A new week dawned with the rising sun.
Shinnō stepped out of the inn and touched the Cursed Seal hidden beneath the plaster on his neck, doing his best to keep smiling as another day of torment in Konoha began.
Girls in white dresses swept past on the street, laughing and chatting.
Today was the summer solstice.
By his count, he had been undercover in Konoha for more than half a month.
Thinking back to when he had first arrived, he had been brimming with confidence. He'd planned to steal the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates and combine it with the Body Regeneration Secret Technique to complete his transformation. In less than five years, he'd be able to punch the Hokage and overturn Konoha, kicking Sarutobi Hiruzen's head around like a ball!
Unfortunately, the very first step of his plan had fallen apart.
By now, he had handed over all the information he could give to Orochimaru and Akashi. Most of his money had been stolen, he'd been branded with a Cursed Seal and threatened with his life, and every day he worked for Konoha for free.
His heart was full of bitterness!
"Hey, Doctor Shinnō. Good morning."
Suddenly, that chilling voice sounded behind him. Shinnō shuddered.
That ominous feeling had returned.
He turned stiffly, gritting his teeth. "What do you want now? I've given you everything I can."
"This time, I'm the one giving you something." Akashi shook the bundle in his hand and smiled. "You can leave now. Head out of the village in fifteen minutes and meet me in the woods we visited before."
Shinnō froze, unable to make sense of it.
What did he mean?
Was he really letting him go just like that?
As Shinnō stood there in a daze, Akashi had already started toward the village gate.
Shinnō's heart leaped with joy. No matter what, he never wanted to stay in this damned place again.
It was the only good news he'd heard in ages!
To hell with Konoha Hospital! He was done pretending!
When he reached the familiar forest, the memory of the night a chunk of his flesh had been bitten off came back to him, making his neck prickle with fear.
Akashi was leaning against a tree trunk, holding a bundle in one hand. He'd been waiting for him.
"You're finally here."
"Are you alone? Where's Orochimaru?" Shinnō warily scanned their surroundings.
"Lord Orochimaru is busy. He doesn't have time to deal with trash like you." Akashi frowned. "Do you still want to be a test subject?"
Shinnō hurriedly waved his hands. "No, no! But... you can't remove my Cursed Seal, can you?"
Akashi shot back, "Don't you like the power it gives you? I'll be honest: it can't be removed. Even Lord Orochimaru can't undo it."
At that, Shinnō went rigid.
Knowing what he was afraid of, Akashi explained, "Relax. The Cursed Seal has stabilized. It won't kill you. You're free."
"Free..." Shinnō clutched his neck, trembling slightly.
If only he could truly be free. The Cursed Seal's occasional pain felt like a warning, leaving a shadow that wouldn't go away.
If the seal could be used to track him, they could probably find him at any time.
Just then, Akashi handed him a bundle.
Shinnō was already too frightened to take it. Who knew if it was full of snakes or scorpions? The offer to let him leave in the first place was already absurd. Why fatten a pig just to let it go instead of slaughtering it?
Akashi looked both exasperated and amused. He opened one corner of the bundle. "Do you recognize this?"
"This is a Tailed Beast..."
"Shh!" Akashi hurriedly stopped him. "Be careful."
There were two scrolls hidden in the bundle: one contained the Formation of the Eight Inner Gates, and the other the Zero-Tails Jutsu Formula. The Eight Inner Gates weren't exactly a closely guarded secret, but the Zero-Tails Jutsu Formula was among the most dangerous techniques. If Konoha discovered it had been stolen, they wouldn't let the matter rest.
But none of that mattered much to Akashi.
The Eight Gates weren't the path he wanted to pursue, and the Zero-Tails was only a prototype.
If Shinnō hadn't been unable to capture any other Tailed Beasts, Akashi wouldn't have set his sights on the Zero-Tails. It was extremely difficult to control, and mastering it would probably take years.
And that was exactly what Akashi was aiming for.
He would have Shinnō develop the Zero-Tails and research the Aerial Fortress.
Then he'd devour Shinnō whole!
"You're really giving this to me?" Shinnō still couldn't believe it.
