While Qingshui and his team were still on their journey toward the Land of Grass, events had already begun unfolding at their destination.
Deep within the walls of Hōzuki Castle, an ominous meeting was taking place.
The dimly lit chamber carried a heavy, suffocating atmosphere.
Standing at the center of it all was Orochimaru.
Beside him sat Wuwei, the current lord of Hōzuki Castle. Surrounding them were several elders from Kusagakure's influential Kusanagi faction—men whose authority had once shaped the direction of the village.
Now, they gathered again.
Not in unity.
But in conspiracy.
The Seeds of Resentment
To them, the failure of the Box of Bliss was not merely a setback.
It was humiliation.
Originally, the Kusanagi faction had held significant power within Kusagakure. They were influential, respected—feared, even. But after the incident involving Hirakawa Qingshui, everything changed.
Their influence collapsed.
Positions of authority were stripped away.
Elders who once commanded respect were forced into retirement, reduced to watching events unfold from the shadows.
Power, once lost, was not easily regained.
And resentment?
That only grew stronger with time.
It was no exaggeration to say that many among them dreamed of killing Hirakawa Qingshui.
But reality was cruel.
Qingshui's reputation had only risen since then. His strength became widely acknowledged, his name spreading across nations.
Revenge… seemed impossible.
Until now.
A Dangerous Alliance
Orochimaru's sudden appearance had changed everything.
A legendary Sannin of Konoha.
A man feared across the shinobi world.
And now—
He claimed he wanted to eliminate Hirakawa Qingshui.
The elders had been suspicious at first.
After all, Orochimaru was still, technically, a Konoha ninja.
Why would he target one of his own?
Was this a trap?
A scheme orchestrated by Konoha?
But after careful consideration, they dismissed the idea.
Kusagakure was a minor village.
It held no Tailed Beast like Takigakure's Seven-Tails.
No vast resources.
No strategic value worth such elaborate deception.
Which left only one explanation.
Even in great villages like Konoha…
There were internal conflicts.
Power struggles.
Betrayal.
That was something all shinobi understood.
And so—
They agreed.
The Trap Is Set
"The plan is proceeding as expected," Orochimaru said, his voice low and hoarse, echoing faintly in the chamber. "Qingshui is already on his way."
His golden eyes swept across the room.
"Are your preparations complete?"
"Of course," one of the elders replied confidently. "Everything has been arranged. All that remains is for him to walk into the trap."
Another elder smirked.
"This time… he won't leave alive."
Their confidence was almost absolute.
Even without the Box of Bliss, they believed their preparations—combined with Orochimaru's strength—would be more than enough.
After all—
No one was invincible.
Even Hashirama Senju, the so-called God of Shinobi, had eventually died.
So how could Hirakawa Qingshui be any different?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Orochimaru's expression didn't change.
But his next words carried a chilling edge.
"This plan… cannot fail."
The room fell silent instantly.
"I trust you understand the consequences."
The elders' earlier arrogance faded.
They nodded solemnly.
"Wuwei," the leading elder said sharply, "go and inspect everything again. Ensure there are no flaws."
Wuwei, who had remained silent until now, bowed his head.
"Yes."
A Moment of Humanity
Wuwei left the chamber quietly.
Despite being the lord of Hōzuki Castle—and a jōnin—his authority meant little in front of these elders.
Power still rested in their hands.
As he walked through the corridors, lost in thought, he suddenly encountered two children.
A boy and a girl.
The boy, Wugou, immediately brightened.
"Father!"
The girl beside him, Longshe, bowed politely.
"Uncle Wuwei."
For a brief moment—
Wuwei's stern expression softened.
A rare smile appeared.
These two were precious to him.
In another timeline, Wugou's fate would have been tragic—sacrificed to the Box of Bliss.
But now, that future had changed.
After a short conversation, Wuwei gently instructed them to return to Kusagakure.
Though confused, they obeyed without question.
As he watched them leave—
Wuwei let out a quiet sigh.
Then turned back toward his duty.
Toward the trap.
Arrival at the Castle
Not long after—
Qingshui and his team finally arrived at Hōzuki Castle.
"Halt! State your identities!"
The guards moved forward, stopping them at the entrance.
Qingshui stepped ahead calmly and handed over his mission scroll.
Recognition dawned immediately.
"Lord Hirakawa Qingshui of Konoha… please wait. I will inform the castle lord at once."
Moments later—
Wuwei appeared in person.
"Lord Hirakawa," he said respectfully, bowing slightly. "Thank you for coming all this way."
Qingshui smiled gently.
"It's my duty. There's no need for thanks."
Though he had visited the Land of Grass before—
This was his first time at Hōzuki Castle.
And his first meeting with Wuwei.
"Please," Wuwei said, gesturing inward. "Follow me."
The Infected Prison
They were led deep into the castle.
Into a sealed area.
Even before entering—
The smell hit them.
Rot.
Decay.
Death.
Inside, hundreds of prisoners lay scattered across the ground.
Two hundred.
Perhaps three hundred.
Their bodies were covered in wounds.
Some had flesh that had already begun to rot.
Others looked like walking corpses.
To prevent the spread of infection, a barrier had been erected around the area.
Qingshui and Nono remained calm.
But the same could not be said for the others.
Kurenai Yuhi and her teammates—newly graduated ninja—were visibly shaken.
They turned pale.
Unable to look directly.
Instinctively, they stepped back, hiding behind Qingshui.
They were still too young for scenes like this.
Qingshui spoke calmly.
"My apologies, Lord Wuwei. These are my students. They came for training."
Wuwei nodded in understanding.
"This disease… we've never seen anything like it," he said, his voice heavy. "Highly toxic. Extremely contagious. We had no choice but to isolate them."
There was guilt in his tone.
As if he blamed himself.
Qingshui shook his head slightly.
"Don't worry. I'll do everything I can."
Then he turned to his team.
"The situation is worse than expected."
His gaze rested on Nono.
"You all stay outside. I'll examine them alone."
Nono nodded immediately.
"Be careful, Brother Qingshui."
Kurenai and the others echoed her concern.
"I will."
Into the Unknown
Qingshui donned protective gear.
Then—
Stepped into the barrier.
The moment he entered—
A hand grabbed his leg.
"Please… save me…"
A weak voice trembled.
"I… don't want to die…"
Others began reaching out as well.
Desperation filled the air.
These people had no strength left.
Only hope.
Hope that this man—
Could save them.
Qingshui said nothing.
He immediately began his work.
Examining symptoms.
Collecting samples.
Analyzing the toxin.
Focused.
Calm.
Precise.
Outside the barrier—
Wuwei watched.
Silently.
A strange glint flickered in his eyes.
Then—
His gaze shifted.
Toward Nono.
Toward Kurenai.
Toward the others.
The trap…
Was already closing.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)