The mission this time was deliberately chosen by Shimizu Uchiha, with the objective of gathering intelligence around the orphanage.
He proposed assisting with medical treatment for ninja near the orphanage to check if any enemy shinobi had infiltrated. Meanwhile, the others were tasked with gathering information from the nearby villagers.
That day, the children at the orphanage were, as always, helping out to the best of their abilities. Few of them knew medical ninjutsu; most were tasked with menial chores like fetching supplies or cleaning.
"Kabuto, can you still keep healing?" Yakushi Nonō asked, noticing the strain on Kabuto's face and urging him to rest.
"No problem, Director!" Kabuto replied immediately, insisting he could continue.
"Even though it's for the orphanage, we're stuck treating these ninja for ten hours a day, and they barely pay the Director anything for it," Urushi grumbled. He saw his exhausted companions, worn out from the sheer number of ninja they had to tend to. And to top it off, the pay was meager.
"Money doesn't come to those who do nothing," Kabuto said calmly, showing restraint. "Urushi, could you grab some bandages?"
"Fine…" Urushi muttered, turning to fetch them.
Orochimaru watched the exchange between the two children with keen interest, particularly noting Kabuto's medical ninjutsu. It reminded him of someone—a man who had repeatedly rejected his offers: Uchiha Shimizu.
Shimizu's talent in medical ninjutsu was extraordinary, and while this boy wasn't on his level, Kabuto far surpassed the average shinobi. Orochimaru's throat bobbed as he rasped, "You're not a ninja, but your medical ninjutsu is quite skilled…"
"The Director taught me," Kabuto replied.
"Your name's… Kabuto, right? Have you ever thought about becoming a ninja? I think you'd make an excellent one," Orochimaru said, his tone laced with persuasion. He added, "I'm certain of it."
"I don't have any plans for that. I just want to earn some money for the orphanage and stay here to help the Director. She's been so good to me, and I haven't even given her a proper gift—just these glasses," Kabuto said earnestly.
"Is that so? That's… quite a pity," Orochimaru replied, his tongue—twice as long as a normal person's—flicking across his lips. Was his charm really that lacking? Why did everyone he invited turn him down?
As Orochimaru pondered whether to soften his image, a familiar figure lifted the tent flap.
"Lord Orochimaru, what a coincidence," Shimizu said, feigning surprise as he spotted Orochimaru.
"Heh, quite the coincidence indeed," Orochimaru replied, his eyes gleaming with unmasked admiration. He could sense Shimizu's progress in the realm of life sciences; the chakra radiating from him suggested he was training in some unknown taijutsu. The sheer volume of Shimizu's chakra was astonishing, even to Orochimaru. It wasn't typical of the Uchiha clan—more akin to the Uzumaki clan's vast reserves. Given Shimizu's previous growth rate, such a rapid increase in chakra was impossible unless… he'd experimented on himself. Shimizu was the product of his own experiments.
"Shimizu-kun, have you considered becoming my assistant? I'm sincerely inviting you," Orochimaru said, his gaze burning with intensity.
"Not at the moment. Let's discuss this after the war," Shimizu replied, shaking his head. The simulator had already shown him the outcome of joining Orochimaru: a path leading to Orochimaru coveting the Sharingan. Shimizu's interest in Orochimaru was much like Orochimaru's obsession with Itachi—only tempered because Orochimaru knew he couldn't defeat Itachi, so he settled for Sasuke instead.
"…Heh, Shimizu-kun, as ruthless as ever," Orochimaru said, his golden slit-pupiled eyes fixed on Shimizu. The unattainable always stirred his restlessness.
After Orochimaru left, Shimizu continued treating patients as usual. Kabuto's eyes darted around, searching for Nonō. "Strange, the Director should be here by now," he muttered to himself.
Unbeknownst to him, a negotiation was unfolding elsewhere.
"The so-called 'Wandering Miko,' now reduced to looking after orphans," Shimura Danzō said, his tone dripping with mockery. As the leader of Root, he knew all too well Nonō's ruthless past, her hands stained with blood and haunted by countless souls. Yet now, she'd washed her hands of it all, doing a complete reversal to care for displaced children?
