Chapter 315:
"Did it work?" A red-haired boy hiding in a dark corner cautiously poked his head out. As the smoke from the explosion dissipated, there was no sign of Sai or Sasuke—no bodies, nothing. "Where are those two?"
"Who are you? Was that explosion your doing?"
Hearing a voice from behind, the red-haired boy spun around, swinging a shuriken at Sasuke's neck. But Sasuke caught his wrist mid-swing and tripped him, slamming him to the ground.
Sai walked over to the boy who was trying to get up, pressing a shuriken to his neck. "Thanks for the warm welcome, but with that level of skill, you're no match for us."
"Shut up, you murderers!"
"Murderers?" Sai pointed at the Leaf Village headband on his forehead. "I'm a Leaf shinobi. In fact, this is our first time here—we're investigating what's behind that gate."
"I know that! You Leaf murderers—where were you when my companions were being taken away for human experimentation?! Why is it that only after all of them died did you show up?!"
"Human experimentation?" Sai and Sasuke glanced at each other, then Sai asked, "What's your name?"
"…Tangno Karashi."
"Why didn't they take you for the experiments?" Sasuke asked.
"Because I was hiding. I knew they were taking my companions inside, but I was too scared… I only dared to watch from afar. The idea with the explosive tags was something I came up with—hoping someone might come out so I could blow them up and avenge my friends."
"Sasuke, what should we do?" Sai looked to Sasuke.
"You're going inside, aren't you? Then please, take me with you. Maybe some of my companions are still in there! I'm begging you."
Sasuke looked at the pleading Tangno Karashi. "Take him with us."
It wasn't because Sasuke was moved by his plea—he just thought it would be safer to keep the boy where he could see him.
Sai opened the iron door, revealing a passageway sloping downward. A green mist began to seep upward.
"Poison gas, Sasuke. Looks like we'll have to clear it out before we go in," Sai said to Sasuke beside him.
"I'll handle it. Step back." Sasuke stepped to the doorway, peered into the passage filled with green poison gas, and formed a hand seal. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A fireball surged down the tunnel, igniting the green gas and burning it away.
"It's clear. Let's go," said Sai with a smile.
As the group reached the end of the tunnel, the space opened up before them.
A large rectangular room was connected to four smaller circular chambers.
The doors to the four chambers were sealed, but each had a glass window that allowed them to see inside.
"Sasuke, over here."
Hearing Sai's call, Sasuke walked over and peered through the glass. Inside the circular room was a platform, and lying on it was a hulking green figure, its body riddled with tubes.
"Ahhh!"
Hearing Tangno Karashi's scream, Sai quickly turned around and rushed to the boy, who had collapsed to the floor. "What's wrong?!"
"In there… in there…"
Sai helped Karashi up and looked through the glass.
Inside were multiple cultivation pods, each filled with a strange green liquid.
"They're all children…"
"Sai, I checked the computer. This place seems to be one of Orochimaru's research facilities for experimenting on the Green Giant," Sasuke said as he walked over. "Of the other two chambers, one's a prison, and the other's for observing the Green Giant's combat capabilities."
"Sasuke, that pod over there—why is it empty?!"
Following Sai's gaze, Sasuke spotted a broken cultivation pod.
Suddenly, a red alarm began blaring in the room.
"What's going on?!" Sai looked around, then fixed his gaze on Tangno Karashi, who was now at the control panel. "Tangno Karashi, what did you do?!"
"I'm just rescuing my companions, that's all," Karashi replied with a smile.
One by one, the cultivation pods began to open, releasing the boys and girls inside.
"Though the human experiments brought us immense suffering, they also gave us great power—power that can help rebuild the Hidden Rain Village!"
Karashi extended his right hand. A small sapling sprouted from his palm.
"Wood Style?!" Sai stared at him in disbelief.
"My real identity is that of an outer-circle member of S.H.I.E.L.D. I've been conducting these experiments under Gray Wolf's command. As for these people—they were all captured by me!"
"You're not from the Hidden Rain?" Sai asked again.
"Of course I am. But everything I've done was for the revival of the Hidden Rain. These people… they were just a small sacrifice for that greater goal."
"Sacrificing others' lives for your own ambition, no matter how noble it sounds, doesn't change the fact that you're just a selfish bastard!" Sai snapped.
"I remember all their names! When the Hidden Rain rises again, I'll carve their names into a monument, so the whole world will know of their noble sacrifice!"
"If it's the revival of the Hidden Rain you're after, the Leaf can help," Sasuke said.
"Hmph, I'll never trust a great nation like yours again! You stood by and did nothing, letting us rot in hell. And now you say you want to help? Don't make me laugh! Only S.H.I.E.L.D. and Orochimaru ever truly tried to help us!" Tangno Karashi cried, emotions flaring as he formed hand seals. "Wood Style—"
"Wait!!"
Just as Karashi was about to finish the seals, a figure appeared and grabbed his hands.
"My hands! Let go of my hands!" Karashi struggled.
"Now that S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Hydra-authorized Konoha have crossed paths again, it's time for me to appear!"
Captain Red Dragonfly declared.
"Rule number one: Never act on impulse," said the Blue Dragonfly Captain.
"Hey! You stole my line! Honestly." Captain Red Dragonfly quickly added, "Rule number two: Never overlook any wrongdoing."
"Rule number three," both captains declared in unison, "Public judgment must always be dazzling!"