Sarutobi Hiruzen: Yunchuan Is a Good Child!

Drip... drip...

The sound of water droplets echoed layer upon layer through the arched chamber, mingling with the whimpering wind from some unknown place. A damp, moldy stench laced with old rust rushed toward them.

A completely black cat lay crouched in the shadows, its paws toying with several half-dead white snakes.

Whenever a white snake stopped moving, the black cat would loosen its paw. The snake's body would struggle and twist again, only to be firmly pinned down by its soft pads, revealing a distinctly malicious sense of amusement.

But soon, as though it had sensed something, the black cat raised its head.

Only then did its appearance become clear.

One of the completely black cat's eyes was white, while the other was black.

Ordinary people would only think it was a cat blind in one eye. Yet no one knew that white eye was the Byakugan coveted by the other four great ninja villages.

Ao, the Jonin of Kirigakure, had been called the Byakugan Killer simply because he possessed one Byakugan, even earning himself a place on Konoha's Bounty List.

No one would ever imagine that some madman would transplant such a precious Byakugan into a cat.

Yet someone had done exactly that.

The black cat lowered its head, picked up the white snake's corpse, and turned into an afterimage as it leaped into the shadows among the crisscrossing pipes overhead, soundless as though it were treading upon clouds.

Crouching at the bend of a drainage pipe, its white pupil widened slightly while its black eye narrowed into a thin black line, fixed upon the still water in the distance.

Murky wastewater deep enough to cover one's knees gleamed with oil, reflecting the rusty, intersecting pipes overhead.

Drip... drip...

A moment later, ripples spread across the calm surface. Three swift black figures raced over the water, their silhouettes twisting into bizarre shapes amid the ripples.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two Anbu had put in considerable effort. They had encountered no shortage of traps and decoys laid by Orochimaru along the way before finally finding the correct path through the labyrinthine underground pipes.

Only snakes and rats could enjoy such a dark, damp environment. Orochimaru's habits truly seemed to be drawing closer to those of a snake.

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly stopped and looked toward a rust-covered door ahead. His expression darkened as he raised a hand, signaling the Anbu ninja to move forward.

Bang!!

As the iron door was forced open with a muffled crash, a pungent stench of rot mixed with disinfectant and the sickly sweetness of decaying flesh swept over them with a cold draft, making them nauseous.

Dim yellow light cast bright shadows, but the sight before him made Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contract.

The laboratory walls had been stained by dark red blood into blotchy abstract paintings. The bulbs hanging from the ceiling flickered on and off from the impact of the broken door.

Layer upon layer of blackish-brown matter had congealed on the floor, like evidence of crimes that could never be washed away no matter how often the place was scrubbed.

Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly heard the breathing of the two Anbu ninja beside him suddenly quicken. Both stared fixedly at the several cylindrical glass containers standing inside the laboratory.

Within the pale green liquid, curled human silhouettes could vaguely be seen. Their skin had taken on a translucent, waxy sheen from prolonged soaking, while maggot-like sutures crawled over their exposed muscle tissue.

Their hearts could still be seen beating through their dissected chests. Snake-like organs had been grafted and tangled within their abdominal cavities, while chaotic wires stretched out from the containers like jellyfish tentacles.

There were many more experimental subjects like these in the laboratory, bearing blood-red numbers such as "32," "42," and "65."

The surrounding iron racks were also piled with glass jars containing biological organs at various stages of development, twitching with unnerving vitality within the liquid.

"This..." The pupils behind the Anbu ninja's mask trembled.

To be honest, though the scene before him was shocking enough, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already been mentally prepared.

After all, Orochimaru's first contact with human experimentation had been the Hashirama Cells transplantation experiments, conducted with the tacit approval of both him and all of Konoha's higher-ups.

Although those people had volunteered to become test subjects in the hope of cultivating users capable of wielding Wood Release and restoring it to the world, it also proved that Sarutobi Hiruzen was not a softhearted man.

Even upon seeing this scene, Sarutobi Hiruzen still held pity and guilt in his heart toward his disciple.

Until he saw the two overlapping shadows at the very back of the laboratory...

Because Orochimaru had his back to the door, Sarutobi Hiruzen first saw the young face upon the operating table and the neck that had been cut open.

Hyuga Yunchuan's face no longer held any smile. It had long since been replaced by fear, tears slowly sliding down his youthful cheeks.

He seemed to have seen Sarutobi Hiruzen. He raised a hand in his direction and opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Yet Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly understood what the child wanted to say.

"Third Hokage Grandpa..." he said.

At that moment, Orochimaru, having heard the noise, turned around as well. Bright yet chilling light fell across his pale face, making the savage features stained with blood appear even more wicked and ugly.

The headless corpse at Orochimaru's feet was still spurting blood, turning the laboratory into a hell of bloody rain and completing a brutal, grotesque tableau.

The impact this scene had on Sarutobi Hiruzen instantly surpassed that of all the experimental subjects.

Most importantly, he knew that child and remembered him very clearly.

As the honorary principal of the Ninja Academy, he often found time to give speeches at the school, cultivating his image as an approachable elder while also speaking of Konoha's Will of Fire.

