The Mission in the Hidden Mist Village
"Well, there has been some improvement… but the progress remains slow."
Orochimaru leaned casually against the hospital bed, one hand supporting his chin as his serpent-like eyes scanned the jumble of monitors in front of him, extracting meaningful data from the chaos.
Behind him, Bai Ye lay flat on the examination table—naked and covered in electrodes and sensor patches. A thin tube was inserted into a vein in his neck, drawing small amounts of blood for analysis.
"You undergo a weekly check-up," Bai Ye muttered, clearly irritated. "It's not like there's going to be major changes in such a short time."
He had just finished soaking in the hot springs and was about to rest—hoping to ease the exhaustion from the last few days—when Orochimaru had suddenly dragged him into another round of physical testing.
Bai Ye didn't mind the exams themselves. It was the frequency that bothered him.
He hadn't even undergone any special training lately. Instead, he'd been running constant low-priority missions, most of which were deliberately vague. Orochimaru never gave a clear destination in advance, claiming it was to "cultivate independent reconnaissance ability." As a result, Bai Ye wasted excessive time on scouting before each assignment even began.
Ironically, he felt his training was less effective now than when he was still within the village.
Yet there was one upside—fighting alone had accelerated his growth in actual combat. Where he once relied on instinct and recklessness, Bai Ye had grown into a proper shinobi.
Of course, when one's strength reaches a certain threshold, reckless action alone can sometimes suffice—strategy becomes optional when overwhelming force is at your disposal.
"Don't underestimate this data," Orochimaru said, his gaze still fixed on the screen. "Your future training intensity will be based on these metrics."
Finishing his analysis, Orochimaru turned away and began scribbling notes in a small black notebook.
"You've completed almost everything required in this stage. It's time to advance to the next phase."
Bai Ye listened silently while detaching the wires and tubes from his body with practiced ease.
"Really now? I had to beg you for a month and a half to move on, and suddenly today you change your mind?"
He looked over with genuine surprise as he reached for his clothes.
He had long grown used to Orochimaru's endless field missions. But his targets were always bottom-tier shinobi—fodder, really. Most fell in a single blow. There was no real challenge. No real point.
Recently, out of sheer boredom, Bai Ye had begun experimenting with how to kill using the least effort possible. He even started studying human anatomy and combat efficiency—occasionally pestering Orochimaru for knowledge on vital points and body mechanics.
His assassination skills had improved dramatically.
"If you prefer, you can continue those assignments. We've got no shortage of weaklings for you to butcher."
"Ahem, Lord Orochimaru, your jokes aren't funny."
By now, Bai Ye had changed into his pajamas—fluffy, white, and adorned with little pink rabbits.
Yes, they were the same ones that Mitarashi Anko had once worn.
His original pajamas were a sleek, black set, similar to the shihakushō he typically favored. But after Anko borrowed them to wash, she conveniently claimed they'd been stolen. She replaced them with this "unisex" set and insisted it was more "comfortable" and "modern."
Bai Ye hadn't protested. He knew it was a lie, but didn't bother calling her out.
The comment had struck a chord. At six years old, he had to be mindful not to appear too mature. The last thing he needed was to draw attention from those who might grow suspicious of his behavior.
Previously, no one paid him much attention—Might Guy and Might Duy were oblivious to subtle social cues. But recently, Yue and Yuyan, his more observant peers, had begun watching him more carefully. They hadn't said anything yet—but they noticed.
Since then, Bai Ye made a habit of thinking through every action, making sure nothing seemed too out of place for a normal child.
"The situation in the Hidden Mist has become unstable. Your next task is reconnaissance—find out what's going on."
Orochimaru closed his notebook and tossed a sealed scroll toward Bai Ye.
"The mission details are inside. Destroy the scroll after reading."
"Another recon mission... When are you going to give me some real training?"
Bai Ye caught the scroll mid-air and tucked it into his sleeve without bothering to check its contents.
What he truly wanted was ninjutsu instruction. But despite working under one of the most brilliant shinobi minds in Konoha, Orochimaru had kept that door firmly shut.
"That depends on your performance. Master the power you already possess before seeking more."
With that, Orochimaru deactivated the monitors and strode to the door.
"Why don't I recall that being part of the ninja code?" Bai Ye muttered under his breath.
As the two exited, several specimens stored in containment tubes within the lab stirred. One by one, eyes opened—and then slowly closed again.
A closer look revealed a hairline crack forming in each of their chests, gradually widening from within.
---
Meanwhile, in Konoha…
"A, how are you feeling?"
Within a hidden chamber of the village, Yamato—still known only as Tenzo at this time—knelt before Danzo Shimura.
Orochimaru's efforts hadn't focused solely on Bai Ye and Anko. A significant portion of his research had gone into stabilizing Tenzo's body with the integration of Hashirama Senju's cells.
Recently, Orochimaru had pushed the experiments to their current limit. Yamato's body had finally accepted a larger graft—one that balanced carefully between white and black chakra energy.
Though the ratio hadn't shifted significantly, Orochimaru believed Hashirama's genetic material was gradually strengthening Tenzo's chakra reserves.
"According to Lord Orochimaru's assessment," Tenzo said, keeping his eyes low, "my future Wood Release potential may eventually reach 25% of the First Hokage's power."
Orochimaru had succeeded in merging the cells long ago—his expertise was beyond question. But much of the time had been spent measuring Tenzo's long-term potential and ensuring his body wouldn't deteriorate under strain.
Only recently had the final results been confirmed. Orochimaru then returned the young test subject to Danzo's control.
Danzo's fingers twitched with restrained excitement. He waved his subordinates away.
Once alone, a rare smile crossed his face—twisted and unnatural.
"To think… such promising news."
His original intention in funding Orochimaru's research was to weaponize Hashirama's cells. Danzo had always believed only the Uchiha's Sharingan could suppress the Wood Release's overwhelming force.
Now, it seemed he might not need to rely on them after all.
For the time being, the Uchiha could be left alone.
Without justification, he wouldn't move against them.
Not yet.
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