Chapter 77: You Can't Touch Immortality Unless You're a Cheater
When Tsunade and the others finally cornered Hiruzen Sarutobi and laid the evidence before him, he knew his flimsy excuses had crumbled.
Truthfully, Hiruzen hadn't expected the ruse to last long. Uchiha Kou practically wore a sign that read, 'I am abnormal. Please suspect me.' The killing intent that clung to her was thicker than that of any Anbu who spent their days on bloody assassination missions. The chilling detachment in her eyes surpassed even that of the veterans in the Interrogation Department, men who performed inhumane procedures on enemy spies as a matter of routine.
His three disciples were sharp. Orochimaru was brilliant, Tsunade was exceptionally talented, and Jiraiya was a shameless peeper... Well, regardless, he knew that if they spent enough time with Kou, they were bound to sense that something was deeply wrong.
Now, all three of them were blocking his front door, demanding answers with sound reasoning.
"We're teammates," Tsunade had argued, her arms crossed. "If we don't understand each other, how can we possibly fight as one? We'll face a crisis we can't handle on a dangerous mission."
"And if Sarutobi-sensei won't tell us what's going on," Jiraiya added, "we'll just go to the Fourth Hokage and ask why Kou calls you 'Sandaime'."
That little brat Tsunade had even resorted to threats.
The entire situation was already giving Hiruzen a splitting headache. With a sigh of resignation, he led the three young shinobi to see the Fourth Hokage—who had been pointedly avoiding him lately—in a desperate attempt to have Kou removed from his team.
"And that's the situation," Hiruzen concluded, standing before the Hokage's desk. "Her personality flaws are too pronounced; she can't even maintain the facade. They've seen through it. The infiltration mission is a failure. My apologies, Stelle."
Transfer her out, now, he pleaded silently. Throw her to Sakumo's team. If this keeps up, I'll end up wanting to run away from the village just like Danzo.
He still had a book to write, after all.
Stelle's Shadow Clone, seated behind the Hokage's desk, was grading documents with such speed that she seemed to be radiating irritation. This was supposed to be the main body's task, but the original had pawned it off on her, making her tone incredibly sharp.
"Then tell them the truth and have them treat it as an S-rank mission. The security clearance will be equivalent to S-rank."
'So she still can't be transferred?''Why does she have to stick to my squad?'
Hiruzen let out a weary sigh, feeling as though he were aging prematurely. He wasn't even married yet, so why was he already so mentally exhausted?
Soon after, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru learned the "truth." A ninja traveling from a parallel dimension—the revelation was explosive enough on its own. But what truly shocked the trio were the implications of what Uchiha Kou had told them before.
"So, in her world, Root really exists?" Tsunade's voice was a horrified whisper. "And all those things Kou said... they actually happened?"
As the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the veritable princess of the Senju clan, Tsunade had grown up wanting for nothing. She had never been exposed to such darkness. The young kunoichi simply couldn't fathom such a horrific method of training shinobi.
"How is that even possible?"
Jiraiya's worldview was even more shattered. "So she really did kill her fellow trainees? And even... even the one who was like an older brother to her? That's... that's too cruel for someone her age."
Orochimaru took out his small notebook, his expression grim. He neatly crossed out the words 'person from the future' and wrote down the new intelligence: Uchiha from a parallel dimension. Trained as a tool.
He paused, his brow furrowing, then scratched out the last part. Referring to a teammate as a 'tool' felt wrong.
"From this moment on, you will undertake a long-term, S-rank mission," the Shadow Clone Hokage declared with grave earnestness. "Your objective is to help Uchiha Kou change her personality. You will continue until the mission is accomplished."
Go on, go on, the clone thought with grim satisfaction. The original will take good care of them. She won't hesitate to twist the knife when the time is right.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Jiraiya raised a fist, as if making a solemn vow. "We will definitely complete the mission!"
He couldn't let a teammate sink into darkness. He would pull her out of it, no matter what it took.
Stelle quickly noticed the shift in how Tsunade and the others treated her now that they "knew the truth."
Before, the three of them had worked with perfect chemistry while she remained an outsider, watching from the sidelines. They had even tacitly avoided her, whispering about her behind her back all day.
Now, no matter what they did, Tsunade insisted on dragging her along.
They trained together, and Tsunade wouldn't let her slack off for a second. Jiraiya even tried to get her to help with his combat training, and she didn't hold back, chasing him around the training ground with a drawn sword.
