Such a Night Should Be Silent (Please Vote)

Konoha's night was especially dark tonight, as if steeped in ink.

Within the dense darkness of the Forest of Death, outside a stone cave embedded in a fault along a slope, shadows of snakes slithered through the undergrowth.

Hiss... hiss...

As though sensing something, the snakes slightly raised their heads and looked around, flicking their crimson tongues.

On distant trees, several black-clad figures wearing masks appeared soundlessly like owls, without alerting the snakes.

"Is it here?"

At the lead, Sarutobi Hiruzen wore light armor and stood in a tree, his expression grim as he looked toward the bottomless cave in the distance. His muttered voice was heavy and complicated.

"Scatter," Sarutobi Hiruzen said solemnly.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The black figures behind him instantly split up and scattered in every direction, spreading like vast black wings to envelop the entire area beneath their sharp beaks and claws.

This was the Anbu Tactical Assassination Special Force, renowned for its efficiency, ruthlessness, and composure.

Recently, many Genin, Chunin, and even Anbu ninja had disappeared from Konoha without reason. One had to know that any ninja who could join the Anbu was at least a Chunin with a particular specialty. Even in Konoha, they could be considered pillars of the village.

Even with Shimura Danzō covering things up in secret, it was impossible to erase every trace.

What angered and puzzled Shimura Danzō even more was that a Main Branch Elder of the Hyuga Clan had died today, while the director of Konoha Hospital had suddenly vanished right under their noses.

Had Orochimaru gone mad?

The matter had finally alerted Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had been busy dealing with border conflicts in the Land of Fire. He immediately recalled the reports from some time ago regarding Orochimaru's unusual movements...

"Orochimaru..."

After a moment of silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen and two Anbu vanished, leaving behind only a sigh that sounded both disappointed and regretful.

Meanwhile, beneath the cave, within a labyrinthine, cold, damp drainage system.

Drip... drip...

Only the sound of filthy water falling into pooled water and sending ripples across its surface could be heard.

Yet within a vast, dim space, a secret experimental base had already been established.

"No matter how many times I see it, I'm still astonished by the intricacy and wonder of this body."

Looking at the complete, lifeless corpse on the operating table, Orochimaru's longing and greed nearly overflowed.

He had once traveled throughout the Ninja World and seen many well-preserved ancient corpses. Yet their skulls were either twisted with bulging eyes, or their limbs were so swollen that they burst through their clothes.

But the corpse before him was entirely different. Its features were exquisite, too beautiful to seem human. Its skin was fair, its black hair soft and lustrous, and not even its eyelashes had fallen away. Its closed eyes made it seem as though it had merely drifted into a dream.

Only its dried-out torso bore signs of dehydration, while the muscles in its limbs had already atrophied.

Orochimaru was certain that this boy was dead, yet this body still retained a certain vitality.

To Orochimaru, it felt as though its "soul" had broken free from its restraints, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell...

"So this is the Otsutsuki Clan." Orochimaru's chest rose and fell slightly as he licked his dry lips with the tip of his tongue.

After all, according to the ancient records of the Hyuga Clan, they were the powerful race that had created Chakra and Ninjutsu. It was only natural that they possessed powerful life force and souls.

Still, even the Otsutsuki Clan bled bright red blood, not the bodily fluid supposedly shed by noble gods.

According to his deductions, if he could transplant every organ from this body, he might even be able to reshape his own physique and bloodline, gaining incomparably powerful Ninjutsu talent and life force.

Only someone like him, skilled in organ and cell transplantation, could perform such an operation. Even Tsunade could not.

It was as though this body had been prepared specifically for him.

At that thought, Orochimaru looked toward the figure on another operating table beside him. He met a pair of white eyes trembling with apparent fear, along with an elderly face twisted in shock and rage.

The former was a boy of only fifteen, roughly the same age as the corpse. His long, satin-black hair hung loose, while his youthful face was pale and taut. The swastika-shaped Curse Mark on his forehead was especially glaring.

Throughout Konoha, indeed throughout the entire Ninja World, only the Hyuga Clan possessed such snow-white eyes. And only Branch Family members would be branded with the ugly Caged Bird Cursed Seal.

Hyuga Yunchuan.

That was the boy's name.

The corpse of this Otsutsuki Clan member, along with the ancient texts recording the Hyuga Clan's distant secrets, had all been voluntarily offered to him by Hyuga Yunchuan.

According to the secret records in those ancient texts, the Hyuga Clan was a direct Blood Descendant of the Otsutsuki Clan. The transplant should therefore have the best effect, without easily causing rejection or various complications.

"Yunchuan, only the heart remains now. Are you ready?"

Orochimaru wore a gentle, feminine smile as he deliberately omitted both the surname and honorific, calling him directly by name.

Such a form of address usually indicated either intimacy or a vast difference in status. Clearly, the two were not close. It was the arrogance of saying, "Everything you have belongs to me."

And that was indeed the truth.

