"Quick, go save Yukimi!"
Kinoe struggled to get up and shouted,
"She was taken by Orochimaru!"
"See? That's the price of not staying with your teammates."
Kiyosuke shook his head.
"Give me a moment."
He entered Sage Mode to sense Orochimaru's location. Yukimi's chakra was with him. Opening his eyes and exiting Sage Mode, he said,
"Found them. Follow me."
He led the two of them running through a web of underground tunnels. No one knew how long the Iburi clan had lived here, but the tunnels they'd dug stretched in all directions. They ran deeper underground for a full minute before stopping in front of a large rock.
"Stand back!"
Kiyosuke said, then threw a punch. Flames burst out, smashing the rock and revealing a hidden passage behind it.
There stood Orochimaru, who had just finished drawing blood.
"Sensei," Kiyosuke said, "even if you're trying to heal yourself, wiping out an entire clan seems a bit much, doesn't it?"
"Their blood wasn't viable. Only this little girl's blood works. I was merely gathering experimental samples, and that process is now complete. Kiyosuke-kun, you're one step too late."
Rumble—!
The tunnel shook with a low roar. Orochimaru said,
"To stop pursuers like you, I created a little escape route."
Rubble fell from above, revealing a hole through which sunlight streamed into the dim tunnel, casting a glow.
"Orochimaru, this time I won't hesitate!"
Kakashi dashed forward from behind Kiyosuke, his Chidori buzzing loudly.
Orochimaru shot a kunai attached to steel wire into the ceiling. He dodged the strike and clung upside-down to the roof, looking at them.
"Kiyosuke-kun, you won't catch me."
With that, he slipped into the hole and vanished from sight.
"I'm going after him,"
Kiyosuke said, his body transforming into a blaze of fire as he followed Orochimaru through the hole, emerging into a forest.
He gave chase for some time, but in the end, he still couldn't find him.
So he returned to the tunnel.
...
As soon as he reentered, he saw a glowing tree had appeared inside one of the hollows. Yukimi, who had already lost her life, now lay within the hollow, smiling gently at Kinoe.
"What... happened?"
"No idea,"
Kakashi shook his head.
"The girl turned to smoke after she died, but Kinoe used Wood Release to try and hold onto her. Then, the souls of the deceased used their final strength to help him catch her—and this is what she became."
"Trading the lives of an entire clan to save a single future... kind of poetic."
Yukimi's survival was most likely due to the wishes of her clan. Her life had been on the verge of ending, but with that power, she was able to live on.
Well, nothing unexpected should happen now.
Kiyosuke shook his head and turned to Kinoe.
"Do you want to bring her back to Konoha? Let her live a normal life. If she stays out here, it's too dangerous."
Kinoe hesitated.
"But... Danzo-sama..."
"I'll take her back,"
Kiyosuke said.
"Hey, that's not protocol,"
Kakashi frowned.
"So what? I found her on the road. You can vouch for me."
"Don't drag me into this. You might be able to ignore Third-sama's orders, but I can't."
So this was the special treatment you got with power? No way I can pull that off!
"Would you like to come back to Konoha with us?"
Kiyosuke turned to Yukimi.
"Tenzo can come visit you sometimes too."
"Tenzo..."
Yukimi looked at Kinoe, hesitated, then nodded.
"Okay."
She had no family left. Tenzo was the only one she could rely on.
"Alright. From now on, you're just an innocent girl I found on the road. Your clan was wiped out by Orochimaru, so I brought you back. I'll find you a job later."
Kakashi sighed and slapped his forehead.
"You always do things your own way. Fine, fine. I didn't see Orochimaru today, didn't see this strange clan either. I was just helping you bring this girl back."
"Good. Let's head back. Sensei's long gone—we can't catch him anymore."
"You didn't let him escape on purpose, did you?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Why would I let my own sensei go? Let me put it this way: in the ninja world, when it comes to survival skills, he's number one. No one dares claim second place."
Even if his body is killed and his soul sealed, Orochimaru can still find a way to live. His survival skills are unmatched in the ninja world!
"You're exaggerating."
"It's not exaggeration—it's fact. I know my own teacher."
"You still call him 'teacher'?"
"Doesn't hurt to call him that now and then."
...
The four of them returned to Konoha together. At the village gate, Kinoe parted ways and returned to Root. Kiyosuke took Yukimi with him and found her a temporary place to stay.
Then he reported Yukimi's situation to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After hearing the report, Sarutobi sighed and agreed to let Yukimi stay in Konoha, but warned Kiyosuke that if anything happened, he'd be the one cleaning up the mess.
Kiyosuke didn't argue. He arranged for someone to help Yukimi catch up on Konoha's knowledge and adapt to her surroundings, then found her a job.
She began working at the Konoha orphanage. Yukimi had a gentle personality and loved children, so she quickly bonded with them. She really enjoyed her job.
Kinoe would visit from time to time, and the people around her were kind. Slowly, Yukimi grew fond of life in Konoha.
...
Anko was also brought back from the Land of Sea by one of Kiyosuke's shadow clones.
She'd been implanted with the Heaven Curse Mark by Orochimaru. It was still in the experimental stage, incomplete—so instead of boosting her strength, it burdened her body.
Its only real use was allowing her to sense Orochimaru's presence when he got close.
Anko surviving was a miracle in itself.
But she had no memories of what had happened in the Land of Sea. Orochimaru had sealed them away, and no matter how hard the ANBU tried, they couldn't extract any useful information.
In the end, they used the Sealing Technique: Evil Sealing Method to lock the curse mark's power and prevent it from affecting her in daily life.
...
"Senpai... did Orochimaru really betray us?"
Anko sat in Kiyosuke's home, looking troubled.
"He did. He betrayed Konoha and went to pursue his own truth."
Kiyosuke put down the kunai he was wiping and said,
"What's wrong? Still bothered by what happened before? That's not like you."
"No... I just... I can't remember anything."
Anko clutched her head in pain.
"Every time I try to recall, it feels like my brain is splitting open. I want to know what I've forgotten."
"It's probably just a bad memory. Best not to dwell on it."
"Then... come do a mission with me, Senpai."
"Alright."