Konoha Main Camp, Command Headquarters.
The tent flap was lifted, and Higashino Shinichi stepped inside.
Under the pale woven lights, a massive map lay spread across the central table. Several staff officers were marking positions on it, while a few messenger-nin stood quietly by, awaiting orders.
At the sight of him entering, everyone looked up. Their gazes carried astonishment, curiosity—and unmistakable respect.
The news had already come back.
The Fourth Independent Combat Unit led by Higashino Shinichi had penetrated deep behind enemy lines and successfully destroyed a critical Kumogakure frontline supply depot.
More importantly, the previous generation's "B" of the AB duo—Yotsuki B—had been personally slain by Higashino Shinichi.
Orochimaru stood before the map, his tall, slender figure stretched long by the light. Hearing the footsteps, he slowly turned, those signature golden snake-like pupils settling on Shinichi, the corner of his lips curling upward.
"Excellent."
"You've done exceptionally well, Shinichi-kun."
"Not only did you perfectly complete the mission of destroying the Kumogakure supply depot, but you also took the opportunity to eliminate Yotsuki B on site. That's a genuine big catch. The strategic value of this achievement—and the blow it deals to Kumogakure's morale—far exceeds the destruction of that depot itself."
"With this alone, you've significantly eased the pressure on our side moving forward."
At that, Orochimaru stepped forward, pacing slowly as he looked Shinichi up and down, the recently returned youth calm and composed. He couldn't help but lick his lips.
"Shinichi-kun always brings such delightful surprises, doesn't he? Hehe… it truly makes one more and more curious—just where exactly lies Shinichi-kun's limit? How many unknown surprises are still waiting to be uncovered? Hehe…"
Here we go again.
Shinichi frowned inwardly, though nothing showed on his face. He merely inclined his head slightly.
"You flatter me, Orochimaru-sama. The mission's success was the result of the entire unit working together. The credit belongs to every member of the Fourth Independent Combat Unit."
"Hehe… Shinichi-kun is as modest and impeccable as ever—without the slightest opening."
Orochimaru chuckled softly. His snake-like eyes lingered on Shinichi for a moment before he reached over, picking up a document from the nearby table that had clearly been prepared in advance, lightly waving it in his hand.
"After this, I will personally recommend you for merit to Hiruzen-sensei. To achieve such outstanding feats so early in the war is more than enough to silence those in the village who still question your youth."
At this point, the smile on Orochimaru's lips deepened slightly.
"Perhaps, by the time this war ends, you may become the youngest jōnin commander in Konoha's history… or even go further. That's not impossible, you know. Hehe… after all, Hiruzen-sensei is getting old. Konoha's future will ultimately require new, powerful pillars to uphold it, wouldn't you agree?"
The moment those words fell, the entire tent plunged into an eerie silence.
The pens in the hands of the staff officers paused in unison, then resumed as if nothing had happened. In the corner, the messenger-nin lowered their heads, staring at their own feet, wishing they could shrink into the shadows.
Those words—Orochimaru, as the Third Hokage's direct disciple, could say them, even joke about them casually.
But for the rest of them, they weren't even allowed to think such things.
Even thinking it would be a mistake.
Shinichi stood where he was, his expression unchanged. Calmly, he met Orochimaru's half-smiling gaze and inclined his head slightly.
"Orochimaru-sama jests. This junior only wishes to do his utmost to ease the burden of the village and the Hokage. Only then can I live up to the Hokage's and the village's trust and expectations."
"Hehe, Shinichi-kun truly is an interesting one."
Orochimaru did not pursue the topic further, merely placing the document back on the table.
"Go on, get some rest. I'll be looking forward to even more surprises from you, Shinichi-kun."
Shinichi gave a respectful bow. As he turned and reached for the tent flap, the lazy yet magnetic voice behind him sounded once more.
"Oh, right."
"About the invitation I extended to you before—have you given it any thought, Shinichi-kun?"
