Drip-drip… drip-drip…
Water droplets echoed in layers within the arched space, mixed with the faint wailing of wind from an unknown source. A damp, musty smell, combined with the scent of old rust, assailed the senses.
A completely black cat lay crouched in the shadows, its paws toying with a few half-dead white snakes.
Once a white snake stopped moving, the black cat would release its paw, and the snake's body would writhe and struggle again, only to be firmly pinned down by the cat's padded paw, revealing a hint of malicious amusement.
But soon, as if sensing something, the black cat raised its head.
Only then could its true appearance be seen.
This completely black cat had one white eye and one black eye.
A normal person would simply take it for a one-eyed cat, but no one knew that the white eye was the "Byakugan" coveted by the other four great ninja villages.
One should know that "Ao," a Jonin from the Hidden Mist Village, was known as the "Byakugan Killer" precisely because he possessed a Byakugan, even landing him on Konoha's highest wanted list.
No one would ever imagine that a madman would transplant such a precious Byakugan onto a cat.
Yet, someone had done just that.
The black cat lowered its head, picked up the white snake's corpse, and transformed into a blur, leaping into the shadows of the crisscrossing pipes above, moving as silently as if treading on clouds.
Crouching at the corner of a drainpipe, its white pupil slightly dilated, while its black eye narrowed into a slit, staring at the calm water surface in the distance.
The murky, oily water, deep enough to reach one's knees, reflected the rusty, interwoven pipes overhead.
Splash… splash…
A moment later, ripples disturbed the calm water. Three swift black figures appeared, treading on the water, their forms distorted into eerie shapes within the ripples.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two ANBU had gone through considerable effort, encountering many traps and diversions set by Orochimaru along the way, before finally finding the correct path through the intricate underground pipes.
Such a dark, damp environment was only favored by snakes and rats. Orochimaru's habits truly seemed to be aligning with those of snakes.
"..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly stopped, looking at the rusty door ahead. His expression turned somewhat grim. He raised a hand, signaling the ANBU ninja to move forward.
Bang!!
With the muffled crash of the iron door being forcibly broken open, a pungent stench of decay, mixed with disinfectant and the sweet smell of rotting flesh, assailed them with a cold draft, making them nauseous.
The dim yellow light cast bright shadows, but the scene before him made Sarutobi Hiruzen's pupils contract.
The laboratory walls were stained with dark red bloodstains, forming mottled abstract paintings. The light bulbs hanging from the ceiling flickered on and off due to the vibrations from the door breaking open.
The floor was solidified with layers of dark brown matter, like irremovable evidence of crimes, despite repeated rinsing.
Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly heard the sudden, rapid breathing of the two ANBU ninjas beside him. Both stared intently at the several cylindrical glass containers standing in the laboratory.
Human-like silhouettes were vaguely visible in the pale green liquid, their skin taking on a translucent, waxy sheen from prolonged immersion. Their exposed muscle tissue was covered with maggot-like sutures.
Through the opened chest cavities, beating hearts could still be seen, while snake-like organs were grafted and intertwined within the abdominal cavities. Chaotic wires extended out of the containers like jellyfish tentacles.
And there were many more such experimental subjects in the laboratory, marked with blood-red numbers like "32," "42," "65," and so on.
Iron shelves around were piled high with glass jars, containing biological organs at different developmental stages, unnervingly twitching alive in the liquid.
"This…" The ANBU ninja's pupils trembled beneath his mask.
To be honest, while the scene before him was shocking enough, Sarutobi Hiruzen was actually mentally prepared for it.
After all, Orochimaru's earliest human experiments were conducted with his, and indeed all of Konoha's high-ranking officials', tacit approval for the transplant of Hashirama's cells.
Although those individuals willingly became test subjects, solely to cultivate users of Wood Release and bring it back into the world, it also proved that Sarutobi Hiruzen was not a soft-hearted individual.
This world was never black and white, but a delicate shade of grey.
Even seeing this scene before him, Sarutobi Hiruzen still harbored a sense of reluctance and guilt towards his disciple.
Until he saw the deepest part of the laboratory, two overlapping shadows…
Because Orochimaru had his back to the door, Sarutobi Hiruzen first saw the youthful face and severed neck on the operating table.
And Hyuga Kawa's face held no trace of a smile; it had long been replaced by fear, tears slowly rolling down his youthful face.
He seemed to have seen Sarutobi Hiruzen, raising his hand in his direction and opening his mouth, but no sound escaped.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly understood what the child wanted to say.
"Third Grandfather…" he said.
