Locked in the depths of the prison, Anyo savored this brief moment of peace. Heiye had been first on his kill list. Now that he was dead, those who remained—Danzo, Kumogakure, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, everyone connected to his teacher's death—would not escape him. Even the villagers who had spread rumors were targets of Anyo's revenge. He had always been a petty person.
In the dim light at the bottom of the prison, the room suddenly began to shake. Before long, a large hole broke open in the cell floor, and the head of an enormous ocher snake emerged.
Anyo showed no surprise at the sight. Instead, he exclaimed in admiration, "That was fast. You really are efficient."
Unbothered by the rank stench coming from the snake's mouth, Anyo climbed straight inside. Just like that, on his first day in prison, he escaped without a sound.
After crawling for a short while, the enormous ocher snake soon brought Anyo to a base deep underground, where a familiar figure had been waiting for some time.
Once Anyo emerged, he smiled and expressed his thanks. "You certainly work fast, Lord Orochimaru. You undid such a complicated barrier around the prison so easily, without even causing a stir."
The one who had rescued Anyo was none other than Orochimaru. He, too, wore a smile as he spoke in his magnetic, husky voice. "You seem very certain that I would rescue you."
"Because we're the same kind of people." Anyo's smile was almost identical to Orochimaru's. "To achieve our own goals, we'll pursue any power, no matter how dark."
Orochimaru's smile faded, and he said with a touch of regret, "I really should have taken you as my student back at the Ninja Academy."
Anyo sighed. "That's my regret as well.