Boruto and Sarada stood frozen, their initial shock quickly solidifying into a stark realization. The serpentine eyes glinting in the dim light, the sickly sweet scent that filled the air – there was no mistaking the figure in the doorway.
"Orochimaru..." Boruto breathed out, the name escaping his lips in a hushed, almost fearful whisper. A shiver traced its way down his spine, and his eyes darted nervously towards the legendary Sannin.
Instinctively, Boruto grabbed Sarada's hand, his grip surprisingly tight. Without a word, he took a quick step backward, pulling Sarada with him out of the room and into the dimly lit corridor.
He immediately bowed low, his forehead almost touching the cold stone floor.
"Our greatest apologies, Orochimaru-san!" Boruto stammered, his voice laced with a nervous tremor. "We should not have entered the room without your permission and should never have touched your research matters. Please... please excuse our intrusion!" He kept his head bowed, not daring to meet the piercing gaze he felt upon them.
Sarada, still slightly disoriented by the sudden appearance of this infamous figure and Boruto's uncharacteristic display of fear, could only stare at the back of Boruto's head, her mind racing to catch up with the rapid turn of events. Then Boruto head his head high again and he quickly turned back to leave the silent corridor and move to another one.
Just as Boruto had stepped a little away from Orochimaru and was about to leave, still holding Sarada's hand, a familiar voice called out from down the corridor, "Yo... Where are you both going all alone?"
Sarada jolted, her eyes widening in surprise. Boruto, on the other hand, let out a high-pitched yelp, jumping slightly. "Wahhhh!"
"Mitsuki! For God's sake, don't scare us like that!"
Sarada exclaimed, a mix of relief and annoyance in her voice as she saw their usually composed teammate strolling casually towards them from the shadows.
From the doorway, a soft chuckle echoed. Orochimaru seemed mildly amused by the unexpected reactions of the young genin. A faint smile played on his lips, as if their startled behavior was a curious observation.
Boruto, still feeling the lingering unease from Orochimaru's presence, leaned towards Sarada and whispered urgently, "Hey, I think we should not waste our time here. Let's just hurry up and avoid making any further conversation with this Orochimaru guy." He subtly tried to tug her arm, urging her to move past.
But just as they took a step to leave, Orochimaru's voice, now laced with a hint of command, cut through the corridor. "Please try not to move... until I tell you where to go." His tone, though not overtly threatening, held an undeniable weight that made their feet freeze on the cold stone floor.
Just then, Suigetsu's voice echoed from further down the corridor, approaching them. "Orochimaru-sama? I thought you were supposed to be all wrapped up in your... fascinating research and whatnot. So, what brings you all the way out here?" He sauntered closer, waving a hand dismissively in the air, a large, tightly closed scroll held casually under his other arm. Water droplets still clung to his white hair, giving him his characteristic damp look.
Konohamaru, who had been following Suigetsu, now saw Boruto and Sarada standing somewhat tensely before Orochimaru. His brow furrowed with concern, and he quickly moved towards his students, his eyes flicking between them and the enigmatic Sannin. "Boruto! Sarada! Mitsuki What's going on here?" he asked, his tone a mix of worry and caution.
Orochimaru, seemingly unfazed by Suigetsu's casual address or Konohamaru's arrival, simply flicked a dismissive glance towards Suigetsu without acknowledging his words. His attention remained fixed on the young genin. After a brief, unnerving pause, a faint smile touched his lips. "Indeed, let's not waste time with idle chatter. Follow me."
He turned smoothly and began to walk further down the corridor, gesturing for them to follow. His movements were fluid and unsettlingly graceful, like a snake slithering through the shadows.
_OUTSKIRTS OF KONOHA_
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky a canvas of deep, velvety black punctuated by the soft, ethereal glow of a full moon. The only sound initially was the rhythmic squelch of footsteps traversing a bare mud pathway. Soon, two more sets of footsteps joined the first, their cadence falling in sync.
Konohamaru halted, the moonlight glinting off the kunai he held in his hand. They had reached a small clearing surrounded by dense trees. With a swift, precise motion, he made a shallow cut on the trunk of a nearby, distinctively shaped tree. "Alright," he announced, his voice low but clear in the stillness. "This mark will help us locate this specific gathering point later."
