Curse Mark Rampage

The air in the temporary holding cells on the third underground level of the Interrogation Division carried a mixture of disinfectant and rust.

Anko Mitarashi curled up in the corner, clutching her knees tightly with both hands. The ANBU's cold interrogation still echoed in her ears, those questions cutting through her again and again like blades—"What did Orochimaru leave inside you?" "When was the last time you saw him?" "Has the curse mark ever gone out of control?"

She bit down on her lower lip and tasted blood.

Just moments ago, the message delivered through secret code by that Hyuga Branch House boy had been like a weak match, striking a tiny spark in her nearly extinguished heart. Live for herself... easier said than done.

Yet the ugly curse mark on her neck was growing hot.

Anko abruptly covered the back of her neck, her body trembling beyond her control. Black patterns spread from the center of the curse mark, crawling over her cheek like living things. Her vision began to blur, and Orochimaru's hoarse laughter rang in her ears—

"You will always be mine."

"No..."

She struggled to stand, only to slam headfirst into the wall. Hurried footsteps came from the corridor outside the holding cell, followed by the sound of a key turning.

The door opened.

Two ANBU wearing animal masks stood in the doorway. One of them held a sealing scroll.

"Anko Mitarashi," said a voice devoid of emotion. "The curse mark within your body is showing abnormal fluctuations. By order of the Hokage, you will now undergo mandatory sealing isolation."

Anko's pupils constricted.

Mandatory sealing isolation—that meant being locked in the deepest dungeon of Leaf Village, covered in talismans that suppressed chakra, studied like a specimen until the curse mark was fully analyzed or she died in that sunless place.

"I... I haven't lost control..." she forced out, but her voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like her own.

The ANBU did not respond. One simply stepped forward.

At that very instant—

The vent grille at the end of the corridor silently slid open a crack.

Hyuga Xiao clung to the cold metal interior of the ventilation shaft, his Byakugan's three-hundred-and-sixty-degree vision taking in the entire third underground level.

He saw Anko curled in the corner, black curse-mark patterns already covering half her face. He saw the two ANBU closing in, carrying sealing tools specifically designed for forbidden techniques. Farther away, he saw three more ANBU guarding the stairwell. The entire third underground level had been completely sealed off.

The plan could not keep up with the changes.

Ten minutes earlier, the system had issued an emergency alert: [Detected that the "Curse Mark of Heaven" within Anko Mitarashi has entered a pre-rampage state due to intense emotional fluctuations. If she is forcibly sealed by Leaf Village ANBU, the fate node "Fall into Darkness" will trigger early, reducing the possibility of interception to zero.]

Xiao lightly tapped the wall of the duct with his fingertips, his rhythm steady.

His original plan had been to approach Anko as someone who understood her after she was released, when she was at her most vulnerable. But Leaf Village's higher-ups had reacted more coldly than he expected—they had no intention of giving Orochimaru's disciple any chance at all.

Fine.

The corner of Xiao's mouth lifted into the faintest curve. Crisis often meant more room to maneuver.

He closed his eyes, rapidly running through the situation in his mind:

Two ANBU, Middle Ninja level, skilled in sealing techniques. Three at the stairwell, led by an Elite Ninja and tasked with blockade duty. The holding cell had a simple structure, and its only exit was that door. The ventilation shaft led to the surface, but it was impossible to leave silently with someone whose curse mark was rampaging.

Then...

Xiao opened his eyes, and a faint azure glimmer flashed deep within his pupils.

He needed chaos.

"Don't touch me!"

Anko recoiled sharply, but the ANBU's hand had already seized her arm. Cold chakra invaded through the point of contact, trying to suppress the curse mark energy rampaging within her.

At that exact moment—

The emergency light in the corner of the holding cell ceiling exploded without warning.

The instant glass shards flew everywhere, the entire room was plunged into darkness. The two ANBU reacted with incredible speed, leaping backward almost simultaneously as their hands formed seals. "Fire Release: Illumination Bullet!"

But faster than the firelight was a slender black shadow shooting from the ventilation shaft.

It was a jet-black snake, no thicker than a finger, yet the moment it appeared, it spat out a large cloud of purple smoke. The smoke carried a pungent, sickly-sweet stench and rapidly filled the entire room.

"Poison mist! Hold your breath!"

The ANBU shouted sharply, but it was already too late. The moment they inhaled their first breath of smoke, they felt their chakra flow become sluggish and their limbs start to go numb.

And Anko, curled up in the corner, raised her head at that moment.

The black patterns of the curse mark on her neck actually stopped spreading within the poisonous mist. Something colder and purer seeped into her body from deep inside the smoke, like an invisible hand forcibly pressing down the rampaging curse mark.

"Go."

A voice sounded beside her ear, so faint it seemed like an illusion.

