When she heard the name Suzuki Sakura, Mitaraishi Anko's heart lurched. She immediately understood why he had come.
She had seen that name before, while searching the death records of the victims of Orochimaru's human experiments.
At the time, she was fairly sure the name written in the father's column was Suzuki Hiro.
The memory sent Mitaraishi Anko's thoughts galloping back to the painful days after Orochimaru defected.
Back then, she had been imprisoned and subjected to all kinds of mental torment. One of her ordeals had been being forced to look through the victims' names and the mangled, unrecognizable bodies left behind by the experiments.
Those experiences had deepened the resentment she felt toward Orochimaru for abandoning her.
And among the many victims, one girl had left an indelible impression on Mitaraishi Anko: Suzuki Sakura.
In the photograph, Suzuki Sakura was only ten years old. Her pink hair tumbled down her back like a waterfall.
Facing the camera, she wore a shy, radiant smile, like a flower just about to bloom.
What shook Mitaraishi Anko was that this girl, two years younger than she was, should have been enjoying a carefree childhood. Instead, she had suffered through Orochimaru's cruel experiments and had ultimately been labeled "unsuitable" in an experiment report before dying in despair.
The flower of her life had withered before it could bloom.
Suzuki Hiro gazed silently into Mitaraishi Anko's eyes. At first, he saw only confusion, but soon a flicker of understanding crossed her face.
Then Mitaraishi Anko's pupils contracted sharply before slowly widening again.
Suzuki Hiro broke the silence. "It seems you remember who I am now.
"That's right. I'm Sakurako's father.
"When Sakurako's mother went into labor, she suffered complications and died after entrusting Sakurako to me.
"I raised Sakurako all by myself, watching her grow from a babbling baby into a child who could walk on her own, learn to mold chakra for the first time, and eventually graduate as a Genin.
"She had incredible talent. I'd hoped to stay by her side as she grew stronger, support her as she became a Chunin, and see her surpass me and become a Jonin.
"I even imagined watching her walk down the aisle and offering her my most heartfelt blessings.
"But Orochimaru destroyed it all."
As he spoke, Suzuki Hiro grew more and more agitated. He jabbed his finger hard into Mitaraishi Anko's palm, opening a wound. His voice turned increasingly vicious, while his eyes grew empty and lifeless.
"It was just an ordinary day. Sakurako told me she had a mission that would take her away for about three days.
"When she saw how worried I was, she reached out and hugged me tightly, as if to tell me not to worry.
"Then she said, 'Dad, take good care of yourself while I'm gone.' She gave me a playful wink.
"Then she turned and walked away without looking back.
"As I watched her grow smaller in the distance, my heart suddenly clenched as if something had seized it. The pain was unbearable. It felt as though I was going to lose her forever, and I sank into a state of unease and gloom.
"Those few days, I didn't take any new missions like I usually did. I stayed home, quietly waiting for her to return.
"Finally, on the morning Sakurako was due home, I got up especially early and carefully made her favorite Cherry Blossom Cake, eagerly awaiting her return.
"But Suzuki Hiro's voice began to choke with uncontrollable grief. 'I waited and waited. I waited for so long, but she never came. As the Cherry Blossom Cakes I'd made for her slowly spoiled and rotted, the unease weighing on my heart only grew.
"'At last, the terrible news came: Sakurako had died on her mission.' His voice caught again as he spoke.
"'My Sakurako was still so young. How could she have suddenly been gone...?' For months afterward, I was in a daze.
"But time can heal any wound. Eventually, I came to accept the cruel fact that Sakurako was gone.
"After all, once you become a shinobi, everyone may meet that fate. Few people manage to live a peaceful life.
"So I decided to follow Sakurako's last words to me: take care of myself and start living well again, so she and her mother, far away in the Pure Land, could see how strong I was.
"Maybe fate was giving me a sign!
"My very first mission after returning to work was at Orochimaru's experimental base. I—"
I went with the Anbu to pack up the materials that had already been searched once and take them away. But there, I found a file that shattered my heart: the experiment log documenting how my daughter had been tortured!
"Can you understand that kind of pain?
"Whenever I remember the experiments recorded in that log, it feels as though thousands of knives are stabbing through my heart.
"Every experiment entry is like a blade, sinking deep into my chest."
With that, I gripped the Kunai in my hand and drew it without hesitation, then stabbed it hard into Mitaraishi Anko's other hand, as if only that could ease my anguish.
With another arm crippled, Mitaraishi Anko now had all four limbs disabled and no strength left to fight back.
She endured the pain, gazed up at the death star flickering in the sky, and understood that perhaps her life should end here.
Weakly, she asked, "Then why don't you go after Orochimaru for revenge?
"Even if you kill me, Orochimaru won't feel sad. I'm just a useless failure he abandoned." As she spoke, she thought of the state she was in now, and her hatred for Orochimaru grew stronger still.
At her words, Suzuki Hiro's expression darkened.
He was silent for a long time before finally speaking. "I once thought about risking everything to hunt Orochimaru down and get revenge. But he betrayed the village and escaped. I had no way to track him down.
"And even if I found him, with my Chunin-level strength, he'd probably kill me the moment we met.
"So in the end, I gave up on that idea."
His eyes filled with even more helplessness. "I'd also thought about exposing everything, but then I realized it would only leave more poor parents like me, and I couldn't bear that." As he spoke, he grabbed his hair and yanked out two handfuls.
"I had no way out!
"I was truly at the end of my rope. I'd already prepared to die, thinking I'd go to the Pure Land and reunite with my family. But then I saw you—Mitaraishi Anko!
"Why did it have to be like this?
"You're the disciple of that traitor, yet you get to live such a carefree life!
"And what about my poor Sakurako?
"She could only suffer in that laboratory, turned into a wretched test subject!
"I couldn't accept it. Yes, I admit I took my anger out on you.
"Every time I saw how well you were doing, I couldn't find peace.
"I had to kill you to ease the hatred in my heart!
"Unfortunately, you were always under Lord Third's close protection. All this time, I could never find an opportunity to strike.
"Then today, I happened to catch sight of you on the street. I followed you in secret, and at last, I got my chance.
"When I saw that you were starting to feel unwell, I immediately realized this might be the Sage of Six Paths showing me favor!
"So I followed you with all my attention, watching you carefully leave the village and make your way here. Once you reached this place and let your guard down, I struck you from behind with my Kunai.
"Now, with your body broken and covered in wounds, can you feel even a little of the pain and torment Sakurako went through?
"As I spoke, I slowly raised the Kunai in my hand, my eyes filled with grim resolve.
"I'm sorry. I know you're innocent too, but as long as you're alive, it's like having someone stand in front of me every moment, mercilessly mocking the weakness and helplessness deep inside me.
"I've made up my mind. After you die, I'll sell everything I own and use all the money to buy Explosive Tags. Then I'll go find Orochimaru.
"I know I may not be strong enough to kill him, but no matter what, I'll make him pay for what he's done.
"Once I've done all that, I'll go to the Pure Land and apologize to you in person.
"Farewell!"
As soon as he finished speaking, I gripped the Kunai tightly and thrust it toward Mitaraishi Anko's heart with all my strength.