Land of Rice Fields, Otogakure.
The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the rolling mountain ranges a dark gold, casting a quiet and slightly eerie veil over this valley located on the border of the Land of Rice Fields, surrounded by dense forests and undulating hills.
Originally, this was just an ordinary, peaceful village focused mainly on agriculture, living in seclusion from the world. But ever since it was chosen as a secret base by Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, it had quietly undergone earth-shattering changes.
Low farmhouses had been replaced by rock and steel structures with greater functionality and defensive capabilities. The air was no longer filled with the pure fragrance of earth, but also carried a faint, elusive scent of disinfectant, medicinal herbs, and something... indescribable.
Although Orochimaru's main research activities had been transferred to the more advanced and strictly regulated laboratories in the Star City following his nominal 'submission' to the Land of Stars, Otogakure remained his private reserve for conducting certain gray-area or forbidden research.
After all, Shura of the Land of Stars, while providing him with unprecedented research resources and support, had drawn a strict red line regarding 'research ethics'.
Strictly forbidding the use of innocent civilians, only allowing the use of death row prisoners.
For Orochimaru, who would stop at nothing in the pursuit of 'truth', this was undoubtedly a constraint.
Therefore, Otogakure became his window for secretly conducting some more 'free' exploration. By cooperating with the Land of Rice Fields and some surrounding small countries lacking Ninja Villages, he could 'dispose of' those neglected criminals or Ninja, under the euphemism of 'waste utilization'.
But because of Shura's words back then, 'The biggest difference between you and Senju Tobirama is having a bottom line...', Orochimaru disdained using civilians as test subjects, or rather, he wanted to strive to prove that he was stronger than the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama!
At this moment, at the main gate of Otogakure.
Three Ninja stood wearing the standard dark green flak jackets and forehead protectors of Kusagakure.
The one in the lead had short white hair, wore round-framed glasses, with a gentle, somewhat scholarly elegance behind the lenses, and a harmless smile on his face. He was Yakushi Kabuto.
Behind him followed two subordinates with grim expressions and a refined, fierce aura, clearly elites.
They had only been visible for a few seconds when several faint sounds of air being pierced came from the village ahead!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Three figures shot out from behind the gate, blocking the path of Kabuto and his two companions.
The newcomers were all young, about thirteen or fourteen years old, wearing uniform gray combat suits with short coats over them, and Otogakure's forehead protectors on their foreheads or arms. Their faces carried a cruelty and malevolent aura that belied their age.
The leading youth, with a faint scar on his face, swept his fierce gaze over Kabuto and his two companions, especially the Kusagakure's forehead protectors on their foreheads. His tone was full of contempt and a desire to drive them away:
"Hey! You trash from Kusagakure! This is our Otogakure's territory! Get lost if you don't want to die!"
The two Otogakure's Ninja behind him also snickered, cracking their knuckles, clearly not taking these three 'uninvited guests' seriously.
The two subordinates behind Kabuto frowned, a cold glint flashing in their eyes. They instinctively took half a step forward, their Chakra fluctuating slightly, clearly angered by the other's rudeness and ready to teach these insolent brats a lesson.
However, Kabuto gently raised his right hand, signaling his subordinates to stay calm.
His smile became even gentler as he pushed up his glasses and said in a tone used for greeting people:
"Please don't misunderstand. We mean no harm. We've come specifically to visit Orochimaru-sama to discuss important matters."
"Orochimaru-sama?!" Hearing Kabuto address him directly by name, the three young Otogakure's Ninja's faces changed dramatically, like cats whose tails had been stepped on!
The scar-faced youth's eyes instantly erupted with the fury of being insulted, and he shouted sharply, "You bastard! A piece of trash like you dares to utter Orochimaru-sama's name directly?! You're asking for it!"
Before his words faded, the three Otogakure's Ninja almost simultaneously launched their attack!
Their figures flickered as they pounced on Kabuto like leopards, the kunai in their hands glinting coldly, their faces carrying cruel and excited smiles, clearly intending to teach these 'clueless' Kusagakure's Ninja a lesson in the most direct way!
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Kabuto gently shook his head, a helpless expression on his face, as if watching a child throw a tantrum. He muttered softly, "What... a bunch of loyal dogs protecting their master. Too bad... I hate nothing more than dogs that bark at people."
He had no intention of fighting.
The instant the three Otogakure's Ninja's attacks were about to land, his two subordinates moved!
