Seeing the undisguised excitement on Mei and Ao's faces, Chojuro blinked in confusion:
"Wait, isn't Orochimaru a missing-nin from Konoha? What does that have to do with us?"
"At first, nothing. But now it does." Ao gave a slight smile, his eyes flashing with intense light.
Chojuro glanced at Ao, then at the Mizukage beside him, whose face showed full agreement. He was certain of one thing—these two were hiding something from him.
At that moment, Mei's voice reached Chojuro's ears: "Enough, Chojuro. I have a task for you."
Chojuro's face stiffened, and he immediately stood at attention.
Seeing his serious expression, a flicker of amusement flashed in Mei's eyes, though her face remained calm:
"The affairs of the village will be left to you for now. If anyone asks about where Ao and I have gone, just come up with some excuse."
Without waiting for his reaction, Mei and Ao vanished into two afterimages.
"Eh?!"
Chojuro's expression changed drastically. He rushed to the window and looked out, catching sight of the two afterimages racing toward the village gates.
…
Within a dense forest, two figures moved swiftly forward.
"Mizukage-sama, why not bring Chojuro and the Shadow Guards? With them, at least your safety would be assured." Ao's face showed puzzlement.
"If all three of us leave, who will govern the village? Leave it to those old fossils?"
"Besides, everyone knows you and Chojuro are my trusted aides. If you both vanish, those elders will immediately suspect I left the village, and that would bring more trouble."
Mei's tone was calm as she spoke, glancing briefly at Ao before looking forward again:
"Orochimaru is a missing-nin of Konoha. The fewer people who know about this meeting, the better."
Their pace was swift, trees blurring past as they advanced.
After more than an hour—
"We're here."
Ao's face now bore his Byakugan, scanning the surroundings.
Mei landed on a thick branch, her gaze cold: "See anything?"
"Just a few ants."
A smirk tugged at Ao's lips as he spoke toward a certain direction:
"Since you're already here, why keep hiding, Orochimaru?"
Rustle. Rustle.
Leaves shifted as a pale-skinned man in a kimono stepped out slowly, a massive purple rope tied at his back.
"I never expected the Mizukage herself and the 'Byakugan Killer' to come in person. Truly, what an honor."
Orochimaru's golden eyes slid toward Mei, his tongue licking his lips, excitement glinting in his gaze.
"Orochimaru, I don't have time for pleasantries. What you asked for is here. Now fulfill your promise."
Without hesitation, Mei pulled a scroll from her pouch and tossed it to him, unconcerned that he might betray their deal.
Orochimaru blinked at the casual throw, then grinned wider. This Mizukage was far more straightforward than he had imagined.
Still, if this truly could unseal that legendary one, what was a scroll compared to such a prize?
Yuto.
That name was taboo across all villages. Records of him had been nearly wiped from existence.
Even in Kirigakure, after the Fourth Mizukage Yagura's rule, most information about Yuto had been destroyed.
Orochimaru licked his lips again, eyes burning. Even without Mei's offering, that legendary shinobi fascinated him.
If not for being the Third Hokage's student, and for his dealings with Danzo, he would never have uncovered such a secret.
True immortality.
A kekkei genkai that devoured any form of energy.
A man who required both Hashirama and Madara together to defeat.
Each of these alone was enough to consume Orochimaru with obsession.
"Since the 'Byakugan Killer' is here, my subordinates have no reason to keep hiding."
Orochimaru clapped his hands lightly.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Four figures blurred from the shadows of the forest and reappeared behind him.
The Sound Four.
Sakon and Ukon, Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Jirobo.
Ao didn't flinch. His Byakugan had already detected them long before. Still, he examined them carefully. Chunin-level strength?
He frowned slightly, puzzled at Orochimaru's reason for bringing them.
As for Mei, her expression showed only impatience. She didn't even bother glancing at them. To her, only Orochimaru mattered. The rest were trash.
A thin smile curved Orochimaru's lips. Even without this deal, he had wanted to see for himself one of the fabled "Three Prodigies of Chaos."
Though he had never personally witnessed Hashirama's power, his lab held cells of the man.
If just his cells could yield such monstrous strength, how terrifying must the true Hashirama have been?
And if it took both Hashirama and Madara together to bring down Yuto—then what kind of terrifying being was he? What kind of presence?
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