Before Anko could react, she felt her body become light—someone had wrapped an arm around her waist from behind and carried her across the room like a shadow. There, a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through had somehow appeared in the once-smooth wall, its edges as neat as if cut by a blade.

"Pursue!"

The ANBU Elite Ninja at the stairwell sensed that something was wrong and charged into the corridor with two subordinates. But the poisonous mist had already spread throughout the area, completely obscuring their vision. By the time they dispersed it with Wind Release, only two ANBU lay limp on the floor of the holding cell, along with that bizarre opening in the wall.

"Report to the Hokage," the Elite Ninja said, his face beneath the mask livid. "The target has been taken. The enemy... is skilled in Earth Release and poison techniques, and is suspected to be an accomplice of Orochimaru."

He crouched to inspect the breach in the wall, and his fingertips trembled slightly when they touched its edge.

The cut was unbelievably smooth, unlike any trace that could have been left by a ninja tool. It was more like... some extraordinarily sharp chakra had sliced through the reinforced concrete wall as easily as tofu.

The Elite Ninja stood and looked toward the depths of the dark corridor.

Leaf Village was about to become anything but peaceful.

Above ground, in an abandoned supply warehouse behind Konoha Hospital.

Hyuga Xiao placed Anko down on a pile of old bed sheets, his movements far from gentle. He stepped back two paces, his Byakugan remaining active as his vision covered a five-hundred-meter radius around them.

No pursuers.

Safe for now.

Anko curled up amid the sheets, coughing violently. The black curse-mark patterns had retreated below her neck, but her skin still burned with lingering pain. She raised her head and, by the moonlight filtering through the warehouse cracks, finally saw her rescuer clearly.

The Hyuga Branch House boy stood three meters away, with his back to the moonlight and his face hidden in shadow. Only those pure white eyes gave off a faint glow in the darkness.

"Why..." Anko's voice was hoarse. "Why did you save me?"

Xiao did not answer immediately.

He walked to a faucet in the corner of the warehouse and turned it on. The rusty pipe let out a piercing groan, and the water that came out was tinged with rust. Xiao scooped up a handful, returned, and held it out to Anko.

"Rinse your mouth first. The residue from the poison mist irritates the throat."

Anko stared blankly at him and accepted the water. The cold liquid slid down her throat, indeed easing the burning sensation. After rinsing her mouth, she splashed the rest over her face and forced herself awake.

"Answer me." She stared at Xiao. "You're from the Hyuga Branch House. Why risk being hunted by ANBU to save one of Orochimaru's disciples?"

Xiao sat down two meters away from her. The distance was neither too distant nor intrusive, while still preserving a sense of safety.

"Two reasons." His voice was calm, as though discussing the weather. "First, I dislike the way Leaf Village's higher-ups handle problems. The curse mark rampaging isn't your fault, but they chose the simplest and crudest solution—lock you up and study you until you no longer have any value."

Anko's fingers tightened, wrinkling the sheets beneath them.

"Second," Xiao continued, "I need an ally. Someone who understands Orochimaru, understands forbidden techniques, and is equally dissatisfied with Leaf Village's higher-ups."

"An ally?" Anko tugged at the corner of her mouth, her smile bitter. "I'm a prospective rogue ninja now, and there's a curse mark inside me that could go out of control at any moment. You want me as an ally?"

"Precisely because of that, you are most valuable."

Xiao took a small glass bottle from his clothes. It contained a pale blue liquid. He placed it on the ground and gently pushed it toward Anko.

"I compounded this suppressant myself. It can temporarily suppress the curse mark's activity. The effect should last around three days."

Anko stared at the bottle without reaching for it.

"What do you want?"

"Information." Xiao met her eyes. "The location of Orochimaru's base in the Land of Rice Paddies, a list of the forbidden techniques he has researched, and... why he planted the curse mark on you."

The warehouse fell into brief silence.

The moonlight shifted, illuminating half of Xiao's face. Only then did Anko notice that this Hyuga Branch House boy was actually very young, perhaps one or two years younger than she was. Yet what lay within those eyes was terrifyingly deep.

"What if I say no?" she tested.

"Then I'll leave, and the suppressant will stay with you. Whether ANBU capture you again afterward or the curse mark completely runs wild and turns you into a monster will have nothing to do with me."

Xiao stood up and brushed the dust from his pants.

"The choice is yours."

He turned and headed for the warehouse entrance, his pace neither hurried nor slow. One step, two steps, three—

"Wait."

Anko's voice came from behind him, carrying the resolve of someone with nothing left to lose.

Xiao stopped but did not turn around.

"Orochimaru has an underground laboratory in the southeastern Land of Rice Paddies. The entrance is disguised as an abandoned mine shaft." Anko spoke quickly, as though afraid she would regret it. "The forbidden techniques he researches are mainly Living Corpse Reincarnation and the curse mark system. His goal is to obtain immortality. As for why he chose me..."

