Triggered Memory Lock

"You've only just recovered from your injuries. Aren't you going to rest for another couple of days?"

Pakura looked somewhat anxious. "I'm worried about the village. I can't stay any longer."

Shien nodded slightly and didn't press her. "Then how will we keep in touch?"

[I'll still need to keep fleecing Hidden Sand in the future. I can't let such a good ally slip away.]

The moment the words left his mouth, Akabane wore an expression that said, Just as I thought.

Pakura blushed, seemingly thinking of something else. Looking at Shien's overly youthful face, she asked:

"You should be around twenty, right?"

Shien looked utterly confused. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Exactly twenty. Why?"

Pakura's gaze dimmed, but she forced a smile. "We'll meet again if fate allows."

Then, with a flash, she shot off into the distance.

"Why did she leave?" Pakura had moved too quickly for Shien to react at first.

Akabane nudged him. "Hey, don't get depressed just because you got rejected. She's so much older than you, after all."

Only then did Shien suddenly understand, and he was completely speechless.

He had been older than Pakura in his previous life, and he'd spent many years alone without ever having such thoughts.

He held out his youthful hands and looked at them. Though his palms were covered in calluses from training,

his skin was smooth and elastic, brimming with the vitality of youth.

[Maybe it wouldn't be bad to date someone and start a family here?]

"She's not that old. Don't say that next time."

Akabane stared at Shien as though he'd seen a ghost. "You're serious?"

Shien found it rather amusing. "Isn't that what you thought?"

Akabane shook his head in confusion. "Even if you want to start a family, you should choose someone Ringo Ameyuri's age."

Now it was Shien's turn to look at Akabane as though he'd seen a ghost, and he replied with a similar question:

"Are you serious?"

"Huh? What's wrong? Isn't Ringo Ameyuri's age perfect for marriage?" Akabane said as if it were only natural.

Shien's mouth twitched as he suddenly remembered.

At this time, some Uchiha still followed the old customs, and the marriageable age seemed to be... fourteen!!!

No wonder Akabane had deliberately been striking poses whenever Ringo Ameyuri was around.

Holy shit. What a beast.

Shien immediately felt an enormous generation gap had formed between him and Akabane.

Forget it. Ringo Ameyuri wasn't interested in him anyway, so it didn't matter.

He glanced in the direction Pakura had left.

"Come on. Let's find Karatachi Yagura. We're heading to the next stop."

At the edge of the Land of Earth.

The place was barren, with nothing but rocks as far as the eye could see.

Following Danzo's orders, Yakushi Kabuto arrived at the designated rendezvous point on time—a deserted watchtower.

He adjusted the round-framed glasses on his face, his gaze warily sweeping over the surroundings as he waited for the Root member who was supposedly bringing further instructions.

However, just as he had settled into place, something in his mind seemed to shatter with a crack.

Uchiha Style Genjutsu: Triggered Memory Lock!

A carefully sealed memory surged into his consciousness like floodwaters bursting through a dam.

Shien's voice rang out in Kabuto's mind:

"Kabuto, listen. The person you're about to meet is Yakushi Nonō, your mother."

"Danzo swapped out the photographs she had of your upbringing. She doesn't recognize you now and will see you as a target that must be eliminated."

"Your mission is to survive—and make sure she survives too."

"If you make it through this ordeal, someone else will come looking for you..."

The sheer amount of information in his mind left Kabuto frozen on the spot.

His heart felt as if it were being clenched by an icy hand.

[The Sister was deceived? She's coming to kill me?]

Just then, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure appeared in the shadows of the watchtower—it was Yakushi Nonō, the person he had longed to see day and night!

But she was quietly approaching, preparing to assassinate him, this "traitor."

There was none of her usual gentleness in the way she looked at Kabuto. There was only the coldness and killing intent of a Root ninja.

Kabuto immediately believed Shien's words.

The moment Nonō charged at him with a kunai in hand, he sprang up ahead of her and took off running.

He used the terrain to evade her quickly while traps he had prepared in advance activated.

