illness. White hair and green eyes weren’t unique—after all, the Hozuki clan had white hair, and Kakashi was also white-haired.

Faced with Sougen’s question, Kimimaro’s instincts told him that the man before him was a monster in human skin. Acting on pure survival instinct, he threw a punch, his wrist sprouting sharp bones aimed directly at Sougen’s chest.

"Huh?" Sougen was taken aback.

Whoa, this is... the Shikotsumyaku?

With a quick move, Sougen raised his hand and lightly tapped Kimimaro’s wrist just before the sharp bone could pierce his chest. A black curse mark, like tadpoles, spread across Kimimaro's body, rendering him immobile.

"So it really is the Shikotsumyaku?"

Sougen looked at the now-frozen Kimimaro, reaching out to touch the sharp bone. "Interesting. The Kaguya clan was wiped out by the Hidden Mist, weren't they? If I’m not mistaken, Orochimaru took the last survivor with him. Yet, this kid’s power is the real deal—genuine Shikotsumyaku."

Could it be that—

"Shisui, what happened to your shoulder?"

Sougen turned his gaze to Shisui's bandaged right shoulder.

(End of chapter)