After training, they would insist she join them for a meal. Sometimes, Tsunade would even take her on picnics.
Maintaining her persona as an unfeeling tool, Stelle ate the bento Tsunade had brought from the Senju compound. She was surprised to find that the Senju family's chef was excellent. The flavors were exactly to her liking—far better than anything the Uchiha cooks prepared.
"Kou, don't eat so fast," Tsunade said gently, pressing a hand on Stelle's to stop her from continuously stuffing food into her mouth. "You should eat slowly."
"Why?" Stelle asked, her expression blank.
"Because food is meant to be enjoyed! It's a rare moment of leisure. We're basking in the sun, feeling the gentle breeze, and slowly chewing delicious food. Don't you think that's enjoyable?"
Stelle tried to slow down but gave up after only a few seconds. "If I do not eat my fill quickly, I will die if danger arises and my physical strength cannot keep up."
"But we're in Konoha right now," Tsunade reasoned patiently. "There's no danger at all."
Jiraiya gave a thumbs-up and pointed at himself, his teeth gleaming in a grin. "If there's danger, I'll protect you! We're teammates—people who can trust each other with their lives. You just need to leave your back to me."
"Protect me?"
Stelle repeated the phrase. It seemed to be a concept she had never encountered before, and her thoughts felt muddled.
"Why protect me?"
"Like I said, we're teammates," Jiraiya declared, crossing his arms coolly as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "This is the bond between us."
Stelle appeared stunned by his words, standing there with a vacant expression. "Can I... really have teammates like this?"
She lowered her head and seemed to think for a long time, then suddenly looked up. "No. Lord Jiraiya cannot defeat me yet. I should be the one protecting you."
Jiraiya's face turned beet red. "I've been training hard! I've learned Water Surface Walking, and I've even learned a very powerful jutsu!"
Stelle tilted her head. "When I passed the hot springs yesterday, I did observe you using a special Concealment Technique to hide under a large tree. It would be difficult to notice if one was not paying close attention."
"Right? Right? I told you I'm amazing!" Jiraiya was so flattered he was practically wagging his tail, completely oblivious to the approaching danger until Tsunade's massive fist slammed into the top of his head.
"I told you not to do such weird things!"
Jiraiya crumpled to the ground, begging for mercy in a panic. "I was just doing research! Just research... Ah!"
Meanwhile, Orochimaru began his daily routine of fishing for information. "Kou, you always address us with 'Lord'and'Lady.' Is it because our future achievements are very high?"
Stelle nodded. "Lady Tsunade will become a great Medical Ninja and apply a policy of assigning one medical specialist to every three-man squad, greatly reducing the casualty rate of the village's shinobi."
"Lord Orochimaru will immerse himself in scientific research, creating many inventions that make life convenient. You will earn everyone's love and respect."
'Scientific research!'
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. Before he went down the path of serpentine self-modification, he was still a handsome young man, and when he looked at someone with such burning intensity, it was enough to make one's heart race.
Stelle truly didn't understand why he would eventually turn himself into such a monster through his experiments. She and Tobirama also conducted research, but they always stayed within the bounds of normalcy.
As expected, one shouldn't touch the concept of immortality unless they were a cheater.
"What kind of research?" he pressed, leaning closer. "Does it include the cars and trains you mentioned before? Tell me more."
Jiraiya, having already scrambled back to his feet, interrupted their conversation and squeezed in front of Stelle. "What about me? What are my achievements?"
"Lord Jiraiya becomes a famous author," Stelle stated flatly. "You have written many works that are deeply loved by the male shinobi of Konoha."
"That's amazing!" Jiraiya's face flushed with pride, his expression full of expectation. "What kind of works did I write?"
Looking at his self-satisfied grin, Stelle decided to have a little fun.
"While apprehending an enemy spy, I once confiscated some of your works from them. Upon investigation, they were stories about battles between unclothed women and unclothed men. It is just that the women were too weak and could not defeat the men."
The moment the words left her mouth, Tsunade's face darkened. The look of disgust on Orochimaru's face was impossible to hide—it was pure, unadulterated revulsion.
Sensing the sudden, dangerous shift in the atmosphere, Jiraiya turned and bolted. But Tsunade was faster, immediately giving chase.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A venomous snake shot out from Orochimaru's sleeve, coiling around Jiraiya's ankle. With a forceful tug, Jiraiya fell face-first into the dirt.
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