Who Was Behind It?

The box was tightly sealed. As the lid opened fully, it revealed neither the secret technique scroll nor the hidden intelligence the three had imagined. Instead, a faint medicinal fragrance drifted out.

A layer of fine green powder lined the box, its color fresh and lustrous. Even without testing it, all three could sense a faint vitality within it.

"What the hell... That's all that's in the box?"

Asuma stared, incredulous, and couldn't help complaining.

He had just experienced the cruelty of the ninja world for the first time and killed someone with his own hands. He had finally calmed down, only to find that after all this trouble in the middle of the night, it had been over a pile of medicinal powder.

Kurenai frowned too. She leaned forward to examine the powder, her eyes full of confusion. "This powder is highly active, so it isn't an ordinary medicinal ingredient. But in the end, it's still just medicine."

The two took turns inspecting it, looking it over again and again, but found nothing.

None of the three was skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. Although the Nara Clan traded in medicinal ingredients, Tsukimi had never involved himself in the business and wasn't good at identifying rare herbs. The active powder left all three baffled.

Something about the entire affair felt strange from beginning to end.

Tsukimi ran his fingers over the wooden box, his doubts mounting.

They had spent the life of a Chunin Death Soldier and three trained elite Genin on a midnight ambush. When the mission failed, they had immediately killed themselves. All for this powder?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

There had to be something he was missing.

Though none of the three could identify it, there was still an expert who had remained hidden and watched the whole time. He might as well ask him.

Tsukimi raised his head slightly and looked into the depths of the forest, his tone gentle again. "You've watched long enough. Aren't you coming out?"

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Come on out, Orochimaru! I choose you!

As soon as Tsukimi finished speaking, even the wind through the trees seemed to pause. A low chuckle came from a patch of darkness that had appeared empty, the cold, raspy voice tinged with amusement.

"Heh... You're sharp, Tsukimi."

A figure in white stepped out. Orochimaru's long hair fell over his shoulders, and his golden, snake-like pupils gleamed coldly in the dim night. His narrow eyes swept over the three corpses before settling on the box in Tsukimi's hands.

He had hidden there from the moment the four enemies approached, silently watching the entire night attack. He had seen every moment of the team's struggle, their bloodshed, and their growth.

Yet from start to finish, he had remained an uninvolved spectator, with no intention of intervening as he watched the three young ninja grow.

"You three did well tonight. You've earned the right to call yourselves ninja." Orochimaru walked over slowly, his gaze fixed on the contents of the box. He bent to study the green powder.

He pinched up a trace of powder and held it beneath his nose. Understanding flashed through his eyes.

"This is powder ground from Green Velvet Grass."

Orochimaru identified the powder in an even tone.

"Green Velvet Grass is a medicinal plant found only in the Land of Fire. It grows in the southeastern mountains, has strong vitality, nourishes the meridians, and balances the effects of other medicines."

Orochimaru looked up at the three of them, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Its production isn't especially high, but it isn't low either, and other herbs can serve the same purpose. Its properties make it extremely expensive on the market, though."

"Neither the Land of Fire nor Konoha considers Green Velvet Grass a prohibited item."

His explanation left Asuma and Kurenai utterly bewildered. The whole thing seemed absurd.

"You mean this powder is just an expensive medicinal ingredient?" Asuma's mouth twitched. He couldn't understand it. "Who would send a Chunin Death Soldier to ambush us for that?"

Kurenai nodded, her confusion deepening. "If they only wanted the herb, they could have bought it openly. Failing that, there are plenty of black-market dealers, merchants, and smugglers. Sending a Death Soldier to intercept it makes no sense."

The more they thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

"Heh."

A quiet laugh drew their attention to Tsukimi. Orochimaru watched him with interest too.

Tsukimi rubbed the wooden box with his fingers, a faint smile on his face.

"This is interesting. It looks like we've stumbled onto something big."

"What is it, Tsukimi? Have you figured it out?" Asuma asked impatiently.

Kurenai looked to him for an answer too.

"We've all examined the box. There's no hidden compartment, and it really does contain Green Velvet Grass powder. Kurenai's right: if all they wanted was this powder, there are plenty of ways to get it, legally or otherwise."

Tsukimi had agreed with Kurenai, but that only confused Asuma further. "So you're saying they weren't after the powder?"

"No, they were after the powder," Tsukimi said, correcting him. He turned to Orochimaru. "You said its production isn't particularly low, and there are substitutes."

"The fact that they still chose to steal it tells us two things."

"What things?"

Tsukimi turned to the other two and raised two fingers. "First, they need a large amount of Green Velvet Grass. Second, they aren't using it normally."

"Normally, it's used to nourish the meridians and balance medicines. You wouldn't need much, and there are substitutes. If they were using it normally, they'd have plenty of ways to obtain it without an ambush."

Asuma's and Kurenai's expressions hardened. If Tsukimi was right, what was the person behind this planning to do?

"What do you think they want it for, Tsukimi?" Orochimaru asked with a smile, licking his lips with his long, narrow tongue.

Tsukimi looked away and pretended he hadn't seen that. "Green Velvet Grass has strong vitality and nourishes the meridians. I'm afraid they're using it for experiments on living subjects!"

At that, Tsukimi couldn't help glancing at Orochimaru.

Fortunately, this wasn't the Orochimaru who would later become obsessed with Human Experimentation, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had confined Danzo. Otherwise, Tsukimi would have suspected those two immediately.

No doubt about it!

"Experiments on living subjects!" Asuma's and Kurenai's expressions changed. The answer had clearly never occurred to them.

"Yes. Judging by the effects of Green Velvet Grass, Human Experimentation is the most likely explanation."

Kurenai suppressed her shock. "Then who's behind it?"

"That part isn't hard to guess. Only one of the other four great nations could send an elite Chunin Death Soldier. We can rule out the Land of Water first, leaving the other three."

"Why?" Asuma asked without thinking. Three pairs of eyes turned on him with the same look one might give an idiot.

Tsukimi was speechless. Had spending too much time with Idiot Two rubbed off on him?

Kurenai kindly supplied the answer. "Because the Land of Water is across the sea to the east. Why would they go all the way to the Land of Rivers in the west to steal powder when they could buy it where it's grown?"

"Ahem!" Realizing he had asked a stupid question, Asuma flushed and coughed twice to cover it up.

"As for the other three great nations..."

Tsukimi turned back to Kawata Genji. After handing over the box, the old man had slumped to the ground as though every bone had been taken from his body.

"We'll have to ask our client."