He then turned, his gaze sweeping across the darkened landscape. "Listen up. According to the information provided by Orochimaru," he pointed towards a faint cluster of lights visible in the distance, "the vault containing the forbidden scrolls is located within that laboratory over there." The structure was neither too close to be immediately accessible nor too far to seem unreachable.
Sarada adjusted her glasses, her Sharingan momentarily flaring to pierce the darkness as she examined the distant building. "He said this laboratory is divided into two halves, right?"
Konohamaru nodded, his expression becoming slightly troubled. "Exactly. And there's a significant problem."
"There's a wall separating the front portion and the back portion," Sarada interjected, recalling Orochimaru's explanation, "making it impossible to move directly from one side to the other inside."
"Precisely, Sarada," Konohamaru confirmed.
Boruto, who had been listening with a mixture of anticipation and slight nervousness, suddenly found Konohamaru's words echoing in his mind.
The distinct sound of a scroll being unfurled filled his memory. It was a large scroll, its ancient paper rustling softly as it was spread open. A finger, long and pale, with a meticulously manicured nail, pointed to the intricate lines etched onto its surface – a detailed map.
"Now listen closely," Orochimaru's voice, smooth yet subtly chilling, resonated in Boruto's mind. "This is the way. And this is how you will know if you are heading in the right direction."
His finger traced a thin, winding path on the scroll. "If you come across a cave during your journey," his finger then pointed to a small, clearly drawn structure on the map, "then you are on the correct route. See? This is the one."
Boruto blinked, the image of the scroll and Orochimaru's pointing finger fading as he was pulled back to the present moment.
Konohamaru was now giving out instructions. "Alright. Mitsuki and Sarada, you two will take the route to the back of the laboratory and secure any scrolls located there. Boruto," he turned to his energetic student, "you and I will approach from the front."
A determined glint entered Boruto's eyes. "Roger that!"
Mitsuki offered his usual serene smile. "Hmm, understood."
Sarada nodded sharply, her Sharingan briefly activating again in the darkness. "Right!"
The team was now divided, ready to approach Orochimaru's laboratory from different angles under the watchful gaze of the moon. The mission to retrieve the forbidden scrolls had truly begun.
The air was still and cool, carrying the faint scent of damp earth as Konohamaru, Boruto, Mitsuki, and Sarada stood at the edge of the clearing. With a quick, silent nod of understanding exchanged between Mitsuki and Sarada towards Konohamaru, the two younger shinobi turned and melted into the shadows, taking a separate route that would lead them to the back of the laboratory.
Konohamaru and Boruto then began their approach from the front. The ground crunched softly beneath their feet as they walked for what felt like a long ten minutes, the only light provided by the glowing moon above. Finally, the dark opening of a cave came into view, just as Orochimaru had described.
"There it is," Konohamaru murmured, his voice low, the moonlight glinting off his determined face. "The cave Orochimaru mentioned. Seems we're on the right path, kore."
Boruto squinted at the cave's entrance. It was a void, utterly black, offering no hint of what lay within. He shivered slightly, a primal unease settling over him, before they continued past it.
The laboratory soon came into full view, its presence more imposing with each step. It wasn't a grand structure, but rather a squat, ominous building crafted from rough, dark stone. Its lines were uneven, its few small windows like vacant, shadowed eyes staring out into the night. A palpable sense of coldness emanated from its walls, and the air around it felt heavy with secrets.
Konohamaru reached the weathered wooden door, its surface etched with time and perhaps something more sinister. With a low groan that echoed in the stillness, he pulled it open, revealing an interior swallowed by absolute darkness. He quickly ignited the end of the wooden sticks which he found outside the laboratory, the small flame battling against the oppressive gloom. Boruto mirrored his action, and the flickering light began to reveal the simple layout within.
The entrance led directly into a small central area. From here, three pathways branched out: one straight ahead, one to the right, and one to the left. Each pathway had two visible doors lining it. Behind them, the entrance was the only opening.
Konohamaru held his burning stick aloft, the dancing shadows making the confined space feel even more mysterious. "Alright, Boruto," he instructed, his voice hushed. "You take the left pathway and check those two rooms. I'll search the front and the right kore."
