In fact, Genzo's guess wasn't off the mark. The Ninja World was rife with turmoil. More importantly, Mikoto's two sons would inevitably be drawn into the heart of conflict. If she wasn't placed somewhere completely cut off from the world, Anya wouldn't feel at ease.
Among his three factions, Sunagakure Village—being one of the Five Great Ninja Villages—was ruled out first. Then came Hot Springs Country. This stronghold had received guidance from Serpent Master and was now under Hanzo's control. Neither of these two could earn Anya's full trust, and due to their exposed geographical positions, they were also unsuitable. In the end, only Takigakure Village remained. Its ninja had already been purged, it was surrounded by water on all sides, had minimal contact with the outside world, and was guarded by Genzo. It was the least likely place for problems to arise.
Watching the carriage carrying Mikoto vanish down the road, Anya completed the last task he had left in Konoha. Next was fulfilling Serpent Master's assignment—a location Anya himself looked forward to greatly: Ryuchi Cave.
Konoha's leadership had long foreseen what would happen to the Uchiha tonight. Danzo led members of Root in removing evidence. Looking at the many corpses on the ground, a flicker of greed flashed in his eyes—those Sharingans would soon be his.
At this moment, a Root member arrived with a report.
Danzo, who had been smug moments ago, suddenly turned cold-eyed. "What did you say? Many Sharingans from the Uchiha Police Department have gone missing?"
"Yes."
Danzo's expression grew suspicious. His first suspicion fell immediately on Anya—could it be him?
He asked, "What kind of wounds were on the bodies from the Uchiha Police Department?"
The Root member was well-prepared and quickly answered, "All kinds of marks were found, but chains appeared to be used the most."
"Chains?" Danzo shook his head; that probably wasn't it. It must've come from help Itachi got somewhere else.
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi approached and asked, "How is the personnel count going?"
"Except for Sasuke Uchiha, no one remains." Danzo knew exactly why Sasuke was spared—it was part of a deal. Thinking about it, he even felt a grudging respect for how silently and efficiently Hiruzen had removed the village's internal threat.
Hiruzen's face was grave, showing no sign of satisfaction whatsoever. Deep in his heart, he had always hoped for a wiser resolution instead of such crude and bloody slaughter. Unfortunately, the death of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had weakened Konoha, leaving irreconcilable differences that indirectly led to this massacre.
Seeing Hiruzen's expression, Danzo found him unbearably hypocritical and spoke up, "There's something I want to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"Exactly what secret mission is Anya undertaking?"
Hiruzen's face darkened as he sharply asked, "Have you seen him recently?"
"No. Not recently. Two years ago," Danzo said, staring directly at Hiruzen. "No Head of Anbu has ever remained on a secret mission for so long. What exactly are you two hiding from everyone?"
"That's none of your concern." Ignoring Danzo, Hiruzen vanished using Shunshin, entering deeper into the clan district. At the sight of Mikoto and Fugaku's lifeless bodies, a wave of shock surged through him.
How strange. This isn't like Anya at all. He actually didn't save Mikoto Uchiha. What could've happened?
Sarutobi left the clan compound and headed toward the luxurious mansion where Anya had once been imprisoned. After releasing the barrier, he walked inside without hesitation.
The moment he opened the door, a gust of dusty air hit him. The atmosphere was icy cold and completely devoid of life—a place clearly abandoned for a long time. Rubbing his fingers across the table surface, he found a thick layer of dust coating it. The glass windows, which should have been crystal clear, were now murky with cobwebs stretching from top to bottom.
Anya was already gone. Where could he have gone? Or… did he die just like Minato?
Sarutobi shook his head, dismissing that absurd thought. Anya was someone capable of wiping out over twenty thousand allied shinobi. Even if he had died, there's no way he'd vanish so silently without leaving any trace behind.
Sigh… I hope you won't lose your mind when you return because of Mikoto's death.
Surrounded by misty mountains, Anya followed Orochimaru toward Ryuchi Cave.
"Enigmatic, isn't it?" Orochimaru pointed ahead. "Ryuchi Cave exists between reality and illusion. It's a cruel hidden realm where immortals cultivate. Occasionally curious souls come here, but none have ever left."
Anya chuckled sarcastically, "So then, Uncle, does that make you the one and only survivor?"
Orochimaru didn't seem pleased by Anya's remark. Calmly, he replied, "That title means nothing to me. Go on now. I'll wait for you."
Anya raised an eyebrow. "No hints?"
"You don't need them."
Anya frowned slightly and sighed. "Fine. I hope I can get through this smoothly."
After all, this was just a Wood Release Clone, holding less than one-tenth of his full strength. His lack of confidence wasn't faked.
He had barely taken two steps forward when lights flickered ahead. A traditional Chinese-style pavilion appeared out of nowhere, clearly marked with the words "Ryuchi Cave," accompanied by lanterns glowing warmly beside it. It looked festive—but also extremely eerie in this place, quite different from what he had imagined a hidden realm would look like.
Anya pushed the door open and stepped inside.
A woman dressed entirely in white approached gracefully, smiling as she spoke, "I am Lady Tamami. You must be exhausted after coming all this way. Please rest well."
Now that's unexpectedly courteous.
Guest follows host. Anya nodded without hesitation. "Actually, I am a bit tired. Where can I rest?"
"This way, please."
Lady Tamami guided Anya to a sofa and seated him with grace. Soon after, she brought over fragrant dishes and placed them before him, saying, "Here you go. No need to hold back. If you're serious about inheriting Ryuchi Cave's legacy, better eat up."
"Oh? You know why I'm here. Impressive."
From the moment he entered, Anya had stayed on high alert. When she directly revealed his purpose, he suddenly lost interest in the food before him. Besides, a Wood Release Clone didn't even require nourishment.
"So," she smiled gently until now, her eyes subtly flashing with coldness, "Are you going to eat or not?"
Anya sighed. "Ah, I've got places to be. Just a quick break is fine."
Upon hearing this, Lady Tamami's face was filled with regret. Her features suddenly twisted as her face took on a serpentine form, and a long, forked tongue slithered out of her mouth. She hissed, "Just eat up, there there. Wouldn't you rather taste some fresh chakra from the outside world?"
As her words echoed, the surrounding structures vanished into thin air. The surroundings shifted back to the thick mist they had started in, while the food turned into piles of bleached bones, stripped of all life.
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