"But his value is for me to decide."
"You just focus on researching the Hashirama Cells."
"If you need test subjects, tell me!"
"For now, stop snatching people in the village. Even those on the list are off-limits."
After leaving him with those words, Danzo swept out.
Once Danzo was completely gone, a smile appeared on Orochimaru's face.
"As expected, exceptional people attract attention wherever they go!"
"Chiba, before you accept my embrace, you'll have to deal with Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen."
Orochimaru had known this day would come.
Perhaps he had held on to a sliver of hope.
That was why he had written the nonsense in his report that Chiba had no research value.
But Chiba was simply too dazzling.
"I hope you don't lose yourself in the darkness!"
"Otherwise, I'll have to conclude that what you told me before was nothing but empty words."
Faced with the two great shadows of darkness, Danzo and Sarutobi Hiruzen—
Chiba, will you be like me... choosing to back down, or will you dispel the darkness?
Orochimaru was eager to find out.
Then he continued immersing himself in his research.
He certainly desired Chiba.
But immortality was his dream.
[Living Corpse Reincarnation] still needed time.
The Uchiha Clan's ceremony came to an end amid the bustling crowds.
The falling cherry blossoms seemed to signal the passing of time.
The people from each clan who had attended the ceremony returned home.
The sky gradually darkened.
Koizumi showed Chiba the way, leading him toward home.
But before they had gone halfway, he stopped.
"Koizumi, go on ahead."
"Hm? What's wrong, Chiba?"
"I have something to take care of. I'll be back soon."
Koizumi looked at Chiba suspiciously.
Then she nodded.
She wasn't worried about Chiba.
Only after seeing him fight Shisui evenly today had she realized how strong her childhood friend was.
"I'll wait for you at home, Chiba!"
Chiba smiled and ruffled Koizumi's hair.
"Go on, then."
Koizumi skipped away.
When she had completely disappeared over the horizon,
Chiba stood where he was, both hands resting on his cane, exuding an indescribable presence.
"You've been following me this whole way. Why not show yourself?"
As soon as he spoke,
a figure appeared behind Chiba.
She walked over quietly, studying him with admiration and surprise.
Her blood-red hair was even redder and more vibrant than the cherry blossoms.
As a member of the Uzumaki Clan, she had an exceptional talent for sensing.
"Kid, you... don't seem much like the other members of the Uchiha Clan."
"I'm blind, so naturally I'm different."
Kushina Uzumaki slowly came to stand in front of Chiba and smiled.
"You may be blind, but you saw what's inside my body, didn't you?"
She pointed to her abdomen.
Sealed inside her was the most ferocious Tailed Beast—the Nine-Tails.
Chiba fell silent.
So she had noticed after all?
His Observation Haki expanded unconsciously.
Earlier, while he was fighting Shisui, his Observation Haki had sensed Kushina Uzumaki and the Nine-Tails inside her.
He just hadn't expected Kushina Uzumaki to come looking for him directly.
"You don't have to deny it."
"Do you know? As members of the Uzumaki Clan, we possess immense chakra and vitality. But there's something else we rank among the best in the Shinobi World for."
"Our chakra's ability to suppress Tailed Beasts?"
Kushina froze for a moment.
"Well, that's one of them. But I was talking about something else..."
"Our sensory abilities!"
Chiba slowly let out a breath.
How could he not know?
Apart from Sage Mode, it was the strongest sensory ability in the entire Naruto world—
Mind's Eye of the Kagura!
Chapter 37:
"No matter what you want from me,"
"I think it's best if you and I don't get too close."
Facing Kushina Uzumaki's question, Chiba spoke calmly.
Today had certainly been an accident.
Who could have expected his Observation Haki to pick up Kushina?
And, by chance, Mind's Eye of the Kagura had sensed his Observation Haki.
"Oh? Why?"
"I'm an Uchiha, and you... are a Jinchuriki. Is that reason enough?"
Kushina fell silent for a moment.
She looked at Uchiha Chiba, surprised. Did a five-year-old child understand the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha?
The Uchiha and a Jinchuriki.
It was such a sensitive topic that even a jōnin from a less prominent clan might not know about it.
But Chiba did.
At that, Kushina smiled.
"That's no reason. After all, I'm best friends with the Uchiha Clan leader's wife."
"Precisely because she's the clan leader's wife... that's why you're best friends."
Chiba lifted his head and met Kushina's gaze, speaking calmly.
"Do you know why?"
"I'm all ears!"
"Because the Hokage knows that our clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku, loves his wife very much."
"If something happened to a Jinchuriki because of the Uchiha Clan, then... the first person suspected would be your best friend!"
"And your best friend is the clan leader's wife, so even Uchiha Fugaku would be implicated."
"So, even for his own sake and his wife's, Fugaku, as clan leader, wouldn't let anything happen to the Jinchuriki—at least, not because of the Uchiha Clan!"
"This effectively means the Uchiha are protecting the Jinchuriki, while also keeping the Uchiha in check."
"Have you ever heard that the Uchiha Clan used to be the Clan of Love?"
"And that love is often a weakness!"
"Once you have a weakness, it can be exploited."
Kushina Uzumaki fell silent for a moment.
Perhaps to ease the heavy mood,
she casually ruffled Chiba's hair.
"You little guy, don't you think you're overthinking things?"
"At your age, shouldn't you be thinking about how to get stronger or how to chase pretty girls?"
But the next moment, Kushina's tone changed abruptly.
"Those words... did your clan leader tell you?"
"Do you think someone capable of becoming a clan leader wouldn't understand that some things shouldn't be said carelessly?"
Some secrets could only be buried in one's heart.
Now Kushina watched Chiba calmly, her face betraying even greater shock.
"Then how do you know all this?"
"History doesn't lie."
"And human nature has always had a dark side."
"Hasn't the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha been set in stone since the day Konoha was founded?"
"I don't think any of this is a secret."
It wasn't really a secret.
If it was in the records, how could it be called a secret?
And even if the relationship between the Uchiha and Konoha was obscure, all the major clans knew about it.
They just hadn't expected a five-year-old child to say something like that.