บท 203: Chapter 203
Kaito always believed in one thing: his system wouldn't act arbitrarily.
Furthermore, Kaito was inclined to trust that the Grace Mark wouldn't have any unexpected issues.
Since the Grace Mark had indicated both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the two brothers, for Kaito, it meant he was destined to encounter them.
Otherwise, what would be the point of such a marking?
Kaito didn't believe that his system would engage in pointless actions.
Both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had long since passed away. The system marking them indicated something significant.
The two of them would rise and launch an attack on Kaito once more, and the only one capable of this feat was Orochimaru!
Kaito almost didn't need to think further to conclude that Orochimaru must be nearby, and being a member of the Akatsuki, he likely already engaged in the ongoing war.
Of course, whether this was the case needed further investigation. Kaito couldn't be sure if Orochimaru was just taking a stroll here.
Orochimaru seemed to have his laboratories everywhere in the ninja world. The principle of "a crafty rabbit has three burrows" was something he clearly understood.
So, the best way to confirm anything about Orochimaru was to confront him directly, as making blind guesses would yield no definitive answers.
Kaito's original assumption was that Orochimaru should be in the Iwagakure region, so he planned to inspect the situation.
At the same time, he could gather some other intelligence. After all, with Yaneko speaking so clearly, Kaito wouldn't ignore it.
However, what he never dreamt of was encountering Orochimaru halfway.
And judging by Orochimaru's appearance, it seemed he too was taken by surprise!
"Orochimaru?"
Kaito halted, and after exchanging glances with Shisui, they both stepped forward, positioning Yaneko behind them.
Kaito stared at the man indifferently, though deep down, he was somewhat excited.
Meeting him essentially meant encountering Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama. Once he defeated these two, he could obtain the mark.
Under such circumstances, how could he not feel exhilarated?
Yet, amid his excitement, Kaito remained exceedingly calm, especially considering that Orochimaru still possessed the ability and possibility of summoning Uchiha Madara.
"Chief Kaito, I truly didn't expect to encounter you here."
Orochimaru licked his lips, his gaze filled with surprise and a hint of mischief.
"I was wondering earlier if Chief Kaito would grace the battlefield.
Yet, I didn't anticipate meeting you so soon. How intriguing."
"Meeting Lord Orochimaru was equally unexpected for me."
Kaito nodded slightly at Orochimaru, then asked with a touch of curiosity, "Was it a mission from Akatsuki, or do you have a laboratory nearby?"
"Chief Kaito is indeed astute. Have you considered all possibilities so clearly?"
Orochimaru looked at Kaito with a smile, his raspy voice sounding particularly magnetic.
"It's quite a coincidence. I had heard that the Land of Grass harbored a descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Regrettably, I never had the time to visit before.
This time I did find the opportunity to come, only to discover that the individual has vanished.
What's even more fascinating is that my organization received a mission, a war mission."
Kaito raised an eyebrow at Orochimaru's evasive words, uncertain of the truth behind them.
Of course, his doubt was limited to the earlier part of the statement, because the Land of Grass indeed had Karin.
And in the original story, Karin was taken by Orochimaru, but that event followed the Chunin exams.
Despite knowing this piece of information, Kaito remained unsure of Orochimaru's intentions. Could it be that Orochimaru really had another lab in the Land of Grass?
Orochimaru would never realize that by revealing just a smidgen of information, he aroused Kaito's suspicions.
However, he should feel fortunate; at this moment, Kaito had no interest in dwelling on these details.
Staring intently at Orochimaru, after a long pause, Kaito finally inquired slowly, "So, are you suggesting that the Akatsuki have entered the war, am I right?"
"Yes, I accepted the mission."
Orochimaru licked his lips, feeling no guilt for betraying the Akatsuki.
"I just happened to be in the Hidden Grass Village searching for some interesting materials, so I came straight here after receiving the mission."
"What about the others, like Uchiha Itachi?"
Kaito pondered for a moment, then asked with a hint of gravity in his tone.
"Also, since you are an organization, there must be a leader. Who is your leader?"
"So eager to gather information already?"
Orochimaru's face retained its smile, but now there was a playful glint in his eyes.
"Uchiha Itachi is on a mission. The last time, he messed up recruiting Deidara, so now he needs to recruit a new member independently.
Interestingly, the one he's trying to recruit is Hiruko, who was once a member of the Leaf Village.
Unfortunately, his records were erased by the Leaf, and I was one of those tasked with his erasure.
As for the leader of our organization, he's an even more intriguing individual."
Hiruko?
Hearing this name, Kaito slightly furrowed his brows, and after a brief contemplation, he recalled, "Isn't that the one with the Chimera Technique?"
Kaito remembered him as a character from the movie and knew that he was particularly interested in the Sharingan.
Most importantly, he had created an incredible jutsu called the Chimera Technique.
This technique is a combination ninjutsu that allows one to merge with a ninja or a summoned creature, even absorbing Kekkei Genkai.
Such a technique is truly an unimaginable existence. If it could be modified to merge chakra...
Kaito dared not imagine further. Being aware of the Kekkei Tota, he knew exactly what that implied!
In truth, Kaito wasn't unaware of this individual, but he hadn't expected a character from the movie to actually appear.
Strictly speaking, the version of the world where Hiruko exists is quite different from the one Kaito remembers.
For instance, in Hiruko's movie world, the Iwagakure ninjas specialize not in Explosion Release but in some sort of Steel Release.
The one who was directly stabbed to death by Kunai excelled not in Scorch Release, but in some kind of Swift Release.
The funniest thing is that Troi, who Kaito personally took out, no longer specializes in Magnet Release.
Instead, he could directly be a candidate for the next Raikage or even his successor, possessing something called Storm Release! With such serious discrepancies, Kaito thought there wouldn't be a Hiruko.
And previously, when he searched for information, he couldn't find him, which made Kaito even more certain.
But now Orochimaru is telling him that Hiruko exists and his records were erased. Why would this upset Kaito? Kaito's thoughts began to churn, and clearly, whenever he contemplated like this, someone was bound to be unlucky!
"As for my leader, that guy might come back. After all, this is a big deal."
Seeing Kaito fall silent, Orochimaru discreetly started to circulate his chakra. He gently licked his lips before finally speaking.
"Moreover, my leader possesses a pair of truly extraordinary eyes, the Rinnegan!"
The Rinnegan is a legendary set of eyes. Anyone hearing about them might struggle to remain calm.
Even if they think he's spouting nonsense, they would at least show some sign of doubt or curiosity. That's the reaction Orochimaru is waiting for.
If it appears, it would be Orochimaru's chance to make a move. He doesn't believe Kaito would let him leave unscathed.
Although they aren't exactly enemies, given their current positions, neither would let the other go easily.
Orochimaru really couldn't figure out why Kaito remained so nonchalant upon hearing this news.
Shisui, standing behind him, already displayed a puzzled expression. Yet this guy seemed utterly unaffected.
The Rinnegan is known as the legendary eye of creation. Does he not know about this eye?
Or, did he already obtain some intel, and he's only asking to confirm his information?
//
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