Was this whirlwind of a woman Mitarashi Anko? This was Shinsei's first time seeing her.
A smoking-hot figure in fishnets, a pretty face-she had that mature beauty vibe in spades. But apparently, she became Auntie Mitarashi in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. He wondered if her looks really did fall apart in the future. (This book does not involve Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Boruto is just a fanfic with ruined plotlines and characterization, an unknowable thing that even Madara Uchiha's Fire Style couldn't set alight.)
He remembered that she was Orochimaru's student. He wondered why Orochimaru hadn't taken her along when he left.
Everyone was taken to the edge of a vast forest, far from any residential areas. It was Shinsei's first time here, mainly because he hadn't dared come alone before.
"This place is called the Forest of Death. You'll understand once you get inside." Mitarashi Anko intimidated the Genin, even sticking out her tongue to lick the corner of her mouth.
Shinsei narrowed his eyes slightly. That tongue-licking looked awfully familiar. Wasn't that Orochimaru's favorite gesture?
As Orochimaru's student, Mitarashi Anko hadn't learned much of his abilities, but she'd picked up plenty of his bad habits.
Speaking of which, Orochimaru should already be hiding in the crowd.
Without letting anything show, Shinsei quietly surveyed the surrounding Genin.
Sure enough, he spotted someone with a distinctly different air among the Genin. She had an almost masculine face, wore a bamboo hat, and exuded a cold, eerie presence.
Orochimaru was also the focus of this mission.
Konoha had received intelligence suggesting that Orochimaru had infiltrated the village, though his purpose was unknown. But the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki was an important person under Konoha's protection, and Shinsei's mission was to scout for Orochimaru and hold him off if he appeared.
Konoha itself probably wasn't too certain about this intelligence. Otherwise, there was no way they would have assigned this mission to Shinsei, especially with the Hokage personally choosing him.
He had no idea what the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking. The strength he had revealed was indeed at Jonin level, but could it compare to Orochimaru's? If he really ran into Orochimaru, all he could do was send word and flee.
This wasn't the Orochimaru whose arms had been sealed later on, but Orochimaru in his prime, with Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju along as bodyguards. In the original story, Hiruzen Sarutobi had forced the third coffin of Impure World Reincarnation back down. Who knew whom it was supposed to summon?
There were three coffins. The First Hokage came out of the one marked "one," and the Second Hokage came out of the one marked "two."
The remaining coffin had "four" written on it, but it couldn't have been the Fourth Hokage. Minato Namikaze was sealed inside the Death God's stomach, and Orochimaru couldn't summon him. It was more likely the Fourth Mizukage or the Fourth Kazekage.
The Fourth Mizukage had appeared during the Fourth Shinobi World War after Kabuto Yakushi brought him back with Impure World Reincarnation. It would make sense for him to be in Orochimaru's hands now. After all, Orochimaru had indeed stirred up trouble in the Land of Water, and that was when he had picked up his loyal fan Kimimaro. It was entirely possible that he'd gone back to rob graves later.
The Fourth Kazekage was the most likely possibility. Shinsei didn't know whether the Kazekage was dead at this point. In any case, the Fourth Kazekage at the spectator matches of the Chunin Ninja Exams had definitely been Orochimaru in disguise.
The thought made Shinsei's scalp prickle. He had no desire to run headfirst into Orochimaru at full strength. Besides, whatever else might be said about Orochimaru, his ability to stay alive was the best in the Shinobi World.
The Third Hokage had sacrificed his own life without managing to kill him. Sasuke had killed him again, then Uchiha Itachi had sealed him with the Totsuka Blade, yet he had still ended up alive and kicking.
He couldn't be killed, and Shinsei couldn't beat him. What a headache.
The woman suspected of being Orochimaru seemed to sense Shinsei looking at her and turned her gaze toward him, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips. That smile, however, made his hair stand on end.
He shifted his gaze elsewhere as though nothing had happened.
