Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed with interest as he observed Kushina, who now stood casually in the middle of his laboratory.
Kushina stared directly at him, unfazed.
"I want to know about your curse mark," she said bluntly, wasting no time.
Orochimaru raised a brow.
"Oh? Straight to the point, as always…" he murmured to himself, almost fondly.
A thin smile crept across his lips, his tongue flicking out to lick the edge with a reflex that was more eerie than seductive.
"The curse mark… Hmhm, of course, Kushina-chan. I've perfected it far beyond the prototype you once knew," he said, slowly spinning in place, letting his robe sway with the motion.
"But," Orochimaru added in a heavier tone, "if you want it… you'll have to pay the proper price."
Kushina simply crossed her arms, her expression flat.
She had expected as much.
"And I suppose," she said with a tilted smirk, "you're not planning to sneak it onto my body just for fun, are you?"
Orochimaru chuckled, the sound slithering from his throat like a serpent's hiss.
"You jest, Kushina-chan. I may be insane, but I'm not stupid."
His expression turned serious.
"Even if I teamed up with Tsunade and Jiraiya, our chances of defeating you right now… wouldn't exceed seventy percent."
The air in the room grew slightly heavier.
Kushina, hearing that evaluation, just smiled casually and shrugged.
"Well, at least you're honest."
Of course, Kushina hadn't come here to receive the curse mark.
What she was after was the formula of the seal—
something she could study, alter, and tailor for her own future use.
As Orochimaru began absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the stone table, Kushina knew he wouldn't hand anything over for free.
She puffed her cheeks in mild annoyance, deep in thought.
Orochimaru didn't even blink at the adorable expression.
To a mad scientist like him, Kushina's "cuteness" was no different from... a brick.
'…Equally irrelevant,' he thought coldly.
Meanwhile, Kushina slowly circled the lab like a fox calculating her next move.
Tubes filled with green liquid, bloodstained operating tables, and strange organs floating in jars—all briefly noted by her sharp eyes.
After making a full round, Kushina clapped one hand into the other with sudden energy.
Pop!
"Alright, I've got an idea!" she chirped.
Orochimaru lifted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming like a snake spotting a rare prey.
"What if," Kushina continued, folding her arms and leaning in a little, "I give you…"
She let the sentence hang, baiting his curiosity.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
Meanwhile, at the Border of the Land of Water
The lingering mist of battle slowly cleared, revealing a battlefield marked with traces of fierce combat.
Natsu, Shisui, Kakashi, and two Tokubetsu Jonin stood around three tightly bound Kirigakure ninja.
The captured ninja were restrained with special ropes, reinforced by chakra-blocking fūinjutsu—a technique Natsu had learned directly from Kushina.
Still breathing a little heavily, Natsu wiped a smear of blood from her cheek.
"That was… too easy," she murmured, emotionless, eyes fixed on their prisoners.
Shisui, standing beside her with arms crossed, gave a slight nod.
"Yeah… it feels off. They didn't fight like elite Kirigakure shinobi."
Kakashi, standing a few steps ahead, observed them all silently, his calm gaze hidden behind his headband.
He turned slightly.
"Shisui, Natsu. Begin a quick interrogation. We need to know their intent."
"Yes, Kakashi-senpai!" Shisui responded with energy.
Natsu, however, was already focusing on something that made her blood boil.
One of the Kirigakure ninja—a dark blue-haired jonin—had something unusual in his eye.
The Byakugan.
That pale white pupil glowed faintly.
"…"
Natsu's expression immediately hardened.
"Hey, Kakashi-senpai…" she said, voice barely containing emotion.
"May I… reclaim what belongs to my clan?"
Kakashi looked into her eyes for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Don't overdo it," he said quietly.
"Thank you," Natsu replied.
Without delay, she stepped toward the ninja—Ao—who now stared at her with a mix of hatred and fear.
Ao gritted his teeth."Don't think you can just take it!"
But Natsu merely offered a faint smile as her small hand lit up with a fūinjutsu pattern.
"A half-baked seal like this…" she whispered, pressing her fingers around Ao's eye socket.
Pop!
Within seconds, the chakra seal protecting the Byakugan unraveled like wet paper.
Ao let out a short cry as Natsu carefully, yet firmly, retrieved the Byakugan.
Once done, she stepped back, her gaze icy.
"The Hyuga do not allow their clan's power to fall into foreign hands," she said flatly.
Natsu stored the eye into a sealing scroll.
Meanwhile, Shisui used his Sharingan to accelerate the interrogation process.
Through genjutsu, he drew out what he could from their captive minds.
But the results were disappointing.
"From what I could extract," Shisui reported grimly, "they don't even know the real reason they were sent."
Natsu frowned.
"Has the Mizukage… lost his mind?"
Kakashi pondered.
"Or perhaps he's being sabotaged from within," he murmured to himself.
After assessing the situation, Kakashi made his decision.
"We're not killing them. Leave them here. Konoha must continue showing goodwill."
The two Tokubetsu Jonin hesitated, but eventually nodded.
Natsu glanced back at the injured Kirigakure ninja, then turned without a word.
Leaving behind three defeated enemies, gritting their teeth in helpless rage.
The team then swiftly withdrew, heading back to Konoha.
During the journey, Shisui walked up to Natsu, curiosity evident in his tone.
"Natsu-chan, what are you going to do with the Byakugan? Will you return it to your clan?"
Natsu glanced at him, then smiled faintly.
"Of course. It's our family's honor."
Shisui chuckled softly.
"Seems like the Hyuga are lucky to have such a strong girl."
Natsu only gave a small huff, her cheeks reddening slightly without her realizing it.
From behind, Kakashi watched their interaction with a relaxed gaze, one hand tucked in his pocket.