After appeasing the enthusiastic villagers and deftly rejecting several "interested people" who tried to insinuate information, Senju Chen walked through the noisy streets and turned into an increasingly remote alley.
The bustling and restless Konoha was isolated behind him, and the smoke and smoke belonging to the city gradually faded away, replaced by a kind of tranquility mixed with soil and vegetation. This is a little-known area of the village, and it is also the destination of his trip - the research institute of Orochimaru.
When Senju Chen came back, the first person he looked for was his teacher Orochimaru.
After bypassing several inconspicuous warning traps with ease, a stone door with the same color as the mountain wall slid inward silently. There was a smell that was mixed with disinfectant, formalin and some kind of strange sweet fragrance.
Senju Chen Smelling the familiar smell, Earth Flow walked in calmly.
The interior of the base is brightly lit, and various precision glassware reflects an icy sheen under the light. Test tubes containing liquids of different colors are neatly arranged on the shelves. Several huge culture tanks are soaked in unknown biological tissues, which are rising and falling slightly with the rise of bubbles.
Everything here reveals a kind of well-ordered madness.
"Who?!"
A clear and somewhat vigilant female voice sounded.
Before he finished speaking, a petite figure had already flashed out from behind the experimental table, holding a gleaming Kunai in his hand. It was the Mitaraishi Anko that he had not seen for a long time.
When she saw clearly that the person coming was Senju Chen, the vigilance on her face was instantly replaced by huge surprise, and her big smart eyes widened.
"Chen...Chen-kun?!"
The next second, she threw away Kunai and rushed over like a swallow returning to its nest. Judging from her posture, she was ready to give Senju Chen a big solid hug.
However, just when she was about to throw herself into Senju Chen's arms, her footsteps suddenly stopped and she stopped in front of him. A suspicious blush appeared on the girl's cheeks. She seemed to have thought of something, and her outstretched hands stopped awkwardly in the air, and she put them on her waist. She curled her lips and tried to look angry.
"Humph! Do you still know how to come back? Do you still have me as a friend in your heart? I left the village before without even saying hello, and I stayed away for several months!"
The girl's question was a bit aggrieved, but she couldn't hide the joy deep in her eyes.
Senju Chen looked at her duplicity and couldn't help laughing. He stretched out his hand and naturally rubbed Anko's iconic short purple hair.
"Sorry, sorry, the war has just ended and there are many things going on. I was worried that my sister would be alone outside, so I went out to look for her."
Hearing that Senju Chen moved Tsunade out, Anko's momentum suddenly weakened. She also knew the importance of Lady Tsunade to Senju Chen. She really couldn't refute this reason.
"Then... then you saw Lady Tsunade? Is she okay?" Anko asked in a low voice.
"Yes, I saw her. Sister, she is very nice." Senju Chen smiled gently, "I just miss the three-color meatballs in the village."
"Really?!" Anko's eyes lit up instantly, "When Lady Tsunade comes back, I'll treat her to a meal!"
Looking at the innocent girl whose attention was momentarily diverted by the "three-color meatballs", Senju Chen smiled in her heart and was about to say something else when a slightly unfamiliar voice came from the side.
"Lady Mitarashi, who is this?"
Senju Chen is played in a loop.
I saw a young man wearing round glasses standing not far away. He was wearing an ordinary ninja uniform, with silver-gray hair tied back, and a gentle and humble smile on his face. He was holding a stack of thick scrolls in his hands, and he looked like a diligent librarian, not someone who would appear in the Orochimaru laboratory.
His temperament is incompatible with this place, but strangely blends in with the surrounding environment, as if he was born to stand here.
Kabuto Yakushi.
Senju Chen's pupils shrank slightly the moment they saw each other.
It's really... unexpected and reasonable at the same time.
"Oh, yes, let me introduce you!" Anko then remembered that there was someone else next to her. She took Senju Chen's arm and introduced enthusiastically, "Chen-kun, this is Kabuto Yakushi, the teacher's new assistant recently. He is very powerful! He can sort out a lot of complicated experimental data after just one look!"
After saying that, she raised her chin at Kabuto Yakushi again, with a hint of show off in her tone. "Kabuto, this is the teacher's most proud disciple that I often mention to you, Senju Chen!"
