Back at the village gate, the Uchiha on night watch bowed respectfully to Sarutobi Hiruzen and Orochimaru.
"Lord Hokage!"
"Lord Orochimaru!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and smiled. "You've worked hard."
Then he looked to Orochimaru. "Is your abdomen alright?"
Orochimaru smiled. "It's fine, Sensei—so long as you don't pursue what just happened."
"Hmph. So you do understand how serious it was?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Sensei, could he be the First's…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen shot him a cold look. "Don't speak carelessly. If that were the case, the Uzumaki wouldn't have let him live here all this time."
"But as it stands, Lady Mito treats him like her own. Tomorrow he'll be moving back in with her. Stirring things up like this puts me in a very difficult position."
"I see. It's alright, Sensei—just now I held back on purpose. I didn't actually hurt him."
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave Orochimaru a doubtful glance.
Orochimaru was still savoring his fight with Night Maple. Though he hadn't gone all out, he had a feeling the other party had more cards to play.
What cards, exactly? I really want to drag him back to study…
Sarutobi suddenly asked, "Who told you?"
"When I aided Hatake Sakumo and Namikaze Minato—they told me."
Sarutobi glanced at the blood seeping from Orochimaru's abdomen. "Even so, you shouldn't have tested him. The First's cell experiments were halted long ago."
Orochimaru smiled. "Sensei, I think we could still make a case…"
"No. Absolutely not." Sarutobi cut him off. "Never mind the First's cells—now you want to experiment on the Senju's only awakened kekkei genkai? Are you trying to die?"
Orochimaru hurriedly said, "Sensei, I only need a little blood. Just a bit. For the Senju, a drop of blood is nothing."
Sarutobi shook his head. "I said no, and that's that."
Orochimaru sighed. "Very well, I understand, Sensei. I was just curious—nothing more. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Wait. Rest two days, then return to monitor Kumogakure's movements."
"Sensei, I'm seriously injured. I'll need at least half a year to recover."
Sarutobi regarded him—an injury like that would heal in a month, and he wanted six?
"Go to Kumogakure and lie low. You can recuperate there."
"My chakra signature was exposed today—likely recognized by the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki. Sensei, do you want me to die in the Cloud?"
Sarutobi took a deep breath. "Don't give me that. Healing is healing, wherever you do it. You're one of Konoha's Sannin—going to the Cloud even now shouldn't be difficult."
"And don't trouble Night Maple again. Not only my eyes, but others' eyes are on him."
"If you really cause anything, I won't be able to protect you."
Orochimaru smiled. "Rest assured, Sensei—I won't do anything foolish. Please assign someone else to watch the Cloud."
"Hey, Orochimaru, I haven't agreed—come back!"
Orochimaru laughed. "Sensei, I recommend Night Maple. I think he's perfect for the Cloud—he can protect himself, and neither our village nor the other villages know his true background."
With that, Orochimaru walked off without looking back.
"Ah, forget it. Let Orochimaru rest a while—he's worked hard…"
Soft-hearted as ever, Sarutobi sighed.
He also mulled over Orochimaru's last suggestion.
"Night Maple to the Cloud? Orochimaru has a point—Night Maple has too many advantages. But the last legacy of the Senju rests with him now. If anything happened, I could never face my teacher, the First…"
...
Early the next morning, with the sun rising and light in his eyes, Night Maple yawned.
"What are you doing here so early?"
Rubbing his eyes, Night Maple let the door swing open; a root dragged a masked ninja, bound tight, into the room.
The ninja stared at Night Maple in shock.
He'd checked the files beforehand—how could a genin bind a chūnin like him?
And his chakra kept draining away.
"What is it?"
The chūnin blurted, "Night Maple, Lord Danzō invites you to his home for a talk!"
[Ding, in view of the host's current situation, three options are granted!]
[Option One: Go to Danzō's home for a talk and become Konoha's Darkness! Reward: B-rank ninjutsu—Wind Release: Vacuum Wave.]
[Option Two: Go to the Hokage's office to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen and become Konoha's rising star! Reward: C-rank ninjutsu—Telescope Technique.]
[Option Three: Go nowhere—be a salted fish and auto-level up! Reward: Hashirama Senju character card fusion speed ×10; all ninjutsu EXP (not from character card) ×10.]
Do I even need to think about it?
Of course I pick 3!
Be a salted fish—auto-level up!
Night Maple flung the chūnin out the door and lay back down.
"Courting death!"
The Root chūnin fumed—so he was treating Root and Lord Danzō like nothing?
He thought better of it, restrained himself, and ran back to report.
Night Maple checked the fusion rate of the Hashirama Senju character card. After a night's sleep, it had risen from the initial 5% to 5.1%.
After another hour's nap, it climbed from 5.1% to 5.2%!
"Holy crap—one hour beats a whole night!"
"Sure enough, being a salted fish is the way forward."
"It's just… there's nothing to do here. Kind of boring…"
Night Maple considered, marked a kunai with the Flying Thunder God formula, and tossed it. A second later, he was at the kunai's location.
"Grinding skills like this seems pretty fast?"
So Night Maple trained the Flying Thunder God Technique on his own—kunai flying everywhere, EXP skyrocketing.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face was dark.
It was already ten, and Night Maple still hadn't come.
Uzumaki Mito, Kushina, and Orochimaru were all in the office as well.
Night Maple had stood them up.