Once, he had chosen the class Hyuga Yunchuan belonged to. While explaining the Will of Fire, he had noticed the nearly overflowing admiration on the child's face.

Afterward, as usual, the teacher had the children write down their thoughts.

Sarutobi Hiruzen normally had no time to read such reflections. But by chance, he recalled that young face filled with admiration. On a whim, he dug out that reflection, which had nearly gathered dust.

Then, he froze.

[My home is like a great tree with deep roots and flourishing leaves.]

[Third Hokage Grandpa is the trunk.]

[Sometimes keeping everything within in harmony, sometimes providing nourishment.]

[Father is the branches and leaves.]

[Sometimes keeping us warm against the cold, sometimes sheltering us from wind and rain.]

[Though they are old and no longer as strong as they once were, though they have been riddled with holes by worms, they still sink their roots deep into the soil, supporting and protecting the entire family and its fruits.]

[And we are all the fruits.]

[Our family rejoices at our birth. We often drink in delicious nourishment, and someone often shelters us from the wind and rain.]

[But we forget who provides us with nourishment, and who shelters us from wind and rain.]

[I am too high above everything.]

[Perhaps when I fall, am eaten by others, and thrown onto the ground...]

[Then, as a seed, when I take root and sprout, I will understand.]

Sarutobi Hiruzen had long grown tired of adults' elaborate flattery, and he had seen enough of children's blind, ignorant adoration and worship.

Yet this piece, devoid of any ornate language, perfectly matched the Will of Fire and even subtly pointed out the conflict between the ninja clans and the village. Its childlike words carried such sincerity and beauty.

Especially the final three lines. They struck straight into Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart in an instant, making even his weary body feel warm.

Yes, those ninja clans only taught their children to protect the clans' interests. They had never taught those children to see themselves as part of Konoha. Yet the children of those clans could only see the "branches and leaves" sheltering them from wind and rain, completely failing to see him beneath them, supporting the entire "tree" and all its "fruits."

Without question, this was a good child who could rise above the limitations of his clan, look toward all of Konoha, and inherit a pure Will of Fire!

If anyone had dared tell Sarutobi Hiruzen that Hyuga Yunchuan was a bad child, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have pulled out Enma and beaten that person's brains out on the spot.

But now, such a good child...

Watching that figure slowly collapse onto the operating table, Sarutobi Hiruzen's complicated feelings toward Orochimaru quietly faded away. Veins gradually rose across his aged face.

"Orochimaru!" He glared at Orochimaru in utter fury. "What are you doing!"

"What have you done?!"

Seeing that Sarutobi Hiruzen was clearly truly enraged, Orochimaru's heart skipped a beat.

He had never expected the other man to be so furious. Based on his understanding of his teacher, whose personality had become increasingly indecisive, even if his human experiments were exposed, Sarutobi Hiruzen should not have attacked him. There should have been a high chance of escaping Konoha.

But now, why...

Before Orochimaru could connect it to Hyuga Yunchuan, the enraged Sarutobi Hiruzen had already formed hand seals.

Boar—Dog—Rooster—Monkey—Ram!

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang!

With a burst of white smoke, a muscular ape wearing a fur coat and a Konoha forehead protector appeared beside Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Sarutobi, have you run into trouble?"

The moment Enma appeared, he instinctively asked the question. But when he looked up and saw Orochimaru, he froze. "This..."

"Enma!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's furious roar cut off Enma's thoughts.

With another bang, white smoke erupted, and Enma transformed into a staff as thick as a pillar.

He was using Enma right from the start?!

Orochimaru's expression instantly turned ugly. He had no time to wonder why the old man was so furious today, nor could he spare any thought for why his white snakes had failed to warn him.

If he hesitated any longer, he might truly die here today!

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!!"

Bzzzz!!

A gale laced with countless fine Wind Blades burst from Orochimaru's mouth. The shrieking blast sent ripples through the air itself.

The surrounding bottles and jars shattered instantly and were swept toward Sarutobi Hiruzen and the others, obscuring the vision of the two Anbu ninja.

Even now, Orochimaru still intended to take Hyuga Yunchuan with him before escaping.

But Sarutobi Hiruzen did not even look at him. The staff in his hand extended and crashed toward Orochimaru in the distance.

"Pfft!"

Orochimaru, whose Chakra had already been exhausted by the organ transplantation surgery, was instantly sent flying by the blow when he tried to seize Hyuga Yunchuan. He vomited a mouthful of thick, foul blood mixed with organ fragments in midair.

"Damn it! Damn it!!"

Orochimaru glared hatefully at the grim-faced Sarutobi Hiruzen below. When he saw the man use Shunshin to appear directly beside Hyuga Yunchuan, he knew he likely would not be able to take Hyuga Yunchuan away this time.

Realizing this, Orochimaru calmed down despite his unwillingness to accept it.

"Earth Style: Subterranean Voyage!"

Borrowing the force of the blow, Orochimaru rapidly formed hand seals in midair. His feet landed on the ceiling, and the solid sand and stone beneath them became liquid. Like a fish diving into water, his body sank into the earth.

