Chiba had never feared Orochimaru.
His perfect Observation Haki could even foresee the future.
No matter how Orochimaru tried to approach Chiba,
he would always know a step ahead of time.
That was where Chiba's confidence came from.
As a transmigrator, Chiba had never taken reckless risks.
Nor had he ever thrown caution to the wind.
Things had never slipped beyond his control.
His blindness and young age were the perfect disguises.
Who would suspect that a mere blind child could predict the future?
"And you should be careful of Sarutobi Hiruzen, too!"
Orochimaru kindly warned him.
At that, Chiba smiled.
"He's your teacher."
"Teacher? What a joke!"
Orochimaru found it laughable just thinking about it.
In Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes, there were only the useful and the useless, the controllable and the uncontrollable.
Until recently, Orochimaru had always been the strongest candidate for Fourth Hokage.
But when Sarutobi Hiruzen sensed that Orochimaru was slipping beyond his control, Orochimaru knew he had no chance of becoming Fourth Hokage.
Even now, there were still people in the village calling for him.
But Orochimaru knew it wouldn't be him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had never wanted to choose a Fourth Hokage. He wanted nothing more than a puppet.
He didn't need a Konoha Sannin who wouldn't stay under his thumb. All he needed was an obedient dog.
But—
Wasn't Sarutobi Hiruzen the one who had driven him beyond his control?
His suspicions, his schemes, his plots.
Tsunade and Jiraiya leaving one after another had already proved a great deal.
In the end, he was the only one left, and all he needed was the right opportunity.
"You're an Uchiha, after all. I don't want you to be ruined by Sarutobi Hiruzen. Rather than that, you might as well become one of my research subjects!"
Then, as if something had just occurred to him, Orochimaru spoke in a daze.
"Chiba, would you... be interested in becoming a rogue ninja?"
Chiba wasn't surprised by the question, only by its timing.
It was too soon.
Or perhaps Orochimaru was too impatient.
"Lord Orochimaru, is this the fallback plan you've made for yourself?"
"A fallback plan? Perhaps. I don't know how far you can see into this village's future, but I've been blinded. The darkness has been closing in all along."
At that, Chiba laughed aloud.
"So you're just a coward!"
Orochimaru stared at Chiba in surprise.
"Me? A coward?"
He had lived through the Second Shinobi World War and fought in the Third Shinobi World War. He had lost count of how many times he'd skirted death.
Yet Chiba's assessment of him was that he was a coward?
"Isn't it true? If you've been blinded by the darkness, then... just drive it away. Become a rogue ninja? Betray whom? Konoha or the Hokage? Have you ever trusted either of them, Orochimaru?"
Had he ever trusted them?
Perhaps. But how long ago had that been? Orochimaru could no longer remember.
Yet hearing such a pointed question from a five-year-old made Orochimaru resent his own narrow-mindedness and marvel at Chiba's insight.
The boy was blind, yet seemed to see farther than anyone.
How could words like that come from a five-year-old?
"You really are quite something."
That was Orochimaru's assessment of Chiba.
It was like seeing a treasured jewel he adored.
Orochimaru wanted nothing more than to protect him carefully, afraid he might shatter at the slightest touch.
Chiba was stronger than he'd imagined, but... he was still only five.
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, he couldn't withstand Konoha's current.
Sooner or later, the darkness would swallow him.
And then Orochimaru would have his chance to claim Chiba.
"Chiba, you... will come looking for me eventually."
"It's not that I want to claim you!"
"It's that... Konoha will never tolerate you!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't possibly tolerate an Uchiha with such ideas.
Just then,
a figure appeared in the most inopportune place.
"Uchiha Chiba... and—Lord Orochimaru?"
Kurenai Yuhi looked at the two of them in confusion.
She couldn't understand why they were together.
She didn't notice at all
how terrifying and murderous Orochimaru's gaze was as it fell on her.
A little lost lamb has wandered in here...
Orochimaru licked his lips, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
He never hid his desires.
Killing intent didn't lie.
And Orochimaru made no effort to conceal it.
But Kurenai didn't sense the danger at all.
Whether or not she'd overheard Chiba and Orochimaru's conversation, Orochimaru couldn't let her go.
After all, Sarutobi Hiruzen no longer trusted him.
And Chiba was the genius Sarutobi Hiruzen wanted to claim.
Orochimaru didn't want word of his meeting with Chiba to reach Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Perfect. I hadn't found a subject for today's experiment. Now... I have one!"
He struck in an instant, giving Kurenai no chance to react.
Genjutsu was Kurenai's forte, while Taijutsu was her weak point.
Facing Orochimaru's killing intent and sudden attack, how could she possibly react in time?
By the time she realized what was happening, a white serpent had already coiled around her neck.
Only when the unmistakable killing intent was right in front of her did Kurenai clearly sense it.
It was terrifying.
This was what death felt like.
Kurenai still had no idea why Orochimaru had attacked her.
He was the renowned Konoha Sannin, a hero of Konoha. Why would he suddenly attack her?
She'd just seen Asuma leave, injured, and had only wanted to find out what had happened.
She wanted to know if Asuma had gone to see Chiba.
And whether what Chiba had said earlier at the Dumpling Shop was true.
It was nothing more than curiosity.
And curiosity could kill the cat.
The crushing sensation of asphyxiation gradually robbed Kurenai of consciousness.
Just as she was about to black out, a flash of swordlight pulled her back from the brink of death.
Chiba stood in front of Kurenai with his sword-cane in hand, cutting off Orochimaru's attack.
As the suffocating pressure vanished, air rushed back into Kurenai's lungs.
She gulped it down, greedily sucking in breath after breath. For the first time in her life, the air had never tasted so sweet.
Looking at Chiba standing between him and Kurenai, Orochimaru smiled.
"So, Chiba, you're the kind of person who meddles in other people's business?"
"Not really. I've met her before."
"So... you're going to protect her?"
Orochimaru asked casually.
"I admire you, but that doesn't mean I'll spare her—"
"I don't care what happens after this, but... for now, I'm protecting her."
Chiba rested both hands on his cane and spoke calmly.
Orochimaru looked at Chiba, then looked at Chiba again, and finally smiled and spread his hands.
"I see. In that case, I'll let you have your way this once. After all, you're the treasure I want to claim."
With that, Orochimaru left.
Chiba knew Danzo had sent Orochimaru.
But at this moment, it wasn't Danzo who had truly set his sights on him. It was Orochimaru.
As far as Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen were concerned, the one they really wanted was Itachi. After all, he was the son of the Uchiha Clan's leader.
Chiba was merely being watched as a powerful fighter, not for political reasons.
To politicians, Chiba was dispensable.
But Orochimaru was different.
Chiba knew that whether or not he'd spoken so forcefully to Orochimaru today,
Orochimaru would have set his sights on him anyway.