But soon, Orochimaru shook his head helplessly and sighed:
"I regret it, but the Hokage has ordered me to be ready to head to the battlefield in the Land of Rivers at any time."
"Otherwise, I'd really want to study this further."
"Chizan-kun, do you want to come with me to the Land of Rivers battlefield?"
"After all, this mission has you facing Rasa. Want to have a real clash with him?"
Chizan shook his head. Just as Orochimaru thought he was going to refuse, he heard him say:
"Sensei, I'm in the Anbu now. I don't get to decide which battlefield I'm assigned to."
"If it were before, I would've definitely gone with you to the Land of Rivers."
"But now... I have to follow Hokage-sama's orders."
Only then did Orochimaru realize that his student was now part of the Anbu—directly under the Hokage's command—and indeed had to act according to the Hokage's instructions.
He couldn't help but feel a little regret.
"This war won't be small in scale. No matter where you go, you need to be extra cautious."
"Especially the battlefield in the Land of Grass— Iwagakure is deploying two Jinchuriki at once. They're coming in the fiercest. If it comes down to it, don't hesitate to retreat."
Gekko Chizan was slightly surprised. He didn't expect Orochimaru to go so far as to warn him with such words.
"Hehehehe, don't be so shocked. After all, someone didn't sneak into my lab to steal anything, which makes me rather pleased."
Gekko Chizan: …It's not like I didn't want to steal! How many restrictions did you put in there?! Hm?!?
Orochimaru chuckled as he walked over to the workstation and resumed his research.
Seeing his movements, Chizan knew it was time to leave. After all, he couldn't be of any help with that kind of research.
He respectfully saluted Orochimaru and then left the lab.
Unbeknownst to him, after he left, Orochimaru set down his tools.
Expressionless, he stared at the item in front of him.
"The first stage of cultivation is a success. Next, it's time to find Danzo."
"With the success of Tailed Beast cultivation, even Hashirama's cells should be able to undergo reproduction and cultivation..."
...
As he left the lab, Chizan, for once, didn't use Flying Thunder God to travel.
He merely walked slowly, his mind racing with thoughts.
Cultivating Eight-Tails cells...
There's no way Orochimaru truly wants to cultivate a new Jinchuriki...
Cells... Tailed Beasts...
Oh? So that's it. This is a trial run for cultivating Hashirama's cells!
With the successful reproduction of a Tailed Beast, he could now begin cultivating Hashirama cells...
"Time to contact Danzo...?"
...
Back home, Gekko Chizan was immediately met with a flurry of attacks from Pakura.
After all... cough cough... he touched and stared—taking a beating was fair.
Later that evening, the two of them left the house together, heading toward the Hatake residence.
After all, he had to return the money.
He already knew that Pakura had borrowed money from Hatake Sakumo.
So after dinner, he was ready to return it in person.
"What's this, brat? You here to pay up?"
Gekko Chizan's face twitched hard at Hatake Sakumo's smiling expression.
He wasn't sure if it was because Sakumo had stepped down, but he felt the man was far more lively these days.
"Here, your money."
"Oh? Kakashi's home today, huh?"
At that moment, Kakashi was training in the yard. Seeing Gekko Chizan and Pakura, he quickly came over to greet them—though his mood seemed rather subdued.
"He already passed the Chūnin Exams—while you were out on a mission those few days."
"A six-year-old Chūnin, huh? Terrifying stuff."
Pakura listened to their conversation and looked at Kakashi with a touch of surprise in her eyes.
"Not good enough! I'll become a Jōnin as soon as I can!"
"Then I'll make my name resound throughout the ninja world, just like my father!"
Thanks to Gekko Chizan's intervention, Hatake Sakumo hadn't died, and Kakashi's heart hadn't been closed off. This version of him was his true self.
Cold, yes—but also filled with passion and determination.
"Not bad. You've got ambition."
"Tell me, how's your training in the Thousand Years of Death going?"
Gekko Chizan suddenly walked toward Kakashi with a pervy grin, which instantly made Kakashi frown.
"Can we please not talk about the Thousand Years of Death..."
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing Kakashi's expression, Gekko Chizan couldn't hold in his laughter.
"Alright, Chizan, I figure you've got other business with me."
Hatake Sakumo patted his son's shoulder, then turned to Gekko Chizan.
"Mm... We shouldn't be talking while standing like this."
The three of them sat down, while Kakashi continued training in the yard.
"Looks like war is coming..."
"Which battlefield do you think you'll be sent to?"
Gekko Chizan's expression turned unusually serious.
After all, they were about to face the Third Great Ninja War—one that differed in many ways from the one he knew.
After all, his tiny butterfly effect had already nudged certain events into motion.
"Who cares? Does it matter where I go?"
"Besides, I might not be deployed at all—unless the frontlines get really bad. Otherwise, I won't be moving out."
"After all, we need to give the younger generation a chance to shine."
As the White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo had the power and prestige to look down on most. So he wasn't concerned about where he might be sent.
In his eyes, the younger generation in Konoha was very promising. Whether it was Gekko Chizan, Namikaze Minato, or Uchiha Fugaku, they all had what it took to stand on their own.
Not to mention there were still people like Orochimaru and Jiraiya around.
Hatake Sakumo patted Gekko Chizan's shoulder and said earnestly,
"You young ones are the future of Konoha. You must carry the responsibility of protecting the village and its people."
Gekko Chizan shot him a helpless look and replied,
"You don't need to say it. I know. I'm in the Anbu now, remember?"
"Alright, we're off. Got to enjoy this rare bit of rest. Who knows—maybe I'll get a mission tomorrow."
Peaceful days like this were truly rare.
But with the new year right around the corner, all five great ninja villages had fallen into silence. No one had yet torn through the final veil.
Gekko Chizan took advantage of this quiet period to rest well, teasing Pakura here and there, and enjoying a calm life.
After all, ever since his promotion to Anbu, he no longer needed to handle matters at the Ninja Academy.
And he cherished this time deeply.
It was, after all, the final calm before the storm.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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