"I can't agree to that request."
Qianyu shook his head.
Under Orochimaru's disappointed gaze, he continued, "But I believe there is one piece of information that will definitely interest you."
No flicker of interest appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.
Aside from Itachi Uchiha and Tsukimi Qianyu himself, nothing could pique his interest right now.
Qianyu had anticipated this reaction. But he was certain Orochimaru's attitude would change soon.
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a mysterious whisper. "The moon."
Orochimaru's previously bored expression shifted. Two flames ignited in his eyes.
He swallowed. His hands trembled with excitement.
A long silence.
The forest returned to stillness.
Qianyu asked again, "The choice is yours, Orochimaru. Will you stay?"
A hoarse laugh scraped from Orochimaru's throat. "With the greatest pleasure."
The laboratory was funded by Qianyu, though the funds were, of course, diverted from the village treasury. Built outside Konoha, hidden and secure. Near a river, surrounded by serene nature.
The lab itself was bright, spacious, filled with every conceivable piece of equipment.
"Well?" Qianyu asked. Many of the tools had been imported from the Land of Lightning.
Orochimaru nodded, satisfied. These conditions were indeed far superior to the dark, damp labs of Amegakure. The Land of Fire's natural environment was better than the Land of Rain's. Even the funding was more abundant.
Qianyu knew this, of course.
Kakuzu controlled the Akatsuki's finances. The man was notoriously stingy. Orochimaru had paid for his own labs out of pocket back then. And as a rogue ninja, certain things weren't as convenient for him to arrange. Comparing his old conditions in Ame to this place in Konoha? It was night and day.
As the cold, heavy laboratory door sealed shut, Qianyu felt a weight lift. He wasn't worried about anyone discovering Orochimaru. The information he'd just revealed should keep the man busy inside that lab for a very, very long time.
Knowing Orochimaru's personality, he probably wouldn't set foot outside until he had results.
With the Orochimaru situation handled, Qianyu returned to the village.
He happened to run into a medical ninja who had been looking for him.
"Lord Hokage!" The medic's eyes lit up. He pushed through the crowded street to reach Qianyu.
Seeing the man's sweaty face, Qianyu asked, "What's happened?"
The medic nodded rapidly. "Uchiha Shisui and the others have woken up!"
Their awakening meant new intel on the Akatsuki.
Qianyu nodded. His form vanished on the spot.
When Qianyu reappeared at the hospital, Nara Sōsai was already there with a scribe.
"Lord Hokage." Sōsai approached. He'd been waiting.
Qianyu nodded and headed for the patient rooms. Before they even reached the door, voices spilled into the hallway.
"Hahahaha!"
"Gods, that's hilarious!"
"I can't believe I'm not dead!"
"Those bastards! Next time we meet, I'm gonna kill them all!"
"Masako, maybe you should get down first?"
"Masako's energy is certainly back!"
"Hmph! Uchiha Juri! I thought you were dead too back then!"
"What? Did you cry?"
"Who the hell cried? Why would I cry over you?"
Uchiha Masako's tsundere-tinged voice pierced the door.
Qianyu and Sōsai exchanged a raised eyebrow outside.
"Sounds like they're recovering well," Qianyu noted. The voice was full of vigor.
He pushed the door open.
He'd expected Masako to be in good spirits. He hadn't expected her to be this… spirited.
Standing on the hospital bed in her white-striped patient gown, Uchiha Masako had one hand on her hip, the other pointing at the ceiling, her expression wildly triumphant.
Uchiha Juri wasn't much better. Wearing the same gown, he sat on his own bed with one leg crossed over the other, a look of utter disdain on his face.
In short, they were a matching pair of idiots.
Qianyu's eyes moved to the bed at the far end of the room. Shisui sat quietly propped against his pillows, a small, amused smile on his lips as he watched the other two.
At least one person was normal.
"Lord Hokage." Shisui was the first to see him. His eyes brightened, his smile widening.
Juri stiffened. He immediately uncrossed his legs.
Masako, frozen in her pose, gulped. Slowly, with exaggerated grace, she sat back down on her bed.
"Ahem. Lord Hokage." Masako wished the floor would swallow her. Why? Why did he have to see her like that?
Her face burned crimson.
Juri also regretted his life choices. He shot a glance at the perfectly composed Shisui, his expression involuntarily twisting. Damn that Uchiha Shisui! Devious! Scheming! He piled every malicious adjective he knew onto the other boy.
"All healed up?" Qianyu walked to the space between their beds.
Nara Sōsai brought over a chair for him. Qianyu sat, giving Sōsai a glance. Sōsai offered a polite, professional smile in return.
Truly, Konoha's number one workplace professional, Qianyu thought, impressed.
"Yes, they were just minor injuries. Sorry to trouble you, Lord Hokage," Masako said, glancing at Qianyu before shyly biting her lower lip and looking away.
