A-Rank Missing-nin, Uchiha Ao

Ao raised his head to look at the pale blue sky, where clouds drifted carefree with the wind, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Shisui, I trust your character, so I hope you can protect my family within the scope of your abilities."

"Take this as my repayment."

"In the future, when you find yourself in a crisis, it might be of some use..."

Shisui opened his mouth, but not a single sound came out.

He realized it!

He had fallen into a genjutsu again.

Since when!?

How could Ao possess such profound mastery of genjutsu... Why had he never known about this before!?

His mood gradually sank.

Ao...

What other secrets was he hiding?

Was his departure truly a good thing for the clan?

Just as this thought surfaced in Shisui's mind.

He discovered that his surroundings had changed once again, and he was standing all alone at the edge of the forest, holding a stainless steel syringe filled with a transparent reagent in his hand.

Triple genjutsu...

Hiss!

Shisui drew a sharp breath.

His curiosity about Ao deepened even further.

The genjutsu had vanished.

Uchiha Ao had already left, though Shisui had no idea when.

Sensing someone approaching, Shisui immediately hid the item in his sleeve.

He turned around to look at the newcomer.

"Shisui, are you alright!"

The figure of Uchiha Yashiro appeared before Shisui, asking breathlessly.

He had sensed Shisui's mental abnormality and, upon seeing Uchiha Ao leave, had immediately revealed himself to prevent Shisui from being in danger.

Shisui shook his head gently.

"Yashiro-sensei, I fear Uchiha Ao intends to defect from the village and follow Orochimaru."

He gently stroked his eyes, and a pair of scarlet One-Tomoe Sharingan slowly emerged.

Leaving the clan?

Perhaps that was also a path.

But it was definitely not the choice of Uchiha Shisui.

If his senior wanted to leave...

He would not stop him.

"Should we stop him?"

Shisui asked, looking at Uchiha Yashiro, attempting to find the clan's stance on his face.

Yashiro was slightly stunned.

Then, his face darkened.

"Uchiha Ao intends to betray the clan and defect to the Sannin Orochimaru! Such an act will completely shatter the delicate balance that has formed!"

"By then, no matter how much the Uchiha tries to prove our innocence, we will never be able to wash away the blame!"

Yashiro said with a fierce look in his eyes.

A pair of Three-Tomoe Sharingan were revealed, and before he could leave, Shisui grabbed him, shook his head gently, and said, "Yashiro-sensei, this is only my speculation..."

So this is the clan's choice...

Shisui finally understood why Ao displayed such a detached attitude toward the clan.

To him, bloodline was perhaps a burden, a shackle.

In Ao's eyes, Shisui saw a longing for freedom, which also contained an unfathomable, persistent pursuit.

Ao was destined not to remain in the Uchiha.

"Moreover, with Ao by Orochimaru's side, it will be a great help for us to ease the relationship between the Uchiha and the village."

Shisui continued.

He concealed Ao's true intentions.

Yashiro pondered for a moment before finally nodding slightly.

He accepted Shisui's reasoning.

Orochimaru was currently the strongest contender for Fifth Hokage, and once the Third Hokage stabilized the village's situation, he would certainly select the next Hokage.

Among them, Orochimaru had the highest chance.

If Ao could become Orochimaru's direct disciple, he would have a chance to compete for Sixth Hokage in the future.

And all the Uchiha had to pay was a single clansman.

Anyone would find it hard to refuse such a good deal.

Ten days later.

The Uchiha clan began the first wave of relocation.

Uchiha Ao carried a simple bag containing two changes of clothes and quietly slipped out the door.

Before leaving.

He placed two vials of Hashirama Cell Serum by his younger brother Uchiha Ran's bedside.

After Ao left, his mother walked in from outside the door and tucked the two vials away.

Then, she woke the sleeping brother and sister.

"Wake up, it's time to move."

Mother did not tell them that Ao had left.

She silently packed their belongings for the move.

Uchiha Ran held his sister's hand, following behind their mother and the main body of the Uchiha clan as they left the village and stepped into a brand-new residential area.

This was a street the village had helped construct, with houses forming a circle around Kaga Shrine, while the core area was reserved for the residences of the Uchiha elite.

Their family was fortunate enough to be assigned a house in the second ring, surrounded by the families of the clan's elite members.

Many of their former neighbors and friends looked on with envy.

However, no one stood up to question their family.

Ran knew very well that all of this was because his older brother, Uchiha Ao, had become a disciple of the legendary Sannin and scientific genius, Lord Orochimaru.

His brother was a big shot with the potential to succeed as the Fifth Hokage in the future.

It was this background that had earned the clan's attention, which in turn secured them such a prime residence.

But before they had even moved into their new home.

Ran heard his mother give an instruction—"Ran, could you go and speak to the clan head? Let's move to the outskirts of the clan's territory instead..."

His mother's eyes were slightly red, with dark circles underneath, as if she hadn't slept well the night before.

Ran was stunned.

He had just been enjoying the envious and jealous gazes of the classmates and neighbors who used to look down on him, and he had been excited to move into the new house, never expecting his mother to say such a thing.

"Mom, living here means we can get more resources from the clan..."

He pleaded.

He hoped his mother would choose to stay.

"That is because of your brother's teacher, not because of your brother or you..."

"The attention gained by basking in someone else's glory is, in reality, a vanity like duckweed without roots."

Mother stared at Ran, her tone heavy.

"I want you to become a ninja who stands on his own two feet, just like your father."

"Not a parasite relying on others."

Her words were harsh.

Her words made Ran's eyes turn red, and he lowered his head in shame.

"I understand, Mother..."

"I'll go tell the clan head right now that we'll move to the edge of the village."

"What about brother..."

Ran said with red eyes and a aggrieved tone, the lingering reluctance in his heart already completely wiped away by his mother's words.

"Ao has already left, Ran! As his brother, do not let his departure cause you to harbor any resentment..."

Mother turned to the side, her gaze passing over the tall eaves of Kaga Shrine and landing in the direction of the Valley of the End.

The defection of a son.

It would inevitably have a certain impact on their family.

But it was not fatal.

Ao was already an adult; the clan would not implicate his family because of his defection.

The Valley of the End.

The waterfall descended from the sky, splashing into spray and rushing along the riverbank.

Ao sat upright on a large rock, head tilted back, watching the pitch-black sky gradually turn white, then shift bit by bit into blue, as colorful clouds appeared.

When the first ray of sunlight shone upon the head of the statue of Senju Hashirama.

A dark shadow revealed itself beneath the sunlight.

The golden radiance lent a sacred quality to that pale face.

"Are you truly planning to follow me and leave Konoha?"

"This is your last chance to regret it."

"Once you leave, there is no possibility of turning back."

Orochimaru lowered his eyelids.

His gaze, full of scrutiny, swept back and forth across Ao's face, attempting to detect a hint of wavering.

If he had discovered even the slightest emotional change on Ao's face, he would have discarded him without hesitation and chosen to leave on his own.

Orochimaru observed for a long time.

He sighed slightly in his heart.

He had failed.

He did not see the expected regret on Ao's face.

The corners of his mouth curved up imperceptibly.

His figure flashed.

Orochimaru appeared beside Ao, lowered his head, leaned into Ao's ear, and whispered: "Welcome, A-rank missing-nin Uchiha Ao, to my newest laboratory..."

Only now.

Uchiha Ao had passed all of Orochimaru's tests.

He had become a core member of his team.