When Orochimaru Suddenly Decides to Defect

Under the clear sky, only blue heavens stretched above the training grounds.

The wind softened, gently caressing Qing Xuan's cheek. He stared at the man laughing freely before him, realizing he was beginning to find him inscrutable.

After laughing for a long while, it was as if "Uncle Snake" had finally cast off some heavy burden, basking in the sunlight under the blue sky and white clouds.

"Konohagakure is gradually starting to decay. The once spirited Third Hokage is also growing old, and you still need too much time to grow. Konoha is simply too uninteresting right now..."

He bathed his face in the sun, closing his eyes as if lamenting something. "This village, which slowly reeks of decay, doesn't even have air that flows anymore. The stifling feeling makes even the wind feel constrained."

This poetic monologue filled Qing Xuan with a thousand questions. Before he could even voice them, he saw "Uncle Snake's" pupils, full of laughter under the sun, turn to him. "I'm leaving, Qing Xuan."

Leaving? Not even staying for lunch?

They were just chatting so well, why was he suddenly leaving?

"I'm leaving Konohagakure."

Qing Xuan froze, like a silly boy, "When?"

"Uncle Snake" smiled and turned away. "Right now."

Watching his retreating back, Qing Xuan seemed to feel an inexplicable sense of freedom.

Just like the untamed wind above the training grounds, this man spoke of defection with such elegance and grace.

"Aren't you going to reconsider?"

Qing Xuan said from behind him. "Uncle Snake" walked slowly, and the two were so close, yet he offered no response.

It wasn't a topic that interested him.

The other party's bizarre thought process and baffling actions made Qing Xuan's scalp tingle.

It was just like how he suddenly jumped out to startle him, then said nonsensical things, and was about to defect without any warning. His reckless principles were simply outrageously willful!

"Can I ask one last question?"

"Uncle Snake" finally stopped. He turned back with a smile.

"You only have one chance."

Qing Xuan immediately felt troubled. "I suddenly want to ask two, it's so hard to choose."

"Uncle Snake's" smile was exceptionally tolerant. "Then I'll give you two chances."

What a flexible bottom line!

"How did you figure out I wasn't that person?"

Qing Xuan didn't intend to waste any time and asked directly.

"Uncle Snake" seemed to have been waiting to answer this question. "You don't even call me 'Father' anymore? What a shame, Liu Yun always said you were the child he loved most in his life!"

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"

"If I had said it, would you have changed your attitude towards him?"

"You can't possibly understand my love for him."

"Is that so?"

"Uncle Snake" smiled, his snake-like eyes shining brilliantly in the sun.

"You're very much like him, even your personality. That's why I mistook you for him at first."

He said this, his playful smile softening. "However, although Liu Yun's personality is incredibly shameless, he's not as excessive as you are."

"Are you saying I've surpassed my master?"

To be praised by one of the Sannin, "Uncle Snake," Qing Xuan felt very happy.

"Uncle Snake" narrowed his eyes at him, nodded, and answered seriously, "I've always been a good judge of character. You're not only more shameless than him, but you're also more brazen."

Why was he being insulted now?

As the saying goes, "The words of a man about to depart are benevolent." Qing Xuan didn't intend to argue with him. "Since you think so highly of me, can you give me a gift before you leave?"

"Uncle Snake" agreed without hesitation. "What do you want?"

Qing Xuan shook his head and asked an unrelated question: "Do you care about your reputation in the village?"

Seeing him shake his head, Qing Xuan became excited and said, "Then can you give me your reputation? You won't need it anymore since you're defecting anyway."

"Uncle Snake" became interested. He looked at the audacious little guy before him and suddenly felt a desire to stay, but he knew it wasn't the right time. So, he smiled and said, "Take it as you please!"

"Thank you so much!"

Qing Xuan cheered, as if he had obtained some heaven-defying forbidden jutsu. He hurriedly rushed out of the training grounds, moving even faster than Orochimaru.

"Since that's the case, I won't keep you for lunch. While they haven't reacted yet, Uncle, you should hurry and run!"

Watching the little brat's hasty retreat, the smile in Orochimaru's eyes showed no signs of fading.

"Liu Yun, oh Liu Yun, if you were the only untamed wind within this decay, then your son is a wildly roaming tornado, unrestrained yet so incredibly mad..."

The Uchiha Compound on the edge of the village.

At this moment, Uchiha clan members with activated Tomoe were patrolling vigilantly inside and outside the towering walls, creating an overall scene of martial law. This caused the Anbu members watching from the surrounding trees to frown deeply.

All of this began when the young clan head of the Uchiha came running back.

No one knew what he said, but after a chaotic commotion, a large number of Uchiha elites swarmed out of the clan compound and quickly took control of all overt and covert sentries within. There were even two guards standing at the main gate with their Three Tomoe Sharingan activated.

With this level of security, even Anbu elites couldn't infiltrate.

"What's going on?"

Itachi, who had just completed a mission to find a heartbroken ninja cat, returned to find himself facing this situation. The feeling of being scanned by the Three Tomoe Sharingan made him uncomfortable, and the wary attitude of the Uchiha made his two teammates extremely displeased.

"What the heck!"

Tianma already had a poor impression of the Uchiha clan, and now he was directly lashing out.

"Is this the Uchiha's attitude? They're clearly treating us like enemies!"

In response, Youqi, an Upper Ninja, noticed something was wrong. He observed the Uchiha's security state, which was completely different from usual. He frowned deeply and reached out to interrupt Tianma.

"Something's very wrong."

He said, his gaze fixed on the two Uchiha Upper Ninjas at the gate. For some reason, a heavy sense of worry welled up in his heart.

"It seems we've come at an inconvenient time..."

They had only come to see Itachi's younger brother at Xinzi's suggestion after finishing their mission, but they hadn't expected to encounter something like this.

"Is Itachi back?"

Just then, a young Uchiha boy in a Green Vest with a handsome face emerged from the gate. He seemed to have been waiting for Itachi's return.

"Shisui-aniki."

Itachi responded.

Shisui smiled faintly, but his eyes held a hint of solemnity and worry.

He looked at Itachi's teammates behind him, as if he had already guessed something.

"My apologies, everyone."

A hint of regret appeared on his smiling face.

"The Uchiha clan is not accepting visitors today."

"How could this happen?"

Xinzi looked very unwilling as she watched Itachi being led inside by Shisui, muttering in a low voice.

"We walked such a long way..."

"Alright, stop talking, Xinzi."

Youqi patted her shoulder. Xinzi looked up and saw an unprecedented solemnity on the face of the uncle who always smiled gently.

He said in a low voice, "It seems something big is about to happen in the village..."