A scientist's thirst for knowledge wasn't easily satisfied.
So rather than secretly keeping Orochimaru in check, it was better to bring him out into the open.
Orochimaru wouldn't be a threat in the short term.
And by the time he became one,
the system would have made Chiba strong enough.
Then the threat would naturally disappear.
Personal strength was what mattered most.
"You shouldn't be here!"
Chiba looked at Kurenai Yuhi, her little face pale with fear, and sighed.
There was nothing wrong with her showing up. The timing was just off.
Kurenai clutched her neck. Once she'd recovered, she still looked shaken.
"L-Lord Orochimaru... why did you suddenly attack me?"
"Because you showed up in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Kurenai hadn't heard anything.
Chiba's Observation Haki wouldn't lie to him.
Orochimaru, however, wouldn't see it that way.
Apparently still frightened, Kurenai had even forgotten why she'd come here.
Right now, all she wanted was to get home as quickly as possible.
But Chiba stopped her.
"You'd better not go home tonight..."
"Why?"
"Because if you go back right now, you'll be found dead in the wilderness tomorrow!"
Kurenai froze in shock.
There wasn't the slightest hint of a joke in Chiba's voice.
And the attack from Orochimaru had just made her realize that she seemed to have gotten caught up in something terrifying.
"W-Why?"
"The more you know, the closer you get to death. Knowing that, do you still want to hear?"
Chiba spoke quietly.
"If you want to hear, I can tell you. Of course, you can also choose not to believe me and walk away...I won't stop you!"
Chiba had saved Kurenai on impulse, out of goodwill.
If she didn't trust him, he wasn't going to beg for her trust.
After all, when he'd hit Asuma at the Dumpling Shop, Kurenai had kindly warned him. They'd had a good relationship.
After Orochimaru's attack, how could Kurenai possibly not believe him?
She nodded rapidly.
"I believe you, I believe you! And... don't tell me!"
She didn't want to die yet.
She was only twelve, with her whole life ahead of her.
Who was Orochimaru? One of the famed Konoha Sannin. If he really wanted to kill her, she'd be as good as dead.
Right now, trusting Chiba was Kurenai's only way out.
And she had no choice but to trust him blindly.
"But if I don't go home, my family..."
"Whatever you do, just make up some excuse!"
Still trembling with fear, Kurenai nodded. She formed Hand Seals and created a Shadow Clone to go home and let her family know she wouldn't be back tonight.
Chapter 18
Chiba understood Orochimaru's nature.
Cautious and wary.
He wasn't sure whether Kurenai had heard his conversation with Chiba.
But simply being at the scene was enough for Orochimaru to decide to kill her and cover it up.
However, this time, Chiba was involved.
Orochimaru wanted Chiba—or, more accurately, he wanted to study the secret within him: the secret of the invisible Sharingan brought about by that strange exchange.
So he had no choice but to compromise with Chiba in the open and give up on killing Kurenai.
But Chiba couldn't protect Kurenai for the rest of her life.
He could only show Orochimaru that he was determined to protect her. Only then might he persuade Orochimaru to abandon his plan to kill her and cover his tracks.
Orochimaru knew that Chiba valued his companions.
Otherwise, Chiba wouldn't have let Itachi leave in the first place.
So if Orochimaru believed that Kurenai was one of Chiba's companions, perhaps she could get through this safely.
At the same time, if Orochimaru gave up on killing Kurenai, that meant he believed what happened tonight wouldn't be leaked.
After all, Chiba's secrets were no less significant than Orochimaru's.
If Sarutobi Hiruzen learned what Chiba was thinking, he wouldn't handle things so gently.
"Okay, my Shadow Clone has passed on the message. I told my father I'd taken a mission!"
Kurenai stood beside Chiba, no longer calm at all.
She was so frightened that she looked as if she might die at any moment.
Chiba wasn't worried.
If there was danger, his Observation Haki would warn him ahead of time. There was no need to worry about a sudden attack.
After putting away his cane sword, Chiba formed Hand Seals and created a Shadow Clone of his own.
He also needed to go home and tell Koizumi he wouldn't be back tonight.
There was no way he could take Kurenai home with him.
Chiba would never involve Koizumi in something dangerous.
"Let's go!"
"Where?"
"Somewhere we can stay for the night."
As Chiba headed toward a quiet, sparsely populated area, Kurenai grew worried.
"Wouldn't it be better to find somewhere to stay in a crowded part of the village?"
"I see. You think Orochimaru won't make a move if there are lots of people around? He's one of the Konoha Sannin. If he wants to kill you, he can do it in an instant, even in a crowd!"
"And going into the village will only draw attention. Do you want people watching you?"
A blind Uchiha.
Whenever he walked through the village, people always turned to look twice.
And if that blind boy was with a girl, rumors would spread all over Konoha the very next day.
"Th-Then never mind...I'll listen to you!"
Kurenai really didn't want to draw attention.
She just wanted to get through this safely and quietly.
She prayed that as long as she survived, this would remain her secret forever.
Orochimaru was terrifying.
She really didn't want to die!
"Since that's settled, follow me—"
Leaning on his cane, Chiba headed for the Uchiha Clan compound.
Kurenai followed close behind him the whole way, still frightened.
Watching Chiba feel his way along, she couldn't help wondering:
Was he really blind?
If he couldn't see, why was he so formidable in battle?
She couldn't figure it out.
Chiba deliberately avoided the busier parts of the Uchiha compound. After about ten minutes, they arrived at a small house.
It looked clean and tidy. Inside, the floor was spotless too.
But Kurenai saw no signs that anyone lived there.
"Chiba, this place..."
"I lived here before my parents passed away!"
"Ah, I'm sorry!"
When Kurenai heard that Chiba's parents had died, she realized she'd said too much and quickly apologized.
"It's fine."
"Even though no one's lived here for a long time, Koizumi and I come by every few days to clean. It has running water and electricity, so it'll be fine for one night."
After a brief rest, Chiba stood up again.
"Come on, Kurenai."
"Where are we going?"
"There's no food here, but the Uchiha Clan's forest is right next door. We can hunt there. Come with me!"
"Oh, okay!"
The sky gradually darkened.
Before the sun had fully set, Chiba dragged a wild boar back to the house.
Kurenai was still following behind him.
She looked shocked.
Once again, Chiba's swordsmanship had stunned her.
She'd wanted to be useful and catch some prey first.
But she hadn't even seen the boar before Chiba had already taken it down.
It was too fast, and utterly unexpected.
At the same time, the instant he drew his sword had an indescribable elegance and calm to it.
How could such maturity, composure, and strength belong to a five-year-old child?
A short while later, a campfire blazed in front of the house.
After preparing the boar, Chiba placed it over the fire to roast.