Drip… drip…
The sound of falling water echoed in overlapping layers within the arched space, mingled with a mournful wind whistling from unseen sources. The damp smell of mildew, laced with the stale scent of old rust, filled the air.
A cat, completely black, lay crouched in the shadows, its paw batting at a few half-dead white snakes.
The moment a snake ceased to move, the cat would release its paw. The snake would then writhe back to life, only to be pinned down again by a soft, unyielding pad—a display of pure, cruel amusement.
But soon, as if sensing something, the cat lifted its head.
Only then could its true features be seen.
This all-black cat's eyes were heterochromatic—one white, one black.
An ordinary person would simply think it was blind in one eye. No one would guess that the white eye was a Byakugan—the "All-Seeing Eye" coveted by every Great Shinobi Village.
Consider the Kirigakure Jōnin Ao, who was dubbed the "Byakugan Killer" and placed on Konoha's elite bounty list, all for possessing just one such eye.
No one would ever imagine a madman transplanting such a precious treasure into a cat.
Yet, someone had done exactly that.
The black cat lowered its head, picked up a dead snake in its mouth, and vanished into a blur. It leaped into the shadows among the crisscrossing pipes overhead, moving as silently as stepping on clouds.
Crouched at a bend in a drainage pipe, its white pupil dilated slightly while its black eye narrowed to a slit, fixed intently on the still, distant water's surface.
Turbid, knee-deep wastewater shimmered with an oily sheen, reflecting the rust-stained network of pipes above.
Splash… splash…
Moments later, ripples disturbed the calm surface. Three swift, dark figures appeared, racing across the water, their forms distorted into grotesque shapes in the undulating waves.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two ANBU had expended considerable effort, navigating countless traps and red herrings laid by Orochimaru within the labyrinthine underground pipes to finally find the correct path.
Only snakes and rats would favor such a dank, gloomy environment. It seemed Orochimaru's habits truly were aligning with those of serpents.
"..."
Hiruzen suddenly stopped, his gaze falling on a rust-covered door ahead. His expression darkened. He raised a hand, signaling the ANBU operatives to proceed.
THUD!!
With a heavy, muffled impact, the iron door was forced open. A putrid stench—a nauseating mix of disinfectant and the cloying, sweet-metallic smell of decaying flesh—rushed out on a cold draft.
Faint yellow light cast stark, dancing shadows. But the scene that met Hiruzen's eyes made his pupils constrict violently.
The laboratory walls were stained with abstract patterns of dark crimson. A light bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered erratically from the force of the breached door.
The floor was caked in layers of a blackish-brown substance, evidence that refused to wash away no matter how many times it was scrubbed.
Hiruzen clearly heard the suddenly sharp, ragged breaths of the two ANBU beside him. They were staring, transfixed, at the several cylindrical glass containers standing within the lab.
Faintly visible within the pale green liquid were curled humanoid shapes. Their skin, translucent and waxy from prolonged immersion, was crisscrossed with sutures like squirming maggots. Exposed muscle tissue could be seen.
Through their opened chest cavities, one could see hearts still pulsing. Their abdominal cavities were grafted with serpentine organs, tangled with wiring that extended out of the containers like jellyfish tendrils.
And there were many such specimens in the lab, marked with bloody numbers like "32," "42," "65."
Metal shelves around the room were stacked with glass jars containing organs at various stages of development, twitching with a grotesque semblance of life within their fluids.
"This…" The ANBU operative's voice trembled beneath his mask.
To be honest, while shocking, Hiruzen had been somewhat prepared for this sight.
After all, Orochimaru's earliest forays into human experimentation had occurred with his—and indeed all of Konoha's high command's—tacit approval: the experiments to transplant Hashirama's cells.
Those subjects had been volunteers, all in the hope of cultivating a user who could wield Wood Release and restore that power to the world. But it proved Hiruzen was no stranger to hard choices.
Even now, witnessing this scene, he still felt a pang of reluctance and guilt towards his disciple.
That is, until his eyes reached the deepest part of the laboratory, where two shadows overlapped…
Because Orochimaru had his back to the door, Hiruzen first saw the young face on the operating table and the grievous wound across the neck.
There was no trace of a smile on Hyūga Kumokawa's face now—it was replaced entirely by terror. Tears traced slow paths down his youthful cheeks.
Seeing Hiruzen, the boy weakly raised a hand towards him, mouth moving as if trying to speak, but no sound emerged.
Yet, Hiruzen understood perfectly what the boy was trying to say.
Grandpa Third… he seemed to mouth.