"It's been a while, Nonō. You're looking… worn," Danzō said, emphasizing the last words as he rubbed his thumb against his chin.
Nonō instinctively wanted to retort that she no longer used that name. But Shimizu's words flashed through her mind: "It's just a name, isn't it? Nonō-nee will always be the Nonō-nee in my heart." A faint smile curved her lips, and, unusually, she didn't argue back.
"Hmph," Danzō snorted, misinterpreting her smile as disdain for her former leader. "Don't you want funding anymore?"
"We've already discussed the aid with Konoha…" Nonō began, a sense of unease rising at Danzō's words. Danzō was a despicable man, capable of anything.
"The former elite of the Intelligence Division, now so naive after leaving Root," Danzō sneered. "We're not here just for the aid."
Before he could continue, Aburame Ryōma, standing to Danzō's right, interjected, "We've learned that Iwagakure is planning a large-scale operation that could shift the war's tide. If the intelligence is accurate, we need you to investigate when and where this plan will unfold and what it entails. It'll likely be a long-term mission."
Silence fell over the wooden room. Danzō, Ryōma, and Orochimaru waited for Nonō's response. She didn't hesitate long before saying, "You've got the wrong person. I've already—"
"You don't understand! To the orphanage and the kids, the Director is everything! She's poured her heart into securing funds to keep this place running!" an elderly, bespectacled man shouted. The Director had fought tooth and nail to protect the orphanage, and these people were going too far.
A stout nun also stepped forward. "Such a dangerous mission… why can't Root handle it? Why does it have to be the Director?"
Danzō, growing impatient, cut them off. "No one but the Wandering Miko can handle this long-term mission. Root doesn't have anyone who can match her skill in espionage. Ordinary people would break and defect, but I know she'd never betray Konoha."
"If you refuse, the orphanage can kiss its funding goodbye," Danzō said, delivering his ultimatum.
"That's outrageous! We've already settled this with the Third Hokage—he'd never allow this!" the elderly man protested.
Ryōma and Orochimaru exchanged cold smirks, piling on the pressure. "This orphanage seems like an easy target for thieves. You might want to hire a guard—assuming you can afford one," Ryōma said. "And be careful. Children with unknown origins can be… useful."
"What!?" The nun and the old man were stunned by their shamelessness.
"As long as it protects Konoha, nothing is off-limits," Danzō said coldly.
As the argument escalated, Kabuto, unnoticed, stood behind the door, eavesdropping. His fists clenched tightly.
Knock, knock…
A sudden knock interrupted the conversation. Shimizu pushed the door open and stepped inside, feigning surprise. "Lord Orochimaru, Lord Danzō, you're all here. Oh, and… someone in a hat I don't recognize," he said, politely acknowledging everyone.
Danzō's brow furrowed. Uchiha Shimizu? What's he doing here?
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with curiosity, eager to see what Shimizu was up to.
"Uchiha Shimizu, this isn't your place," Danzō said, issuing a dismissal. The Third Hokage kept Shimizu close, refusing to let Danzō train him, making Shimizu an obstacle in Danzō's eyes.
"Lord Danzō, Nonō-nee left Root. Don't you think this is going too far?" Shimizu said calmly, locking eyes with Danzō.
He wasn't intimidated by the old dog. At this point, Danzō's strength was roughly that of an elite Jōnin, maybe a weak Kage-level at best. He was aging, his reflexes slowing from years of inactivity. Without Hashirama's arm, a stockpile of Sharingan, or Shisui's Mangekyō, this was Danzō at his weakest—neither the battle-hardened youth who fought alongside the Second Hokage nor the future wielder of Sharingan and Senju powers. Just an old man on the decline.
Shimizu's chakra reserves were four times that of an adult Kakashi, rivaling Naruto's without the Nine-Tails. Such endurance was formidable, and combined with his Sharingan, Byakugan, and mastery of advanced ninjutsu, Shimizu's strength was already brushing the edge of weak Kage-level. The only thing holding him back was his lack of real combat experience, having only fought one-sided battles.
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