A map began to form in Inoichi's mind:
There are Otogakure (Land of Sound): The central hub of Orochimaru operations, which is a network of various bases.
Southern Hideout: Known as the entrance to many of his research facilities.
Northern Hideout: Location where many prisoners were kept and experimented on.
Eastern Hideout: Specialized in handling or training subjects.
Kusagakure Hideout (Hidden Grass): A significant base within the Land of Grass.
Demon Island Lab: A facility mentioned in the anime, often acting as an isolated research center.
Inoichi pushed further, trying to see the interior of the main lab, but the connection began to fray. Kimimaro's subconscious was starting to fight back, the physical body groaning as the brain resisted the intrusion.
"Excellent," Inoichi muttered, pulling his consciousness back just as the mindscape began to collapse. "We have enough. Any more and we waking him up prematurely."
Inoichi withdrew his hand, his breathing heavy. The four specialists slumped back, their chakra reserves depleted. Inside the machine, Kimimaro's groans subsided, returning to a state of peace.
"Send him back to the medical ward," Inoichi ordered, wiping sweat from his brow. "Ensure Shizune is notified that the extraction is complete."
"Yes, Inoichi-sama," the team member replied.
As the technicians began the process of moving Kimimaro, Inoichi stood alone in the center of the lab, staring at the blank metal casing. But a gnawing doubt remained.
We still don't know the most important thing. Has Orochimaru already taken over Sasuke? Is it already too late?
But he had no time to think about something he had no control over as he had a mountain of data to compile, and a very difficult report to deliver to Lady Tsunade.
~~
Tsunade Senju sat behind the massive mahogany desk, her hand moving in a blur as she aggressively struck off one task after another from an endless mountain of administrative logs.
A sharp rap at the door broke her concentration. Without looking up, she grunted a command to enter.
Raidō Namiashi and Genma Shiranui stepped into the room. Their flak vests were scuffed, and the weary slump of their shoulders spoke about their latest mission that had a heavy toll.
"Hokage-sama," Raidō began, his voice gravelly and formal. "We have returned. The storage scroll in our possession contains the remains of the Sound Four... Tayuya, Ukon Sakon, Kidōmaru, and Jirōbō."
Genma stepped forward, his signature senbon needle shifting to the corner of his mouth as he placed a heavy, seal-bound scroll on her desk. His usual nonchalant demeanor was replaced by a grim, tightening of his jaw.
"Lady Hokage," Genma said, his voice low. "We are deeply ashamed. Not only did we fail to retrieve the Uchiha Sasuke, but we were forced into a defeat by those Sound Four. It is... frustrating. Downright humiliating, honestly. To witness genin like Neji and Chōji pushing themselves to the brink of death while we, the jounin, who were supposed to be the safety net, were sidelined by injuries. It was our job to handle this, and we fell short."
Tsunade finally lifted her gaze, her eyes scanning the two veteran shinobi. She reached out and pulled the scroll toward her.
She intended to dissect the remnants of the Cursed Mark seals lingering in their cells, hoping to reverse-engineer Orochimaru's twisted genius to see if these power could ever be harnessed safely to bolster Konoha's strength.
"The mission didn't go as anyone planned, Genma," Tsunade said, her voice surprisingly steady, lacking the usual bite. "But dwelling on 'what ifs' is a luxury we don't have. You survived, and what you bought might save lives in the next encounter."
Raidō his eyes fixed on the floor in shame. "We understand we might be overstepping, Hokage-sama. If you need subjects for the trials... if you're going to experiment... we are willing to be the first in line."
Tsunade leaned back, the leather of her chair creaking. "Listen to me, both of you. You are talented shinobi, hand-picked by the Late Fourth Hokage himself to serve in his Hokage Guard Platoon. Minato chose you because you had the potential for something beyond standard combat. He taught the Guard Platoon something unique... the Flying Raijin Formation. Work on that and refine it. I expect great things from the legacy he left in your hands."
Genma took a slow breath, the senbon in his mouth stilled. "True, Hokage-sama. We were gifted with a fair amount of talent in space-time ninjutsu, but we aren't remotely close to the Lord Fourth's level. It takes all three of us just to initiate a single jump. But," he added, resolve returning to his eyes, "we will try our best. We'll see how we can integrate it more fluidly into our combat repertoire and we will grow stronger for Konoha."
"Good," Tsunade replied, pointing a finger at them. "I will oversee your progress every two weeks. I'll provide pointers where I can. Now, go get patched up properly."
Raidō and Genma bowed in unison, a synchronized movement. "We are very grateful, Lady Hokage. It is our honor."
As they exited, a hawk screeched outside, landing gracefully on the window's ledge. Tsunade rose from her desk and she unrolled the small cylinder attached to the bird's leg and smoothed out the message paper.
"Information secured. Proceeding to the office. -- Inoichi."
A short while later, Inoichi Yamanaka arrived. He wasn't carrying a single scroll, but a thick, organized bundle of reports, maps, and profiles of the subjects interactions. These weren't just tactical notes; they were a deep dive into the geography of the Land of Sound and, more importantly, a comprehensive breakdown of Kimimaro Kaguya's psyche.
Inoichi took a seat as Tsunade began flipping through the pages.
"Lady Tsunade," Inoichi began. "The dive into the boy's subconscious was revealing. Kimimaro was surprisingly kind as a child. But the Kaguya clan treated him like a weapon, locking him in a cage until they needed his bloodlust. When Orochimaru 'rescued' him, he didn't just give the boy a home; he gave him a purpose but that devotion is entirely ill-placed. He views himself as a tool because that's all he's ever been told he is and he is fine with it."
He paused, watching Tsunade's reaction. "Given enough time and the right environment, Kimimaro could become a true shinobi of Konoha. He has the loyalty of a guardian; he just needs a cause that isn't built on a madman's ambitions."
Tsunade didn't lift her head as her eyes scanned the reports of his behavior.
"Good work, Inoichi. This information is invaluable. I need to know the man before I can treat his illness. Were there any complications during the mind-reading?"
Inoichi shook his head. "No, Lady Tsunade. I was careful to prioritize Kimimaro not knowing anything than the information retrieval."
Just then, the heavy office door swung open with a bang. Shizune stood there, her face flushed and her breathing ragged. Tonton, the pig in her arms, let out a startled oink.