*Sound Village, Underground Laboratory*
The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood. Lanterns flickered against damp stone walls, casting long, shifting shadows. At the center of the room, Orochimaru stood over the dissection table, his black hair clinging to his shoulders like spilled ink. His fingers pale, almost translucent, were stained crimson as he lifted the heart from the open cavity before him, examining it with detached fascination.
When he was finished, he let it drop back into the corpse with a wet cloth . thud.
"Dispose of this one, Kabuto," he murmured, his voice a low, silken rasp like a snake sliding over dry leaves. "It has served its purpose."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the lenses catching the dim light as he stepped forward. "Of course."
From within his coat, he produced two vials, their contents shimmering faintly. Without ceremony, he poured them over the body. A sharp, acrid hiss filled the air as flesh dissolved into nothing, leaving behind only scraps of fabric and the faint, sickly-sweet smell of decay.
Orochimaru wiped his hands slowly, his golden eyes settling on Kabuto. "You're distracted today."
Kabuto bowed his head slightly. "Kusano and Mizuki have been captured by Konoha."
A pause. Orochimaru exhaled, amused.
"And?"
Kabuto kept his expression neutral, but his pulse quickened. He'd received word that Hayashi Yuto the boy from the orphanage, the one who'd saved him from killing his own mentor, had been involved in the capture. That detail stayed locked behind his teeth.
Orochimaru's gaze lingered, heavy with unspoken understanding.
"How disappointing," he murmured at last, turning away. "But no matter. I'll be leaving the village soon. You'll oversee things in my absence."
Kabuto dipped his chin. "Understood."
The silence stretched, thick with things neither of them would say aloud.
*Forest Outside Konoha –Night*
Branches whipped past as Yuto cut through the trees, his breath steady despite the punishing pace.
Kushina's voice flickered at the edge of his awareness, spectral and sharp with concern.
"You're going to break your neck if you keep this up."
"I'll be fine,"he muttered.
"Where are we even going?"
"Grass Village."
__
*Village Hidden In The Grass *
The stench of blood and sweat hung heavy in the cramped hut. Karin's mother lay on the stained futon, her skin waxy and pale as a dozen Grass shinobi took turns feeding on her chakra.
"More," snarled the village elder, his yellowed teeth bared. "The war effort requires it."
Karin trembled in the doorway, her small fists clenched. She wanted to scream, to fight but the hulking form of Shirakawa Ryuun blocked her path.
"Don't be selfish, girl," Ryuun sneered, his face a mask of cruel amusement. "Your mother's bloodline is a gift to our village. Be grateful we let you live."
Behind him, the other shinobi laughed as they took their turns, their eyes glinting with predatory hunger. One of them, a woman with scarred lips, ran her tongue along her teeth after drinking.
"Sweet," she purred. "Like fine wine."
Karin's vision blurred with tears. She lunged forward
Ryuun backhanded her across the face.
"Know your place, brat," he growled.
Then the wall exploded.
A blur past Before Karin's eyes
Crunch.
Ryuun's body left the ground before he even registered the impact.
Yuto didn't give him time to recover. He was on him in an instant, driving a fist into his ribs hard enough to crack stone.
The other Grass ninja burst from the shadows, weapons drawn
Yuto's hands moved.
"Earth Style: Mountain's Wrath."
The ground erupted beneath them in a forest of spikes.
Karin stared at the carnage, her mother's weak hand clutching hers. The monsters who had tormented them for years lay broken in the rubble.
Yuto turned to her.
"Your mother is she dead"