Chapter 198: Not Master, but Big Sister
As a small, landlocked country wedged between three great nations, the Land of Rain possessed a surprisingly vast inland sea. The sheer geographical anomaly of it proved that the Creator possessed a rather wondrous, if unpredictable, sense of humor.
Mie stood at the edge of the rocky coastline, the salty breeze tugging at her clothes as she gazed out over the churning azure waters. Nature truly was full of marvels, but her attention soon drifted back to the three children training on the damp shore behind her.
Of her three current disciples, Yahiko was already making terrifying progress. A massive column of water spiraled upward at his command, taking the rough shape of a roaring beast as he successfully executed the Water Dragon Bullet Technique. A short distance away, Konan moved with a delicate, lethal grace. Crisp white sheets of paper fluttered around her in a captivating storm, her Dance of the Shikigami gradually taking on a sharper, more refined edge.
Only Nagato, the newest addition to their little makeshift family, remained seated cross-legged on the grass. He was still struggling through the absolute basics of chakra extraction and control. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he focused entirely on the internal flow of his energy. Yet, as a pure-blooded member of the Uzumaki Clan, his innate chakra reserves were monstrous. Once he grasped the fundamental control, he would easily catch up to Yahiko and Konan.
Because Yahiko had made such a grand, sweeping vow to change their war-torn country, the trio trained with a frantic, almost desperate intensity. They left before the sun rose and collapsed in exhaustion long after it set, leaving Mie with absolutely nothing to worry about regarding their work ethic.
Mie turned her gaze back to Nagato. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at the thick, unruly red bangs completely obscuring the upper half of his face. It was an absolute mess. Unable to bear the sight of it any longer, she rummaged through her supplies and pulled out a pair of sharp metal scissors, the blades glinting menacingly in the pale sunlight.
The metallic snip echoed in the quiet air. Nagato's head snapped up. The moment he realized he was the target of a forced haircut, he scrambled to his feet and bolted faster than a startled rabbit. In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the dense thicket of trees bordering the beach.
Mie sighed, rolling her shoulders before casually strolling into the woods. It did not take long to spot him. Nagato was huddled behind the thick trunk of an ancient oak, poking half his face out to peek cautiously in her direction. He looked exactly like a foraging woodland creature that had just been spooked by a predator—terrified and hiding, yet too curious to completely run away, leaving him to stare out pitifully from the brush.
How incredibly cute.
"Nagato, that hair has to go," Mie called out, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "It is completely blocking your field of vision and severely handicapping your combat awareness. You do not want to end up with a kunai in your shoulder just because your own bangs hid the enemy's hand seals, do you?"
Nagato shook his head vigorously, his hands gripping the tree bark as he stubbornly refused to step out into the open.
Mie did not bother chasing him down herself. Instead, she casually flipped the scissors backward, offering the handles to Konan, who had quietly stepped up beside her.
"I will leave the execution to you," Mie said dryly.
What followed was a chaotic, highly uncoordinated hunt. Mie leaned against a tree, crossing her arms and tapping her index finger lightly against her elbow as she watched the spectacle. Konan chased Nagato through the damp underbrush, waving the scissors with ruthless determination. The pursuit only ended when Yahiko, who had silently scaled the branches above, dropped out of the canopy like a hunting hawk, tackling Nagato to the dirt and pinning his arms behind his back.
As the impromptu barber session commenced, Mie fell into deep thought. All three of these children possessed exceptional talent. However, in this timeline, Nagato did not possess the legendary Rinnegan. Without those divine eyes, their absolute upper limit was firmly capped. This was, after all, a harsh world where bloodline limits and genetic inheritance dictated the peak of a shinobi's power.
Without the Rinnegan to rely on, and with the terrifying reputation of the Fourth Hokage serving as a brutal cautionary tale across the nations, Yahiko would be forced to grow into a much more cautious, steady leader than his original counterpart. Mie found herself genuinely curious to see exactly what kind of Akatsuki Organization this trio would eventually forge.
A few minutes later, the deed was done. Nagato was dragged back before Mie, looking entirely stiff and uncomfortable. His heavy red bangs had been neatly trimmed away, finally revealing a pair of bright, wide, and incredibly expressive eyes.
Mie blinked, momentarily caught off guard. 'Oh my, is he actually this adorable?'
There was a deep truth to the old saying that the eyes were the windows to the soul. The difference between the gloomy, hidden boy from ten minutes ago and the bright-eyed child standing before her was staggering. Her fingers suddenly twitched with an overwhelming urge. Without a second thought, she reached out, grabbed him by the shoulders, and vigorously ruffled his freshly cut hair.