"So you are senior Senju Chen." Kabuto Yakushi adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, and his eyes behind the lenses seemed to flicker. He smiled at Senju Chen Bowing slightly, with a courteous attitude and an impeccable smile, he said, "This is the first time we meet, please give me some advice. I often hear Lord Orochimaru and Lady Mitarashi mention you, saying that you are a once-in-a-century genius."
"You are too polite, just call me Chen." Senju Chen responded with a smile and reached out his hand, "Please give me some advice."
The two hands were held together in the cold air.
Yakushi Kabuto's hands were a little cold, and there was a thin layer of calluses on his palms, the result of years of practicing medical ninjutsu and using chakra scalpels.
Looking at the future villain in front of him, countless pieces of information about the man in front of him flashed through Senju Chen's mind like a fast-forwarding movie.
The orphan of Battle of Kikyo Pass was adopted by "Wandering Miko" Yakushi Nonō. In order to protect his companions and adoptive mother in the orphanage, he voluntarily became a pawn of Danzo's "root". He performed countless tasks in the dark, with his hands stained with blood, but still longed for identity recognition. In the end, under the conspiracy of Danzo, he personally killed the adoptive mother who gave him his name and taught him everything...
At that moment, he completely lost himself until he met his teacher Orochimaru.
Orochimaru gave him a new "identity" and a new "meaning of existence", turning him from a spy with no past into "Kabuto Yakushi, a subordinate of Orochimaru".
The seemingly gentle and harmless, even cowardly, young boy in front of him has been riddled with holes by the darkness. He is like a poisonous snake that has been lurking in the darkness for many years, hiding all its fangs and venom under a humble smile, just waiting for the "master" who can let him reveal everything.
And now, he found Orochimaru.
Senju Chen Thoughts were racing in his mind, but his face still had that gentle smile that was harmless to humans and animals.
"To be a teacher's assistant, Kabuto-kun must be outstanding in Medical Ninjutsu and scientific research, right? It's been really hard on you during my absence." His tone was full of sincerity, as if he was just a senior brother who cared about his companions.
"I can't take it seriously." Kabuto Yakushi lowered his head humbly and pushed up his glasses, "I just do some chores of sorting out materials and processing experimental waste, and I'm far inferior to you Chen-senpai. Lord Orochimaru is full of praise for your wisdom and talent."
This guy... has no leaks.
Senju Chen secretly thought in his heart. Every word he said put himself in a very low position. He not only praised himself but also praised Orochimaru, and also showed his "harmlessness".
If he hadn't had the memory of his previous life, he might have been regarded as a young man who worshiped the strong and was diligent and eager to learn.
"Speaking of which," Senju Chen asked curiously, "I heard from my sister that the dean of Konoha Orphanage, Yakushi Nonō-senpai, was once a very outstanding medical ninja. Kabuto-kun also has the surname of pharmacist, is he a relative of Nonō-senpai?"
The moment the words fell, Senju Chen clearly felt that Kabuto Yakushi was holding his hand, and the fingertips stiffened imperceptibly.
The surrounding air seemed to freeze for a few tenths of a second.
The smile on Kabuto Yakushi's face froze for a moment, but soon returned to normal. He let go of his hand, took a half step back, and adjusted his glasses again. This action cleverly concealed the complex emotions that flashed in his eyes.
"Chen-senpai was joking," his voice was still smooth and gentle, without any waves, "I am just an orphan adopted by Director Nonō. Thanks to the dean, he gave me the surname 'Medicine Master'. I have no blood relationship with the dean."
"That's it." Senju Chen nodded, with a look of surprise on his face, as if he completely believed what he said, "Nonō-senpai is a respectable person."
He did not pursue the question any further.
The testing ends here.
He had gotten the information he wanted. When the name "Yakushi Nonō" was mentioned, Kabuto's reaction, although subtle, could not deceive him. The moment of stiffness and emotional fluctuations proved that this name was still the deepest and most painful thorn in the heart of the man in front of him.
And this thorn was inserted by Danzo himself.
At this time, a hoarse and magnetic voice came from the depths of the laboratory.
"Little Chen, you are back."