At that moment, kneeling before Natsume,
Kabuto and Nonō were both overwhelmed with complicated feelings.
On the way back, Orochimaru had told them the whole truth.
Including how Danzo had used them to gather intelligence on enemy villages, cut off contact between them, and tricked Nonō with fake photographs...
And even the despicable lengths he'd gone to in the end, making them fight each other to eliminate any risk!
If Natsume hadn't stopped them in time,
Kabuto might have killed the warden he respected most, and then fallen apart...
Because of this,
they were both utterly shocked, almost unable to believe it!
But, on closer thought,
this really did fit the dark and underhanded ways of Konoha's Root.
What was more, all the other evidence proved that this wasn't a lie, but the cruel truth!
For a moment, the two of them nearly broke down after learning the truth.
For each other, and for the Orphanage,
they had given so much!
They had risked their lives to infiltrate enemy villages and constantly gather intelligence.
Yet all along, they had been living through a conspiracy, a deception, a betrayal.
They had become pawns whose abandonment had been decided long ago. How could that not fill them with despair?
"I, I..."
Thinking back on everything that had happened, Kabuto clenched his fists in anger, but couldn't say a word.
Compared to the young Kabuto,
the more experienced Nonō was much steadier.
But she, too, closed her eyes in pain, filled with regret.
"It was my fault! I should have known that Root was still the same dark, ruthless place that would stop at nothing!"
"I shouldn't have placed any hope in it—or in Danzo!"
"I'm the one who hurt Kabuto..."
The Wandering Shrine Maiden blamed herself and condemned Danzo.
Crystal-clear tears trickled from the corners of her eyes.
It was hard to imagine that the cruel Ninja World could drive such a strong and compassionate shrine maiden to tears.
What a sin!
"It's not the warden's fault. We were both deceived!"
"The warden's innocent too. It's all Root's scum! They're the ones who deserve to die!"
Kabuto hurriedly defended her,
his teeth clenched in fury.
"Do you think Root's darkness ends there?" Natsume spoke again.
"???"
Nonō and Kabuto abruptly looked up, a vague sense of dread rising in their hearts.
"Let me tell you."
"Even the Orphanage you risked your lives to protect didn't escape Danzo's clutches..."
"He secretly abducted every young child in the Orphanage with a talent for being a ninja and trained them in secret!"
"You've heard of Kirigakure's 'Bloody Mist' policy, haven't you?"
"Danzo's imitating that very system, making the orphan ninja he's gathered fight and grow stronger. Little by little, he's eroding their humanity, turning them into the most ruthless, sharpest blades in his hands!"
In that moment,
the even more gruesome truth Natsume revealed
struck them like two enormous hammers to the heart.
Their hearts lurched, and they nearly spat up blood!
They had never imagined that Danzo had reached his clutches into the Orphanage, too,
putting the other children through training so horrific that it beggared belief!
"How could this be? Lord Danzo promised he wouldn't do that. He..."
Nonō covered her eyes, murmuring on the verge of collapse.
Kabuto, who was already beside himself with rage, suddenly leaped to his feet and roared furiously:
"You monster! How could you do this?"
"Why go after the Orphanage, too?"
"I'm going to kill those bastards!"
The absurd feeling of watching something precious and beloved be trampled in secret was clearly enough to drive anyone to despair!
"What do you think you can do?"
"Storm back there alone? Fight Root head-on? Go up against Konoha, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages?"
"With your Chakra Scalpel?"
"How many jōnin can you beat? One? Or half of one?"
Natsume shouted at him.
Kabuto jolted, froze in place, and flushed red.
Natsume was right.
With his current strength, even a single jōnin would give him a hard time.
Let alone taking on all of Konoha.
It would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
"Kabuto! Sit down. Mind your manners!"
Nonō, having regained some control of her emotions, hurriedly scolded him and called him back.
They were in someone else's village, and their lives were in the hands of this Young Clan Head. They couldn't be rude and get themselves killed!
"I, I can't accept this..."
Kabuto sank to his knees, his hands hanging limp at his sides, his eyes filled with despair.
The room fell silent for a full ten minutes.
Natsume leisurely finished a pot of tea,
giving the two of them plenty of time to compose themselves.
