Beneath Konoha, within a hidden underground lab...
The air was cold and dim.
This was Orochimaru's lair. Right now, the serpent man stood behind a table.
The table was bare except for three glass bottles lined up in a row. Each was about palm-high, each bearing a unique label.
Though they appeared empty inside, each bottle was tightly sealed shut.
Orochimaru pulled down the triangular cloth covering his mouth and nose, then set the leftmost bottle apart from the rest.
"Hmm... This one is definitely the most difficult to handle. Its corrosive properties are too strong. It can practically only be labeled as 'useless substance'—it makes you wonder how its previous owner even survived..."
Yet of course, this couldn't truly be something useless. He could only store it for future research.
Plainly speaking, this probably represented some form of "chaos," as complex as Haseo's mind.
As he spoke, Orochimaru tucked away the glass bottle. Clearly, it exceeded his current knowledge and technical capacity, so it had to wait for later analysis—without question, this bottle bore the character Yu.
But this clearly had nothing to do with actual rainfall.
Although Orochimaru's behavior seemed slightly suicidal, it wasn't irrational. Actually, this was a perfectly normal outcome—if an extremely curious mad scientist got hold of particularly unique research material, there was no way he'd just sit on his hands.
Why would a ninja have five chakra natures coexist within him? Wasn't that an intriguing research topic?
Haseo naturally had no idea he was currently under study, nor could anyone speculate what kind of reaction or disciplinary measures he might take if he discovered such a thing.
"As for this one..." Orochimaru nudged the second bottle closer before picking up the third. "That's simply overwhelming power. Unlike that chaotic first one, this one cannot be utilized because its effects cannot be controlled—even slight contact results in complete assimilation. In theory, this is beyond my capabilities at present."
He slid the second bottle aside, then picked up the third.
"Thankfully there's the third sample—inhibition, balance, control. The power of the Ninja Sect buried deep within bloodlines is truly unimaginable. If only I hadn't returned her... Well, maybe I should've considered keeping her for myself."
Orochimaru uncorked the third glass bottle and dropped something indistinct inside. As he gently shook the bottle, half a bottle of clear liquid appeared—apparently some kind of medicine.
Then, silently crawling from Orochimaru's sleeve, the White Snake emerged. Raising its head, baring its fangs briefly, it slid its triangular head into the bottle's opening. With flickering tongue tasting in and out, the snake began drinking the medicinal liquid inside.
Once the White Snake finished consuming the entire dose, Orochimaru softly stroked its head, his eyes turning infinitely gentle.
Maybe this is what people mean when they talk about hidden gentleness behind strength...
Hmm, maybe that's not quite right.
In the end, it's simply... deeply emotional.
...
"Teacher Aruo, the experience on the battlefield left me feeling heavy. The gap between actual combat and training is beyond description... I even started doubting myself. Do I really have the talent to become a ninja?"
Nawaki had grown up in such sheltered comfort that he lacked real-world experience. But he wasn't truly foolish. So his trip to the Land of Rain ultimately allowed him to understand some important truths.
"Lord Nawaki, war will always change a person. The fact that you're capable of reflection and summarizing experiences itself gives meaning to your journey in the Land of Rain. But there's no need for doubt. You should focus on the future, not dwell on the present."
As Nawaki's personal tutor, naturally Master Aruo comforted him at this moment. Yet somehow, this didn't feel like mere consolation—because she genuinely held great confidence in Nawaki, far more than he had in himself.
Especially at times like these when Nawaki fell into self-doubt, Aruo's confidence was truly "invaluable."
Her words made sense—on paper. But the truth was, Aruo had never seen battle firsthand...
This was something Sansho fought hard to gain for the Senju clan. Yet recently, this right seemed to be losing its value.
"I understand, Master Aruo. I won't lose heart."
Aruo smiled gently and, just as she used to do when he was little, reached out to ruffle the back of Nawaki's head. "Lord Nawaki," she said, "as a commemoration and reward for your first combat mission upon returning from the battlefield, I've prepared a gift for you."
With that, she pulled out a scroll from behind her and handed it over to Nawaki.
"Master Aruo, what is this?"
"This is where the Senju clan's strength truly lies."
That remark instantly sparked Nawaki's curiosity. He tried opening the scroll right away, but after trying several times, he found that this thing simply wouldn't open.
Shaking her head slightly, Aruo replied, "Not yet. Only when the time is right will Lord Nawaki be able to open it."
"The right time?"
"Mm, when the right moment comes, you'll understand, Lord Nawaki."
...
In the underground base of Kagenami, inside Haseo's office.
The warning Yu gave him at New Year confused him, but he still filed it away in his thoughts.
However, he couldn't be sure if the one who sent that warning truly had good intentions. To be honest, someone who acted so secretive and evasive wasn't particularly trustworthy. Haseo was a ninja—he understood all too well the consequences of completely trusting another person.