Then, hearing the commotion, Orochimaru turned.
The bright, cold light fell upon his pale face, making the blood-smeared grimace appear even more sinister and vile.
At his feet, the headless corpse continued to fountain blood, transforming the lab into a raining hellscape, completing a tableau of monstrous brutality.
This single image struck Hiruzen with more visceral force than all the other specimens combined.
Most crucially, he recognized that boy. The memory was vivid.
As the honorary principal of Konoha's Ninja Academy, he often made time to give speeches there, crafting his image as an approachable elder while instilling the "Will of Fire."
Once, he had chosen Hyūga Kumokawa's class. While speaking of the Will of Fire, he had noticed the boy's face, overflowing with sheer admiration.
Afterwards, as usual, the teacher had the children write down their reflections.
Hiruzen normally had no time to read such "impression papers." But by chance, he remembered that young, awe-struck face. On a whim, he dug out the paper that had nearly gathered dust.
And then, he was left speechless.
'My home is like a deeply rooted tree with lush leaves.'
'Grandpa Third is the trunk.'
'He reconciles what is inside, he provides nourishment.'
'Father is the branches and leaves.'
'They keep out the cold, they shelter from wind and rain.'
'Though age has left them weary, though termites have riddled them with holes, their roots still plunge deep into the earth, supporting and sheltering the entire family and its fruit.'
'And we are all the fruit.'
'Our family rejoices at our birth. We often suckle on delicious nourishment; someone often shelters us from the storm.'
But we forget… who supplies our nourishment, who shields us from wind and rain.
I have placed myself too high above.
Perhaps, when I fall, am eaten, am discarded upon the ground…
As a seed, taking root and sprouting… then I will understand.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was tired of the elaborate flattery from adults and the blind, simplistic adoration from children.
But this… this piece, devoid of ornate language, yet perfectly embodying the "Will of Fire," even subtly hinting at the conflict between clans and the village… these sincere, beautiful words from a child's perspective…
Especially the final three lines. In an instant, they pierced straight to Hiruzen's heart, warming his weary body.
Yes. The clans only taught their children to protect clan interests. They never taught them to see themselves as part of Konoha. And those clan children could only see the "branches and leaves" that sheltered them, completely blind to him—the one below, supporting the entire "tree" and all its "fruit."
Without a doubt, this was a good child! One who could see beyond the limitations of his clan, who focused on all of Konoha, who had inherited the pure Will of Fire!
If anyone dared to tell Hiruzen that Hyūga Kumokawa was a bad child, Hiruzen would summon Enma on the spot and beat that person's brains out.
But now, such a good child was…
Watching that figure slowly collapse onto the operating table, the complex feelings Hiruzen harbored for Orochimaru quietly evaporated. Veins began to bulge on his aged face.
"OROCHIMARU!" He roared, his furious gaze locked on the Sannin. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
Seeing Hiruzen's genuine, white-hot rage, Orochimaru, snapping back to reality, felt his heart drop.
He hadn't expected such fury. Based on his understanding of his increasingly indecisive teacher, even if the human experiments were exposed, the man likely wouldn't attack him directly. His chances of escaping Konoha had seemed high.
But now… why…
Before Orochimaru could connect this to Hyūga Kumokawa, the enraged Hiruzen had already formed a series of hand seals.
Boar - Dog - Bird - Monkey - Ram!
"Summoning Jutsu!"
POOF!
A cloud of white smoke erupted. A massive, barrel-chested ape, wearing a fur coat and a Konoha headband, appeared beside Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, trouble?" Enma asked instinctively upon appearing. But his eyes fell on Orochimaru, and he paused. "This…"
"ENMA!"
Hiruzen's explosive shout cut off the Monkey King's thoughts.
With another POOF of smoke, Enma transformed into a rod as thick as a pillar.
Using Enma right from the start?!
Seeing this, Orochimaru's face instantly darkened. He had no time to wonder why the old man's temper was so fierce today, nor to ponder why his white snake sentinels had failed to warn him.
If he hesitated now, he would truly die here today!
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!!"
HUUM!!
A gale laced with razor-sharp wind blades erupted from Orochimaru's mouth. The shrieking pressure wave sent visible ripples through the air.
Glass containers around them shattered instantly, their shards caught in the torrent and hurled towards Hiruzen and the two ANBU, obscuring their vision.
Even now, Orochimaru, before fleeing, still thought of taking Hyūga Kumokawa with him.
But Hiruzen didn't even glance. The rod in his hand extended, smashing down towards Orochimaru with devastating force.
THWACK!
