Do You Think He's Another Orochimaru?

By the time the four Genin of Team 7 and their Jonin instructor set foot in the village again, the air about them had changed completely.

It was the edge of true shinobi, tempered by the stench of blood and death.

They didn't go home. Instead, they headed straight to Hokage Tower to report on the mission.

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was puffing on his pipe as he reviewed a mountain of files. When he saw that all of Team 7 had returned safely, a kindly smile appeared on his face.

"Thanks for your hard work, Kakashi. Mr. Tazuna's letter of thanks arrived ahead of you. You did an excellent job completing the mission."

"Yes, Third." Kakashi began his formal mission report.

"This was a C-rank escort mission. We were attacked along the way, and the enemy was identified as the Kirigakure rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi and his accomplice. The mission was automatically upgraded to B-rank. After a hard-fought battle, we successfully repelled and eliminated the enemy, protected our client, and ensured the Great Naruto Bridge was completed without trouble."

The report was concise and to the point. It mentioned Naruto and Sasuke's growth and courage in battle, Sakura's diligent protection of the client, and Ling Xuan's crucial tactical support.

It was a flawless report that no auditor could find fault with, but it concealed at least ninety percent of the truth.

Kakashi didn't mention that he had been trapped in a Water Prison, and that Ling Xuan had broken through it single-handedly with a ninjutsu no one had ever heard of.

He didn't mention that Zabuza and Haku weren't actually dead, either. Nor did he mention that one of his Genin students had recruited two powerful rogue ninja right in front of him and turned them into his own private force.

These events were too shocking to be brought up in public.

"Mm, well done." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction. "You've all grown a lot. Go back and rest. Your mission payment will be issued as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Ling Xuan bowed and left the Hokage's office, but Kakashi stayed behind.

Once the office door was shut again and Hiruzen Sarutobi had sent the nearby Anbu away, the atmosphere in the room finally grew tense.

"Kakashi." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at him and spoke softly. "Tell me. What really happened?"

Kakashi took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. Then he gave the old man at the pinnacle of Konoha's power a full and detailed account of everything that had happened in the Land of Waves, including the unbelievable truths he had concealed.

He told him about Ling Xuan's uncanny battlefield perception and the unprecedented composite ninjutsu he had created. He told him about the astounding ingenuity with which he had broken the Water Prison Technique, and the terrifying logic behind his deduction that Haku had faked his death.

Finally, he described Ling Xuan's astonishing move: using "Rebirth" as leverage and a Sealing Jutsu of his own creation to bring Demon Zabuza and his companion completely under his control.

He also repeated Ling Xuan's final words about "making the rules."

Hiruzen Sarutobi listened in silence. At some point, the pipe that had been burning in his hand had gone out. A sharp glint shone in his seemingly cloudy old eyes, and a long silence fell over the office.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe again, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"I see." He slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, his tone betraying no emotion. "So that's how it is..."

Many faces came to mind.

He thought of his own gifted student, Orochimaru, who had ultimately strayed down the wrong path. He thought of the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Namikaze Minato, who had changed the balance of the entire Shinobi World single-handedly.

All of them bore the mark of genius. But this boy named Ling Xuan seemed different from them.

Orochimaru pursued immortality and truth, but his methods were forbidden and profane. Minato possessed the will to protect and unmatched speed.

What Ling Xuan showed was the utmost calm and rationality. He didn't seem to be pursuing power so much as taking it apart, understanding it, and ultimately mastering it.

Everything he did was guided by the "optimal solution," without any unnecessary personal feelings. That trait made him immensely powerful—and immensely dangerous.

"Kakashi." Hiruzen Sarutobi broke the silence. "Do you think he's another Orochimaru?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. Sensei, he's different from Orochimaru. Orochimaru's eyes held disregard for life and greed for knowledge, but when I look into Ling Xuan's eyes, I see nothing. They're an abyss—calm and profound, as if they could reflect everything, yet containing nothing at all."

"He didn't save Zabuza and Haku out of kindness, or to show off. In his logic, those two were more valuable alive than dead. That's all."

"Value..." Hiruzen Sarutobi murmured. "A child who sees everything as value and data... Interesting. Very interesting."

He rose and walked to the window, looking down at the prosperous, peaceful village of Konoha.

"Suppressing or restricting a child like that would be the most foolish thing we could do. It would only push him into opposition to us. With his intelligence, he could find a thousand ways around our surveillance and grow in the darkness into someone we couldn't control."

"Then... what should we do?" Kakashi asked.

"Guide him." A politician's distinctive wisdom gleamed in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. "Guide him with the village's greater cause, with the Will of Fire. Help him understand that he can use his talent to protect this home, and that this is far more valuable than recruiting two rogue ninja. Kakashi, this is your mission. As his Jonin instructor, you must become the most important link between him and the village."

"At the same time..." Hiruzen Sarutobi's tone turned serious. "Raise Ling Xuan's surveillance level to the highest rank: S. I'll handle it personally. Any unusual behavior must be reported to me immediately. But remember, surveillance only. Do not interfere."

"Yes, Third!" Kakashi replied respectfully. He knew this was the only—and best—way to handle things for now.

"Go." Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand. "And as for Zabuza and Haku, let it remain a secret known only to you, me, and Ling Xuan himself. As far as everyone else is concerned, they're dead."

"Understood."

After Kakashi left, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alone by the window for a long time without speaking. He looked at the imposing faces on Kage Rock, his gaze growing immeasurably distant.

Where would Konoha's future lead?

Meanwhile, Ling Xuan had returned to the humble room in the orphanage that he had been away from for so long.

To him, this place felt more reassuring than anywhere else. It was the starting point of all his plans, and the heart of the vast Knowledge Factory.