"Third Hokage!"

The two Anbu ninja stepped forward and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had his head raised and his face cold.

Sarutobi Hiruzen withdrew his gaze. Some of the fury in his heart subsided as he looked toward Hyuga Yunchuan beside him. "Take this child for treatment immediately. You must preserve his life."

"Yes!" The two Anbu ninja did not ask further questions. After nodding in acknowledgment, they picked up Hyuga Yunchuan and vanished from the spot.

At that moment, Orochimaru was rapidly burrowing upward through the earth. He clutched his chest, his face already pale to the extreme.

Forget his current state, with almost all of his Chakra depleted—even at his peak, he could not possibly defeat Sarutobi Hiruzen.

All he could do now was flee Konoha with everything he had. Hyuga Yunchuan could only be left in Konoha for the time being, to be dealt with later. And he would have to ensure Hyuga Yunchuan stayed alive to keep his secret.

At the thought, he felt utterly stifled.

How had things suddenly slipped out of his control?

Right, it was all because of that damned brat!

But could all of this really have been that brat's doing?

Not only had he plotted against him for years, he had even plotted against the old man as well. Had everything that happened today been within that brat's plans?

That brat was only fifteen. Could he be some kind of monster?!

Thoughts raced through Orochimaru's mind as he burst out of the ground—only to be met by a figure.

An Anbu mask, a short blade on his back, and unmistakable silver hair.

Hatake Kakashi.

"Chidori!"

Without a single word of nonsense, he charged forward with Chidori in hand, making Orochimaru laugh in anger.

Were all these brats so overconfident?!

Just as killing intent arose in Orochimaru's heart, an almost imperceptible sound reached his ears.

Sizzle!

"This is..."

Orochimaru looked down at his feet and saw a black cat dart away. Before leaving, it looked back at him.

A human-like sneer had actually appeared on the cat's face.

Most crucially...

"Byakugan?!"

Noticing the black cat's white eye, Orochimaru's narrow pupils instantly contracted.

The next moment, before he could react—

Boom!!

The explosions of several Exploding Tags tore through the quiet night, and the entire experimental base was shattered by a terrifying force.

Cracks spread across the flat ground as it caved in like a collapsing mountain. Flesh and blood scattered and flew through the explosive blast like rain!

Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, the two Anbu ninja leaping through the trees instinctively stopped when they heard the tremendous boom in the distance.

"Was that the Third Hokage...?" They looked in the direction of the sound, unable to suppress their alarm.

Yet they did not see the faint, imperceptible smile appear on Hyuga Yunchuan's face as he lay in their arms.

"Did you still hold back?" he thought with a smile. I hope Orochimaru likes my final gift.

He had never expected Sarutobi Hiruzen's momentary rage to truly kill Orochimaru. Emotional identification could not possibly outweigh decades of master-disciple bonds.

Once Sarutobi Hiruzen fully calmed down, he might even regret having struck too heavily.

But it did not matter.

What Hyuga Yunchuan wanted was to clear himself of suspicion. Whether Orochimaru lived or died was unimportant.

Besides, useful chess pieces like Orochimaru were not easy to find.

If he died before being thoroughly drained of value, that would be rather regrettable.

With that thought, Hyuga Yunchuan glanced at the sky.

It was already five in the morning. Dawn now colored the horizon.

At every moment, the sun was both setting and rising. As it dimmed and descended the mountain on one side, gathering the desolate remnants of its fading light, it was also burning as it climbed the summit on the other, scattering a blazing morning glow.

"Next comes the Tenseigan." Hyuga Yunchuan closed his eyes and smiled inwardly.

Heh. Hyuga Clan, Caged Bird...

Make the false seem real and the real seem false. Let the strong appear weak, and the weak appear strong.

Starting today, offense and defense have changed places.

The plot of this book was largely recreated based on the original canon, but it would not rigidly follow the original work. The plot would go completely off the rails and thoroughly change everything—that was perfectly normal. Shiyue had written that way before, and it was guaranteed to be satisfying.

For example, at the beginning, Orochimaru's human experiments were exposed, and Sarutobi Hiruzen, soft-hearted, let Orochimaru go. That happened in both the manga and anime.

Although there were minor differences between the two—for instance, in the anime, when faced with Enma's doubts, the Third Hokage directly admitted that he could not bring himself to kill Orochimaru, while in the manga, he merely responded with silence. Orochimaru's laboratory was also far bloodier than in the anime—the overall plot was more or less the same.

Shiyue had read the Hokage anime, manga, and Data Book four or five times. He would not write things that never existed in the original work, like the Eight Colors of Konoha, "Cold Lord" Orochimaru, "Ninja Hero" Sarutobi Hiruzen, elite Jonin, Shadow-level, or "Demigod" Hanzo.

So everyone could read with peace of mind. If you saw something different from the fanfics you had read before, feel free to ask if you were curious. But it would be best not to start by saying, "Hey, you got this wrong," or Shiyue might turn around and slap you with the original canon, hahaha.