Serpent Shadow

"Shisui, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Konoha, atop the Hokage Office Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with his back to Hokage Rock, gazing out over the entire village, while Uchiha Shisui knelt on one knee behind him.

After completing his mission, Uchiha Shisui had hurried back to Konoha and reported on the operation.

To be honest, even Hiruzen Sarutobi had been rather surprised after hearing it.

"That kid Makoto was actually that capable?"

Ao was an elite ninja of Kirigakure, and he possessed the Byakugan. Who knew how many losses he had caused Konoha!

Who would have thought that after he agreed to let Kakashi take Hyuga Makoto out to avoid the Main Branch's attention, they would run into him like this?

And Hyuga Makoto had even taken him out!

"Hizashi, you've raised a fine talent..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but sigh inwardly. He already knew about the ability Hyuga Makoto had used.

In his view, Hizashi Hyuga had taught him all of it!

And he was delighted now as well. Perhaps Hyuga Makoto really could accomplish what Hizashi Hyuga wanted to accomplish...

"Hokage-sama, I feel deeply pained by the mistrust between the Uchiha and the village."

Just as he was feeling pleased, Uchiha Shisui spoke, immediately dampening his mood somewhat.

"I do too..."

"I want to rebuild the trust between the Uchiha and the village."

Shisui had no idea what Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking. He lowered his head and spoke softly.

"Hokage-sama, could you assign this task to me?"

"Do you want to stop taking ordinary missions?"

Though somewhat disheartened, Hiruzen Sarutobi still asked patiently.

The Uchiha were indeed a major problem for Konoha at the moment!

"Yes."

Shisui nodded and looked seriously at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"And could you grant me a certain degree of authority, so that..."

"I understand. I will announce publicly that I have sent you on a classified investigative mission."

Hiruzen Sarutobi understood what Shisui meant and agreed without hesitation.

"If anything happens, invoke my name. I will bear all responsibility."

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama!"

Shisui froze for a moment before speaking excitedly. Even he had not expected it to go so smoothly, but Hiruzen Sarutobi merely smiled unconcernedly.

"When I look at you, I'm reminded of an old friend—Kagami Uchiha."

"You flatter me..."

Shisui lowered his head, and his gaze became even more resolute.

"Hokage-sama, I will never again make the mistake of being irresponsible toward the village and my comrades!"

"Hmm?"

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the one who froze. He was rather confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It was the criticism from that Hyuga Anbu..."

Shisui did not hide anything. He carefully recounted the entire matter before lowering his head and continuing.

"I've been thinking about it these past few days. It truly was my mistake. I didn't mention it from the start because I was worried I wouldn't receive this mission. Please forgive me, Hokage-sama!"

"You..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had never expected there to be such a twist.

However, he did not care about Uchiha Shisui's little scheme. What he found interesting was Hyuga Makoto!

"To care so much about the village, and the comrades within it..."

He could now be completely certain that Hyuga Makoto was a child who possessed the Will of Fire!

"And perhaps this child can do even more..."

"Achoo!"

Within the Land of Whirlpools, inside an underground laboratory.

Hyuga Makoto couldn't help but sneeze, drawing a curious look from Tenzo beside him.

"What's wrong? Can't stand a place like this?"

"A little."

Hyuga Makoto nodded. He had to admit, Orochimaru's laboratory was seriously creepy.

All that remained were containers piled everywhere and all kinds of discarded experimental equipment, yet just looking at it made his skin crawl.

He didn't even dare imagine what this laboratory had been like before it was abandoned!

"But why do I keep feeling like someone's cursing me?"

Hyuga Makoto grumbled inwardly, but Tenzo suddenly leaned closer, his voice turning eerie.

"Actually, this place isn't so bad."

"?"

"Because I've seen somewhere even scarier than this..."

"..."

Hyuga Makoto silently looked at Tenzo, already wondering what expression he should make in a moment.

But when Tenzo saw that Hyuga Makoto had no reaction, he couldn't help scratching his head.

"Huh? Why weren't you scared?"

"..."

Hyuga Makoto was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He'd thought Tenzo was about to talk about his past!

Instead, he was just trying to prank him like Naruto?

And he was trying to scare someone in a place like this—did he have that relaxed feeling of coming home...?

"Senpai, you should use a flashlight and shine it upward from below. That'd be scarier."

Hyuga Makoto spoke weakly, but Tenzo's eyes immediately lit up.

"Is that so? That sounds worth trying!"

"..."

Watching Tenzo practically itch to try it, Hyuga Makoto felt his eyelid twitch.

"Enough chatting."

Fortunately, Kakashi walked in just then, carrying a stack of documents.

"The sooner we finish the mission, the sooner we can go back."

"Yes."

Hyuga Makoto and Tenzo immediately behaved themselves. But after glancing at the documents that had been sorted and stacked to one side, Hyuga Makoto couldn't help asking, "Captain, these materials should be enough to figure out what Orochimaru was doing, right?"

"They are, but Orochimaru is too dangerous."

Kakashi nodded, though his expression turned serious as well.

"Besides finding out what he was doing here, we'd better see if we can uncover any other information. That'll make it easier to track him down."

"I understand..."

Hyuga Makoto pursed his lips. He really wanted to say that if they wanted to find Orochimaru, they could try looking for Danzo!

Even though Orochimaru had defected for so long, the connection between them had never been severed.

"Maybe even the funds supporting Orochimaru's research came from Danzo..."

But he couldn't say something that stupid aloud, and it would be difficult to have the Third Hokage investigate Danzo.

After all, Danzo's intelligence network was first-rate, with his informants spread throughout the ninja world.

Otherwise, the Third Hokage wouldn't have let him off even after Danzo had tried to assassinate him.

Besides, his relationship with the Third Hokage had always been unusual. Maybe that was friendship...

"All right, we're almost done."

Kakashi patted Hyuga Makoto on the shoulder and spoke softly.

"Use your Byakugan to check everything one more time. See if we missed anything."

"No problem."

Although Hyuga Makoto had already checked several times, he had no reason to object.

The main reason he wanted to finish early was that he wanted to see what this mission would give him.

I hope I get what I want...

As he pondered, his Byakugan abruptly opened, and everything around him came into view!

Inside the underground laboratory, only a few rats were still scurrying about. There was nothing strange or monstrous inside those experimental containers, either.

The entire laboratory had been left with only scattered documents.

"Hm?"

A moment later, Hyuga Makoto suddenly frowned and asked in a low voice.

"Captain, are there any other ninja squads nearby?"

"What is it?"

Kakashi and Tenzo were both confused, but they immediately realized something was wrong.

"Did someone come?"

"Yeah."

Hyuga Makoto nodded. He sighed and looked at Kakashi.

"And they're not simple opponents."

"Could it be..."

Kakashi's mouth twitched slightly, while Hyuga Makoto answered honestly.

"Orochimaru is here."

"..."

"And he didn't come alone. Others came with him."

"..."

He had helpers?

At that moment, Kakashi truly fell silent.

All the misfortunes of the past seemed to rise before his eyes once more...