Their movements were as fast as lightning, without any unnecessary flourishes, only the precision and ruthlessness forged through countless tempers!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Accompanied by three sickening cracks of breaking bones and shrill screams, the three aggressive young Otogakure's Ninja were already lying on the ground, clutching their twisted, deformed calves, writhing and groaning in pain.
Kabuto's subordinates had shown great restraint, only instantly breaking their leg bones to immobilize them, but not taking their lives.
After all, they had come to 'visit', not to massacre the village.
"Trash!"
A cold female voice came from above.
Kabuto looked up to see a red-haired girl standing atop the main gate of Otogakure, constructed of thick logs and steel.
She appeared about fourteen years old, wearing a white sleeveless short coat, a shimenawa casually tied around her waist, revealing her healthy, wheat-colored skin and arms. Her face carried a rebellious and indifferent expression that belied her age.
It was Tayuya, one of Orochimaru's more capable subordinates.
The three Otogakure's Ninja on the ground with broken legs, upon seeing Tayuya, looked as if they had seen a savior, or perhaps an even more terrifying presence. Their screams were suppressed, and they shivered as they called out, "T-Tayuya-sama!"
Tayuya didn't even glance at the trash on the ground. Her cold gaze locked directly onto Kabuto.
She leaped lightly from the several-meter-high gate, landing in front of Kabuto and calmly meeting his gaze.
Although the spectacled man before her appeared gentle and amiable, smiling pleasantly, Tayuya's intuition sensed a gloomy cold aura from him, like a viper hiding in the grass… a level of danger no less than that of Orochimaru, whom she revered.
"Orochimaru-sama will see you," Tayuya said concisely. "Follow me."
She turned and walked into the village, not even acknowledging the three moaning Otogakure's Ninja on the ground.
Unfazed by Tayuya's cold attitude, Kabuto smiled and nodded. "Thank you for guiding the way."
He signaled his two subordinates to follow, then walked unhurriedly behind Tayuya, his gaze subtly surveying the internal layout of Otogakure.
Low, sturdy stone houses, concealed ventilation shafts, occasional dull thuds or strange roars, the increasingly strong smell of disinfectant and formalin in the air... All of this was quickly recorded, analyzed, and stored in his mind.
Tayuya led the three through the seemingly ordinary village streets, finally entering an unremarkable-looking building in the center of the village.
The building's interior was a different world. A downward staircase, carved from rough rock, wound deep underground. The light quickly dimmed, with only lamps on the walls providing illumination.
The further down they went, the more obvious the artificial traces became. The rough rock was gradually replaced by smooth metal walls and heavy blast doors. The air grew colder, carrying a mixed scent of metal and chemicals.
Finally, they arrived at a vast, open space deep underground.
It looked like a huge circular arena, surrounded by metal walls tens of meters high, with crisscrossing steel bridges above.
At this moment, on a second-floor bridge, a figure leaned against the railing, looking down at the 'performance' below.
It was a slender figure with long hair, wearing a loose kimono, standing with their back to them.
Although the face wasn't visible, the pale skin and the cold, slimy, reptilian aura emanating from them were unmistakable. Kabuto recognized the person instantly.
Orochimaru.
Moreover, unlike the last time they met, Orochimaru seemed to have undergone another [Living Corpse Reincarnation], switching to a new female vessel, but that evil and gloomy cold disposition ingrained in his soul remained unchanged.
Tayuya quickly walked to stand behind Orochimaru, kneeling on one knee, and reported respectfully, "Orochimaru-sama, the visitor has arrived."
Orochimaru slowly turned around, revealing a beautiful but bloodless face. His golden snake eyes glinted with interest in the dim light. He licked his lips, his voice hoarse yet magnetic: "Leave us."
"Yes." Tayuya rose and silently retreated to the shadows of the bridge, standing with Kabuto's two subordinates, her gaze still vigilantly watching Kabuto in the arena.
Kabuto slowly walked forward, approaching Orochimaru, and followed his gaze downward.
Below, in the arena, a cruel 'cleaning' operation was underway.
A boy with orange-red hair and a twisted face, his body covered in strange, black Cursed Seals, his back bulging with several barnacle-like air vents, was laughing maniacally. With astonishing speed and strength, he was tearing apart, with his bare hands, one after another of various 'failed test subjects'.
"Kill... kill... kill!"
The boy who had become a monster laughed wildly as he pounced on several other figures in the arena.
Those were failed products of the Cursed Seal experiment. They were also eroded by the Cursed Seal to varying degrees, but hardly any of them still maintained a human form.
The orange-haired monster smashed a failed product's head with one punch, brain matter and blood splattering everywhere.
