"Defect?"
Orochimaru echoed unconsciously, saying blankly, "Actually, from the moment I accepted Kamihane's test, I was destined to leave Konohagakure. I just never imagined… it would be this soon."
"Frankly, since I learned everything that happened to my father, I haven't had any expectations for this village." Nian smiled at Orochimaru, a smile tinged with bitterness.
"Suppressing meritorious officials, dividing power, and turning true heroes into victims of political strife… If the higher-ups continue to be so corrupt, then, in the near future, many others will follow in my father's footsteps. Orochimaru, I fear that person will be you."
Orochimaru gazed at Nian, and, in those unfamiliar eyes, saw a hint of familiar resolve and sorrow.
"Perhaps… the path that's truly right for me was never here from the beginning." He murmured.
"You and Hiruko are both people chosen by Kamihane, truly talented people. To be honest, I'm envious." Nian pointed at Hiruko's forehead, "At first, I didn't know what Kamihane saw in him, but now I understand."
"Understand what?"
"This guy, he's just like me." Nian shook his head and chuckled. "Everyone thinks what he craves is power, but that's not the case. More than power, what he truly needs is recognition."
"Recognition of the heart of a strong one, recognition of unwillingness to be mediocre, recognition of his ability to strive even in humility." Nian said deeply, "It was Kamihane who gave him the opportunity, and isn't that a kind of recognition?"
"So, Orochimaru, what do you truly desire?"
This time, there was no hesitation in Orochimaru's gaze, and a goal that had lingered in his heart for ten years spilled out: "Immortality."
Nian smiled slightly. "Then, as a close friend, allow me to lend you a hand. After all, assisting in your success is also my test!"
Orochimaru stared at him for a long while, his expression suddenly becoming inscrutable. "Perhaps, from the moment we met Kamihane at that abandoned training ground six years ago, our fates were intertwined."
…
Soon, hidden deep within layers of dense forest, two furtive figures appeared beside that familiar blue stone.
"Hey, Orochimaru, is that Nian really reliable?" Hiruko cautiously followed behind Orochimaru, asking in a low voice.
Clearly, Nian's spirit had already been extracted from his body.
"I would entrust my life to him," Orochimaru said quietly.
"Hmm, if that's what you say, then I have no choice but to go all-in!" Hiruko tilted his head, his delicate face somewhat contorted. "But, speaking of which, the feeling of having my body manipulated at will is really unpleasant. In the future, I can't let him use me a second time!"
Orochimaru glanced at him. "Stop talking nonsense. Do you remember the plan?"
"Of course, I remember." Hiruko licked his dry lips. "Uchiha Nian will create chaos in the village, attracting everyone's attention. We just need to wait for the passage to open automatically, then sneak inside, take what we want, and quietly leave Konohagakure. Someone will meet us outside the village."
"Hmm, that's pretty much it." Orochimaru nodded.
"But I still have a question. Since Uchiha Nian has the ability to create chaos, why doesn't he act with us? Secretly acting would be better than causing such a blatant disruption, right?" Hiruko asked, puzzled.
"He has his own pursuit. The Konohagakure higher-ups persecuted his father. The past cannot be undone, but the bottled-up frustration in his heart must be vented." Orochimaru sighed softly.
"He's got a lot of drive. When I master power, I wonder if I'll have the courage to declare war." Hiruko exclaimed, a hint of longing in his narrowed eyes.
"But, to think that this is Second Hokage's Secret Research Facility. I never expected that," Orochimaru said with some emotion.
Hiruko stared at the blue stone with glittering eyes. "I'm really curious just how far Second Hokage has gone along that 'path to evolution' that Kamihane talked about."
Just then, a dazzling flash of light appeared in the direction of the Hokage Residence, followed by a violent explosion that reverberated throughout Konohagakure.
The wind was noisy, shaking the leaves with a rustling sound. The two looked at each other, seeing a flicker of… excitement in each other's eyes.
"It's starting!"
Three minutes earlier, atop Hokage Rock.
Uchiha Nian scaled the rock face, landing lightly atop the First Hokage's stone carving, like a nimble panther.
The evening breeze that stirred his hair carried a faint chill. Nian felt inexplicably cold. From this angle, the once-vast Hidden Leaf Village seemed to have become much smaller, so small that he could grasp the entire village in the palm of his hand with just a reach.
He stood at the edge of Hokage Rock, the shadow of his bangs cast on his face, his scarlet eyes hidden deep, obscured by the shadows.
Myriad lights illuminated the dark night, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of peace.
A serene and beautiful time.
But the heroes who had fought desperately to protect this peace were nowhere to be seen.
"How laughable."
Nian offered a self-deprecating smile, about to jump away, but a fleeting glance in the corner of his eye caused his gaze to freeze.
There seemed to be something near his feet, glinting with a pale, cold light in the moonlight.
He bent down and picked it up. It was a mottled, rusty kunai, ordinary in shape and no different from those circulating on the market. The only difference was that the kunai was engraved with a dark ink mark, seemingly some kind of technique formula.
"Strange." He stuck it back in its original place, then jumped up, leaping across First Hokage and Second Hokage in two bounds, landing on Hiruzen Sarutobi's Hokage Rock.
This was his true purpose for today.
"The past is gone, but someone must bear the consequences for the sins of the past."
He flicked out a stack of Explosive Tags, fixing them in various places on Hokage Rock with shurikens, and then his figure disappeared, reappearing atop the Hokage Residence.
But this time, before he could pull out the Explosive Tags, he was surrounded by seven or eight figures.
Each of these individuals wore an animal mask, but the colors were relatively simple, somewhat different from the Root ninjas he had fought three days ago.
"So, this is the ANBU that Orochimaru was talking about?" Nian scanned his surroundings, his gaze remaining calm.
"Stop! Who are you!"
"Who am I?" Nian tilted his head. "Just a vengeful, wandering ghost."
"Uchiha Nian!?!?" Someone recognized him, revealing a pair of Sharingan behind the mask. "Didn't you defect? How dare you come back?"
"Shut up."
Nian suddenly shouted, a look of disgust flashing across his face. "I never belonged here in the first place, so there's no defection to speak of!"
A cold aura, like a winding snake, slithered in all directions, his presence bone-chilling.
"Attack!" The ANBU members were in perfect sync, and, with just a glance, they all moved.
Suddenly, in the shocked eyes of everyone, a beam of light suddenly ignited, and a huge cage of ribs enveloped Nian's entire body. The orange-gold light shone brightly in the darkness!
Before anyone could react, Nian raised a sword finger, a look of delight in his eyes. "Explode!"
In the next instant, Hiruzen Sarutobi's Hokage Rock was detonated. The blast, carrying rubble and stone, surged over, enveloping everyone.
The ANBU members were blown away like willow catkins in the wind. Only Nian, cloaked in Susanoo, didn't budge an inch. He stood stubbornly in place, his widened Mangekyō Sharingan reflecting the image of the Third Hokage's face shattering inch by inch.
———— 🌟🌟 ————
ps:Support and join my Patreon
patreon.c@om/chenc11 [Remove @]
You can read up to 40 premium chapters.