Sound Four

The rock wall exploded, revealing a deep passage leading underground.

Just as I thought.

Looking at the passage before him, Ye Wuyue confirmed his suspicion. This cave was very shallow; even before noon, sunlight could reach halfway inside. At the right time, it should have been enough to illuminate the entire cave floor. Combined with the slight dampness inside and the constant dripping water from the rock walls on both sides, it was impossible for no plants to grow here.

The only explanation was frequent human activity.

There should have been a switch somewhere to open the rock wall ahead, but Ye Wuyue could not be bothered to look for it.

Seeing that Ye Wuyue had noticed the inconsistency himself, Itachi nodded approvingly.

The two entered the underground tunnel. The initial stretch was pitch-black, but after walking for a while, they saw firelight. Torches had been mounted along both sides of the tunnel.

As they walked, Itachi suddenly stopped.

"Someone's ahead." Itachi stared ahead without moving. Unless Ye Wuyue encountered something he could not handle himself, Itachi would not intervene.

Ye Wuyue also heard footsteps coming from beyond the corner ahead.

He drew his Zanpakuto and watched the front warily as a humanoid monster emerged from around the corner.

"Roar!!!"

A failed Cursed Seal transformation experiment?

Ye Wuyue immediately recognized the monster's origin and relaxed. These creatures had originally been ordinary people; after becoming like this, they only possessed strength around that of a Genin.

"How pitiful. Let me send you on your way."

There was no possibility of restoring monsters transformed by Cursed Seals, so Ye Wuyue naturally intended to kill it.

The monster roared and charged at Ye Wuyue at high speed.

In an instant, Ye Wuyue appeared behind it, blood already staining his Zanpakuto. He flicked the blood from the blade, and the monster behind him slowly collapsed to the ground.

Itachi stepped forward and examined the dead monster.

"Is someone conducting human experiments here?" Looking at the creature before him, Itachi felt that this mission had become even more complicated.

Ye Wuyue had not told Itachi about Orochimaru yet, so Itachi did not know what these things were.

After taking out a sealing scroll and sealing the corpse on the ground, the two continued deeper into the tunnel.

After turning the corner, the tunnel suddenly opened up, much wider than the previous section. Numerous cells had been embedded into the rock walls on both sides, and many Cursed Seal-transformed monsters guarded the entrances. Upon seeing Ye Wuyue and Itachi, the monsters roared in unison and charged at them.

Unhurried, Ye Wuyue raised his Zanpakuto.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"

The Zanpakuto in his hand instantly transformed into thousands of tiny blades. Ye Wuyue pointed the hilt forward, and the countless blades surged toward the Cursed Seal-transformed monsters. Moments later, not a single one of them remained standing.

Ye Wuyue did not hide his strength from Itachi, because he knew that even if Itachi learned of it, he would help keep it secret. Itachi had already known that the sword in his hand was unusual on the day Uchiha Setsuna had tried to assassinate him when he was six, yet he had never told anyone.

After dealing with the Cursed Seal-transformed monsters, Ye Wuyue checked the cells. As expected, many children were imprisoned inside, though most of them had fallen unconscious.

"Ni-san, get these children out first. I'll go check ahead."

After slicing open the cell locks with his Zanpakuto, Ye Wuyue spoke to Itachi.

The dense Spiritual Pressure he had sensed when using Tracking the Sparrow had come from here, but he had also sensed considerable Spiritual Pressure farther ahead. He intended to investigate further.

"Mm. Be careful." Itachi nodded, then used the Shadow Clone Technique and began carrying the children from the cells out of the underground chamber.

Ye Wuyue gripped his Zanpakuto and continued running forward.

"Hmph! So a filthy rat really did sneak in!"

After advancing for another four or five minutes, a deep female voice suddenly came from beside Ye Wuyue. Then, a door abruptly opened in the rock wall at his side. A red-haired woman holding a flute stood behind it. Behind her appeared to be a laboratory, filled with large jars and various experimental equipment.

Ye Wuyue recognized her. Tayuya, one of the Sound Four.

"Die, filthy rat! Final Movement, Chapter Nine: Chaos of the Demon Realm!"

Tayuya did not waste words. She immediately played her flute, and a melody rang out. Three transparent, mouth-covered worm-like creatures emerged from the sound and lunged at Ye Wuyue.

"Bakudo #39: Circular Shield!"

A circular protective barrier appeared before Ye Wuyue, blocking the attacks of the three worm-like creatures.

"Hey, hey, I only came to discuss something with your master, Orochimaru. Was there really any need to attack me on sight?" Ye Wuyue said as he looked at Tayuya.

However, Tayuya did not believe him. Instead, the killing intent in her eyes grew even stronger.

"You know about Lord Orochimaru? Then I definitely can't let you live! Demon Flute: Illusory Sound Chains!"

Black markings began to appear across Tayuya's body. The probing attack just now had shown her how powerful Ye Wuyue was. He had used a ninjutsu without hand seals so casually, putting pressure on her. Thus, she immediately activated Cursed Seal Level 1.

The flute sounded, yet nothing happened.

"Looks like you chose the wrong method of attack. Since you refuse to cooperate, stay quiet for a while." Ye Wuyue guessed that Tayuya had just used a genjutsu.

"Carriage of thunder, gap of a spinning wheel, this thing has light, divide into six! Bakudo #61: Six Rods Prison of Light!"

Six yellow beams suddenly appeared and pierced into Tayuya's body. Still confused over why her genjutsu had failed, Tayuya instantly lost the ability to move.

"Damn it! Who the hell are you?"

Tayuya tried, but she could not break free from the six beams restraining her. She could not even use the Substitution Technique.

"I told you already. I came to make a deal with Orochimaru, but you don't seem willing to believe me."

Ye Wuyue spread his hands helplessly.

"Who would believe a Konoha ninja saying something like that? Since you refuse to talk, then keep your mouth shut forever!"

Everyone in the ninja world knew that Orochimaru was a rogue ninja of Konoha. Tayuya refused to believe Ye Wuyue's words. The black markings on her body began to multiply, spreading until they covered her completely.

At the same time, her skin turned grayish-brown, and six white horns grew from her head.

The six beams binding her snapped apart at that moment.

"Summoning Technique: Three Demons!"

Tayuya summoned three enormous demons. Their massive bodies burst through the narrow underground chamber, and parts of the chamber even began to collapse as sunlight streamed in from outside.

"Tayuya, what the hell are you doing?"

The enormous commotion drew the other three Sound ninja from within the underground chamber, and they rushed over, roaring at Tayuya.

"This Konoha ninja knows Lord Orochimaru is here," Tayuya told the other three Sound ninja.

Upon hearing her words, the three Sound ninja all turned to look at Ye Wuyue, killing intent in their eyes.