He didn't care. He turned, grabbed another failed product by the leg, swung it like a ragdoll, and slammed it viciously against the wall.
Bang!
Flesh and blood were indistinct.
The remaining few failed products fled in terror, but the testing ground was sealed... they had nowhere to run.
The orange-haired monster let out a joyful roar and began hunting them down one by one.
Kabuto merely glanced at it briefly, the gentle smile on his face unchanged, as if watching an ordinary play.
He turned to Orochimaru, maintaining just the right amount of respect in his tone: "Orochimaru-sama, I trust you've been well. Shura-sama has sent me to inquire about the 'preparations' for Konoha's upcoming Joint Chunin Exams. How are they progressing?"
Orochimaru crossed his arms, his golden snake eyes sizing up Kabuto with interest.
He was very impressed by this young man. Back during the Third Great Ninja War, he had noticed Kabuto's talent in Medical Ninjutsu and his meticulous mind, but unfortunately, he had been snatched away first by Danzo and then by Shura.
Now, Kabuto had become the head of the Land of Stars' Anbu Intelligence Section, responsible for the Land of Stars Anbu's intelligence network, and was truly Shura's right-hand man and 'dirty glove'"
The other party appeared gentle and refined, but in reality, he was deep-thinking and ruthless, skilled in disguise, and was an excellent subordinate.
Sometimes Orochimaru couldn't help but think, how nice it would be if this guy were his subordinate.
"Oh? Shura is actually interested in such a 'children's game' of an exam?" Orochimaru let out a low, deep laugh, his snake eyes flickering with calculating light.
"I hear Konoha is making quite a big deal this time. Takigakure, Kusagakure, Amegakure... even those barbarians from Kumogakure have sent an envoy. What, is Shura planning to join in the fun too?"
Orochimaru had been secretly planning his revenge against Konoha, and the Chunin Exams was undoubtedly a perfect stage.
He had originally worried that Shura might stop him, after all, it seemed the Land of Stars and Konoha had no immediate intention of going to war.
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the bloody light from the arena below, and smiled. "Shura-sama believes this is a good opportunity for the younger generation to gain experience, while also observing the strength of the new generation from various Ninja Villages. The diplomatic team has already gone to the Land of Fire's Daimyo's office to negotiate. I believe we'll have a result soon."
The interest in Orochimaru's eyes intensified. He turned around, facing Kabuto directly, and asked hoarsely, "Then, you coming here in person this time, surely it's not just to convey such a simple inquiry, is it? Yakushi Kabuto, what exactly does Shura... want to do?"
Kabuto maintained his impeccable, gentle smile and said in a relaxed tone, "Shura-sama just wanted me to come ahead of time to say hello and let you prepare. After all, the scene might get quite 'lively'. He hopes everything can stay within controllable limits, and that the final result can meet everyone's 'expectations.'"
Hearing this, Orochimaru was first slightly stunned, then he thought of the Edo Tensei-ed Minato and Kushina, as well as the Edo Tensei forms of the First and Second Hokage that he himself possessed, and Shura's identity...
'If all these people appeared on the stage of the Chunin Exams...'
"Heh heh heh..." Thinking of this, Orochimaru felt his entire brain tremble with excitement, an uncontrollable low laugh escaping his throat. "Lively? Expectation? Very good... I'm very much looking forward to it!"
"I look forward to seeing what kind of wonderful expression my dear teacher will have!"
"You go back and tell Shura, I am ready here. No matter what he wants to do, Otogakure will cooperate fully!"
"I will relay the message." Kabuto smiled and nodded. "Then, I won't disturb you further."
Orochimaru waved his hand, indicating he could leave.
Tayuya stepped forward, ready to lead Kabuto and his three men out.
As he reached the passageway, Kabuto suddenly stopped and looked back. "Oh, by the way, Orochimaru-sama. That orange-haired boy... what's his name?"
"Jugo," Orochimaru said without turning back. "A special individual with an innate ability to absorb Natural Energy. Why, interested?"
"Just curious." Kabuto smiled. "Well, farewell."
The three followed Tayuya out.
In the metal passageway, the sound of footsteps gradually faded.
Orochimaru still stood by the railing, his arms crossed, his golden vertical pupils flickering with madness.
He had already begun to imagine, imagining the day of the Chunin Exams, the sky above Konoha shrouded in shadow, the heroes of the past returning as the deceased, and the expression that his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would have.
"Sensei..." Orochimaru murmured to himself, his tongue licking his lips. "The final lesson you taught me... I will 'repay' it well."