"Sister, please let go of me!" Nagato whined, squirming under her grip.
Mie froze, her hand hovering above his messy red hair. "Hmm? What did you just call me?"
Nagato immediately lowered his head, his cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of crimson from both the rough handling and his own embarrassment. "Sister..."
Mie tilted her head, genuinely perplexed. "Why do you refuse to call me Master? Yahiko and Konan both address me as Master without issue."
"But... but Sister is so pretty and beautiful," Nagato stammered, his fingers nervously twisting the hem of his shirt. "Calling you Master makes you sound so old and strict. I think calling you Sister fits you much better."
Mie stared at him in utter silence. 'Good grief, is this kid naturally this smooth, or is it a survival instinct?'
A slow, amused smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. "Fine. I will permit it. You may address me as Sister from now on."
...
Far away, within the hidden borders of Konoha.
Deep underground, Orochimaru had brought nearly all of his conventional research projects to a grinding halt. He had unceremoniously dumped the bulk of his scientific duties onto his weary assistants, locking himself away to focus entirely on cracking the secrets of the Impure World Reincarnation Technique.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, had only managed to develop a crude, unstable prototype of this forbidden jutsu before his untimely death during the First Shinobi World War against the Kinkaku Force of the Land of Lightning. The remaining theoretical framework and practical applications were left entirely up to Orochimaru's own dark exploration.
To perfect a jutsu that bridged the gap between the pure land and the living world, he required an immense supply of two specific resources: fresh corpses and living human sacrifices. Knowing the village's strict regulations, he had personally ventured up to the Hokage Office to seek official authorization from his former teacher, Hiruzen.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his massive desk, his weathered face tightening as he read over the requested materials. He was fully aware of the forbidden jutsu his predecessor had created, but seeing the sheer volume of human lives Orochimaru casually listed on the requisition form made his stomach churn.
Living specimens and fresh corpses were relatively easy to justify during the bloody peak of the ninja wars. Enemy prisoners and the endless piles of bodies hauled back from the frontlines could be repurposed without raising too many eyebrows. But now, in an era of fragile peace, such resources were a logistical and moral nightmare.
"Orochimaru," Hiruzen began, his voice heavy with authority and underlying suspicion. "Why do you suddenly wish to explore the Impure World Reincarnation? These two specific requirements easily cross the absolute bottom line of our village's laws."
Orochimaru did not flinch. His pale, serpentine face remained perfectly impassive. "This is a direct task assigned to me by the Fourth Hokage. She expressed a deep hope that I could one day develop a complete, flawless version of the technique."
It was not a lie. On his very first day after being reassigned to the advanced research division, Stelle had casually forwarded a massive, highly classified data package containing Tobirama's original notes directly to his private residence. Naturally, Stelle had never explicitly called it a mission. She had merely told him to glance over it whenever he had some free time.
But Stelle knew exactly who she was dealing with. If Orochimaru was not morbidly curious about the mechanics of life and death, he would not be the village's premier research fanatic. So, without a shred of guilt, he weaponized Stelle's name to bypass his teacher's moral objections.
Hiruzen studied his disciple's unblinking golden eyes. He knew Orochimaru better than anyone, but he also knew the terrifying, unpredictable nature of the Fourth Hokage. Choosing not to expose the likely exaggeration, Hiruzen sighed. Orochimaru was still his most brilliant, favored student.
"I will sign the approval form," Hiruzen finally conceded, reaching for his ink brush. "However, Hiruko must be officially assigned as your co-director on this specific project."
When it came to handling living sacrifices and forbidden jutsu, Hiruzen felt a marginal sense of relief knowing Hiruko would be involved. Hiruko had spent years desperately chasing after Orochimaru's shadow, treating his peer as an eternal rival. Hiruzen reasoned that if the two of them managed the project together, their mutual professional jealousy would force them to monitor one another, preventing any horrific ethical breaches.
"I will gladly follow Teacher Hiruzen's arrangement," Orochimaru replied smoothly, taking the stamped approval slip and turning on his heel.
What Hiruzen failed to realize was that Orochimaru had already been conducting these horrific experiments in secret for months. He had completely embezzled the massive research grant Stelle had previously given him for developing automated puppet robots, funneling every single ryo into his underground Impure World Reincarnation trials. The results had been highly promising. If he had not completely drained his black-market funds, he never would have bothered asking Hiruzen for official clearance.