At that moment, Orochimaru, hearing the sound, also turned around. The bright and chilling light reflected on his pale face, making the monstrosity stained with blood appear even more evil and grotesque.
The headless corpse at Orochimaru's feet was still gushing blood, transforming the laboratory into a bloody hell, forming a brutal and bizarre tableau with the entire scene.
This sight instantly impacted Sarutobi Hiruzen more than all the experimental subjects.
Most importantly, he knew that child, and the impression was deeply etched in his mind.
As the honorary principal of the Konoha Ninja Academy, he often took time to give speeches at the school, cultivating his image as an approachable elder, while also expounding on Konoha's "Will of Fire."
Once, he chose Hyuga Kawa's class. While speaking about the "Will of Fire," he noticed the overflowing yearning on the child's face.
Afterwards, as usual, the teacher would ask the children to write down their feelings.
Sarutobi Hiruzen normally wouldn't have time to read those "reflections," but he happened to recall that youthful face full of yearning. A thought stirred in his heart, and he pulled out that almost dust-covered "reflection."
Then, he froze.
[My home is like a deeply rooted, lush tree.]
[Third Grandfather is the trunk.]
[Sometimes harmonizing the inside, sometimes providing nourishment.]
[Father is the branches and leaves.]
[Sometimes protecting from cold and keeping warm, sometimes sheltering from wind and rain.]
[Though they are old and their strength fails them, though they are riddled with holes from borers, they still deeply embed their roots in the earth, supporting and sheltering the entire family and its fruits.]
[And we are all the fruits.]
[Our family rejoices at our birth. We often suckle delicious nourishment, and often someone shields us from wind and rain.]
[But we forget who provides us nourishment, who shelters us from wind and rain.]
[I have been too lofty.]
[Perhaps, when I fall, am gnawed upon, and left on the ground,]
[As a seed, I will sprout roots and germinate, and then I will understand.]
Sarutobi Hiruzen was tired of the adults' varied flatteries and the children's blind, naive adoration and pursuit.
But this essay, without any flowery rhetoric, perfectly aligned with the "Will of Fire," even subtly hinting at the conflict between ninja clans and the village, conveying sincere and beautiful words in childish language.
Especially the last three sentences, they instantly struck Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart, making his weary body feel warm.
Yes, those ninja clans only taught their children to protect the clan's interests, never teaching them to see themselves as part of Konoha. And those clan children could only see the "branches and leaves" that sheltered them, completely missing him, who supported the entire "great tree" and all its "fruits" from below.
Undoubtedly, this was a good child who could transcend the limitations of his ninja clan, focus on all of Konoha, and inherit the pure Will of Fire!
If anyone had told Sarutobi Hiruzen that Hyuga Kawa was a bad child, Sarutobi Hiruzen would have instantly pulled out Enma and beaten their brains out.
But such a good child, now…
Watching that figure slowly collapse onto the operating table, Sarutobi Hiruzen's complex emotions towards Orochimaru quietly dissipated, and veins gradually protruded on his aged face.
"Orochimaru!" He stared at Orochimaru with extreme fury. "What are you doing?!"
"What have you done?!"
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was clearly genuinely enraged, Orochimaru's heart sank as he snapped back to reality.
He had never expected such anger from his teacher. Based on his understanding of his increasingly indecisive teacher, even if his human experiments were exposed, he wouldn't attack him; there was still a high chance he could escape Konoha.
But now, why would he…
Before Orochimaru could connect it to Hyuga Kawa, the enraged Sarutobi Hiruzen had already formed hand signs.
Boar – Dog – Bird – Monkey – Ram!
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Bang!
With a burst of white smoke, a burly monkey wearing a fur coat and a Konoha forehead protector appeared beside Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, are you in trouble?"
Enma instinctively asked as soon as he appeared, but then looked up and saw Orochimaru, pausing and saying, "This…"
"Enma!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen roared, cutting off Enma's thoughts.
With a bang of white smoke, Enma transformed into a staff as thick as a pillar.
He's using Enma right away?!
Seeing this, Orochimaru's face instantly turned grim. He didn't have time to ponder why the old man was so furious today, nor why his white snakes hadn't given a warning.
If he hesitated any longer, he might truly die here today!
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!!"
Buzz!!
A furious wind, laden with tiny wind blades, erupted from Orochimaru's mouth. The whistling air pressure created ripples in the very air.
The surrounding bottles and jars shattered instantly, swept up and assailing Sarutobi Hiruzen and the two ANBU, obscuring the vision of the two ANBU ninjas.
