"Uh—"
A young, soft grunt came from the corner saturated with shadows.
Orochimaru looked carefully into that corner.
He saw a small figure stumble out of the darkness, curled up against the wall, trembling from the shock of Orochimaru's killing intent. The eyes staring back were full of intense panic and caution.
A sharp light burst from Orochimaru's dark-golden pupils. Interesting, this seems to be a Bloodline Limit!
He retracted his departing foot and walked toward the corner.
The silver-white moonlight streamed in through the wide-open wooden gate, revealing the outside scene that looked like a burning hell.
The terrifying killing intent pierced the small figure in the corner like swords and blades. In the boy's eyes, Orochimaru looked like a demon who had stepped out of the moonlight, bearing down upon him.
Standing before the shadow, Orochimaru used the faint light to clearly see the face of the young figure.
It was a delicate and young boy, about four or five years old. He wore the same kind of ragged clothes Orochimaru had seen little Maji in, but what was different was the child's eyes. Beneath the fear and caution was a deep, entrenched emptiness and despair, utterly lifeless. It was the look of complete disillusionment with reality and life—a soul about to die.
Orochimaru's body trembled slightly. He vaguely saw the shadow of his former self in this child, and his heart stirred.
Orochimaru retracted his killing intent. In his dark-golden snake eyes, a powerful, highly infectious emotion was brewing. He looked at the boy; his sinister smile, coupled with that strange look, gave him an indescribably demonic and commanding aura.
He held out his right hand, the unique aura intensifying. "Come with me. I will give you a reason to live."
The boy, watching Orochimaru, seemed to be infected by the intense, powerful feeling in Orochimaru's eyes. He stared blankly, then slowly reached out his hand and placed it in Orochimaru's warm palm.
Later, the boy would learn that the emotion in Orochimaru's eyes was called "ambition." By then, he had already followed Orochimaru's ambition across the shinobi world for years, without regret.
Orochimaru smiled, holding the boy's hand. Ignoring the horrified expressions of the women on the large bed, who were further terrified by his residual killing intent, he simply led the boy out.
The boy, whose life had always been in the darkness, stood in the moonlight for the first time while holding Orochimaru's hand. A complex mix of emotions—bitterness, grievance, happiness, and dependence—suddenly filled his lifeless heart. A spark of brilliant vitality appeared in his desperate eyes.
The boy knew that from this moment on, he was destined to give everything to this man, who was not much older than himself. Simply because he had led him out of the darkness, simply because he had found him a reason to live, and simply because, holding his hand, he felt his own existence and worth.
Because he needed me. Because he smiled.
Orochimaru's sinister yet gentle voice sounded in the boy's ear: "Child, what is your name?"
The boy seemed to not have spoken in a long time. His voice was a bit hoarse and stuttered: "No... no name!"
Orochimaru held the boy's hand tighter. "From now on, you shall be named Chi."
The vitality in the boy's eyes intensified when he heard Orochimaru's words. He repeated: "Chi!"
Orochimaru's eyes reflected the corpses and the terrified, fleeing bandits outside. The arc of his sinister smile, which seemed to look down upon all living things, grew wider. "From now on, let my enemies tremble at your name!"
The boy didn't understand the full meaning of the sentence, but he deeply engraved the words in his heart.
Orochimaru brought Chi to the main hall, found a seat, and sat down. Not long after, Jiraiya and Tsunade returned, both looking a little tired.
Orochimaru said calmly, "Is it all taken care of?"
"A few ran away in the chaos!" Jiraiya said glumly.
Orochimaru waved his hand, smiling. "They are just a few small fry. Even if they ran, they won't cause any trouble. Let's go. We've completed the mission!"
Orochimaru's words carried a natural, reassuring charisma. Jiraiya and Tsunade felt a collective sense of relief and a flash of joy.
Just then, an angry roar suddenly erupted from the fort gate: "Who! Who destroyed my fort!"
Orochimaru slightly frowned. It seemed the situation had devolved into the worst-case scenario: the actual leaders had arrived!
Despite this thought, Orochimaru's expression remained calm and composed, which, for Jiraiya and Tsunade, who had been watching him, acted like a central pillar of strength, settling their hearts.
Orochimaru said coolly, "It seems the three leaders who were away have returned. These three leaders are ninja. Be cautious. Just stay close to me and cover me. Be extremely careful!"
Jiraiya and Tsunade nodded.
Orochimaru turned to Chi, whose hand he still held. "Stay here alone for a little while. I'll come back for you. Can you do that?"
Jiraiya and Tsunade had already noticed the boy in Orochimaru's hand. Hearing Orochimaru's words, they both scrutinized the boy.
The boy did not speak, only nodded, his eyes filled with determination.
With everything arranged, Orochimaru led the way out, with Jiraiya and Tsunade following closely behind.
What they didn't notice was that Chi, behind them, lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with self-reproach. He didn't even notice that his knuckles were white from the force, and his nails were digging into his flesh, drawing a slight trickle of blood.
Orochimaru did not plan a sneak attack. Aside from the fact that Jiraiya and Tsunade were only Genin and had limited ability to pull off a successful ambush, there was the risk that if they were caught during the attempt, and Orochimaru was forced to reveal his full strength, the situation would become even more disadvantageous.
The three simply walked out of the main hall into the open, heading toward the three fort leaders still roaring at the gate.
As the three approached, they got a clearer look at the leaders. Unlike typical rogue ninja, these three were fully equipped from head to toe. They wore unidentifiable ninja vests, iron greaves and gauntlets on their forearms and shins, and had ninja pouches on their thighs. Two had already drawn the long ninja swords from their backs, while one stood empty-handed, eyes alertly scanning the surroundings. All three turned out to be Chūnin.
Looking at their gear and skill level, Orochimaru vaguely sensed that there might be something unusual about their organization.
The three leaders also noticed Orochimaru's group. Seeing that they were just three children, a look of surprise and disdain crossed their eyes. When they sensed the children's chakra and confirmed their identities as ninja, the surprise faded, but the contempt remained clear on their faces. After all, in their view, Orochimaru's group were just three Genin.
One of the leaders—a muscular ninja with a menacing face and a long ninja sword—spoke fiercely, "Did you three brat Genin wipe out our fort? You've got guts! Pay for it with your lives. Die!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ninja charged forward aggressively.
He didn't see the curve of cold, sinister disdain that formed on Orochimaru's lips when he saw him rush forward.
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