, Hiruzen's brilliant countermeasure was entirely backwards. Hiruko was already deeply involved in the secret trials, and the man was far more unhinged and enthusiastic about the human experimentation than Orochimaru was. Whenever Orochimaru needed a fresh subject, Hiruko would procure one without a single question asked. As for moral bottom lines, it was actually Orochimaru who constantly had to rein in Hiruko's reckless sadism, not the other way around.
With the ethical approval secured, the only remaining hurdle was the money. Orochimaru walked down the corridor and pushed open the door to the adjacent financial office, seeking out Danzo.
Coincidentally, Tsunade was already standing in front of the desk.
Danzo was currently engaged in a vicious, high-volume screaming match with Tsunade over medical budgets. When the old war hawk saw Orochimaru glide into the room with a requisition form in hand, a visible vein throbbed on his forehead, and he pressed his fingers against his temples to stave off a massive migraine.
"You two wretched brats burn through the village treasury like it is infinite water!" Danzo snarled, slamming his fist onto his desk. "I get a headache just looking at your faces. If you have official business, go bother Hiruzen. Do not come crying to me. I am telling you right now, the vault is completely empty. If you want money, there is none. If you want my life, you are welcome to try and take it."
Orochimaru calmly stepped forward and placed the freshly stamped approval slip directly over Danzo's budget ledgers. "Lord Danzo, Teacher Hiruzen has already authorized the project. I simply need you to allocate the necessary funds."
"I already told you, there is no money!" Danzo barked, his remaining eye glaring venomously at the snake sannin. "If you are that desperate for funding, go dig up Hiruzen's private stash! I know exactly which floorboard he hides it under in his estate. If you have the nerve to steal from your own teacher, go right ahead and take it."
Danzo was genuinely terrified of these two. Did they think managing the entire economic infrastructure of the Land of Fire was a simple game? If he actually approved their absurd financial requests, the rest of the village's departments would be forced to eat dirt for the next ten years.
"Oh? Is that so?" Tsunade's eyes instantly lit up with predatory greed. She rubbed her fingers together, a wicked grin spreading across her face. "Where exactly did the old man hide his gambling funds?"
Orochimaru's pale face remained entirely expressionless, but beneath his robes, his hands had already moved. He had quietly manifested a shadow clone out in the hallway the moment Danzo mentioned the stash. The clone was currently pressed against the wall, waiting only for the exact coordinates so it could sprint across the village and secure the funds for his laboratory.
Without a single second of hesitation, Danzo threw his oldest comrade directly under the bus, explicitly detailing the layout of Hiruzen's private study.
Once the two satisfied Sannin finally left his office, Danzo slumped back in his chair, his mind racing. He had successfully diverted them by selling out Hiruzen, but what about his own hidden treasury?
Should he relocate his emergency funds? Hiruzen frequently came over to his estate to drink tea and reminisce. Given how intimately they knew each other's habits, it was highly likely Hiruzen had already deduced where Danzo kept his own black-market reserves.
No, he could not risk it. He would personally dig up the gold tonight, move it to a secondary secure location, and layer at least five lethal sealing jutsu over the vault door. His private stash was the absolute final financial backstop for the Root. If a catastrophic disaster ever struck Konoha and the official economy collapsed, that money would be the only thing keeping them afloat. It absolutely could not be squandered by those two unscrupulous, money-grubbing brats. He was not Stelle; he refused to indulge their endless greed.
Out in the sunlit streets, Orochimaru and Tsunade descended the main steps of the Hokage Building. As they reached the bottom, they spotted Jiraiya walking toward them, animatedly chatting with a young, bright-eyed Minato.
Having been buried in their respective duties for months, the three Sannin rarely had the chance to cross paths. Setting aside their immediate plans for grand larceny, Orochimaru and Tsunade stopped to exchange brief, casual greetings with their old teammate.
As the brief reunion concluded and they turned to go their separate ways, Orochimaru paused. He slowly looked back over his shoulder, his cold, reptilian gaze lingering on Minato's retreating back for a few extra seconds.
The Fourth Hokage's eye for talent was truly terrifying. Orochimaru mentally cataloged the chakra signatures of every rising star in Konoha's new generation, but none of them radiated the same sharp, polished lethality as Minato. The village was currently overflowing with excellent prodigies, yet when placed side-by-side with the blonde boy, they all seemed to pale into insignificance.
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