At this point, Sasuke's eyes turned cold. He stared straight at Orochimaru, his tone heavy with scrutiny and suspicion.
"To be honest, I've had my doubts ever since I saw the intelligence on Sarada."
"I even wondered for a while whether she was an experimental subject you'd secretly cultivated-a product left over from your research into the Uchiha bloodline and replicating the Sharingan."
Far from getting angry when Sasuke publicly exposed his past forbidden experiments, Orochimaru slipped out his long, thin tongue and slowly licked the corner of his mouth, looking both languid and unsettling.
"Sasuke, you're accusing me unfairly."
"I haven't coveted the Uchiha's Sharingan in years, nor have I conducted any more human experiments related to it."
"Besides, that child Sarada doesn't strike me as a laboratory creation."
Sasuke snorted, distrust written all over his face.
The atmosphere in the office instantly grew uneasy.
Just then, Naruto, who had been chatting casually, suddenly lost every trace of his smile. His expression turned utterly grave, and he fixed his gaze on Orochimaru, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
"Orochimaru, you've never been one to waste words."
"You went out of your way to bring up Sarada, then took this long, roundabout route to set the stage. This definitely isn't idle chatter."
"Tell me the truth. Did you already know Sarada's background? What exactly do you want with her?"
Naruto's perception was razor-sharp.
He could clearly sense the deliberate groundwork and hidden intentions beneath Orochimaru's seemingly casual words. There was definitely an ulterior motive.
And it concerned Sarada.
When Naruto pinpointed his intentions, the calm smile on Orochimaru's face stiffened slightly. His expression shifted almost imperceptibly, but he offered no rebuttal, tacitly confirming Naruto's suspicions.
Beside them, Sasuke also caught on, instantly piecing everything together. He frowned at