Akashi tossed him the bundle. "Take it or leave it. If you keep asking questions, I'll take it back."
Shinnō grabbed the bundle tightly. "I'll take it! I will!"
"I'm letting you go and giving you the formula for an artificial Tailed Beast. Aren't you going to thank me?"
"Thank you!" Shinnō's mouth twitched.
"You're welcome." Akashi smiled. "Go. If there's a chance, we'll be in touch again. Our cooperation has been quite pleasant."
As if!
He'd rather die than see you again!
Shinnō straightened up, his clothes fluttering lightly as he seemed to regain the confidence he'd had when he first entered the village. But the questions weighing on his mind still left him struggling to breathe.
He suddenly fixed his gaze on Akashi.
"Can I ask one last question?"
"Go ahead."
"What exactly are you after?"
Shinnō had puzzled over it again and again, but still couldn't understand.
Akashi had already gotten everything he wanted. As for Shinnō's value, it had been squeezed dry. And yet Akashi was still letting him leave Konoha with the Zero-Tails formula in hand.
It made no sense!
That kid was definitely no good, but why? Shinnō had racked his brains and still couldn't figure it out.
Akashi hadn't expected Shinnō to be so persistent about uncovering his motives. Perhaps people who enjoyed research all had an inexplicable thirst for knowledge.
He smiled and stepped closer, motioning for Shinnō to bend down. Then he whispered, "I let you go because I'm looking forward to the day Ancor Vantian flies over Konoha."
Shinnō's heart clenched.
Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
This guy even knew about the Sky Ninja's secret stronghold—that was Shinnō's hidden superweapon.
Could the Sharingan really let someone read minds?
Terrifying.
"You... you want to..."
"Overturn Konoha!" Akashi said, enunciating each word.
Those four short words left Shinnō stunned once more. He didn't come back to his senses for a long while.
What had he just said?
Was Shinnō crazy, or was Akashi?
Shinnō looked up and saw those icy eyes. A chill ran through his entire body.
Before he could ask anything else, Akashi had already turned and walked away. But the fear twisting in Shinnō's gut told him that kid had meant every word!
"Hahahahaha..."
Shinnō laughed wildly, almost mad with it. Whether he was glad to have escaped his misery or imagining Konoha's destruction in the future, even he couldn't say.
After he'd finished laughing, Shinnō suddenly remembered that his luggage was still at the inn.
Besides, if he ran off without even saying goodbye, the Hokage might get suspicious and send people to investigate.
He collected his thoughts, returned to the inn to gather his luggage, then went to see the Hokage and made up a story about how he had no choice but to leave. Sarutobi Hiruzen tried repeatedly to persuade him to stay, but couldn't change his mind. In the end, he regretfully escorted Shinnō to the village gate himself and gave him some Konoha specialties as a token of thanks.
Shinnō kept up the act until he was outside the village, then took off running.
He headed west without looking back.
On the roof of the research institute, Akashi and Orochimaru watched him go, both of them smiling.
They had planned to let Shinnō go.
Orochimaru regretted losing a test subject he could have reused, but Shinnō could clearly accomplish more out in the world. When the time came, Orochimaru could use the Cursed Seal to control him and claim everything for himself.
They'd let this fat sheep graze for now.
Akashi agreed with Orochimaru's thinking. Still, the two of them would probably end up fighting over Shinnō's legacy.
At least five years from now.
By then, could he handle Orochimaru?
"Akashi-kun."
A voice called him back to the present. Orochimaru was watching him. "You're thinking about how to take everything from Shinnō too, aren't you?"
"Huh? No." Shock flashed through Akashi's eyes, but he quickly denied it.
"No need to hide it. I understand perfectly. You're a clever boy. The Uchiha Clan's position in this village is growing more awkward by the day. You need to find a better path, or you're bound to meet your end. That's why you were willing to become my assistant, isn't it?"
"You flatter me."
"Heh. Do you know the most important reason I admire you so much?"
Orochimaru turned and walked away. "We're cut from the same cloth."
His voice drifted across the empty rooftop to Akashi.
Cut from the same cloth?
Perhaps that wasn't wrong, from the perspective of rebellion.
Before you continue