"Your acting isn't bad..."
Orochimaru couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, a hint of sharpness and suspicion in his gaze: "You almost had even me convinced, Kagura."
"Lord Orochimaru..."
Akihara Kagura's face showed a trace of helplessness and respect: "I was raised by you, Lord Orochimaru. Regardless of what I do, I shouldn't lie to you. Those two people are just strangers to me..."
"Hehehehe..."
Orochimaru nodded with a restrained smile: "Alright, I understand. Take Yao Shidou and Yakushi Nonou with you!"
Afraid that Orochimaru would cause him more trouble, Akihara Kagura continued to stoke the fire: "Uchiha Obito found me again, hoping I would be his spy in Konoha..."
This wasn't a lie, only the timing differed slightly.
This is the brilliance of reporting things to a supervisor.
Some things can be reported, just the timing needs to be adjusted slightly, whether it's the time when things happen or the time they are reported upwards.
"Agree to it."
Orochimaru's lips curled up into a charmingly sinister smile: "It just so happens that I'm also gathering information on Akatsuki, so help me pass on some intel about Uchiha Obito and Akatsuki..."
"Understood."
Akihara Kagura nodded, then added: "By the way, the Akatsuki Organization and Uchiha Obito might be searching for your whereabouts, Lord Orochimaru..."
"No matter."
Orochimaru praised his subordinate and smiled while shaking his head: "I originally thought it was a small organization. I never expected its mystery to exceed my imagination. However, in the future, there's no need to hinder them. I rather want to see the true face of this organization..."
Since Orochimaru received news of Akatsuki from Akihara Kagura, he began investigating the Akatsuki Organization, but its mystery was so deep even Orochimaru couldn't uncover much. He only knew that this organization took on some small nation war missions...
What a grand scale!
Orochimaru's interest in this organization grew more and more.
"Take them and leave."
Orochimaru gestured for Akihara Kagura to leave, leisurely adding: "I've already taught Shidou and Miss Nonou how we convey information."
"Yes."
Only then did Akihara Kagura nod and leave directly.
After the boy's figure disappeared from the laboratory, doubt once again graced Orochimaru's eyes, quietly laughing to himself.
"Clearly an orphanage child, yet you speak like that to earn my trust, so I wouldn't harm Yao Shidou and Yakushi Nonou?"
This was something that troubled Orochimaru.
During this period, Orochimaru had been probing for Akihara Kagura's background, trying to stealthily gather information from Yao Shidou and Yakushi Nonou, even using eavesdropping methods. However, he always overheard these two feeling guilty and misunderstood about Akihara Kagura.
Especially Yakushi Nonou, who felt eternally guilty for not taking care of all the children back then, leading to Akihara Kagura's disappearance from the orphanage.
Orochimaru could only conclude that Akihara Kagura was indeed an orphanage child. Surely Yakushi Nonou wouldn't forget a child she had taken into her care, right?
Now this child stubbornly denies...
Perhaps for the safety of Yao Shidou and Yakushi Nonou.
"Kagura, you're overthinking it."
Orochimaru's smile deepened, seemingly unfazed by the child's deceit, for he grasped the child's weak point: "As long as they live, I can manipulate you. How could I bear to harm them?"
"..."
Akihara Kagura closed the laboratory door but still gazed at the thick iron doors, as if he could see Orochimaru speaking to himself inside.
"What a bother..."
"In any case, I'll inevitably be a scheming person one day..."
Akihara Kagura squinted his eyes, as if he had anticipated it all along: "Might as well take this opportunity to let you confidently latch onto my bonds!"
The Ninja World needs bonds.
Those without bonds will be unrestrained.
Only when someone has bonds can they earn others' trust. The Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen is a prime example of this in Konoha.
Orochimaru is an exception.
This supervisor always enjoys seeing himself as a bond for others.
"One day, you'll realize..."
"I'm not from Konoha Orphanage, nor am I the child you raised. Lord Orochimaru, when you learn the truth, will you feel remorse?"
"Whatever, for now, I'm also a child with new bonds. Not actively becoming your vessel is only natural..."
Akihara Kagura slowly turned around and languidly walked out of the experimental base. He saw the sunlight falling outside and waited for Yao Shidou and Yakushi Nonou, who looked at him with worry and held something in their hands.
"Um..."
Yakushi Nonou stepped forward, trying to speak.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
Akihara Kagura shook his head as if he, the youngest, was the one in charge: "Let's go back to Konoha first!"
"Kagura."
Yao Shidou stepped forward, opened the package in his hand, and said softly: "Today is your birthday. The director secretly made a birthday cake, thinking he wouldn't get a chance to see you..."
"I'm sorry..."
Yakushi Nonou lowered her head, seemingly uneasy because she learned Akihara Kagura's birthday from Orochimaru.
"..."
Akihara Kagura's expression shifted slightly, remembering it was already April.
"Let's go back first."
Akihara Kagura refused their goodwill: "If we hurry, we'll reach Konoha by nightfall. You can share the cake with the orphanage children."
"Kagura..."
Yakushi Nonou's eyes showed a trace of heartache and guilt.
"It's okay, no guilt necessary."
Akihara Kagura slowly shook his head, speaking softly: "Just as you once forgot about me, I too have long forgotten about the orphanage."
"..."
Yakushi Nonou and Yao Shidou looked slightly saddened.
"Thank you for your efforts."
Akihara Kagura could only extend a finger to scoop a bit of cream, symbolically tasting it, which brought a smile to Yakushi Nonou's face.
Akihara Kagura slowly turned back.
But he only saw the ever-dormant experimental base.
In the grass beside the experimental base.
A small white snake quietly slithered into the experimental base.
After listening to the information the small white snake had monitored outside, Orochimaru was indifferent, for when Yakushi Nonou secretly helped make a birthday cake for Akihara Kagura, Orochimaru had already confirmed Akihara Kagura's identity.
Orochimaru opened a drawer in the laboratory, taking out a scroll with a red character for "Longevity," evidently meant as a birthday gift for someone.
Orochimaru reached in, slowly taking out the scroll and tossing it into the small white snake's mouth, commanding with a light chuckle: "Deliver it to Kagura. Although this child's most important bond is no longer me, it seems he still harbors expectations of me in his heart..."