Hearing this, Shinichi turned back. After pretending to consider for a moment, he replied: "I am deeply honored by Orochimaru-sama's regard. However, with the war currently at such a critical stage, I truly cannot spare the time. Once this conflict settles down, if the opportunity arises, I will certainly come seek your guidance, Orochimaru-sama."
Orochimaru stared at him for a moment. There was little emotion visible in those eyes—only that same inscrutable, ever-present intrigue.
Then he let out a soft chuckle, the sound echoing faintly through the tent, carrying a hint of quiet amusement.
"Hehe…"
"Of course."
He said nothing more, as if the exchange just now had been nothing more than an offhand remark.
"You may go."
Shinichi didn't say anything further. He lifted the tent flap and stepped outside.
The command tent fell silent once more.
Orochimaru remained where he stood, his gaze fixed on the slightly swaying tent flap. He did not move for a long while.
"What an ambitious child…"
His voice was so low it was almost inaudible—heard by no one but himself.
He recalled the image this boy carried within the village—diligent, humble, gentle, reliable, attentive to his comrades, and utterly loyal to the village. So perfect that not a single flaw could be found.
A perfect genius.
A perfect model hero.
A perfect inheritor of the Will of Fire.
And perhaps… a perfect mask.
Everything he did was too correct. Every choice, every statement, every action—even every risk he took and every sacrifice he made—felt as though it had been calculated with extreme precision, pushing the principle of maximizing gains to its absolute limit.
His humility dissolved jealousy with just the right touch. His unquestionable loyalty earned trust without fail. His sense of responsibility captured prestige and popular support with exact precision. Everything was moving in the right direction, rapidly accumulating an astonishing network of influence and capital.
And yet, from the very first time he had seen the boy, Orochimaru had keenly sensed something familiar from him.
He licked his lips, a playful glint flashing in his eyes.
Beneath that perfect mask lay a near-greedy hunger—for power, for knowledge, for the view from greater heights. And a willingness to pay any price, to use every ounce of intellect and every available method to seize it… to climb higher.
And that, precisely, was what made him interesting.
A kindred soul—one who could disguise himself, endure patiently, and possessed the ability to realize his ambitions—was far more fascinating than some straightforward hot-blooded genius or hero.
Still, Orochimaru could not understand how a child so young could be so skilled at deception.
How had he pushed that deception to the point where it was nearly instinctive?
According to the intelligence he had gathered, if this truly was an act, then this boy had been playing a role from the moment he first learned to speak and walk—or perhaps even earlier.
That was impossible.
And yet, his instinct for recognizing his own kind made him certain that the boy had always been pretending.
Perhaps it was precisely this contradiction—between the impossible and his certainty… this intoxicating contrast and mystery between a flawless exterior and a dangerous inner nature—that made Higashino Shinichi so captivating to him.
"Hehe…"
Orochimaru let out a soft laugh, withdrawing his gaze from the tent flap and returning it to the map before him.
Perhaps the truth would reveal itself the moment he came into contact with that thing.
Hehe…
...
On the way back to his own camp, Shinichi had no idea what Orochimaru was thinking. Even if he did, he would only sneer.
A mere batch of First Hokage cells—and he expected that to make him reveal his true nature?
The price was far too low.
That said, Shinichi himself was also pondering those First Hokage cells—considering that if, after this war ended, he truly accepted Orochimaru's invitation and entered that laboratory, then once he obtained those cells… how exactly should he use them?
The Senju… and a monk.
A rather fitting combination.
Shinichi thought to himself.
The Senju clan—whether their name, their techniques, their forms, or even the various legends surrounding them—were all deeply intertwined with that tradition. Even their progenitor, Asura, took his name from one of its guardian deities.
Mm…
When the time came, he could also find a way to obtain a pair of Sharingan—perhaps even a Rinnegan.
After all, the Six Paths… that was a core concept.
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