Already drained of chakra from the transplant surgery, Orochimaru—lunging for Kumokawa—was instantly sent flying by the blow. He vomited a mouthful of thick, foul blood laced with organ fragments mid-air.
"Damn it! DAMN IT!!"
Orochimaru glared hatefully at the grim-faced Hiruzen below. He watched as the Hokage instantly appeared at Hyūga Kumokawa's side. He knew, then, that he couldn't take the boy with him this time.
Realizing this, though he loathed to accept it, Orochimaru forced himself to calm down.
"Earth Release: Earth Submergence!"
Using the momentum, Orochimaru swiftly formed seals mid-air. His feet hit the ceiling, and the solid stone beneath them turned fluid. His body sank into the earth like a fish diving into water.
"Lord Third!"
The two ANBU stepped forward, looking at Hiruzen, who was staring upward with a cold expression.
Hiruzen finally lowered his gaze, some of his rage subsiding. He glanced at Hyūga Kumokawa and ordered, "Take this child for medical treatment immediately. Ensure his survival at all costs."
"Yes, sir!" Without question, the two ANBU nodded, gathered Kumokawa, and vanished from the spot.
Meanwhile, deep underground, Orochimaru surged upwards as fast as he could, clutching his chest, his face deathly pale.
Not only was his chakra nearly depleted, but even at his peak, he stood no chance against Hiruzen in a direct fight.
All he could do now was expend every last ounce of strength to escape Konoha. Hyūga Kumokawa would have to remain with the village for now; plans to retrieve him could be made later. Crucially, he needed to ensure the boy stayed alive and kept his secrets.
The thought filled him with intense frustration.
How had things spiraled so completely out of control?
Right… it was all that damned brat's doing!
But could all of this really be that boy's scheme?
Had he been plotting for years, not just against him, but also ensnaring the old man? Was everything that happened today part of his design?
The brat was only fifteen! Was he some kind of monster?!
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Orochimaru burst through the earth's surface—and came face-to-face with a figure.
A figure with a standard ANBU mask, a short sword strapped to his back, and distinctive silver hair.
Hatake Kakashi.
"Chidori!"
Not a single word of preamble. Kakashi charged forward, the screeching lightning already in his hand. The sheer audacity almost made Orochimaru laugh in disbelief.
What was it with these kids? Did they all have a death wish?!
Just as murderous intent sparked within Orochimaru, an almost imperceptible sound reached his ears.
Fssst!
"What is this…"
Orochimaru looked down at his feet. A black cat darted away, glancing back at him one last time.
An unmistakably mocking, almost human expression was on its feline face.
But the most crucial detail was…
"A Byakugan?!"
Noticing the cat's white eye, Orochimaru's slitted pupils contracted violently.
The next instant, before he could react—
BOOM!!
The deafening blast of multiple explosive tags shattered the quiet night. The entire underground lab complex was torn apart by a terrifying force.
The flat ground caved in as if a mountain had collapsed. Flesh and debris were scattered and hurled into the air like bloody rain!
At the same time, in the opposite direction, the two ANBU leaping through the trees with their burden instinctively halted at the distant thunderous roar.
"Was that Lord Third…?" They turned towards the sound, hearts pounding with apprehension.
They didn't notice the faint, almost imperceptible smile that graced the face of the boy in their arms.
'Still held back in the end, did he?' Hyūga Kumokawa mused inwardly, amused. 'I hope Orochimaru enjoys my final gift.'
He hadn't expected Hiruzen's momentary rage to actually kill Orochimaru. Emotional recognition could never truly outweigh decades of master-student bonds.
Once Hiruzen fully calmed down, he might even regret striking so hard.
But it didn't matter.
Kumokawa's goal was to clear himself of suspicion. Whether Orochimaru lived or died was irrelevant.
Besides, a useful pawn like Orochimaru wasn't easy to come by. It would almost be a shame if he died before being fully exploited.
With this thought, Kumokawa glanced at the sky.
It was nearly 5 a.m. The first light of dawn already tinted the horizon.
The sun is both a setting sun and a rising sun at every moment. As it extinguishes itself, walking down the mountain to gather the desolate afterglow, it is simultaneously, on the other side, blazing as it climbs the peak to scatter its fierce morning radiance.
'Next… comes the Tenseigan,' Hyūga Kumokawa closed his eyes, a light laugh echoing in his mind. 'Heh. The Hyūga clan… the Caged Bird…
The empty appears solid, the solid appears empty. The strong feign weakness, the weak feign strength.
From today onward, the roles are reversed.'