Once the organ transplant was fully completed, Orochimaru would plant a Curse Mark on him, develop the Ninjutsu of Soul Reincarnation as quickly as possible, find a way to break the Caged Bird Curse Mark, and finally seize this perfect body.

Orochimaru was not worried that anything would slip beyond his control. He was only a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old child, not to mention the "waste" of the Hyuga Clan.

"Lord Orochimaru, please begin."

Hyuga Yunchuan's expression was fearful, but his tone was extremely resolute. His eyes, as he looked at Orochimaru, were filled with admiration and gratitude. "You killed that old man and avenged my parents. I am willing to offer you this body that has never been mine to control."

At that, Orochimaru smiled. Sneaking into the Hyuga Clan compound to kill a Main Branch Elder had indeed taken some effort. His dear teacher had probably already discovered that he was responsible.

It could not be helped. Not only did he need to complete the operation flawlessly, he also had to use a life-sustaining Sealing Technique. He had to focus all his attention and strength, leaving him no energy to control Genjutsu. The recipient could only remain conscious.

Thus, he could only fulfill Hyuga Yunchuan's request and kill the Main Branch Elder who had driven his parents to death, ensuring the boy's willing cooperation.

But it did not matter. He had long grown sick of everything in Konoha. As long as he could obtain the secrets of the Otsutsuki Clan, even defecting was worthwhile.

"Lord Orochimaru, what are you trying to do?"

The one who spoke was another elderly man in a white lab coat. He was the missing director of Konoha Hospital, in truth a medical talent trained by Danzo, code-named "Owl."

At this moment, Owl's gaze at Orochimaru held more fear than shock and anger.

But Orochimaru had no intention of paying him any attention. That old man would obediently comply soon enough.

Thinking this, Orochimaru cast aside his last stray thought. Once he confirmed that everything was ready, he activated the complex Sealing Technique beneath his feet.

Buzz!

Black formula markings covered Hyuga Yunchuan's body, binding him while supplying him with Chakra. At the same time, the established extracorporeal blood circulation device began operating. Catheters had been inserted into the aorta and both vena cavae.

By now, Hyuga Yunchuan's kidneys, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and other organs had already been replaced with the internal organs from the Otsutsuki Clan corpse. Only the most important and dangerous organ remained: the heart.

Squelch.

A Chakra Scalpel condensed in Orochimaru's hand. Its tip moved along Hyuga Yunchuan's flesh and bones, opening the chest cavity and exposing crimson internal organs. Then, with complete concentration, he cut out the living heart, leaving only part of the posterior wall of the left atrium and tissue from the right atrium.

He turned and removed the Otsutsuki heart from the corpse. Looking at that heart, calm yet still crimson, Orochimaru held it in both hands with near-reverence, though his movements did not tremble in the slightest.

The heart of the Otsutsuki Clan was placed into Hyuga Yunchuan's body.

"You actually intend to perform a heart transplant?" Owl, who had remained silent until then, suddenly asked in a trembling voice. "You think the two of us can handle this?"

"I think you can." Orochimaru raised his eyes toward the old man, his tone cold. "Because if you can't, what comes next may be rather bloody. What do you think?"

The loose skin on Owl's aged face twitched slightly, but he obediently stepped up to the operating table.

Orochimaru began suturing the blood vessels. His methods were primitive and insane. If even one vessel went wrong, the recipient would enter a near-death state.

Yet under the precise work of Orochimaru and Owl, vast amounts of Chakra poured into Hyuga Yunchuan's body, continuously providing powerful life force and sustaining his life in what was practically a miracle.

Time passed second by second, and the Chakra Orochimaru had accumulated was gradually depleted.

Fortunately, the blood vessels had begun to heal. Even the cross-shaped incision in the chest cavity was slowly closing under the power of the Mystical Palm Technique.

"Only the final step remains. I will deactivate the Life-Support Barrier."

Having consumed too much Chakra, Owl could barely stand. Orochimaru's already pale face had turned deathly white as well. Staring intently at Hyuga Yunchuan's body, he said softly, "Yunchuan, do not disappoint me."

Whether it succeeded now depended on whether Hyuga Yunchuan could withstand this power.

The power of the Otsutsuki Clan.

Thump!

A dull heartbeat, like the beat of a war drum, rang out. Veins climbed over Hyuga Yunchuan's body like densely branching leaf veins, faintly bulging and blue.

On the instruments, his vital signs, no longer maintained by external force, immediately began to fluctuate violently.

"Aah!!"

Though Hyuga Yunchuan had mentally prepared himself, the agonizing pain that seemed ready to tear him apart still made him release a hysterical scream in an instant.

The blood pumped by the heart seemed to race and burn through his veins. Countless capillaries across his exposed skin ruptured, and his body temperature instantly rose to a scalding level. It was as if his veins no longer carried blood, but molten iron and lava!

"Use your Chakra! Use your Chakra to suppress and control the heart, make it calm down!" Orochimaru said heavily.

