Setting Out

Baiye walked toward the gathering point at the village entrance. As he passed the crowd seeing them off, his gaze swept over several familiar faces.

Might Guy stood with his father. Both wore the green bodysuits they never changed out of. When Guy saw Baiye, he gave him a thumbs-up from a distance, his teeth flashing in the morning light. Baiye raised his right hand and gave him a thumbs-up in return.

Kakashi stood at the edge of the crowd, his hands in his pockets and his silver hair covering half his face.

He looked at Baiye with a complicated expression. After that night at the dōjō, he had learned most of the truth, but had not approached Baiye to speak with him, in order to avoid suspicion.

Now, as he watched Baiye, his lips moved. But with so many people around, he ultimately said nothing, only giving Baiye a discreet nod.

A faint smile appeared on Baiye's lips. He was glad to see Kakashi being cautious; it also meant there were far fewer risks left by his somewhat hasty confession.

A few steps farther on, Baiye noticed that members of the Uchiha Clan were present too. They stood on the other side of the crowd, with a clear gap separating them from the Konoha villagers around them.

Maintaining public order was also within the Konoha Military Police Force's jurisdiction, but with this group gathered together, how did they intend to maintain order?

Shisui stood beside the clan head, Uchiha Fugaku. When he saw Baiye, he smiled and waved, prompting Fugaku to look over in the same direction and nod to Baiye as well.

It was hard to tell whether he actually knew something about Baiye or was simply being polite.

Baiye nodded back. But his attention was focused more on the child holding Fugaku's hand. Though only three or four years old, the boy had a calm expression and neither cried nor fussed, merely watching the adults around him with a pair of dark eyes.

That had to be Uchiha Itachi.

As if sensing Baiye's attention, Uchiha Itachi turned to look at him. Their eyes met for a moment before a noisy group of people came running over and blocked their view.

Judging by the Forehead Protectors on their heads, they were Genin who had already graduated from the Ninja Academy, but since they were only about Hayate's age, they probably weren't part of the reinforcements. They were presumably there to see their elders off.

A girl with short hair that curled slightly outward at the ends caught Baiye's eye.

Mitarashi Anko. Orochimaru had probably already taken her as his disciple by now.

Speaking of Orochimaru, Baiye recalled what had happened a few days earlier.

It had been evening. Baiye had left the hospital, but instead of going home, he had taken several small paths into the woods.

Before long, a low, slick voice had suddenly come from the shadow of an old tree beside the path.

"Baiye-kun."

Baiye had stopped and turned toward the depths of the tree's shadow. Orochimaru was leaning against the trunk with his arms crossed, his golden, vertical pupils glimmering in the dusk.

His signature smile played on his lips. He tilted his head toward the depths of the woods, then led the way inside.

Baiye had paused for two seconds before following.

Deep in the woods, Orochimaru stopped beneath an old tree. Shadows fell across his pale face, making his expression look even colder.

"Baiye-kun, you're far more composed than I imagined."

"What is it, Lord Orochimaru?"

"No need to be so distant." Orochimaru turned around, his golden, vertical pupils narrowing slightly. "I've been keeping an eye on you. I noticed you the night the Nine-Tails went on a rampage. Your Chakra is very special. It seems capable of acting directly on the soul... I've only ever seen that kind of power in you."

Baiye said nothing.

"You may not know this, but I've been researching the soul. The more I study it, the more fascinating its mysteries become... But recently, my research has run into a few difficulties, and your Chakra might be able to help me."

Orochimaru licked his lips and took half a step forward. "Would you like to help me? In exchange, I can make sure the Gekko Clan stays away from the most dangerous missions on the front lines. And I believe you'll gain a great deal from the process as well."

"I refuse."

Orochimaru's smile didn't disappear, but his eyes narrowed. "I also have some secret methods that are very helpful for improving the body's vitality... I've heard that users of Transparent Release don't live past thirty?"

"I'm not interested." Baiye looked straight into those golden, vertical pupils. "Secretly leaving a letter in my younger brother's room... I don't much like that way of inviting someone, and I don't want anything to do with a person like that."

Orochimaru's expression stiffened slightly. His smile slowly faded, making his vertical pupils look even more dangerous.

After a moment, he spoke again. "You seem a little too brave. Perhaps you think Tsunade can protect you forever? You should know I'm not the only one who's set his sights on you. An important figure is very interested in you."

"You mean Danzo?"

"Aren't you working with him, Lord Orochimaru? Or would you betray your partner for my sake?"

Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply. Shocked to hear the secret spoken aloud by someone who shouldn't have known it, he failed to regain his composure at once.

Killing intent arose beyond his control. Although he quickly suppressed it, it was all too obvious to Baiye's Reiatsu Detection.

Reiatsu burst forth in an instant, locking Orochimaru firmly in place. Orochimaru felt an invisible force pressing down on his entire body. His body stiffened for an instant under the unfamiliar pressure, and by the time he broke free, the tip of Baiye's blade was already at his throat.

It flowed along the blade, its edge only a paper's thickness from his skin.

"Are you trying to kill me, Lord Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru looked down at the blade tip against his throat, an indescribable glint flashing through his golden, vertical pupils. There was not a trace of fear, only an interest mixed with surprise and fanaticism.

"That's not the kind of strength a Chunin should have. What other secrets are you hiding?"

"Don't bother me again. Otherwise—"

"Otherwise you'll kill me? It seems you've underestimated me." Orochimaru licked his lips, a smile returning to his face. "Go ahead and thrust. See if you can kill me."

"I won't kill you." Baiye withdrew his blade and stepped back twice. "I'll go straight to the Third and report you for conducting human experiments on Konoha's ninja."

Orochimaru's expression froze again.

"You must be joking."

"Don't bother denying it. You have at least three hidden laboratories within ten kilometers of Konoha alone. Do you think I know exactly where they are?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes."

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

Baiye turned and walked out of the woods. There was silence behind him for a moment, followed by Orochimaru's low laughter.

Baiye pulled himself from his thoughts and drove Orochimaru's pale face from his mind. He reached the gathering point and reported to the Jonin leading the group.

The Jonin stood beside a carriage, his figure slender and his white eyes especially striking in the morning light.

Hizashi Hyuga. The younger brother of the Hyuga Clan's head.

A member of the branch family.

A man trapped by the Main Family system, who hated the Caged Bird Seal yet would one day take his own life to save the head of the Main Family. He was also Neji's father.

His face was calm, and there was none of the arrogance of a great clan's scion in his features, only a silence whose edges had been worn smooth by the years.

"Gekkō Byakuya, assigned to the Special Medical Unit." Baiye handed over his mission scroll.

Hizashi Hyuga took the scroll and glanced at it, his gaze pausing for a moment on the Tachi at Baiye's waist.

In this era, it was rare to see a ninja carrying such a large Tachi, let alone a medical-nin.

But he asked no further questions and simply nodded. "Join the group. We're leaving right away."

Baiye walked over to the carriage and put his medical pack aboard. He looked back one last time at Konoha behind him. Through the morning mist, Hokage Rock was no more than a blurred outline.

Before long, it was time.

They set out.