Ao raised his head and gazed at the pale blue sky. The clouds drifted carefree on the wind, and a faint smile touched his lips.
"Shisui, I trust your character, so I hope you'll protect my family as best you can."
"Take this as a token of my gratitude."
"Perhaps it'll be of some use if you find yourself in danger one day..."
Shisui opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Then it dawned on him!
He'd fallen for another genjutsu.
When had it happened!?
Ao's skill with genjutsu was astonishing... How had Shisui never known before!?
His mood gradually darkened.
Ao...
What secrets was he still hiding?
Was his departure really a good thing for the clan?
The thought had barely surfaced in Shisui's mind when the surroundings changed again. He found himself standing alone at the edge of the forest, holding a stainless-steel syringe filled with a clear liquid.
A third layer of genjutsu...
Damn!
Shisui drew in a sharp breath.
His curiosity about Ao deepened.
The genjutsu vanished.
Uchiha Ao had already left, though Shisui had no idea when.
Sensing someone approaching, Shisui slipped the object in his hand into his sleeve.
He turned to face the newcomer.
"Shisui, are you all right?"
Uchiha Yashiro appeared before him, panting as he asked the question.
He had sensed that something was wrong with Shisui's chakra. After seeing Uchiha Ao leave, he had immediately come out to make sure Shisui was safe.
Shisui shook his head gently.
"Teacher Yashiro, I think Uchiha Ao intends to leave the village and follow Orochimaru."
He lightly touched his eyes. A pair of red One-Tomoe Sharingan slowly appeared.
Leaving the clan?
It might be one path.
But it would never be the path Uchiha Shisui chose.
If his senior wanted to leave...
Shisui wouldn't stop him.
"Should we stop him?"
Shisui looked at Uchiha Yashiro, trying to read the clan's decision on his face.
Yashiro paused, then his expression darkened.
"Uchiha Ao intends to betray the clan and join Orochimaru of the Sannin! That would completely destroy the delicate balance we've managed to establish."
"After that, no matter how much the Uchiha try to prove their innocence, they'll never be able to clear themselves of blame!"
Yashiro spoke fiercely.
His Three-Tomoe Sharingan appeared, but before he could leave, Shisui grabbed him and gently shook his head.
"Teacher Yashiro, that's only my guess..."
So this was the clan's choice...
Shisui finally understood why Ao had kept the clan at arm's length.
To him, blood ties might be a burden, a shackle.
In Ao's eyes,
Shisui had seen a yearning for freedom, along with a stubborn drive toward some goal he couldn't understand.
Ao was never going to stay with the Uchiha.
"Besides, Ao being at Orochimaru's side could do a lot to ease tensions between the Uchiha and the village," Shisui continued.
He kept Ao's true intentions to himself.
Yashiro considered this for a moment, then finally nodded.
He agreed with Shisui.
Orochimaru was currently the strongest contender to become the Fifth Hokage. Once the Third had stabilized the village, he would surely choose a successor.
Orochimaru had the best chance.
If Ao became Orochimaru's personal disciple, he might one day be a candidate for Sixth.
And all the Uchiha had to give up was one clan member.
Who would turn down a deal like that?
Ten days later.
The Uchiha Clan began moving its first group of members.
With a simple pack on his back containing two changes of clothes, Uchiha Ao slipped out of the house.
Before leaving,
he placed two vials of Hashirama Cell Serum beside his younger brother Uchiha Lan's bed.
After Ao had left,
their mother came in and picked up the two vials.
Then she woke the siblings.
"Get up. It's time to move."
Their mother didn't tell them that Ao had left.
She quietly packed their belongings.
Uchiha Lan held his younger sister's hand as they followed their mother and the rest of the Uchiha Clan out of the village, toward their new home.
The village had helped build a street for them. The houses formed a ring around Kaga Shrine, with the clan elders' homes in the center.
Their family had been lucky enough to get a house in the second ring, near the families of the clan's elite.
Their former neighbors and friends were all envious.
But no one dared to question the family's good fortune.
Lan knew it was all because his older brother, Uchiha Ao, had become the disciple of the legendary Sannin and scientific genius, Lord Orochimaru.
His brother was a great man with a chance of becoming the next Fifth Hokage.
That background had earned the family the clan's attention—and such a fine home.
But before they had even moved in,
Lan heard their mother say, "Lan, could you speak to the clan leader and tell him we'd rather live on the outskirts of the clan's territory..."
His mother's eyes were red, and there were dark circles beneath them. She looked as though she hadn't slept well the night before.
Lan froze.
He had just been thrilled to see the envy in the eyes of his formerly high-and-mighty classmates and neighbors as they moved into their new home. He hadn't expected his mother to say something like that.
"Mom, if we live here, we'll have access to more of the clan's resources..."
He pleaded with her,
hoping she would let them stay.
"That's because of your brother's teacher, not because of your brother or you..."
"Being valued because of someone else's reputation is a hollow kind of vanity, like a weed with no roots."
His mother fixed her gaze on Lan and spoke sternly.
"I want you to become a grounded ninja like your father."
"Not a parasite relying on someone else."
Her words were harsh.
They brought tears to Lan's eyes, and he lowered his head in shame.
"I understand, Mother..."
"I'll go speak to the clan leader now and ask to move to the edge of the village."
"What about my brother..."
Lan's eyes reddened, and his voice turned plaintive. The reluctance he'd felt had already been dispelled by his mother's words.
"Ao has left, Lan! You're his younger brother. Don't let the impact of his departure make you resent him..."
His mother turned away. Her gaze passed over the tall roof of Kaga Shrine and settled on the direction of the Valley of the End.
Her son's defection
would inevitably affect their family.
But it wouldn't be fatal.
Ao was an adult. The clan wouldn't punish his family for his defection.
Valley of the End.
The waterfall plunged from above, churning into spray before flowing away along the riverbank.
Ao sat on a boulder, head tilted back as he watched the pitch-black sky grow pale, then gradually turn blue. The clouds of dawn bloomed in brilliant colors.
When the first rays of sunlight touched the head of Senju Hashirama's statue,
a shadow appeared in the light.
The golden glow lent a sacred air to his deathly pale face.
"Are you really going to leave Konoha with me?"
"This is your last chance to change your mind."
"Once you leave, there'll be no turning back."
Orochimaru lowered his eyelids.
His scrutinizing gaze moved over Ao's face, searching for the slightest sign of hesitation.
If Ao showed even a hint of regret, Orochimaru would abandon him without hesitation and leave on his own.
Orochimaru studied him for a long time.
Inside, he sighed.
He had failed.
Ao showed none of the regret he'd expected to see.
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curved almost imperceptibly.
He flashed over to Ao's side, lowered his head, and leaned close to his ear.
"Welcome to my newest laboratory, A-Rank Rogue Ninja Uchiha Ao..."
Only now
had Uchiha Ao passed all of Orochimaru's tests.
He had become a core member of Orochimaru's team.
Before you continue