Several smoke bombs and Explosive Tags detonated in the distance after a delay, creating a tremendous commotion,

successfully drawing the attention of any Hidden Rock Village pursuers who might have been monitoring them or waiting to silence them.

Amid the chaos, Kabuto took one deep look at Nonō, who had already begun pursuing him, then raced off in the opposite direction from the Hidden Rock Village pursuers.

He couldn't stop here. He had to find somewhere relatively safe.

Nonō followed closely behind, their figures chasing through the desolate valleys of the Land of Earth.

As he ran, Kabuto shouted behind him in a trembling yet as-clear-as-possible voice:

"Sister! Stop! I'm Kabuto! Yakushi Kabuto! Danzo gave you the wrong photographs! He wants us to kill each other!"

The attacks behind him faltered slightly, but then resumed, though the assault was no longer as fierce.

"Hmph! You think you can trick me!"

Kabuto knew he had to earn her trust.

As he dodged, he kept shouting details about the orphanage that only the two of them knew:

which child's birthday fell on which day, what was hidden in the hollow of the big tree in the backyard, which corner of the kitchen the salt was always kept in...

Nonō's movements became increasingly hesitant, and the speed of her attacks steadily slowed.

Until Kabuto cried out, nearly sobbing, "...The orphanage lights went out at exactly nine every night!"

"When I first arrived, I didn't know that. I got caught going to the bathroom more than twenty minutes afterward. You gave me these glasses, so I could finally see the time clearly."

Those words were like a key, abruptly unlocking the seal on Nonō's memories.

The true emotions that had been deliberately blurred and covered by false photographs came flooding back.

Her pursuit came to an abrupt halt as she stared in disbelief at the boy ahead, who had stopped, turned around, and was gasping for breath.

She finally confirmed his identity.

Kabuto stopped as well. He took a deep breath beneath Nonō's complicated, shocked gaze, tears gradually welling in her eyes.

Slowly, he removed the iconic round-framed glasses from his face and held them out to her.

"Sister... it's me. Kabuto."

Looking at that familiar face, even younger without the glasses, and hearing that long-lost "Sister,"

all the doubt and coldness in Nonō's heart instantly crumbled away.

The overwhelming lingering fear and ecstatic joy of having him back made her entire body tremble. She rushed forward and pulled Kabuto tightly into her arms, her voice choked with sobs:

"Kabuto... my Kabuto! I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I almost... I almost..."

She couldn't continue. Only silent tears slid down her face.

Just as mother and son recognized each other, a hoarse voice tinged with appreciation suddenly rang out:

"Hehehe... What splendid insight. Just as expected of the child I chose, Kabuto. You actually saw through that old fox Danzo's scheme."

Orochimaru slowly emerged from the shadows like a ghost, his golden snake eyes filled with interest.

Nonō immediately shielded Kabuto behind her, watching the dangerous man with vigilance.

Yet Kabuto's face showed not the slightest surprise or fear.

Because Shien's Genjutsu warning had also included the information that Orochimaru would come looking for him.

He just hadn't expected Orochimaru to follow so closely.

Kabuto gently patted Nonō's tense arm and said softly:

"Sister, don't worry. Trust me. Go back to the orphanage and wait for me first. Once I've dealt with things here, I'll come find you."

Nonō looked at him worriedly, but under Kabuto's firm and steady gaze, she ultimately chose to trust her child and quickly left as he instructed.

Orochimaru watched the scene with great interest, growing increasingly satisfied with Kabuto.

"What a clever child. So, are you interested in coming with me? I can give you knowledge, power... and freedom that Danzo cannot."

"I accept, Lord Orochimaru."

Kabuto answered with almost no hesitation, which instead caused Orochimaru to narrow his eyes slightly.

"Oh? So readily?" Orochimaru licked his lips.

"Then, as a show of sincerity, go investigate Konoha's Uchiha Clan for me. I'm very interested in their current situation."

"No problem, Lord Orochimaru."

Kabuto answered respectfully, a faint, imperceptible curve lifting the corner of his mouth.