Rumble…
The instant Teizawa finished speaking, an unbearably thick chakra erupted from his body.
It pressed down on Orochimaru like something physical.
This was no ordinary chakra. It was not the kind of power one could sense and resist.
It was something more fundamental, more irresistible…
Pressure.
It felt as if the entire sky had collapsed. As if a whole mountain had come crashing down onto his chest.
Even breathing became difficult.
Orochimaru's survival instincts screamed wildly.
His snake-like eyes went wide, his pupils shrinking into thin slits.
His body trembled. His fingers trembled. His knees trembled.
But he could not move.
He was like a frog pinned beneath a snake's gaze.
He clearly wanted to flee, yet his body refused to obey.
This chakra…
This thick, heavy, suffocating chakra…
It was denser than what he had felt from the Third Hokage.
More dangerous than what he had felt from Itachi.
More terrifying than any enemy he had ever encountered in his life.
Buzz…
Then the pressure vanished all at once.
Teizawa withdrew his chakra and leaned back against his chair.
The smile on his face returned to that same calm, effortless expression.
"So…" His voice was light. "Here's to a pleasant partnership."
Orochimaru gasped for air in great, ragged mouthfuls.
Like a drowning man who had just been dragged ashore.
His hands were still shaking.
Sweat slid down his forehead, rolled along his cheek, and dripped onto his pants, leaving dark stains behind.
He looked at Teizawa's young face.
His eyes were filled with wariness.
A pleasant partnership.
He silently repeated those four words in his mind.
His fingers tapped lightly against the bedding, but the rhythm was scattered, lacking his usual composure.
This young Kazekage was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Orochimaru extended one gaunt finger and pushed it into his mouth.
From deep in his throat, he slowly pulled out a sealing scroll covered in mucus.
The scroll was wet.
Under the candlelight, it gleamed with a nauseating sheen.
He tossed it to Teizawa.
The motion was casual, as though he were throwing away a piece of garbage.
Teizawa caught the scroll, his brows knitting slightly.
He pinched one corner of it in disgust.
Then he walked to the bed, bent down, and carefully wiped it against Orochimaru's bedding.
He wiped it several times.
Only when the surface was no longer sticky did he straighten and open it for a look.
The page was packed with formulas and annotations.
The handwriting was messy, yet clear.
Every word carried Orochimaru's distinct, cold style.
"Not bad."
The corner of Teizawa's mouth lifted slightly. He tucked the scroll into his robes, then tossed it into a corner.
"I'm satisfied with your sincerity."
Orochimaru leaned against the head of the bed, his golden snake eyes fixed on Teizawa, complex emotions churning deep within them.
"I hope…" His voice was hoarse and low, like sandpaper scraping against stone. "Your Excellency is sincere as well."
"Of course."
Teizawa turned and pushed the door open.
His dark-gold robe shimmered with a cold luster in the candlelight.
His steps were unhurried, as if he were walking on clouds.
"Once you find the address I gave you…" He paused. "You may come to Sunagakure to find me."
He reached the doorway and stopped without looking back.
"I'll be waiting for Karin at the entrance. Don't make me wait too long."
The door closed softly behind him.
His footsteps grew farther and farther away, fainter and fainter.
In the end, they vanished completely at the end of the corridor.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and stared at the closed door.
No one knew what he was thinking.
His fingers tapped lightly against the bedding.
This time, the rhythm was slow and steady, as though he were calculating something.
The candle flame flickered in the corner.
It cast shifting patches of light and shadow over his pale face.
That young man was simply too strong.
So strong it sent a chill down Orochimaru's spine.
But he could not move against him now. Nor was he confident he could defeat him.
He could only wait.
Wait for his hands to recover.
Wait for his body to recover.
Wait for that vessel he had been waiting for all this time to mature.
Orochimaru closed his eyes and leaned back against the headboard.
His breathing gradually steadied.
Then Kabuto pushed the door open and entered.
His footsteps were very soft, as though he were stepping on cotton.
He stood at the doorway and did not approach.
Behind his lenses, his eyes looked first at Orochimaru.
Then at the door that had already closed.
He seemed to want to speak, yet hesitated.
