In the Village Hidden in the Sound.
In a small cottage in the southern part of the village, life was peaceful and idyllic. Two small children played by the pond in front of the house. Karin sat on the grass, quietly sketching. She drew the pond, she drew the children. But as she drew, the subject of her art changed. A handsome, blond-haired man appeared on the page. Karin glanced around furtively, like a thief, then continued to draw with a blush on her face, adding a red-haired woman beside the blond man in an intimate pose.
"Karin-neechan, stop drawing and come play in the water," the little boy invited in a childish voice.
"Karin-neechan is lovesick every day. Isn't it boring?" Seeing that Karin didn't respond, the boy rolled his eyes and said crisply.
"You little brat, get over here!" Karin carefully put her drawing away, then threw her sketchbook on the ground and ran towards the boy in the pond. The few of them began a game of chase, splashing water and laughing.
"Lunch is ready! Time to eat!" Haku called out, poking his head out of the doorway. When he saw the joyful scene outside, a smile unconsciously touched his lips. This was the life he had always dreamed of. No fighting, no sadness, just being with his family. To ensure this scene could continue forever, he would do everything in his power to help Naruto achieve his goal.
To build a new world!
"Hah!" Karin splashed water at Haku and laughed. "We'll eat later! Come and play with us."
Soon, a helpless Haku was pulled into the pond, joining in the water fight. The water in the pond churned violently, sending the fish inside scattering in all directions.
"They're certainly having fun," Kimimaro murmured, leaning against a tree in the forest not far from the cottage, looking towards the house with a hint of envy.
Just then, he seemed to sense something, and his expression suddenly changed. Even Karin and Haku, who were playing, stopped, their faces tensing.
"Such a violent power and negative emotions. Is it an enemy?" They all looked in the same direction. Kimimaro immediately moved to Haku's side, standing with him.
Soon, two figures appeared in their line of sight.
When they saw the faces of the newcomers, they were all stunned. Then Karin cheered, "Lord Naruto!!"
Haku's expression also relaxed. "So it's Lord Naruto… eh, the other person, how… L-Lord Zabuza?" His face suddenly filled with horror, as if he had seen something impossible. He stood frozen in place, stunned.
"Hmph, what kind of dump is this? These humans are so weak," Zabuza said, carrying his large blade on his shoulder, his eyes sweeping over everyone's faces with a disdainful snort.
"What a strange, scary uncle," the children said, hiding behind Haku in fear.
"Hey, is this the place you were talking about?" Zabuza asked, looking at Naruto with displeasure in his eyes. The vibrant, lively atmosphere of the cottage irritated him.
"It's been a long time, Lord Zabuza," Haku said with a gentle smile.
"You know me?" Zabuza glared at Haku.
Haku and Naruto exchanged a look, and Haku roughly understood. Zabuza had become a Grand Fisher in the Pure Land, and had even evolved into an Adjuchas. To be able to see Lord Zabuza again was the best thing that could have happened, and they could even serve Lord Naruto together.
"Then I'll be heading back. I'll leave Zabuza to you, Haku," Naruto nodded. "The plan will be starting soon. Everyone, get ready. You can all head to the Land of Demons and meet up with Shion. I'll inform you of the specific details later." Naruto left them with a sentence that greatly confused Kimimaro.
Haku's face immediately turned serious, and he nodded grimly.
"Kido: Flying Eagle." A white Reiatsu condensed into a giant eagle with a three-meter wingspan, which then carried Naruto into the sky.
"Plan?" Kimimaro frowned, looking in the direction Naruto had disappeared. Although Orochimaru had always stressed that they should treat Naruto's subordinates well, Kimimaro had always been secretly keeping an eye on them. In his view, Naruto, who could stand on equal footing with Orochimaru and even provide him with excellent research materials, was definitely not as simple as he seemed. He was only around thirteen years old, yet he possessed a power that even he feared, and he was even plotting something.
Kimimaro was very worried. He hoped that Naruto's plan would not have any negative impact on Otogakure. After all, he considered the Sound Village his home.
"Wow!! So cool!" The two small children hugged Haku's legs, looking up in awe at the giant eagle disappearing into the sky. They then turned to look at Zabuza with blank expressions. "This ugly uncle must be very weak."
"You little brats!!" Zabuza's eyes turned cold, and a murderous aura flared as he drew his blade. In the Pure Land, his motto had always been 'fight first, ask questions later; eat after you win.' He had never suffered such an insult. His personality was to fight if he was challenged!
