The night was as dark as ink. Deep in the dense forest on the Southwest Border of the Land of Fire, the damp air was filled with the scent of decaying leaves and a faint, unsettling sweet, fishy smell.
Chiyo and Shisui Uchiha moved like ghosts, silently darting through the shadows of towering ancient trees.
Based on the fragmented and obscure clues in the top-secret files, Orochimaru should be active in this area.
However, they had already searched this sparsely populated area for most of the day without noticing anything unusual.
Finally, a faint but eerily cold fluctuation of chakra, like a pebble thrown into a calm Lake Surface, was precisely detected by Chiyo.
"This way."
Chiyo's voice was deep and authoritative.
His sharp gaze fell upon a mountain wall obscured by thick vines and jagged rocks.
Shisui followed closely behind, his Three Tomoe Sharingan silently activating in the darkness as he warily scanned his surroundings to ensure there were no traps or lurking figures.
He could sense that his teacher's target was behind that mountain wall.
Chiyo stretched out his hand, a tiny wisp of chakra gathering at his fingertips, and gently pressed it onto several seemingly randomly scattered rocks.
With an almost inaudible creaking sound, a huge rock on the mountainside slowly caved inward, revealing a dark opening that extended downwards, just wide enough for one person to pass through.
A stronger, more pungent smell, a mixture of formaldehyde, blood, and some strange herb, wafted over.
The two exchanged a glance, Chiyo stepped in first, followed closely by Shisui. Their Sharingan emitted a ghostly red light in the darkness, discerning everything.
The passageway extends downwards, and the walls gradually become smooth, revealing traces of human excavation.
The deeper they went, the stronger the chilling and ominous atmosphere became.
Occasionally, side chambers appear on both sides, filled with various strange biological specimens, organs soaked in containers, and even some broken Scroll and experimental equipment.
Finally, at the end of the passage was a heavy metal door.
The door wasn't completely closed; a crack remained, letting in a pale light and the even more distinct "drip-drip" sound of liquid falling.
Without the slightest hesitation, Chiyo pushed open the door and entered.
The sight behind the door caused even Shisui, who had experienced the ravages of war, to shrink back slightly and instinctively clench his fists.
This is an extremely spacious underground laboratory, but it is less a laboratory and more a forbidden place that desecrates life.
The surrounding walls were made of cold metal and glass containers, which were filled with various indescribable biological tissues, and even several bodies that were clearly human but with twisted and mutated limbs.
In the center of the laboratory was a huge operating table, stained with blood, with various sharp surgical instruments scattered around it.
On the ground lay at least ten corpses, some covered with white sheets, others exposed to the air, their skin ashen and their expressions distorted, clearly indicating that they had suffered greatly before their deaths.
Their clothing varied; some were commoners, some were wandering ninjas, and there were even one or two dressed in the attire of ninjas from small countries.
The person who started all of this was standing with his back to them, in front of a green culture tank bubbling with bubbles, intently recording something.
He wore a loose, greyish-white kimono, his long hair cascading down to his waist, and his skin was cold and pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time.
As if only then noticing the uninvited guest behind him, he slowly turned around.
Golden, elongated pupils, purple eyeshadow, eyeliner that extends all the way to the sides of his nose, and his signature pale face and sinister smile.
It was Orochimaru, one of the legendary Three Legendary Sannin who defected from Konoha.
"Oh my, oh my..."
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and magnetic, with a hint of playful surprise, as if he had only been disturbed from his gardening work rather than conducting a forbidden human experiment.
"What a rare guest! I never expected that the Daimyo hero of Konoha, the Clan Leader of the Uchiha Clan, would grace my humble abode with his presence."
His gaze swept over Chiyo and finally landed on Shisui behind Chiyo, especially lingering for a moment on those Three Tomoe Sharingan. A hint of undisguised greed and desire flashed in his golden snake eyes, but it was quickly replaced by deep fear.
He was well aware of Chiyo Uchiha's strength.
Information about the Third Shinobi World War had already spread to every corner of the Shinobi World's shadows through various channels.
He single-handedly captured two "Shadows," End of War...
Such power is far beyond his current ability to resist.
Escape?
Against Uchiha with the Sharingan, especially against this unfathomable Uchiha Clan Head, the success rate is almost zero.
Orochimaru simply gave up on his futile struggle. He casually tossed the record board aside and leisurely watched Chiyo, his tongue unconsciously licking his lips.
" Chiyo-kun, you've gone to such lengths to find me, surely not to get rid of me, this ' Konoha missing-nin,' for the sake of the village? That doesn't fit your current status and... style."
Chiyo's gaze calmly swept over the corpses scattered on the ground, finally settling on Orochimaru. His eyes were as cold as knives, but he did not immediately lash out.
He spoke slowly, his voice echoing in the empty underground laboratory.
"To toy with life, to desecrate death, is this the ' Eternity ' you seek?"
Orochimaru let out a low chuckle.
"Toying with? Blaspheming? Chiyo-kun, your choice of words is still so full of... a sense of moral superiority."
He opened his arms as if to show off his masterpiece.
Life is so fragile, like a candle flickering in the wind.
War, disease, aging...