She paused, her voice dropping.

"He said my constitution was special and could withstand higher concentrations of natural energy. The curse mark was an experimental product. I was the culture vessel."

Xiao turned around.

Under the moonlight, Anko sat hugging her knees in the pile of sheets, her shoulders trembling slightly. Not from fear, but from anger—anger at being treated as an experiment, anger at Leaf Village for abandoning her, anger at this goddamned world.

"Very good."

Xiao returned and took out another small scroll, placing it beside the suppressant.

"The scroll contains the location of a safe house and the way inside. Stay there and do not show yourself for the next three days. Take the suppressant once a day. I'll come find you on the third night."

Anko looked up. "And then?"

"Then," Xiao said, the corner of his mouth lifting into the faintest curve, "we'll discuss how to make Orochimaru pay, how to make Leaf Village's higher-ups incapable of touching you ever again, and..."

He paused. A trace of deep blue flashed through his pure white eyes.

"How to turn the curse mark inside you into power that truly belongs to you."

After saying that, Xiao's figure vanished as though melting into the shadows. Only Anko, the moonlight, and that bottle of pale blue suppressant remained in the warehouse.

She stared at the bottle for a long time before finally reaching out and picking it up.

The glass felt icy cold in her hand.

But for some reason, that tiny spark in her heart seemed to burn a little brighter.

At the same time, the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked over the report submitted by the ANBU Elite Ninja, the ember in his pipe flickering erratically.

"The cut in the wall was smooth, likely caused by exceptionally sharp chakra... The poison mist could disrupt chakra flow, likely a neurotoxin developed by Orochimaru..." He slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. "No chakra traces were left at the scene?"

"Yes." The ANBU Elite Ninja lowered his head. "The enemy was extremely cautious. Every action avoided the surveillance barriers. We estimate that whoever took Anko Mitarashi is at least proficient in three ninja arts: stealth, poison techniques, and Earth Release. They are also very familiar with ANBU operational patterns."

Danzo stood by the window, his single eye fixed on Leaf Village beneath the night sky.

"Hiruzen, this is no simple prison break." His voice was gloomy. "The fact that they could take someone right under ANBU's noses means they have an intelligence source within Leaf Village, perhaps even..."

"Perhaps what?"

"Perhaps taking Anko was part of Orochimaru's plan from the beginning." Danzo turned around. "Don't forget, the curse mark within Anko is one of Orochimaru's proudest works. He may never have intended to abandon this 'test subject.'"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long time.

The tobacco in his pipe finally burned out, and he gently tapped out the ashes.

"Issue a wanted notice. List Anko Mitarashi as a B-rank rogue ninja, charged with assisting Orochimaru's escape and attacking ANBU." Weariness seeped through his voice. "Strengthen inspections at every entrance and exit of Leaf Village, especially in the direction of the Land of Rice Paddies."

"And the person who took her..."

"Investigate them as well." Hiruzen Sarutobi rose and walked to the window. "But give Orochimaru higher priority. Leaf Village cannot withstand any more unrest right now."

Danzo said nothing more, but a murky light flickered deep in his single eye.

Only after the ANBU Elite Ninja withdrew did Danzo slowly speak. "Hiruzen, you are too soft-hearted. That Hyuga Branch House boy has been making quite a few moves lately."

"Hyuga Xiao?" Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned. "What about him?"

"Nothing conclusive." Danzo said, "But my instincts tell me that boy is not as simple as he looks. How could someone from the Branch House, branded with the Caged Bird Seal, possibly harbor no resentment?"

"Danzo, do not make baseless suspicions." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice became stern. "The Hyuga Clan is an important pillar of Leaf Village. The Uchiha Clan issue is already troublesome enough. Do not create more complications."

"A pillar?" Danzo sneered. "The Hyuga Main House is indeed obedient, but what about the Branch House? Those people branded with a curse mark, whose lives and deaths are beyond their own control—do you truly think they will willingly remain dogs forever?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not answer.

He simply looked out the window at the village he had protected his entire life. Leaf Village was quiet beneath the night sky, but beneath that calm surface, undercurrents had already begun to surge.

Orochimaru's defection, the Uchiha Clan's unrest, and now Anko Mitarashi's abduction, along with that mysterious kidnapper...

Troubled times indeed.

The old man sighed and relit his pipe.

And in the shadows beyond his sight, Hyuga Xiao moved through Leaf Village's streets, blending into the crowd like a drop of water into the sea without causing the slightest ripple.

He looked up toward Hokage Rock, his pure white eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

The first step was complete.

Next, it was time to prepare a fitting "gift" for the meeting three days from now.