Do you think he's the second Orochimaru?

When the four genin of Team 7 and their jonin instructor stepped back into the village, the aura surrounding them was vastly different from when they had left.

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

Instead of heading home, they went straight to the Hokage Tower to submit their mission report.

Inside the Hokage office, Hiruzen Sarutobi was puffing on his pipe while reviewing a mountain of files. Seeing the entire Team 7 return safely, a kind smile appeared on his face.

"Good work, Kakashi. Mr. Tazuna's letter of gratitude arrived ahead of you; you have completed the mission brilliantly."

"Yes, Lord Third." Kakashi began his formulaic mission report.

"C-rank escort mission. Encountered enemy attacks en route, confirmed to be the Mist rogue ninja Zabuza Momochi and his accomplice. Mission rank automatically elevated to B-rank. After a fierce battle, we successfully repelled and eliminated the enemies, protected the client, and ensured the smooth completion of the Great Naruto Bridge."

The report was concise and standard. It mentioned the growth and courage of Naruto and Sasuke during the battle, noted Sakura's diligent protection of the client, and acknowledged that Ling Xuan provided crucial tactical support at a critical moment.

It was a perfect report that would leave no room for criticism from any auditor, yet it concealed at least ninety percent of the truth.

Kakashi did not mention that he had been trapped by the Water Prison Technique, and that it was Ling Xuan who had forcibly broken the deadlock with an unheard-of ninjutsu.

He did not mention that Zabuza and Haku were not actually dead, nor that one of his genin students had, right before his eyes, recruited two powerful rogue ninja and turned them into his own private force.

These matters were too shocking to be mentioned in a public setting.

"Mm, well done." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with satisfaction. "You have all grown quite a bit. Go back and rest for now; your mission payment will be issued to you as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

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

Once the office door was closed again and Hiruzen Sarutobi signaled for the surrounding Anbu to withdraw, the atmosphere in the room truly turned heavy.

"Kakashi." Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Kakashi and said softly, "Tell me, what is the real situation?"

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi gathered his thoughts and reported everything that had happened in the Land of Waves—including the mind-boggling truths he had hidden—in full detail to the old man standing at the pinnacle of power in Konoha.

From Ling Xuan's uncanny battlefield insight to his unprecedented self-created composite ninjutsu. From his astonishing intelligence in breaking the Water Prison Technique to the terrifying logic with which he saw through Haku's faked death.

Finally, he detailed the earth-shattering maneuver where Ling Xuan used "Rebirth" as a bargaining chip and a self-created sealing technique to completely bring the Demon Zabuza and his companion under his own control.

And, the final words Ling Xuan spoke regarding "setting the rules."

Hiruzen Sarutobi listened quietly. The pipe he had been smoking had gone out at some point, and a sharp glint flickered in his seemingly cloudy old eyes. 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.

"Is that so." He slowly exhaled a ring of smoke, his voice betraying neither anger nor joy. "So, that is how it is..."

He thought of many people.

He thought of his own disciple, Orochimaru, who was equally brilliant but had ultimately strayed onto a twisted path. He thought of the Yellow Flash of Konoha, Namikaze Minato, who had changed the landscape of the entire ninja world single-handedly.

These people all bore the mark of a "genius." But the boy named Ling Xuan before him seemed different from them all.

Orochimaru pursued immortality and truth, but his methods were taboo and blasphemous. Minato possessed the Will of Fire and unparalleled speed.

What Ling Xuan displayed was an extreme sense of calm and rationality. He did not seem to be pursuing power so much as deconstructing it, understanding it, and ultimately mastering it.

All of his actions were guided by the "optimal solution," devoid of any superfluous personal emotion. This trait made him appear incredibly powerful, yet also incredibly dangerous.

"Kakashi." Hiruzen Sarutobi broke the silence. "Do you think he is a second Orochimaru?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No. Teacher, he is different from Orochimaru. In Orochimaru's eyes, there is a disregard for life and a greed for knowledge, but in Ling Xuan's eyes, I see nothing. It is an abyss—calm and deep, as if it could reflect everything, yet containing nothing at all."

"He didn't save Zabuza and Haku out of kindness, nor to show off. In his logic, those two are simply more valuable alive than dead. That is all."

"Value, is it..." Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself. "A child who views everything as value and data... Interesting, truly interesting."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the prosperous and peaceful Konoha.

"For a child like this, suppression and restriction are the most foolish approaches. They would only push him to the opposite side of us. With his intelligence, he has a thousand ways to bypass our surveillance and grow into an entity we cannot control in the shadows."

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

"Guidance." A light of wisdom, unique to a statesman, flickered in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes. "Use the greater good of the village, use the Will of Fire to guide him. Let him understand that his talent can be used to protect this home; that value is far greater 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. "Elevate Ling Xuan's surveillance level to the highest, S-rank. I will be personally responsible for it. Any abnormal behavior must be reported to me immediately. But remember, it is only surveillance; you must never interfere."

"Yes, Lord Third!" Kakashi replied respectfully. He knew this was the only and best way to handle the situation.

"Go." Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "Also, regarding Zabuza and Haku, let it be a secret known only to you, me, and Ling Xuan himself. To the outside world, they are dead."

"I understand."

After Kakashi left, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood alone before the window for a long time without a word. He looked at the majestic faces carved into the Hokage Rock, his gaze becoming infinitely profound.

Where, exactly, would the future of Konoha lead...

Meanwhile, Ling Xuan had already returned to the simple, long-vacant room in the orphanage.

To him, this place felt more secure than anywhere else, for it was the starting point of all his plans and the core of his vast "Knowledge Factory."