As Uchiha Hikari walked along the damp shoreline, fine sand clinging to her sandals, the gentle waves lapped against her feet. Each step brought a cool, unfamiliar sensation, one unlike anything she had experienced before.
The sea stretched endlessly before her.
Hikari lifted her gaze, Sharingan quietly activated, crimson pupils tracing the distant horizon. No matter how far she focused, the ocean's edge remained unreachable.
"…It really doesn't end."
She turned her head slightly.
"Mio-neechan, can you see the end of the sea with your Byakugan?"
Beside her, Hyūga Mio shook her head with a faint smile.
"No. Unfortunately, not even the Byakugan can see that far."
This was Mio's first time seeing the ocean as well. Earlier, curiosity had driven her to test its depth with her chakra perception, only for the overwhelming vastness to drain her completely.
The sea was simply too large.
Behind them, Uzumaki Chigusa walked barefoot across the shore, the hem of her long crimson robe swaying gently in the sea breeze. Her fiery red hair was braided neatly down her back, a pale yellow sun hat resting atop her head. With her hands clasped behind her, she glanced sideways at Orochimaru, her expression thoughtful.
"For such a trivial matter," she said lightly, "you seem unusually tense. Even frightened."
Orochimaru walked beside her, dressed as always in his spotless white robe.
Something about his chakra felt… heavy.
The Land of Waves should not have caused him such unease. Chigusa frowned slightly.
Was it Konoha?
Or… Grandma Mito?
Her senses sharpened, and her gaze shifted subtly toward Uchiha Hikari.
Chigusa's eyes narrowed.
The girl's chakra was chaotic—yet strangely balanced. Worse still, it felt as though something foreign had been forcibly implanted into her body, something that did not belong to her at all.
Orochimaru wouldn't do something like this.
The Uchiha Clan?
No… impossible. Even they would not go that far.
Then what had happened?
Questions piled up in Chigusa's mind, yet not once did she doubt Orochimaru himself.
No matter. She would ask later.
"If something like this happened once," Orochimaru said calmly, "it will happen again. Before a war begins, any method that gives us an advantage is worth using—as long as we aren't caught."
He paused, eyes cold.
"The company cannot cut off cooperation with them."
Once, Orochimaru had done everything possible to avoid war. Now, however, he wanted it to begin quickly—so it could also end quickly. Prolonged conflict was nothing but a waste of time.
"Will the Land of Waves be dragged into the war as well?" Chigusa asked quietly.
There was unease in her voice.
She feared that the Uzumaki who had finally settled here would once again lose their homes, and that all of Orochimaru's efforts would be reduced to nothing.
"You don't need to worry," Orochimaru replied without hesitation. "When war breaks out, the Land of Waves will be the safest country of all."
He was absolutely certain.
Konoha would burn—but the Land of Waves would remain untouched.
"…I'm glad to hear that," Chigusa said softly.
She trusted Orochimaru's judgment completely.
Adjusting the white outer robe she wore, she changed the subject.
"Orochimaru, when are you going to change your clothes? How long have you been wearing that white robe, anyway?"
He glanced down at himself, genuinely puzzled.
"This robe is very practical. What's wrong with it?"
"It's not about comfort!" Chigusa snapped. "How can a woman not care about beauty?"
She had long noticed that Orochimaru never wore makeup, nor showed the slightest interest in dressing up. All his energy was devoted to research.
"It's troublesome," Orochimaru said flatly. "I'd rather spend my time on something meaningful than waste it on appearances."
"…Boring?"
Chigusa clenched her fists.
Since when had dressing up—something so important, especially to women—become 'boring'?
"Besides," Orochimaru continued calmly, "I don't need external methods to improve myself. With my research in biotechnology, I can modify my appearance at any age."
He paused, then added thoughtfully, "Though I may adjust it to look more mature in the future. I'm tired of people patting my head."
Of course, he did not deny that patting other people's heads felt rather nice.
"Orochimaru!" Chigusa suddenly grasped his hands, eyes shining. "Make me one of your experimental subjects!"
"…Ah?"
Orochimaru stared at her blankly.
Volunteering to become a test subject—this was a first.
Chigusa sighed dramatically.
"Do you have any idea what it's like?" she said. "Every morning, the first thing I do is check whether crow's feet or wrinkles have appeared. You wouldn't understand the pain of being over thirty!"
Orochimaru recovered quickly and spoke seriously.
"Chigusa, my biotechnology research isn't mature yet. I wouldn't recommend applying it to you. Besides, you don't need it."
He studied her carefully.
Though past thirty, Uzumaki Chigusa was still radiant—elegant, full-bodied, healthy, and dignified. A mature beauty in full bloom.
"You're at your most beautiful right now," he said sincerely.
To him, she was like a rose in full blossom—vivid, lively, and irresistibly charming.
"…Really?"