"…"
Why did that gesture seem so familiar?
"That's the 'Lin Daiyu' move," the System piped up, having recently browsed Dream of the Red Chamber for its knowledge base. "That was exactly how Lin Daiyu looked at Jia Baoyu."
Having fought alongside Masako, Qianyu found the sudden demureness a bit hard to stomach. One minute she was cursing like a sailor, the next she was acting like a delicate flower.
Qianyu turned to Shisui. "Are you sure everyone is fully recovered?" He needed to show proper concern first. Jumping straight to the intel would seem too cold.
Shisui nodded and took the initiative. "We're fine. The priority now is the intel."
"There were three attackers. One was the masked man you already know. The other two were…" Shisui concisely described Hidan and Kakuzu's appearances, combat characteristics, and even accurately summarized their personalities.
The scribe behind Qianyu took notes like a man possessed, his pen flying across the page.
Shisui glanced at Qianyu, suppressing the confusion in his heart. Given the masked man's power level, they shouldn't have survived. He was certain Juri had stopped breathing. He himself had truly crossed into death.
So why were they alive? Did the masked man spare them? He couldn't think of any other reason.
But why would he spare them? Because of Qianyu?
A torrent of questions swirled in Shisui's mind. And why hadn't his Kotoamatsukami worked on that masked man?
After gathering intel from Shisui's group, Qianyu and the others went to Itachi Uchiha's room.
Itachi was awake and had been moved from the Naka Shrine back to the hospital.
He clearly described Sasori's characteristics. As for Orochimaru, everyone in the village was familiar with him. No need for Itachi to elaborate.
Armed with the new intelligence, Nara Sōsai felt a headache coming on.
"Ah. All S-rank rogue ninjas." The situation was worse than he'd imagined.
Qianyu's next words made his head throb harder. "There are likely even more powerful individuals who haven't revealed themselves yet."
"…Ah." Sōsai successfully pinched the bridge of his nose. He could already foresee the endless work piling up ahead.
"Sōsai, for the upcoming liaison with the other Kage, I need you to go personally," Qianyu instructed.
The intel gathered by the village, of course, needed to be shared. The Five Great Nations alliance was built on a foundation of intelligence exchange. Naturally, Qianyu had also leveraged this alliance to secure quite a few advantages.
Using the pretext of "technical exchange," he'd poached several research talents from Kumogakure. The Seven Ninja Swords of Kiri had also been returned.
The very day they were returned, Samehada was snatched by Kisame.
It nearly gave Mei Terumi an aneurysm.
This was precisely why Qianyu had returned them voluntarily. Everyone knew the swords were in his possession. If even one ended up elsewhere, it would invite suspicion and criticism.
Returning them to Mei was different. Kisame stole them himself. It had nothing to do with Qianyu. It was Kirigakure's own failure to protect its treasures.
In the following days, Qianyu visited Orochimaru's lab periodically to check on the progress.
Of course, Orochimaru didn't need any urging.
He was more motivated than anyone.
The Moon. A brand new, unexplored, legendary map.
Who wouldn't be excited?
Orochimaru spent every day in a state of feverish excitement.
After just a year and a half apart, the dark markings under Orochimaru's eyes had deepened. But his vertical pupils shone with an intense light.
"When will you bring Neji here for me to see?" Orochimaru's gaze was scalding.
Qianyu looked at him, silent.
Orochimaru understood. He smiled. "Just to look. I won't lay a finger on him."
After all, Hyuga Neji was Qianyu's student. He knew the boundaries. If he actually touched Neji, he was sure Tsukimi Qianyu would strike without hesitation.
More importantly, he had no intention of harming Neji. He was just… curious. Curious about how far the Byakugan's bloodline could evolve. Could it truly reach the astonishing level Qianyu had hinted at?
Qianyu continued to watch him in silence.
Orochimaru sighed in mock defeat. "Before we go to the Moon, shouldn't I gain a proper understanding of the Byakugan? To better achieve your goal?"
Qianyu nodded. "Don't leave anything… strange on Neji."
A dark glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. His lips curled. He didn't respond.
Qianyu chuckled softly, his own eyes turning cold. "You should know there's nothing that can escape my perception."
"Is that a threat?" Orochimaru gave a sinister smile.
"No. It's a reminder. A friendly one. We're good partners at this stage, aren't we?" Qianyu looked at him once more, then vanished from the lab.
In the empty laboratory, Orochimaru tilted his head, a wry smile appearing on his face.
Alright. He admitted it. When he first heard the news, he had entertained some… improper ideas.
Of course, he'd abandoned those notions now. Exploring more of this world's secrets alongside Tsukimi Qianyu was far more appealing than clinging to a single tree.
He had a premonition. Tsukimi Qianyu would bring him even greater surprises.
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