"Orochimaru-sama…" His voice was hesitant, as though he were choosing his words carefully. "Do you trust him?"
Orochimaru remained silent for a long time.
So long that Kabuto thought he would not answer at all.
Only then did he slowly speak.
"We have to try." His voice was hoarse and low, forced up from deep in his throat. "Have Karin follow him."
Kabuto's brow creased slightly, but it soon smoothed out again.
He lowered his head and pushed up his glasses.
"Understood."
He turned and left the chamber, his footsteps gradually fading.
The door closed softly behind him.
"Karin."
Orochimaru silently repeated the name in his heart.
That girl had followed him for several years. She was a precious experimental subject.
She was also one of the most capable sensory-type talents in his hands.
And now, he had to give her to someone else.
He was reluctant.
But compared to his hands, compared to his soul, compared to the plan he had spent so many years building…
What was one Karin worth?
…
Teizawa did not wait long at the entrance.
A faint sound of footsteps came from behind him.
Very light, carrying a kind of cautious hesitation, as though the person might flee back at any moment.
He turned around, and a small, thin figure entered his sight.
It was a girl who looked no older than thirteen or fourteen.
Her body was so slight that a gust of wind seemed capable of knocking her over.
Her red hair stood out sharply beneath the dim light.
Like a burning flame.
Yet it formed a stark contrast with the timid expression she wore now.
She was dressed in a loose white robe.
The cuffs had been rolled back several times, revealing a pair of thin wrists.
Glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, and behind the lenses were bright blue eyes.
Right now, those eyes were fixed on him.
They were full of vigilance, unwillingness…
And a trace of fear that seemed carved into her bones.
She stood at the doorway and did not continue forward.
As if waiting for something.
As if afraid of something.
Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes.
Her lips pressed into a tight line.
She did not understand why Orochimaru-sama had ordered her to follow this strange man.
But she did not dare ask.
She did not dare disobey.
Orochimaru-sama's orders were everything.
All she could do was obey.
Teizawa looked at her, and the corner of his mouth slowly rose.
Karin…
Of course he knew her.
A descendant of the Uzumaki clan.
She possessed rare sensory and healing abilities.
With just one bite into her skin, a person could recover a large amount of chakra and heal their injuries.
On the battlefield, that ability was practically cheating.
And she was an Uzumaki.
Tenacious life force. Vast chakra reserves.
With a little cultivation…
Perhaps she would bring him an unexpected surprise.
What he liked most right now was collecting talent.
From Sasori to Deidara, from Neji to Hinata, from Sasuke to Gaara and then Nagato…
What he had always been doing was gathering every useful person and every useful thing into his own hands.
Karin was no exception.
"You're Karin?"
His voice was light, carrying a hint of amusement.
Karin did not speak. She only nodded.
The motion was so small it was nearly impossible to notice.
Her eyes studied Teizawa's face, as though trying to confirm something.
Teizawa beckoned to her.
"Come here."
Karin's body stiffened slightly.
But in the end, she still took a step forward.
She walked very slowly, as if measuring every step.
When she reached Teizawa, she stopped.
Her head lowered, not daring to look at him.
Teizawa reached out and gently rubbed the top of her head.
The motion was light.
So light it was like he was soothing a frightened little animal.
Karin's body went taut at once.
Like a bowstring drawn to its limit.
But soon, she slowly relaxed again.
"Don't be afraid," Teizawa said gently. "Stay with me, and nothing will happen to you."
Karin raised her head and looked at his face, which seemed especially soft beneath the moonlight.
Her lips moved.
She seemed to want to say something, but swallowed it back down.
She did not know why she had to follow this stranger.
But she knew…
She had no choice.
Orochimaru-sama had ordered her to follow him.
So she had to follow.
Teizawa withdrew his hand and walked into the distance.
"Get in the carriage."
His voice came from up ahead, carrying a certainty that allowed no refusal.
"We're going home."
Karin stood where she was.
She watched that dark-gold back gradually move away.
Moonlight fell over him, casting a long, slender shadow across the ground.
She took a deep breath.
Then she stepped forward and followed.
(End of Chapter)
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