After a long while, Nonō finally asked in a quiet voice,
"L-Lord Natsume, is what you said all true?"
"Konoha's right there. And you were part of Root in the first place. Just go back and investigate. It won't be hard at all to verify what I've told you, will it?"
Nonō fell silent for a moment.
"Then why did you save us, my lord? Why tell us all this? What is it you want?"
Looking at the golden-haired shrine maiden before him, Natsume felt a flicker of admiration.
Once she'd collected herself, this experienced Wandering Shrine Maiden really was impressive!
So Natsume came straight out with it.
"Come work for me."
"I don't need you to infiltrate some hidden village or serve as dangerous spies."
"I only need you to put your talents to use, apply your Medical Ninjutsu, and treat the people of the Flame Hidden Village."
"How does that sound?"
"I..."
Kabuto hesitated, tempted by the offer.
The past few years of living in fear as a spy had nearly driven him mad.
But he quickly glanced at the warden beside him and decided to stand by Nonō.
Nonō fell silent, too.
She had to admit Natsume's offer was very tempting.
No normal ninja wanted to spend their entire life in the dangerous world of espionage.
What was more, they had nowhere else to go.
If they returned to Konoha,
Danzo knew they were still alive. He would never spare them!
And if they had to work hard either way, surely the Flame Hidden Village was better than Konoha's dark, bloodthirsty Root?
"Fine! But I have one condition..."
Nonō mustered her courage, ready to add a condition.
"It's about the Orphanage, right?"
"Don't worry. I'll have a new Orphanage built in the village."
"And I'll find a way to bring over the remaining orphans from Konoha Orphanage, too!"
"Will that satisfy you?"
Natsume was doing everything he could to win the two of them over.
He had offered one generous term after another, leaving the Wandering Shrine Maiden Nonō with no reason to refuse.
She couldn't help wondering
if he had some ulterior motive, considering how much he was offering...
Perhaps he had his eye on her...
"Ugh! What am I even thinking?"
"He's just a child!"
"He doesn't even look as old as Kabuto. He probably doesn't have any wicked thoughts like that."
And even if he did,
trading herself for a bright future for Kabuto and all those orphans would be more than worth it!
With that thought, Nonō readily agreed.
"Thank you, my lord. I'm willing to stay!"
"I-I'm willing, too!"
"Good."
Natsume nodded with satisfaction.
"The village is undergoing major changes, so it's hard to arrange lodging. You two can stay here for now. There are separate rooms at the back."
"Once the new Orphanage is built, you can move there."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Kabuto and Nonō bowed to him again.
It was their first time meeting a leader so approachable.
And he was only a boy in his early teens. The Flame Hidden Village really was astonishing!
They had been traveling for more than a day,
and Nonō and Kabuto were both exhausted and starving.
Natsume wasn't about to mistreat these precious Medical Ninjutsu specialists he had worked so hard to recruit.
He had a few clan members escort them away, prepare some food, and give them fresh clothes.
Everything else could wait until the next day.
The Uchiha clan members were also very warm toward these poor souls who had suffered under Konoha's oppression. They felt a strong kinship with them, having endured similar hardships.
They welcomed Nonō and Kabuto so warmly that the two of them were a little embarrassed.
Meanwhile,
Natsume had just watched the two of them leave to rest and returned to his room
when Orochimaru, who always appeared out of nowhere with a sinister smile,
slithered through the wall and suddenly appeared in the living room.
"If you don't use the front door next time, I swear I'll chop you into nine pieces, roast you, and feed you to Mooncake!"
Natsume glanced at Orochimaru and warned him irritably.
"Lord Natsume, don't be angry."
"Looks like you've already won those two over?"
"What's it to you?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. They're both such fine talents! What wonderful test subjects. What a waste!" Orochimaru lamented with a sinister glint in his eyes.
"Pah! If you have something to say, spit it out. Otherwise, get lost!"
"Don't get worked up! I came here to give you some good news."
"What news?"
"The Hashirama Cells are ready. We can begin the transplant whenever you like!"
At that, Natsume jolted, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
Once he transplanted the Hashirama Cells, he'd gain the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.
He'd been waiting so long for this day!
Before you continue