It can be destroyed easily.
Everything I've done is simply to transcend these fragile constraints, to understand the essence of life, and thus to reach true ' Eternity '!
This is the greatest truth in the world!
In contrast, these...
He kicked a corpse at his feet.
"It is their honor to have their humble lives dedicated to the great 'truth'."
What is the end of Eternity?
Chiyo suddenly asked, his tone still calm.
Even if you gain endless lifespan, what happens after that?
To exist alone in this world you don't care about?
Watching everything rise and fall, things that have nothing to do with you?
Is this what you wanted?
Orochimaru's smile faded slightly, and his golden snake eyes narrowed.
"Loneliness? That's a fear only for the weak."
When you can control everything, understand everything, and become the truth yourself, where does loneliness come from?
Chiyo-kun, it's such a pity that you possess such immense power, yet you are still bound by the narrow belief of 'protection'.
"Your Sharingan, your power, should be directed towards a broader, more transcendent realm!"
"Protection is not a constraint, Orochimaru."
Chiyo took a step forward, and an invisible pressure spread out.
"It is the foundation of power, the coordinate that makes power meaningful."
Without something to protect, no matter how strong you are, you are just an empty shell, and will eventually get lost in endless desires and illusions, just like you are now.
The Eternity you seek is nothing but an exquisite and insane self-deception, a dead end with no real destination in sight.
Self-deception? A dead end?
Orochimaru seemed to have heard the funniest joke, and his voice suddenly became shrill.
Do you think that winning a war by force gives you the right to judge everything?
The fundamental rule governing this world is survival of the fittest!
Life itself is a constant process of plundering and evolution!
My path is the ultimate evolution!
Your so-called 'protection' is nothing but an excuse for the weak to band together for warmth, a stumbling block to evolution!
The two men's ideas clashed fiercely in the air like two invisible swords.
One firmly believes that protection and order are the ultimate destination of power; the other is committed to transcendence and Eternity as the ultimate goal of the individual.
Shisui Uchiha listened quietly, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
Looking into Orochimaru's fanatical and obsessive eyes, and listening to his words that treated life as worthless, the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished.
This person's thinking itself deviates from the normal path.
Allowing it to continue will only bring more tragedies.
Just as Orochimaru was engrossed in his fervent exposition of " Eternity " and "evolution," Shisui moved.
The patterns within his Sharingan instantly became intricate and bizarre.
Mangekyō Sharingan, awaken!
Without any warning, and without the slightest leakage of chakra, the strongest Genjutsu!
Kotoamatsukami, activate!
Target: Orochimaru!
Orochimaru's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and his long, golden pupils momentarily lost focus and became unfocused, like a brief static screen on a computer.
His wildly waving arm froze in mid-air, his fanatical expression frozen in place.
This process is extremely brief, taking almost a hundredth of a second.
The next moment, Orochimaru's eyes regained their clarity, but something deep within them had undergone a dramatic change that he himself was unaware of.
The apprehension, greed, provocation, and sinister aura he once held for Chiyo vanished in an instant, replaced by an indescribable, soul-deep sense of recognition, awe, and... a burning desire to belong.
His expression became calm, even with a hint of piety, as he slowly lowered his arm.
"... You're right, Chiyo-kun."
Orochimaru's voice was no longer hoarse and sharp; instead, it became deep and sincere, with a tone of sudden realization.
"To cling to an individual's illusory Eternity and to indulge in forbidden techniques is indeed a deviation from the right path; it is not only a loss of direction but also a delusion."
He glanced around the laboratory, a place filled with bloodshed and crime.
For the first time, a hint of... disgust appeared in his eyes?
"These... meaningless experiments and sacrifices are just a waste of my talent and life."
He looked at Chiyo, his gaze becoming incredibly focused and fervent.
"True wisdom and skill should be used for more valuable purposes. Konoha, under your leadership, is the only place where I can realize my own value, explore true knowledge, and contribute to... well, to protect the Mirai Protect Konoha."
He even bowed slightly, his tone filled with unprecedented sincerity.
Their attitude underwent a complete 180-degree change.
And yet, Orochimaru didn't sense anything amiss.
"Thank you, Chiyo-kun. You enlightened me and helped me find my true direction."
I, Orochimaru, am willing to return to Konoha and dedicate my knowledge and power to you, to the Mirai of the village. Please give me this opportunity."
The stench of blood still lingered in the underground laboratory, but the atmosphere had become eerily quiet.
Chiyo looked at Orochimaru, who was completely different from before, and knew that Kotoamatsukami had taken effect.
He nodded, his face revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Very good. Remember what you said today."
"Pack up everything you need, and destroy all forbidden experimental data and samples."
Then, come back to Konoha with us."
"Yes."
Orochimaru responded respectfully without hesitation, immediately turning around to begin packing up the "research results" he treasured.
Shisui closed his Mangekyō Sharingan, and his whole body seemed to have been drained of energy.
He breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at Chiyo's retreating figure.
His eyes held a complex expression, but more than anything, they reflected the determination that came after completing the mission.
Chiyo stood still, watching Orochimaru get busy, his gaze deep.
The crucial step of subduing Orochimaru has finally been taken.