Underground base.
Orochimaru smiled as he walked out from the inner room.
"Masahiko-kun, congratulations. I heard you've been promoted."
"Lord Orochimaru, nothing can be hidden from you."
Masahiko bowed respectfully and then said calmly, "However, a Jonin is nothing before you; there's nothing to be proud of."
"I still prefer your previous... attitude of wanting to perish together."
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled up slightly.
Afterward, he looked at Kimimaro: "How was it?"
"Lord Masahiko is very strong. I still need to continuously train and learn!"
Kimimaro answered.
Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Go then."
Masahiko watched Kimimaro leave, then looked at Orochimaru and asked, "Lord Orochimaru, is that child a descendant of the Kaguya Clan?"
"Yes, a child with extremely high talent. I encountered him by chance in the Land of Water."
Orochimaru said.
By chance?
Not necessarily.
Masahiko withdrew his gaze and asked, "Does he not yet possess that power called the Curse Mark?"
"Curse Mark?"
Orochimaru looked at him with a smile, "Have you seen the data?"
"No, I just investigated Anko."
Masahiko replied.
Hearing that name, Orochimaru fell silent for a rare moment, then sighed softly, "She was once a disciple I valued, but unfortunately..."
He was silent for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "This child really wants it, but it's not time yet."
"Perhaps you need to be more cautious."
Masahiko pondered for a moment, appearing to make a very difficult decision, before finally saying:
"For certain reasons, Lord Danzo has recently been re-collecting data on the Shikotsumyaku. I have seen some of it and have made some summaries of my own..."
"Masahiko-kun, there's no need for us to beat around the bush."
Orochimaru's smile faded slightly.
Then, he took out a scroll prepared in advance.
"This contains all the information regarding Shisui and Itachi, and inside is also what Danzo wants."
"Lord Third wants to retrieve the Tailed Beast Chakra and confirm the authenticity of that previous intelligence."
Masahiko said.
Orochimaru sat down on a chair and said frankly, "It's all true. As for the reason... you can understand it as me simply being curious about the limits of the Uchiha, so I wanted to cause them some trouble."
"I understand."
Masahiko nodded.
He looked at Orochimaru and said, "According to the data I've collected, there seems to be a problem with the Shikotsumyaku; the incidence of kekkei sickness within the Kaguya Clan is very high."
Hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Afterward, he leaned back into his chair, receding into the shadows of the lamplight so that his face could not be seen clearly: "I want to know why Danzo is collecting data on this."
"I'm not sure, but I have some conjectures. Perhaps they have encountered another Shikotsumyaku user."
Masahiko replied.
Orochimaru frowned and nodded slightly: "I see... Masahiko-kun, thank you for this piece of information."
"You and I are partners. Your strength is also beneficial to me. This is a win-win situation."
Masahiko answered with a smile.
The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled up as he took out a scroll.
"This is a portion of the Tailed Beast Chakra. I'll give it to you; how you use it is up to you. As for the rest, I won't be returning it to the old man for the time being."
"Alright."
Masahiko took it.
Orochimaru gained some interest and asked, "How are you going to handle it?"
"I also have some interest in Tailed Beast Chakra. Unfortunately, last time the conditions didn't allow me to stay at the scene... This portion, of course, I'll keep for my own use."
Masahiko replied.
He indeed wanted to study Tailed Beast Jinchuriki, especially the ability of the Tailed Beast Cloak—
The so-called Chakra Mode is essentially the same principle as the Tailed Beast Cloak; the two can learn from each other, and perhaps even complement each other.
Orochimaru laughed for a while and said, "I'm really satisfied with you. It would be even better if you were willing to join me, but unfortunately, you are an ambitious person."
"By cooperating with you, Lord Orochimaru, I can still be of help."
Masahiko replied.
Afterward, he straightened up: "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Mhm."
...In the Land of Grass, in front of the streets of the Grass Hidden Village, a red-haired girl was being dragged out of a house.
She was crying and screaming.
But those Ninjas showed no mercy; instead, they increased their force and slapped her hard across the face.
"Your mother is already dead. For the sake of the Village, you should step forward. Do you want to watch everyone die? If you dare to resist again, I'll kill you!"
"No, I..."
The girl looked up at the man's fierce face, sinking into a state of panic and helplessness.
She lowered her head and remained silent, but no longer struggled.
Just then, a strange, low voice rang out.
"After losing one's home, one's own excellence becomes a burden instead. How tragic."
"Who is it?!"
The Grass Ninja suddenly looked up.
Only to see a giant, black-and-white bear falling from the sky.
Boom!
A loud crash.
"Ah!!!"
A scream rang out.
It sat on the Grass Ninja with its buttocks, lying, crushing, and shifting... without moving much, the Grass Ninja underneath had already stopped moving.
The red-haired girl looked up, staring blankly at the terrifying creature before her, forgetting her fear for a moment.
The strange bear looked down at her, then patted her head and pushed her to the side.
At this point, she saw another person not far away.
A mysterious Ninja dressed in a black robe and wearing a fox mask.
She swallowed her saliva, but at the same time, she felt a bit of hope and excitement: "Who, who are you?"
"A passerby."
The Black-Robed Man said in a low voice, "But I can give you a chance."
"What chance?"
Karin's eyes gradually regained some light.
"A powerful life force is hidden within your body, which allows you to serve as a Medical Ninja, but that is a waste of a god-given gift."
The Black-Robed Man looked down, "If you are willing to come with me, I will teach you how to control this power, and you will be able to control your own destiny to a certain extent."
"Really?"
Karin's face showed excitement as she nodded repeatedly, "I am willing to go with you!"
"Then, get up and follow."
The Black-Robed Man took her along.
Not far away, one Grass Ninja after another rushed over, throwing Kunai and shuriken this way.
In the next second, the panda roared and stood upright like a human, blocking all the Kunai and shuriken like a giant.
Clang, clang, clang!
The Kunai and shuriken couldn't break through its defense at all; instead, they were all gathered up by it.
It used Chakra to influence these iron tools, and then... Whoosh!
A sky full of Kunai and shuriken flew back towards them together, and the Grass Hidden Village was instantly thrown into chaos.
By the time they recovered from the chaos, only that strange bear remained in front of them; there was no sign of the Black-Robed Man or Karin.
The giant bear lay on the street, looking as if it posed no threat, even—
Its claws hooked, as if beckoning them.
Everyone looked at each other, none of them daring to pursue, let alone approach.
The panda suddenly felt bored, sauntered down the street, and a moment later, the Summoning Jutsu was released... Outside the Village.
Karin looked back at the Village, thinking of the panicked and fearful expressions of those Grass Ninjas just now, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of gratification in her heart.
"Lord, where are we going next?"
She looked up at the Black-Robed Man, her face filled with deep reliance.
"To find you a temporary place to stay."
Then, the Black-Robed Man looked down, "That kind of panda just now, do you want one?"
"Can I have one?"
Karin's eyes were bright, filled with excitement.
The Black-Robed Man nodded: "Of course."
Karin was extremely excited, clutching his hand tightly and not daring to let go, as if she were afraid of missing this opportunity.
The Black-Robed Man chuckled and said, "Let's go, I'll take you away from here first."
As he spoke, he grabbed Karin and disappeared from the spot with a Body Flicker.
Only after the two had vanished without a trace did the Ninjas from the Grass Hidden Village behind them finally catch up.