It was hard to say whether Sasuke was really Orochimaru's target this time. He now had a better candidate for a new body.
Shinsei himself.
Orochimaru had become interested in the Uchiha bloodline because Uchiha Itachi had instantly defeated him with a single glance using Tsukuyomi, making him seek the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai.
But as the Uchiha Clan's rivals for a thousand years, the Senju had a bloodline that was every bit their equal. Although Hashirama Senju had defeated Madara Uchiha with his Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, what sustained Wood Release was the Senju Clan's Sage Body. With Hashirama Senju's ocean of chakra and his physical recovery, any Kekkei Genkai would have reached the absolute pinnacle of combat power.
Shinsei's growth seemed to bear this out even further. At the Ninja Academy, he had firmly suppressed Sasuke Uchiha even after Sasuke awakened his eyes, and he had previously driven off Konoha's Root ninja. Even with the precedent of Kakashi Hatake, the genius who became a Jonin at twelve, the combat power Shinsei displayed far surpassed Kakashi's at the same age.
Even among Konoha's current Jonin, few could match his combat power.
If Shinsei were Orochimaru, he would also choose Shinsei and his Senju bloodline. Besides, Orochimaru had researched Hashirama Cells, though his results had been poor, ultimately producing Yamato. Now that there was Shinsei, who seemed to have developed his Senju bloodline, would Orochimaru still choose Sasuke?
Shinsei had intended to coast through this mission from the start. Nothing much had happened to Naruto or Sasuke in the original story. Orochimaru hadn't been after Naruto, and he wouldn't need Sasuke until it was time to change bodies. He still had to cultivate him in the meantime.
Everyone collected their mission scrolls and ran off into the depths of the forest. In the blink of an eye, more than half had disappeared.
Hashihime also collected a Heaven Scroll, and the three of them headed deeper into the forest at an unhurried pace.
"Little Sai, why do you like wearing crop tops?" Hashihime draped a hand over Sai's shoulder and teased him.
"Doesn't it look good?" Sai replied with narrowed eyes and a fake smile.
"It does!" Hashihime laughed sweetly. "It would look even better if you were a little more handsome."
Shinsei didn't talk to Sai much. He was one of Danzo's people, and the more Shinsei said, the more chances he had to slip up. Being wary of a newcomer was normal behavior, too. Hashihime might be teasing Sai, but anyone familiar with her would know that she was no less guarded than Shinsei.
"Little Sai, which team were you on before? How come I've never seen you?"
Sai smiled with narrowed eyes and didn't answer.
"Wait!" Shinsei waved a hand.
Hashihime and Sai instantly crouched, reaching into their ninja tool pouches.
"What is it?" Hashihime asked quietly.
"Uh... I need to use the bathroom." Shinsei was rather embarrassed.
Hashihime rolled her pretty eyes and lightly patted her chest with her delicate hand.
"Don't startle me like that! You nearly scared your big sister to death!"
Shinsei walked behind a large tree.
"Little Shinsei, did you bring any paper? Your big sister brought some. Do you need me to bring it over? Don't use leaves."
Shinsei emerged from behind the tree and said, speechless:
"I was just taking a leak. But I really did forget to bring paper. Big Sister Hashihime, could you give me some?"
"You really want some?" Hashihime paused, but still took out some toilet paper and handed it to Shinsei.
"What if I need to take a dump later?" Shinsei accepted the paper and quickly squeezed Hashihime's palm. The two exchanged a quick glance.
"Oh!" Hashihime cried out.
Sai quickly looked at Hashihime, then watched their surroundings warily.
"I need to take a leak too. Wait for me." Hashihime walked behind a large tree some distance away. "Keep watch for me!"
The three continued on their way, leaping swiftly through the trees.
"Hey!" A shout came from behind them.
Shinsei and the other two quickly turned around. A white-clad ninja landed on a tree opposite them, followed closely by two men who landed beside the ninja.
"I don't need to spell it out. Hand over your scroll!"