"Long time no see, Haotian," Anko said, a hint of barely perceptible coldness in her voice. Her words pulled Haotian out of his thoughts.
He turned to look. Anko stood just behind him, her short purple hair gleaming in the sunlight.
But the lively eyes he remembered now burned with anger, and her tightly pressed lips made her mood clear.
Behind her, a familiar figure gave Haotian a jolt—Orochimaru.
The dumpling nearly slipped from Haotian's hand.
He never imagined he would encounter Orochimaru here—the sinister and treacherous Sannin whose name struck fear into people's hearts.
He instinctively tightened his grip on the wooden skewer, his fingertips turning slightly white.
Orochimaru's gaze swept slowly over him like a venomous snake, carrying a chillingly probing air.
A strange, unreadable smile tugged at the pale man's lips, giving no hint of what he was thinking.
The air seemed to solidify. An invisible pressure descended on Haotian, leaving him almost unable to breathe.
Anko could no longer hold back her anger. She strode forward and pointed at Haotian, her voice trembling. "You... you still dare show your face in front of me!" Chakra surged around her, and she looked ready to attack.
"Anko," Orochimaru rasped, his voice carrying a note of warning. "Calm down." He reached out a pale hand and gently pressed it against Anko's shoulder, stopping her.
Anko gritted her teeth in frustration and glared fiercely at Haotian, but she still obediently stepped back.
Orochimaru turned to Haotian. An unusual light glimmered in his golden, serpentine eyes. "How interesting. I never expected to run into you here, young man with that peculiar Kekkei Genkai." He paused, the smile on his lips deepening. "I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you." With that, he grabbed Anko and turned to leave, his retreating figure full of meaning.
Haotian stood alone where he was, holding the now-cold dumpling, but he had no appetite at all.
The sunset's glow fell over him, casting a long shadow.
Beneath his calm exterior, his thoughts churned like turbulent waves.
Orochimaru's appearance, and his suggestive words about looking forward to the future, filled Haotian with an inexplicable sense of danger.
He looked up at the darkening sky and murmured, "Looks like I'll have to pick up the pace..." He tossed the wooden skewer into a trash can and turned toward the back entrance of Konoha Hospital, where some...
unusual things were stored.
A resolute look in his eyes, he pushed open the door that led into the unknown.
"This... is a White Zetsu corpse?"
The cold, damp underground laboratory reeked of blood, and the sharp smell of formalin stung his nose.
A pale White Zetsu corpse lay split open on the dissection table, its strange internal structure exposed by a sharp scalpel.
Orochimaru's gloved hands worked with practiced ease. Scarlet blood dripped from the blade into a metal tray, each "drip, drip" sounding like the grim reaper's ticking clock.
"Fascinating... such an extraordinary structure..." Orochimaru murmured as his gloved fingertips lightly touched the White Zetsu's organs, feeling their cold, supple texture. His golden, serpentine eyes gleamed with fervor.
"Such powerful vitality. If I could combine it with Hashirama Cells..." he whispered, as if performing some forbidden ritual.
Suddenly, the laboratory door was flung open. A cold draft, tinged with the smell of dust, swept in and shattered the room's eerie silence.
"Orochimaru, are you still playing around with corpses?" Shimura Danzō's grim voice echoed through the empty laboratory. Leaning on his cane, he fixed Orochimaru with a cold gleam from his one visible eye, like a beast ready to devour its prey.
"The war is intensifying. Lord Hokage needs your strength!"
Orochimaru raised his head, a cold smile appearing on his pale face.
"Lord Danzō, it seems you still don't understand the allure of science." He casually tossed the scalpel into the tray, where it struck the metal with a crisp clang.
"War? It's nothing but a game for the weak. True power lies in mastering life!"
"Hmph! Your research has crossed the line!" Danzō slammed his cane against the ground, making a dull thud.
"The experiment to combine Hashirama Cells and the Sharingan must be completed as soon as possible! Konoha needs greater strength!"
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Don't be impatient, Lord Danzō. Everything is under my control..."
Danzō snorted and turned to leave. "Aburame Shikuroo!"
A ninja in a black bodysuit and sunglasses appeared silently behind Danzō and dropped to one knee.
"Lord Danzō." His voice was low and hoarse, like the buzzing of an insect.
"Keep an eye on Zhiwei's squad, especially Uchiha Mei and Haotian. Find a way to get them to join Root." Danzō's voice was cold and merciless, like a sentence handed down from hell.
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