Most likely, he'd get betrayed so hard he wouldn't even know his own name anymore.
Recently, Haseo changed his "secretary." Uzumaki Shikou had become increasingly occupied with Kagenami's operations and could no longer stay by Haseo's side all the time, so his secretary position was now filled by Uzumaki Yayoi.
Tsunade continued helping improve Yayoi's overall health. So far, things seemed to have improved significantly. Although Yayoi's hair remained its natural color, it had regained a healthy shine, no longer dry and lifeless like before.
Of course, although called a secretary, Yayoi's mentality was still at the level of someone under ten years old and thus couldn't really offer any assistance—in reality, placing her here was merely a way for Haseo to have someone help take care of the child.
This kind of mental growth could only be gradually compensated by time itself.
Right now, there were four people in Haseo's office, including himself, Shikou, Yayoi, and the "diaper-clad ninja," Kakashi.
Even though this place seemed like a children's playground, unusually, Haseo was currently assigning very formal tasks to Shikou.
"In conclusion, you should fully understand my meaning by now: First, all Uzumaki ninja will be integrated into Shadowcurrent. Second, the total number of ninja within Shadowcurrent must be reduced and capped at no more than sixty."
"I understand, Lord Haseo. But why make this decision? At present, the village's Uzumaki ninja number over one hundred, so your order means approximately forty percent of them will be retired... I must at least have sufficient reasoning for action."
Haseo's sudden decision left Uzumaki Shikou somewhat puzzled.
"One reason is to improve the quality of Shadowcurrent's ninja force, while the other is to reduce the casualty rate among Uzumaki ninja... As for why I made this decision, you can imagine the situation Konoha will face when the next Great Ninja War arrives—the next war is coming—inevitably."
Haseo explained briefly, and Shikou would grasp his meaning.
In the First Great Ninja War, Konoha stood among the victors. In the second, though no clear victory emerged, Konoha still made its mark.
Konoha remained the strongest among all Ninja Villages. Whether aiming to suppress Konoha or seeking revenge, the external pressure Konoha would face during the upcoming war was predictable.
It would undoubtedly be an especially brutal conflict, with the most likely scenario being Konoha facing off against the other four Great Ninja Villages alone.
"...Lord Haseo."
Just thinking about it made Shikou's breath hitch involuntarily.
"You get it, right? Start carrying it out step by step. The reason I provided obviously cannot be stated outright—provide reasonable explanations both to our ninja below and to the village above. As for how to explain it appropriately, that's something for you to figure out yourself, Shikou."
Shikou fell silent for a moment before finally nodding, then hurriedly exited Haseo's office... she would ultimately agree with Haseo's approach. Although what happened to Yayoi was just a small incident, it would seriously influence Shikou's judgment.
As the clan leader of the Uzumaki Clan residing in Konoha, naturally she balanced the interests of the village, yet protecting her clanspeople remained her responsibility as well... the Uzumaki had never been ostentatious, and the Yayoi Incident would only make them more cautious and withdrawn than before.
Fortunately, Uzumaki ninja were not deployed as frontline combatants—they were better suited for supporting roles—thus Shikou could always find reasonable explanations for the village... it's a gradual phase-out, not an immediate dismissal.
After sending Shikou away, Haseo gestured for Kakashi to come over and then kindly ruffled the boy's full head of white hair.
"Don't go to the bathroom on me."
Haseo was genuinely scared—this kid could be rough on clothes, so he gave that instruction immediately.
"Yes, Lord Haseo."
Look at what those Hatake parents have done—this kid has become overly familiar with me. He doesn't even address Haseo as "Father" anymore. Still, it wasn't that big of a deal.
"Kakashi, do you like small animals? Like foxes, for example?"
"Fox? What exactly is a fox?"
"I've never seen one either, but I like them," Kakashi replied with wide-eyed innocence.
Give me a break, kids and their unshakable logic. How can you say you like something when you don't even know what it is? Is it because of *SAO*?
"Great. I happen to have a stockpile of foxes here I can't seem to get rid of. Train hard, and maybe you can take one home.
[Blue Buff]—I think you'll definitely need it… though I wonder if your little body can handle something that strong.
Listen, Kakashi—let me tell you something. Never become the kind of ninja who talks big theory but fumbles in practice. That's real low-level stuff. You must work hard and strive to become the absolute best ninja when you grow up, silencing all doubters."
Kakashi blinked, trying to understand everything Haseo had just said. After thinking about it again and again, he finally responded with one simple sentence: "Okay, Father, I understand."
Hmm, Haseo had corrected him again.
"Oh, then tell me—what exactly do you understand?"
"...Well, Father is doing all this for my own good."
Look at this kid—smart and perceptive. Clearly, he has far greater potential than he did before.
Read at: Shuketu Novel Site
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>