Buzz!

Veins bulged around Hyuga Yunchuan's eye sockets, and the Chakra erupting from within his body made Orochimaru's pupils contract.

But soon, Hyuga Yunchuan's struggling body stiffened. His rapidly rising vital signs abruptly froze, then began deteriorating at an even more terrifying speed. Piercing alarms rang throughout the laboratory.

"Damn it!" Orochimaru's expression instantly darkened. "The Hyuga Clan should be the most compatible recipient. How could he fail so quickly?!"

If even Hyuga Yunchuan could not endure it, he would have no choice but to seize someone from the Hyuga Clan Main Family.

There was no other way. While the heart had not yet died, he could only cut it out and preserve it again.

With that thought, Orochimaru was about to gather what little Chakra he had left to form a scalpel.

Thump...

A faint sound entered his ears, abruptly halting his movement. He sharply raised his head and looked at the boy before him.

Thump!

Hyuga Yunchuan's eyes remained tightly shut, yet another dull sound came from his chest, clearer than the first.

The laboratory was terrifyingly silent. Only the heartbeat was deafening.

Thump! Thump-thump!

Gradually, that dull heartbeat changed from rain pattering against banana leaves into the thunderous roar of pounding war drums, beating powerfully within his chest.

"This is..."

Uncontainable joy appeared on Orochimaru's face. He stepped lightly toward Hyuga Yunchuan's body, as though approaching every truth in this world, his golden vertical pupils instinctively turning toward the instruments.

Sure enough, the vital signs had gradually stabilized. In fact, every reading was nearly inhuman—extraordinarily active and terrifying.

In other words, at last...

"Yes."

Someone answered Orochimaru. The voice was soft and gentle, as though telling a beautiful fairy tale.

"At last, it succeeded," he said.

Orochimaru, overwhelmed by surprise and delight, froze for a moment before seeing the figure on the operating table slowly open his eyes.

He met a pair of eyes that were familiar, yet unfamiliar.

Those once-pure white eyes now scattered layered iridescence beneath the surgical lamp, flowing like molten glass in shades between pale cyan and white.

But that was not what gave Orochimaru such a powerful sense of wrongness.

It was because those eyes showed almost no emotional fluctuation, as tranquil and deep as a bottomless pool of dead water.

The blood gushing forth was instantly evaporated by the heat. A crimson mist rose from his body, shrouding his face in a hazy Blood Mist.

Blood surged through his vessels like thawing spring water, every cell breathing freely like spring shoots breaking through stone. Unmatched power welled up throughout his limbs and bones.

"You..."

Beside him, Owl's pupils abruptly widened at the sight. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

But in the next moment.

Squelch!

The strike was swift. There was no pain as it passed, only cold death.

It was as though a breeze calmer than the night wind had passed by. The sound of flesh being pierced was faint, silently erased by the wind.

Orochimaru almost instinctively tilted his head. As a faint tearing sound rang out, he felt a slight sting in his cheek.

A red line slowly spread across his face, inch by inch, splitting open until it stopped at his cheekbone. Blood scattered like blown reed flowers, and warm wetness slid down his cheek.

Meanwhile, Owl, standing at his side, felt his vision invert and spin as he stared blankly ahead.

Thud!

The headless body dropped to its knees, blood spurting from its severed neck. Red rain fell inside the laboratory.

The head struck the ground with a crisp sound like a watermelon hitting the floor. It rolled away, leaving a trail of blood behind it, its face still carrying a trace of confusion as it rolled, eyes unclosed, into a pool of blood.

The severed neck, now separated from it, blossomed like a fountain of blood, drenching the place in a rain of crimson droplets that fell upon the only two figures left standing.

"I have waited too long for this day."

Hyuga Yunchuan sat up and looked at the hand that had condensed the Chakra Scalpel. He watched blood gather at his fingertips like spring water rolling off green leaves, then raised his eyes to Orochimaru and smiled. "Such a night should be silent."

Three years. Three years, then another three years...

At last, he had completed the talents of this frail body and gained his true Otsutsuki bloodline, as well as...

[ Ding! ]

[ Your lie, [Otsutsuki Corpse and Descendant], has been judged as [Entering the Game Yourself] [Honeyed Words, Hidden Daggers] [Turning Fiction into Reality]. Orochimaru has undergone intense emotional fluctuations and reached the level of [Utter Conviction]. You have gained 10,000 Reality Points. ]

[ Evaluation: A deceptive trick, like a floating shadow moving across a wall. Even a short person can cast a huge shadow. ]

[ Remaining Reality Points: 10041 ]

"..."

Orochimaru looked at that youthful face. In his memories, that face had always worn an expression of cowardly timidity.

But now, it bore a deep, sinister smile.

Like a child pinning an ant beneath his finger, watching it struggle at his fingertips before gently crushing it.

Pure, absolute evil.

A new book begins. First time writing—this newbie author asks for bookmarks.