The group continued forward for some distance.
The trees on both sides of the main road grew denser and denser.
Branches and leaves interwove overhead, blocking out most of the sky.
Sunlight leaked through the gaps, scattering mottled shadows across the ground.
The damp scent of earth filled the air, mixed with the fragrance of some unknown wildflower.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the middle of the road ahead.
White hair. Round glasses.
The corner of his mouth held a smile that was not quite a smile.
He wore Otogakure's uniform, with both hands tucked into his pockets, his posture relaxed and casual.
Teizawa narrowed his eyes and pulled back on the reins.
"Kabuto Yakushi."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses, and a flash of surprise passed through the eyes behind the lenses.
"I didn't expect Lord Kazekage to know me."
His voice was unhurried.
It carried a smile that made him hard to read.
Of course, he knew he was not completely unknown.
But for the Kage of a village to recognize him at a glance was still somewhat unexpected.
Teizawa jumped down from the carriage and walked up to him, sizing him up from head to toe.
That gaze made Kabuto feel as though he were being examined like some interesting tool.
It left him faintly unsettled.
"Kabuto..."
The corner of Teizawa's mouth lifted slightly. "I'm very interested in you. How about coming to work for me?"
Kabuto froze.
The hand he had raised to push up his glasses stopped in midair.
For an instant, his eyes widened behind the lenses, though he quickly regained his composure.
He had never expected the Kazekage to try to recruit him.
In Otogakure, he was only Orochimaru's assistant, an inconspicuous existence.
Although he had done many things in secret, on the surface he was only an ordinary medical ninja.
A quiet, nameless tool under Orochimaru.
Teizawa, of course, was not joking.
The man before him was a serious monster in his own right.
He had mastered Ryuchi Cave senjutsu, something even Orochimaru had failed to learn.
In the end, he had even become one of the hidden masterminds behind the Fourth Great Ninja War.
A person like this...
Either recruit him.
Or kill him early, so one could sleep peacefully.
"Lord Kazekage..." Kabuto's smile became somewhat unnatural. "Please don't joke with me."
Teizawa shook his head.
"I'm not joking. Sunagakure's doors are always open to you."
Kabuto's smile stiffened on his face.
He looked into Teizawa's deep eyes, trying to find some trace of mockery or frivolity.
But all he saw was a certain, unquestionable seriousness.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he looked away and pushed up his glasses.
"Lord Kazekage..." His voice returned to calm. "Orochimaru-sama is waiting for you."
Teizawa nodded.
"Is he still alive?"
Kabuto's expression changed slightly.
He understood the meaning in Teizawa's words.
It was not the polite sort of question that meant, "Is Orochimaru-sama in good health?"
It was the casual sort that meant, "That old bastard still hasn't died?"
A trace of displeasure flashed through his eyes.
But he restrained himself.
"Orochimaru-sama is doing very well."
His voice was slightly cold.
"Lead the way."
Teizawa spoke, then stepped forward.
The dark-gold robe gave off a cold, faint sheen amid the mottled light and shadow.
His pace was calm, as if he were walking through his own backyard.
The Suna ANBU stopped where they were.
No one followed.
Kabuto paused for a moment.
He looked back at the carriages and ninja stopped in the distance, then looked again at Teizawa's back.
Was this Kazekage too confident in his own strength?
Or did he simply not fear death?
He actually dared to meet Orochimaru-sama alone?
Had he forgotten how the Fourth Kazekage died?
Countless thoughts flashed through Kabuto's mind.
Each one carried suspicion and vigilance.
"Stop dragging your feet..."
Teizawa's voice came from ahead, carrying a trace of impatience. "Hurry up."
The corner of Kabuto's mouth twitched.
He took a deep breath and stepped after him.
"I'm coming."
His voice returned to its unhurried rhythm.
But something churned in the depths of his eyes.
He looked at the dark-gold figure ahead of him.
A complicated light flashed behind his lenses.
The two of them, one in front and one behind, walked through Otogakure's gate.
Sunlight leaked through the treetops, scattering broken patches of light over them.
In the distance, the Suna group remained where they were.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Soon, Teizawa followed Kabuto into the depths of Otogakure.
The buildings on the ground became fewer and fewer, while the trees grew denser.
The path beneath their feet changed from stone slabs to dirt.
From dirt to gravel.
Finally, Kabuto stopped before a rock wall covered in moss and reached out to press a certain spot.
Rumble...
The rock wall slid open to both sides, revealing a deep, dark entrance.
A cold, damp wind carrying the smell of mold rushed out from within, mixed with the scent of soil and decay.
Kabuto stepped aside and made an inviting gesture.
Teizawa did not hesitate.
He stepped inside.
The cave was deep and winding.
Every few steps, a night pearl had been embedded into the stone walls on either side.
They emitted a cold, ghostly glow.
The ground was wet, and each step produced a dull clack beneath his feet.
The air grew damper and colder.
It was like walking into the belly of some giant beast.
Teizawa walked ahead.
His dark-gold robe gave off a faint luster in the cold light.
He looked around.
At the wet stone walls, at the vines dangling from the ceiling, at the moss and ferns growing in the corners...
A hint of disgust rose at the corner of his mouth.
"Orochimaru really does think he's a snake..."
His voice echoed through the cave, carrying undisguised mockery.
"With perfectly good ground above him, he insists on living underground in a dark, damp hole. Something's wrong with his head."
Kabuto's steps paused slightly.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
A cold light flashed behind his lenses.
"Kazekage..."
His voice dropped very low, so low it seemed forced out from deep in his throat.
"Please show Orochimaru-sama some respect."
Teizawa stopped and turned around, looking at him with a half-smile.
"Oh? Are you going to fight me?"
Kabuto's fingers curled slightly, hidden inside his sleeve.
That polite smile was still on his face.
But beneath that smile, something was churning.
"I wouldn't dare."
His voice was very soft, like night wind brushing past the ear.
But the eyes behind his lenses were as cold as winter stars.
Teizawa looked at him.
The smile on his lips deepened.
Kid, you're making me wonder whether you and Orochimaru have some kind of unspeakable relationship.
He thought it silently, but did not say it aloud.
He only turned around and continued toward the depths of the cave.
Kabuto followed behind him.
His pace remained composed, and his breathing stayed even.
But his eyes never left Teizawa's back.
He was like a snake lying dormant in the dark.
The cave grew deeper and deeper. The light grew dimmer and dimmer.
The air became more and more humid.
From somewhere in the distance came the sound of dripping water.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Like some ancient timer echoing through the darkness.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]