Hearing the name, Konan's heart tightened. She naturally knew who Orochimaru was—one of the legendary Sannin, just like Jiraiya, who had taught Nagato and Yahiko. Unfortunately, her first impression of him had been terrible.
Konan remembered clearly—if it hadn't been for a single word from Jiraiya, the three of them, mere war orphans, would have already been erased from existence by Orochimaru. At that time, she hadn't yet realized their teacher had actually considered picking up her corpse afterward.
After arriving in Konoha, Orochimaru's reputation had grown even greater. There were even rumors he would be the next Hokage. That her teacher had managed to find him to provide guidance truly showed how much effort he had put into it.
But Konan said plainly, "I refuse. I'd rather learn on my own."
Anya didn't dwell on Konan's resistance and patiently asked, "Can you tell me why?"
Konan replied directly, "I just don't like him."
Faced with this young girl's simple answer, Anya couldn't help but smile slightly as he explained, "Do you know? Orochimaru personally masters thousands of ninjutsu techniques and has experience in many rare ones. His combat experience is extremely rich, and his survival abilities are unmatched by anyone. Regarding your Paper Release technique, perhaps only he in all of Konoha knows how to properly teach you. After studying at the ninja academy for so long, you should understand the difference between struggling through trial and error on your own versus having someone guide your progress. Don't let personal preference cause you to miss an opportunity for growth."
After hearing Anya's words, Konan suddenly saw the flaw in her thinking and felt a little ashamed of how childish she'd been. She muttered, "Teacher, I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize," Anya replied. "Growth naturally happens in stages." Convinced, he used their shared soul link to send her the exact location of Orochimaru, along with instructions on how to approach him and what message to deliver.
Just as Anya was about to leave after completing these arrangements, Konan called him back. "Teacher, wait a second."
"What is it? Anything else?"
Konan hesitated briefly before saying, "Go check on Haku, okay?"
A sudden uneasiness stirred within Anya's heart. "Haku? What happened to her?"
Konan spoke with some uncertainty. "It seems like she's fallen ill."
"Ill?" Anya relaxed a bit. "That shouldn't be a big problem. Even if I can't cure her, Tsunade can handle it. No worries."
Still concerned, Konan added, "I can't really explain it, but you should really go see her."
"Alright."
Without hesitation, Anya quickly located Haku using his soul perception and entered her mental realm.
Seeing Anya appear in her mental realm, Haku was stunned—she hadn't expected anyone to intrude here. Shocked, she stared at him in disbelief, scanning his form from head to toe, unable to bring herself to step closer—as if afraid he might vanish the moment she reached out.
Amused, Anya said, "What? Have we really been apart for so long that you no longer recognize me?"
Hearing his voice, Haku finally gathered her courage, rushed forward, and tightly embraced him, unwilling to let go for quite a while.
Even in his soul form, Anya could feel the intensity of her emotions. After a while, he gently asked, "Tell me, what happened during this half year while I was gone?"
Haku shook her head and looked at Anya intensely. "There's something I need to ask you..."
"Ah, you ask."
"Do you remember telling me before that you really needed me? Was that a lie?"
"Of course not."
Haku revealed a breathtaking smile, murmuring, "Even if it was a lie, it's okay. I remember it anyway. After you come out, don't abandon me again. I hope I can always follow behind you, watching you like this, no matter what role I take. And you only need to turn around to see me."
Such a simple, honest sentence sent a shiver through Anya's soul.
Suddenly, he recalled the moment facing death at the gate of Kirigakure with Haku. Even though he'd always been selfish, he used his last drop of chakra to protect her life, praying someone would save her. Truth was, she'd entered his heart so easily.
It felt incredible to Anya. He had never trusted or truly cared about anyone this much in such a short time—only Haku did that. Seemed like she truly held a special place in him.
Anya even felt undeserving of her affection: "Have you seen my soul? I'm not light, nor am I a good person. Don't expect too much from me. Who knows, one day you might become disappointed chasing after me. So, don't lose yourself because of me."
Stubbornly shaking her head, Haku said, "I'm not chasing your light. I'm your shadow. If you walk in darkness, I'll be darkness too."
"You're such a fool," chuckled Anya anxiously as he changed the subject. "Don't worry. I won't let myself end up like this ever again. This will be the last time ever. So, work hard on your training and stop overthinking. And if you insist on following me, you must keep up with my pace."
After hearing this, Haku firmly replied, "Yes, I will never waste my time anymore."
"Okay, I'll leave now."
Anya practically fled from Haku's mental realm.
Following the path Anya had shown her, Konan soon reached a hidden tunnel. As she ventured deeper inside, the surroundings became pitch-black and hollow. Fortunately, Konan had become a ninja already and wasn't as scared now. Her hands stayed in the hand seal position the whole time, ready to face any crisis that might appear.
After walking for a while, there was no path ahead. Konan realized she had reached outside the barrier. Remembering Anya's instructions, she calmly walked into the barrier with practiced hand seals.
"Oh, I thought it was someone important. So it's just you." Naturally noticing someone entering the barrier he set up, Orochimaru had already been waiting here early, instantly recognizing Konan.
Facing Orochimaru, Konan couldn't help but feel slightly fearful inside. However, remembering Anya's earlier words, she summoned her courage and said, "Teacher sent me here. He wants you to teach me ninjutsu and mentioned owing you two and a half years. He'll repay it all when he comes back."
"Oh really?" Orochimaru's expression revealed nothing, making it impossible to tell whether he agreed.
Having once tasted the convenience of a top-class assistant, going back to solitary research always felt somehow incomplete. For other people, he might have some ideas, but since the one who took away Anya was Tsunade, he could only give up reluctantly.
Orochimaru gave no response at all, leaving Konan uncertain whether he had agreed. Just as she was about to speak again, Orochimaru said, "It's not like just anyone is worthy of my teachings. However, since Dark Glory mentioned it, I shall grant you an opportunity. I have recently taken on a student named Anko Mitarashi. Defeat her, then come back."
A day later, Konan returned to the spot. Orochimaru stood there waiting exactly where before, watching Konan with a calm gaze. Clearly, he already knew the outcome of their battle. His voice laced with regret, he said, "It seems your teacher has better judgment than I do. Well then, during this time, I shall personally instruct you."
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