The Uchiha Clan's Blind Swordsman

Chiba had never feared Orochimaru.

His perfect-level Observation Haki could even foresee the future.

No matter what method Orochimaru used to approach him, Chiba would always know a step in advance.

This was the source of Chiba's confidence.

As a transmigrator, Chiba never took extreme risks or walked on the edge of a blade.

He never acted recklessly.

Things had not slipped out of his control.

His status as a blind person and his young age were his best disguises.

Who would ever suspect that a mere blind boy could predict the future?

"And you should also be careful of Sarutobi Hiruzen," Orochimaru reminded him kindly.

Hearing this, Chiba smiled.

"He is your teacher, after all."

"Teacher? A laughable teacher, that is all!"

Orochimaru found the very thought amusing.

In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, there were only the useful and the useless, the controllable and the uncontrollable.

Before this, Orochimaru had always been the strongest candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

However, the moment Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that Orochimaru was slipping out of his control, Orochimaru knew he would never be the Fourth Hokage.

Even now, there were still voices in the village supporting him.

But Orochimaru knew it would never be him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen never wanted to select a Fourth Hokage; he only wanted a puppet.

He did not need a member of the Legendary Sannin who had slipped out of his control; he only needed an obedient dog.

But—

Was it not Sarutobi Hiruzen himself who had pushed him out of control?

His suspicion, his schemes, his conspiracies.

The successive departures of Tsunade and Jiraiya had already proven much.

For himself, the last one remaining, it was only a matter of time.

"You are, after all, of the Uchiha Clan. I do not wish to see you ruined at the hands of Sarutobi Hiruzen. Instead of that, why not become my research material?"

At this moment, as if remembering something, Orochimaru spoke blankly.

"Chiba-kun, are you... interested in becoming a missing-nin?"

Chiba was not surprised by this question, only that the timing was wrong.

It was too early.

Or perhaps, Orochimaru was too impatient.

"Mr. Orochimaru, is this the retreat you have prepared for yourself?"

"A retreat? Perhaps. As for this village, I do not know how far you have seen, but I was blinded, for the darkness has always been looming."

Hearing this, Chiba laughed out loud.

"So, you are just too cowardly!"

Orochimaru looked at Chiba in surprise.

"Me? Too cowardly?"

He had lived through the Second Shinobi World War and participated in the Third, wandering on the edge of life and death more times than he could count.

Yet, the evaluation he received from Chiba was that he was too cowardly?

"Isn't it so? Since you have been blinded by the darkness, then... just dispel the darkness. Become a missing-nin? Betray whom? Konoha or the Hokage? These two things... have you, Orochimaru, ever trusted them?"

Had he ever trusted them?

Perhaps, but how long ago was that? Orochimaru could no longer remember.

Yet, when such a sharp question came from the mouth of a five-year-old child, Orochimaru could only loathe his own narrow-mindedness and marvel at Chiba's insight.

Even though his eyes could not see, he seemed to see the furthest of all.

How could such words come from the mouth of a five-year-old?

"You really are special."

This was Orochimaru's assessment of Chiba.

It was as if he were looking at a cherished treasure.

Orochimaru only wanted to protect it with the utmost care, terrified that it might shatter at the slightest touch.

Although Chiba was stronger than he had imagined, he was, after all, only five years old.

Living within the Uchiha clan, he could never withstand the torrential currents of Konoha.

Darkness would swallow him sooner or later.

When that time came, it would be Orochimaru's moment to claim Chiba.

"Chiba-kun, you... will come looking for me sooner or later."

"It is not that I want to possess you!"

"It is that... Konoha will inevitably have no place for you!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen could never tolerate the existence of an Uchiha with such thoughts.

However, at that very moment.

A figure appeared in a most inopportune place.

"Uchiha Chiba... and—Lord Orochimaru?"

Kurenai Yuhi looked at the two of them with confusion.

She could not understand why these two would be walking together.

Yet, she remained completely oblivious.

The gaze Orochimaru cast toward her was terrifying, brimming with murderous intent.

"Here... is a little lamb that has lost its way!"

Orochimaru licked the corner of his mouth, revealing a cruel smile.

He never bothered to conceal his desires.

Killing intent does not lie.

And Orochimaru made no attempt to hide it.

However, Kurenai Yuhi did not perceive the danger at all.

Regardless of whether she had overheard the conversation between Chiba and Orochimaru, Orochimaru could not allow her to live.

Because Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer trusted him.

And Chiba was a genius that Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to secure.

Orochimaru did not want news of his contact with Chiba to reach Sarutobi Hiruzen's ears.

"Perfect, I hadn't settled on a test subject for today, and now... I have one!"

He struck in an instant, giving Kurenai Yuhi no time to react.

Kurenai Yuhi, who specialized in genjutsu, was inherently weak in taijutsu.

How could she possibly react to Orochimaru's killing intent and sudden assault?

By the time she realized what was happening, a white python had already coiled around her neck.

Only when that palpable killing intent was inches away did Kurenai Yuhi clearly feel it.

It was too terrifying.

This was the scent of death.

To this day, Kurenai Yuhi did not know the reason she was being attacked by Orochimaru.

The man was one of the legendary Legendary Sannin, the pride of Konoha; why would he suddenly attack her?

Having just seen Asuma leave with injuries, she had only wanted to come over and see what was happening.

She wanted to know if Asuma had gone to find Chiba.

And whether what Chiba had said at the Dumpling Shop was true.

This was driven by nothing more than curiosity.

And curiosity can kill the cat.

A powerful sensation of suffocation gradually stripped away Kurenai Yuhi's consciousness.

Just as she was about to lose it, a flash of sword light pulled her back from the brink of death.

Chiba stood before Kurenai Yuhi, cane sword in hand, severing Orochimaru's attack.

The sudden disappearance of the suffocation allowed Kurenai Yuhi to be instantly flooded with air.

She gasped greedily, taking in mouthful after mouthful, feeling for the first time in her life that air was so sweet.

Watching Chiba stand in his way, Orochimaru smiled.

"Chiba-kun, so you're the type to meddle in other people's business?"

"Not really, I just happened to cross paths with her once."

"In other words... you intend to protect her?"

Orochimaru spoke in a casual, indifferent tone.

"I admire you, but that doesn't mean I'll let her go—"

"What happens later is of no concern to me, but... for now, she is under my protection."

Chiba leaned on his cane with both hands, his voice calm.

Orochimaru looked at Chiba, then looked at him again, before finally chuckling and spreading his hands.

"Is that so? Very well, I'll let you have your way this once—after all, you are a treasure I desire to possess."

With that, Orochimaru took his leave.

Chiba knew that Danzo was the one who had summoned Orochimaru.

However, at this moment, the one truly setting his sights on him was not Danzo, but Orochimaru.

For Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen, the one they truly wanted to secure was Itachi; after all, the status of being the son of the Uchiha Clan head spoke for itself.

Chiba was merely being observed as a potent combat asset, not a political necessity.

To politicians, Chiba was expendable.

But Orochimaru was different.

Chiba knew that regardless of whether he had engaged in such a forceful dialogue with him today, Orochimaru would have set his sights on him regardless.