Even now, Orochimaru, before escaping, still thought of taking Hyuga Kawa with him.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't even look. The staff in his hand extended, smashing down on Orochimaru in the distance with a deafening crash.
Pfft!
Orochimaru, already exhausted from the organ transplant surgery, was instantly sent flying by the staff as he tried to grab Hyuga Kawa. In mid-air, he spat out a mouthful of thick, pungent blood mixed with organ fragments.
"Damn it! Damn it!!"
Orochimaru glared hatefully at the grim-faced Sarutobi Hiruzen below, seeing him instantly shunshin beside Hyuga Kawa. He knew that he probably couldn't take Hyuga Kawa with him this time.
Realizing this, despite his reluctance to accept it, Orochimaru calmed down.
"Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!"
Using the momentum, Orochimaru quickly formed hand signs in mid-air, stamping his feet on the ceiling. The solid earth beneath his feet turned fluid, and his body, like a swimming fish, submerged into the ground.
"Third Hokage-sama!"
The two ANBU ninjas stepped forward, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was holding his head up with a cold expression.
Sarutobi Hiruzen withdrew his gaze, his anger diminishing slightly. He looked at Hyuga Kawa beside him and said, "Take this child for medical treatment immediately. You must save his life."
"Yes!" The two ANBU ninjas didn't ask further questions. After nodding, they picked up Hyuga Kawa and instantly vanished from the spot.
At this moment, Orochimaru, swiftly burrowing upwards through the earth, clutched his chest, his face deathly pale.
Not only was his chakra almost completely depleted, but even at his full strength, he couldn't defeat Sarutobi Hiruzen.
So now, all he could do was fight with all his might to escape Konoha. Hyuga Kawa could only be temporarily left with Konoha for future schemes, and he had to ensure Hyuga Kawa remained alive to keep his secrets.
Thinking this, he felt utterly stifled for a moment.
How could events suddenly spiral out of control?
Right, it was all that damned brat!
But could all of this truly have been done by that brat?
Not only did he plot against him for three years, but he also involved the old man, and everything that happened today was part of his scheme?
That brat was only fifteen, could he be some kind of monster?!
His thoughts racing, Orochimaru burst out of the ground, only to be met by a figure.
Wearing an ANBU mask, a short blade strapped to his back, and distinctive silver hair.
Hatake Kakashi.
"Lightning Blade!"
Without a single wasted word, he charged forward with the Lightning Blade, instantly making Orochimaru laugh in anger.
Are all these brats so overconfident?!
Just as killing intent surged within Orochimaru, a faint, almost imperceptible sound reached his ears.
Screech!
"This is…"
Orochimaru looked down at his feet, seeing a black cat dart out, then it looked back at him one last time.
That cat's face actually showed a human-like mockery.
Most importantly…
"A Byakugan?!"
Noticing the black cat's white eye, Orochimaru's narrow pupils instantly constricted.
The next moment, before he could even react.
Boom!!
The explosions of several explosive tags reverberated through the silent night. The entire experimental base was shattered by a terrifying force.
The flat ground cracked and collapsed like a landslide, flesh and blood scattering and flying like rain from the impact of the explosion!
Meanwhile, in the opposite direction, feeling the massive explosion from afar, the two ANBU ninjas leaping through the trees instinctively halted.
"Is it the Third Hokage-sama…" They looked towards the sound, inevitably feeling their hearts pound with dread.
They didn't see the faint, imperceptible smile that appeared on Hyuga Kawa's face, cradled in their arms.
"Did he still hold back?" he mused inwardly. "I hope Orochimaru likes my final gift."
He hadn't expected Sarutobi Hiruzen's momentary rage to truly kill Orochimaru; emotional recognition could never outweigh decades of master-disciple bond.
Once Sarutobi Hiruzen completely calmed down, he might even regret having acted too harshly.
But, it didn't matter.
What Hyuga Kawa wanted was to clear his name; whether Orochimaru lived or died was irrelevant.
Besides, useful pawns like Orochimaru weren't found just anywhere.
Dying before being completely drained would be a bit of a waste.
Thinking this, Hyuga Kawa glanced at the sky.
It was already five in the morning; the morning glow was now painting the horizon.
The sun is always both a setting sun and a rising sun. When it extinguishes and descends the mountain, gathering all the desolate remnants of light, it is also when it ignites and climbs the peak on the other side, spreading fierce morning glory.
"Next, is the Tenseigan," Hyuga Kawa closed his eyes, chuckling inwardly.
Heh heh, Hyuga clan, Caged Bird.
The empty is made full, the full is made empty. The strong show weakness, the weak show strength.
From today onwards, the offense and defense have switched.