Feeling the sealing formula fade beneath the skin of his wrists, Uchiha Yuan circulated his senses slightly. His chakra had become sluggish, difficult to mobilize.
"Take him to Cell No. 9."
The ANBU with the Yellow Flash mask gave the order.
Two ANBU immediately stepped forward, efficiently fastening shackles around Yuan's ankles and locking a heavy restraint around his arms.
Yuan did not resist. Instead, he raised his head slightly and glanced toward the raised platform above.
Then he allowed himself to be escorted away.
On the platform, Danzō watched with dark, narrowed eyes.
"Hmph. So the brat finally knows fear."
Root operatives stood around him, killing intent thick in the air. If Yuan had shown the slightest resistance, they would have acted instantly—perhaps even killed him on the spot.
But to Danzō's surprise, Yuan cooperated completely.
In Danzō's view, Yuan's former arrogance had been backed by Orochimaru's influence. Now that Orochimaru had defected and become a wanted criminal, Yuan had lost his support. Naturally, he would learn fear.
"Uchiha Yuan… and the Uchiha clan… hmph."
Watching Yuan disappear into the corridor leading to the cells, Danzō's lips curled into a cruel smile.
—
The dim, narrow passageway was lined with iron-barred cells. As an ANBU detention facility, it held Konoha defectors and foreign spies year-round.
Today, however, the prisoners stared in shock as one Konoha ninja after another was escorted inside.
Through fragments of bitter conversation, the shocking truth spread: one of the Sannin, Orochimaru, had defected.
And those being detained were all his subordinates.
—
Cell No. 9.
Yuan sat cross-legged in the darkness, his figure nearly swallowed by shadow. His eyes were closed, his expression calm.
Gradually, the prison quieted. Some of Orochimaru's followers looked uneasy; others remained expressionless, awaiting judgment.
From the adjacent cell came the sound of suppressed sobbing—a girl's voice.
"Orochimaru-sensei… how could you do this…"
"Why did you abandon us…"
"I hope you're safe…"
The soft murmurs echoed faintly.
Yuan opened his eyes.
So it was Mitarashi Anko.
He recognized the voice immediately. A proud little girl appeared in his memory.
Judging by the stillness of the prison, it was likely already deep into the night.
Yuan rose and stepped to the front of his cell, peering through the thick iron bars.
"Uchiha Yuan. Didn't expect to see you here as well."
From the opposite cell came a voice. A silver-haired jōnin stepped forward to the bars.
"Chiba-jōnin. After the Sunagakure front, I didn't expect we'd meet again here."
Chiba Sōichi gave a bitter smile. "Who would have thought Orochimaru-sama would defect."
Yuan let out a faint cold laugh. "Indeed. Who would have thought that just as Orochimaru-senpai was about to succeed as Fifth Hokage… he would suddenly become a traitor."
Chiba's expression shifted slightly. After a pause, he said quietly, "Your words carry meaning. Do you know something?"
Their exchange drew attention from neighboring cells. Figures moved closer to the bars.
A burly middle-aged ninja spoke. "Uchiha Yuan, are you saying there's something wrong with Orochimaru-sama's defection?"
Suddenly, an emotional voice burst from the adjacent cell.
Anko gripped the bars, leaning out as far as she could. "Uchiha Yuan! You must know something! Say it!
"Orochimaru-sensei admired you the most. He often praised you in front of me. And I know he met with you in secret—he trusted you!"
Hearing Anko's words, Yuan inwardly praised her timing.
Some truths were more convincing when spoken by others. As Orochimaru's sole disciple, her declaration established Yuan as Orochimaru's most trusted confidant in the minds of everyone present.
"Anko. So you're next door."
Her face was nearly twisted with desperation. "Tell us! Orochimaru-sensei was framed, right? The human experiments have nothing to do with him, right?!"
Yuan's tone remained steady. "I don't know about human experiments.
"I only find the entire case… strange."
"What's strange?"
The question came from a second-level cell opposite them. A man in his thirties, dressed in fitted combat attire, watched Yuan intently.
Inuzuka clan jōnin, judging by the crest.
Yuan spoke calmly. "As a Police Force squad leader, when the rumor of missing ninja first appeared, I ordered an investigation.
"But the Police Force was obstructed by ANBU, who claimed the case had been taken over.
"Even so, I had my people continue investigating discreetly. To this day, we have not found a single ninja household reporting a missing family member.
"Yet we are told those 'missing' ninja became Orochimaru-senpai's experimental subjects."
"If ANBU handled it, it's not strange that you found nothing," Anko argued.
Yuan exchanged a glance with Chiba and ignored her comment.
Anko was still a genin, inexperienced. She hadn't grasped the implication.
But Chiba—and the others—fell into thoughtful silence.
Yuan continued. "Since entering this cell, I have reflected on many things.
"Do you all remember Konoha's White Fang?
"At the time, he was the strongest candidate for Fourth Hokage. His prestige exceeded even the Sannin.
"Yet because of one accusation, one rumor… he fell."
He paused briefly before adding,
"And then there was the Fourth Hokage himself. In terms of prestige and strength, he was far inferior to Orochimaru-sama.
"Yet in the end, Orochimaru-senpai withdrew from the Hokage race.
"Don't you find that… peculiar?"
The air in the prison grew heavy.
Something had begun to stir.
Some people die…
But they don't die completely.
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