"Lord Zabuza, I apologize for my younger brother and sister's rudeness." However, to Zabuza's shock, Haku appeared before him in an instant. His fair hand grasped the edge of the Executioner's Blade, and an icy aura washed over him, making him shiver, a trace of fear rising in his soul. He looked at Haku with apprehension. The power within him was definitely no less than his own. What was even more surprising was that the mud and grass beneath Haku's feet remained lush and green, as if completely unaffected by the temperature. This meant that Haku's control over his Reiatsu was extremely precise.
"Hmph." Zabuza snorted and sheathed his blade.
Haku smiled and let go, beginning to introduce him to the surroundings and the things he needed to pay attention to in Otogakure. Kimimaro followed behind them, his brow furrowed.
As one of Orochimaru's most trusted subordinates, he had witnessed Orochimaru and Naruto form their partnership and had seen Naruto's subordinates settle in the Sound Village. Both Karin and Haku possessed undeniable talent. And Haku had a terrifying power within him that even he feared. If Haku were to go all out, perhaps even he would be defeated.
And now, a man with a similar power had joined them.
Kimimaro had some knowledge of Orochimaru's research. That power… it was called Reiatsu, wasn't it? Lord Orochimaru had once told him, "This research is very important. For our Sound Village, it will be a great leap forward. At the same time, it will be the key to curing your bloodline sickness."
The Kaguya clan's bloodline sickness had always plagued Kimimaro. In recent years, Orochimaru had been searching for a way to cure him. He had even considered having Tsunade treat him. But their current positions were opposed; he didn't know how to make such a deal.
Fortunately, Naruto had appeared, bringing with him the hope of a cure for his bloodline sickness. As long as he became a Shinigami or a Hollow, he could be free of this disease.
Kimimaro's heart, which had long been like dead ashes, was stirred. His eyes were filled with a desire for life.
On his way back to Konoha, Naruto's mind was occupied with the details of his mission, striving for perfection.
Judging from the Konoha Crush Plan in the other world, his own strength was already more than enough to defect from the Leaf. He just needed the right opportunity, and he would make his move.
Thinking about it carefully, there was nothing left for him to be attached to in Konoha. Neither his friends nor his teachers gave him a reason to stay.
So Naruto thought.
Sometime later, in an Otogakure laboratory.
Orochimaru was focused on his research. At his request, Minato was continuously using his Reiatsu to modify wandering souls. Due to his long period of training, Minato's control over his Reiatsu was now quite good. Not only could he use incanted Kido up to number ninety, but he could also instantly cast Kido up to number fifty. Combined with his own Flying Thunder God Technique and Kage-level chakra, his current strength had steadily entered the realm beyond Kage.
This level of progress made Orochimaru extremely envious, and filled him with anticipation for his own Shinigamification. One had to know, the Fourth Hokage, with his Flying Thunder God Technique, was terrifying. No ninja wanted to face an opponent who was a master of space-time ninjutsu. And during this long experiment, the Fourth had also become interested in Hollowfication. If he were to master that as well, even Jiraiya might not be his match.
"Shinigamification, Hollowfication… they're even more worthy of research than I thought," Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh. He had now completely stopped all his research on souls and was focusing all his efforts on the field of Reiatsu!
"Lord Orochimaru." Just then, Kimimaro entered the laboratory. He reported what he had seen that day to Orochimaru. When he heard that the plan was about to begin, Orochimaru's brow immediately furrowed. Naruto had not hidden his plan from him, so Orochimaru knew some of the details. But… the research on Shinigami and Hollows was still in its intermediate stage, and the Sound Village was also in its development phase. If Naruto's plan were to expose Otogakure's situation, it would not be a good thing.
"Lord Naruto told Haku and the others to go and meet up with the priestess Shion in the Land of Demons," Kimimaro added.
"Shion? I see. So the Land of Demons is the main base." A flash of understanding appeared in Orochimaru's eyes. The priestess had some connection to ghosts and souls. Combined with what Naruto had mentioned before about the entrance to the Pure Land, Orochimaru had already guessed that the entrance was located in the Land of Demons.
He looked at Minato, who seemed to be extremely focused on modifying the souls, but was actually paying full attention to their conversation. A playful look appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, and his voice was magnetic.
"Well, well, Minato. It seems Naruto is preparing to defect from Konoha."
Minato's movements paused. It was clear that his heart was not calm. After a long silence, he finally said, "I know. For him, leaving Konoha is a good thing."
"Is that so?" Orochimaru smiled. "This time, Konoha is facing not just one Kage-plus level powerhouse in Naruto."
"There's also the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails, who is about to undergo Shinigamification or Hollowfication!!"