When Yuto and Ranmaru reached Konoha, the Chunin Exams had already been underway for some time—by then, even the preliminaries before the third stage had concluded.
Learning this wasn't hard; for something as big as the Chunin Exams, you could ask anyone on the street and get the answer.
Yuto didn't mind. They weren't here to watch matches anyway.
He was far more interested in the legendary Ichiraku Ramen. After asking a passerby for directions, Yuto led Ranmaru toward the shop—after all, who knew if they'd get to eat it again later.
It was a simple little place, not large at all. When Yuto and Ranmaru stepped inside, they found it empty.
"Owner, two bowls of your house specialty."
Wearing a gentle smile, Yuto looked at the proprietor.
"Right away, customer," the ramen shop owner replied promptly.
It wasn't long before two steaming bowls were set before Yuto and Ranmaru.
After the first bite, Yuto's eyes lit up. It wasn't as mind-blowing as legend claimed, but it was definitely good.
"Yuto-sama, this ramen is so tasty!"
Seated beside him, Ranmaru's cheeks rounded with delight as he dug in with big bites.
Ding-ling-ling—
The noren at the entrance lifted again. A slim figure wearing glasses stepped in.
"Owner, one bowl for me as well."
Kabuto smiled politely at the proprietor.
"Coming right up!" the owner answered.
Kabuto's gaze made a circuit of the shop and came to rest on Yuto and Ranmaru—the only customers present.
His eyes lingered a moment on Ranmaru, a flicker of puzzlement crossing his face—as if wondering why there was a child here.
Kabuto took the seat next to Yuto, pushed up his glasses, and said quietly:
"Orochimaru-sama would like to invite the two of you to come over."
He waited a while. Yuto kept eating as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"Ahem. Orochimaru-sama asked me to escort you both," Kabuto repeated, a shade louder.
"Looks like that guy Orochimaru didn't tell you who I am." Yuto didn't lift his head, his voice cool.
Kabuto blinked, about to speak again, when the boy on Yuto's other side looked up with a guileless expression and said:
"Onii-san, if you're not going to eat your ramen, can Ranmaru have it?"
The words made Kabuto's body jolt. He turned his head, stiffly, toward the kid.
For no clear reason, a violent sense of danger spiked through him from that child.
"Y-yes… you can," Kabuto answered, voice tight.
"Go tell Orochimaru there's no need to take me into account. He should proceed exactly as he planned."
The light, indifferent words drifted into Kabuto's ears and beaded sweat across his brow.
He backed out of Ichiraku, gave one last look at the two figures bent over their bowls, then turned and left quickly.
As for Orochimaru's little schemes—Yuto had a fair idea. But as things stood, Orochimaru wasn't of much use to him anymore.
Orochimaru's biggest role was already fulfilled: pulling Sunagakure into the game. What remained, in Yuto's view, was merely to tie down part of Konoha's strength.
Whether Orochimaru harbored other little agendas, Yuto simply didn't care.
"Come to think of it, that guy Jiraiya should be here by now. Is he about to make contact with Naruto?"
A faint smile touched Yuto's lips.
Unfortunately, Kinoshita Jiro had already planted a seed in Naruto's heart ahead of time. Jiraiya would likely find it far harder than before to reach that part of him.
Unless Jiraiya did what he did in the original story—take Naruto out to train—he wouldn't have the time he needed to truly change him.
But… does that chance still exist?
————
Along a long corridor, birdsong chirped brightly, lending the place a tranquil air.
"It's really quiet here. No—the whole country is too peaceful. Other nations are busy expanding their armies right now, you know."
Leaning against a red-lacquered pillar, Orochimaru spoke in a low voice.
Tap—tap—
Soft footsteps approached. Kabuto appeared before Orochimaru and bowed. "Orochimaru-sama."
"Oh? Back alive, are you."
Orochimaru glanced at him and licked his lips.
Kabuto paused, then lowered his head with a wry smile.
Remembering what Yuto had said, he asked, tinged with curiosity, "Who is that person?"
"You should be grateful you don't know that name. Otherwise, what stood before me would be a corpse."
Orochimaru's chuckle was low and cold, his tone serious.
Surprise flashed in Kabuto's eyes. From just a few words, he inferred that Orochimaru held some fear of that young man.
"He said Orochimaru-sama should follow his own plan without worrying about him," Kabuto reported, pushing up his glasses.
"As expected. Though I do wonder if taking that old man's head will prove amusing." A thin smile curved Orochimaru's lips.
"Is Orochimaru-sama hesitating? I don't know what exactly is coming, but it feels like Konoha is going to face serious trouble."
"Is Orochimaru-sama making himself the fuse to draw certain things out?"
Kabuto straightened and spoke softly.
At that, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. A faint killing intent seeped from him, wrapping around Kabuto. "You see a little too much. It annoys me."
Kabuto, feeling that pressure, didn't show the slightest tension. Instead, he smiled.
To Orochimaru-sama, as long as he remained valuable enough, Orochimaru-sama wouldn't kill him now.
Killing the Third Hokage, taking the Uchiha heir named Sasuke… none of that was Orochimaru-sama's true objective.
That was what truly piqued Kabuto's curiosity: what exactly was Orochimaru-sama after? Or what did he want to draw out?
"Konoha hides all kinds of secrets—even I don't know them all."
Orochimaru looked toward the Hokage Rock, brown serpentine pupils faintly gleaming.
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