A faint blush appeared on Chigusa's face.
She eyed him suspiciously.
"Oh? Then who was it that said I had wrinkles at the corners of my eyes? Who called me an old witch? And who—after kissing me—said those things last time?"
She rattled off every single poisonous remark Orochimaru had ever made, one after another.
They only met a few times a month, yet she remembered every word with terrifying clarity.
Orochimaru might have spoken casually and forgotten—but she remembered it all.
"It was me! I said it!" Orochimaru shouted, face turning red. "And stop quoting things out of context!"
He had long known Chigusa was vindictive, but he had underestimated just how shameless she could be.
Damn it—she had called him first!
And what about the whole chest comparison? Wasn't she the one who insisted?
All he'd said was that if they were too big, they might sag!
Was that really worth remembering forever?
Orochimaru realized, once again, that Uzumaki Chigusa could provoke his emotions—especially anger—with alarming ease.
"Good," Chigusa said cheerfully. "At least you admitted it."
She skipped along the shore, hands clasped behind her back, occasionally glancing at him with a triumphant expression.
Orochimaru responded with a murderous glare.
"Chigusa," he said at last, "besides the Chinoike Clan matter, I came this time to tell you something about Grandma Mito."
He explained how Mito had proposed the construction of the Spiral Tower to Konoha's upper echelon.
"…Orochimaru."
Chigusa fell silent, gazing at his slightly somber expression.
Now she understood why his chakra had felt so heavy.
Thinking of all he had done for Grandma Mito, she found herself unsure how to comfort him.
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"You don't need to console me. Grandma Mito has already made her decision, and I respect it."
He looked out toward the sea.
"She isn't young anymore. Even the Uzumaki Clan's vitality has its limits."
Chigusa sighed softly, thinking of the Nine-Tails sealed within Mito.
Perhaps Konoha would come to the Land of Waves to search for a new Jinchūriki before Mito's natural death.
But Chigusa did not want an Uzumaki to become Konoha's weapon.
Uzushiogakure had already paid too high a price—for sealing techniques, for compatible bodies, for loyalty.
Why should they sacrifice more?
She would rather let the Nine-Tails vanish with Mito, even if it meant rebirth elsewhere.
"So be it," Orochimaru said quietly, as if reading her thoughts. "No one will force you to do something you don't want."
"This is my promise—to you and to the Uzumaki living in the Land of Waves."
He would never allow the Uzumaki to repeat the tragedy of the Jinchūriki.
As for whether Uzumaki Naruto would exist in the future—he didn't care.
He didn't need him to deal with the Ōtsutsuki.
Chigusa stared at Orochimaru's unusually serious face.
For a moment, his cold features seemed… dangerously attractive.
"You—what are you suddenly talking about?" she snapped, turning away.
Her heart raced as she tugged her straw hat down to hide her flushed face.
"Hmph. Just pretend I was rambling."
Orochimaru snorted and pulled out a thick manuscript.
"I don't know when the next book will be published. I'll be very busy soon."
He was already busy enough.
Yet he still considered releasing some research results to help Konoha. Limb regeneration was already possible—but perfect cloning remained elusive. Cloned bodies couldn't survive long outside cultivation tanks.
That was why he could only conduct Chakra Poison experiments using shadow clones.
"Orochimaru," Chigusa said seriously, clutching the manuscript. "No matter how strong you are, war isn't a game. Be careful."
"I know," he replied lightly. "I'm not a child anymore."
He glanced at their height difference.
"I might even end up taller than you."
"Then lower your head," Chigusa said suddenly.
"…Huh?"
He did—and felt something warm and soft press against his forehead.
His eyes widened.
Chigusa was laughing, covering her mouth.
Nearby, Hyūga Mio and Uchiha Hikari had witnessed everything.
Impossible… Mio thought. The Uzumaki Clan leader?
Hikari's Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun unconsciously.
"Oh no…"
Chigusa finally noticed their stares—and froze when she saw Hikari's eyes.
Three tomoe… at twelve years old?
Combined with that chaotic chakra, it was more than enough to indicate a serious problem.
"Her name is Uchiha Hikari," Orochimaru explained calmly. "I found her sealed. She doesn't belong to the Uchiha Clan."
"…A seal?" Chigusa murmured.
A thought crossed her mind—then she dismissed it as impossible.
"She was sealed during the Warring States Period," Orochimaru continued. "Tsunade and I found her recently."
Chigusa stiffened.
"So the records were real…"
She had read of an unnamed weapon of the Uchiha—sealed jointly by the Senju and Sarutobi.
A girl who had driven the Senju into repeated defeat.
And now she stood here.
"So dangerous…" Chigusa whispered, gazing at Hikari, who looked no different from an ordinary girl—aside from her eyes.
Her affection for Orochimaru was obvious.
But the 'wooden block' beside her noticed nothing at all.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)