Boruto nodded, his eyes wide with a mix of apprehension and excitement. He gripped his flaming torch. "Got it, nii-chan! dattebasa."
With a silent understanding, they each moved into the darkness of their assigned pathways, the small circles of light from their torches their only guides in the silent, secretive heart of Orochimaru's laboratory.
Holding his flaming wooden stick aloft, Boruto cautiously made his way down the left pathway. He reached the first door and, with a slight push, it creaked open. Stepping inside, the small circle of light from his torch revealed a dusty, neglected room.
Cobwebs hung like macabre decorations in every corner, and a thick layer of dust coated every surface, making him cough slightly.
A large, heavy table dominated half the room, its surface cluttered with forgotten debris. The table had several drawers, and Boruto quickly began to yank them open one after another, starting from the top.
They slid out with a dry, grating sound, each one revealing nothing but more dust and the occasional dead insect.
As he reached the last drawer at the bottom, he pulled, but it wouldn't budge. He tried again, putting more force into it, but it remained stubbornly sealed. A flicker of suspicion crossed Boruto's face. 'Why is this the only one that's stuck?' he thought, his curiosity piqued. 'It's gotta be holding something important, dattebasa!'
He reached into the small pouch at his back and pulled out a sharp kunai. Gripping it tightly, he positioned the blade near the seam of the stubborn drawer, ready to pry it open.
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed through the laboratory. "Boruto!!!" It was Konohamaru's voice, filled with urgency.
Boruto immediately stopped what he was doing, his head snapping towards the direction of the shout. He quickly rushed out of the dusty room and back into the central pathway. He heard Konohamaru yell his name again, even louder this time. "Boruto!!!"
"Where are you, nii-chan?!" Boruto shouted back, his voice echoing in the silent corridors.
"Right side... second door!" Konohamaru's voice boomed back, guiding him.
Without hesitation, Boruto sprinted towards the right pathway, his flaming torch casting wild shadows on the walls as he ran. He reached the second door on the right and, without bothering to open it gently, he kicked it open with a loud crash, bursting into the room.
As Boruto burst into the room, he saw Konohamaru amidst a sea of scrolls. This room, like the last, had a large table, but unlike the dusty emptiness Boruto had just left, this one was overflowing with scrolls of various sizes and thicknesses, scattered across the tabletop and even spilling onto the floor.
Konohamaru was busily gathering them, picking them up from every available space.
Boruto, his eyes wide at the sight of their objective, rushed to the nearest scroll lying on the table and eagerly unrolled it. The first words he saw, written in bold, ancient characters, made his eyes widen further:
FORBIDDEN JUTSU
Konohamaru, placing a stack of scrolls onto the already crowded table, looked up. "Yeah, these are all of them," he said, surveying the room. "Looks like this is the jackpot. No more hiding places in this room, I guess."
He then turned to Boruto, a plan forming in his mind. "Listen, Boruto. There are quite a few of these scrolls. We'll have to transport them in shifts. Here's what we'll do: first, you gather as many scrolls as you can carry and take them back to our agreed-upon gathering point outside."
Boruto a little confused. "What do you mean, nii-chan?"
Konohamaru continued, explaining his strategy. "While you're taking the first load, I'll quickly search the remaining rooms to make absolutely sure there aren't any other scrolls hidden away. When you return, I'll take the next batch. And finally, you'll come back here, and I'll be waiting for you at our meeting spot with the last of them."
Boruto nodded, understanding the logic of Konohamaru's plan. "Alright, that makes sense, dattebasa!" He immediately began to gather the scrolls, stacking them carefully in his arms, trying to carry as many as he possibly could. The weight was considerable, but the thrill of completing their mission spurred him on.
----
QUIZ QUESTION
Question: What is the primary reason Boruto becomes particularly curious about the cave near Orochimaru's laboratory?
a) Konohamaru specifically instructed him to investigate it.
b) He believes Mitsuki and Sarada might be trapped inside.
c) The map in Orochimaru's laboratory highlighted the cave, suggesting its importance.
d) He heard strange noises coming from within the cave.
Please give, the answer to the question in the comments down below.