บท 3: Chapter 3: Orochimaru, Please, No! Orochimaru!
Looking at the unconscious brothers, Ace dusted off his hands and scoffed at Mizuki's face.
He grabbed Mizuki's hair and ignited it, turning his silver locks into a charred mess.
With a sly smile, he suddenly felt a chill.
"Ugh, why do I have a bad feeling? Better get out of here."
Leaving the brothers behind, as there were no dangerous beasts nearby, he trusted they wouldn't die.
His intuition screamed that staying longer would bring trouble.
Just then, the bushes rustled, revealing a small white snake.
'It's just a snake,' he thought, calming down.
Wait, a snake…
"Young man, your body is quite unusual!"
A magnetic voice filled with interest sent shivers down Ace's spine, making him feel uncomfortable.
He turned stiffly and saw a figure in a purple kimono.
'Great, just my luck.'
He looked up to see a pale face with golden, slit-pupil eyes staring at him with intense curiosity.
Ace felt like a prey eyed by a predator.
Seeing that face, those eyes, and the blue-green magatama earrings, there was no doubt about who it was.
The legendary Sannin, Orochimaru!
"..."
Orochimaru. Gender… currently male. Interests… perhaps children.
He is a seeker of forbidden knowledge, unfettered by conventional morality. Ruthless, he loves experimenting on children and conducting various illegal experiments.
'Oh no, he must have seen everything. That look in his eyes is just like mine when I look at certain pictures.'
As a future protector of Konoha, Ace knew he should stay far from this person.
But what if Orochimaru didn't want that?
The small white snake crawled up Orochimaru's pants leg.
Licking his lips, Orochimaru said, "I didn't expect to find such an interesting thing while taking a walk for inspiration. What is your name?"
He had come out for a walk and heard sounds of a fight, so he decided to check it out.
Unexpectedly, he witnessed Ace using his abilities to teach Kaneki a lesson. Despite the steam, he saw everything clearly. Using fire without hand signs intrigued him greatly.
"A-ace Asakawa."
Facing him, Ace felt immense pressure.
"Asakawa... Are you the son of Daigo Asakawa and Keiko Asakawa?" Orochimaru recalled their names.
On the Rain Village battlefield during the Second Ninja War, Special Jōnin Daigo Asakawa sacrificed himself to complete a mission. Not long after, on the same day, his wife's medical team was ambushed, resulting in multiple deaths, including Keiko Asakawa.
Both parents died on the same day, leaving behind a three or four-year-old son. Orochimaru had personally retrieved their bodies.
His gaze softened, as he saw a bit of his younger self in Ace.
"Did you know my parents?"
"I met them a few times." Orochimaru didn't want to dwell on this topic. "Ace-kun, your abilities are quite special. Can you show them to me again?"
'Oh no, he's got his eyes on me!'
But faced with Orochimaru, Ace had no choice but to ignite flames in his palm.
"No hand signs?"
"No need."
"Is it your clan's kekkei genkai?" Orochimaru wondered aloud, but then dismissed the thought.
If Ace's father had possessed such an ability, he wouldn't have died so easily on the battlefield. Moreover, the only known kekkei genkai in Konoha were the Sharingan, Byakugan, and the Kurama clan's sensory manipulation.
The latter had long since declined, becoming insignificant.
Could it be that this child's ancestors had a unique kekkei genkai that had lain dormant for generations and had now awakened by chance?
"What is a kekkei genkai?" Ace asked innocently.
Orochimaru briefly explained what a kekkei genkai was, watching as Ace extinguished the flame in his hand.
"Doesn't it burn?" he asked.
Normally, the power of a jutsu was proportional to its risk. Powerful ninjutsu were either highly risky and classified as forbidden or consumed a large amount of chakra. Yet, Ace didn't seem burned or exhausted.
"No, it doesn't."
"When did you acquire this ability?"
Ace eyed Orochimaru warily and said in a small voice, "After my mom and dad died."
Orochimaru noticed the fear and caution in Ace's eyes but ignored it, attributing it to a child's natural fear of strangers, especially one who had lost his parents. Such wariness was normal.
Could the emotional trauma have triggered his unique ability?
Is Konoha about to gain a new kekkei genkai?
Unable to figure out Ace's ability, Orochimaru said, "Ace-kun, would you like to come to my place? It's quite large and has many interesting toys. You can play and rest there."
He sounded like a suspicious adult trying to lure a child.
Ace felt that if he went, he would end up on a cold operating table under a sharp scalpel.
'Is he planning to dissect me?'
Orochimaru, please, no! Orochimaru!
"No, my mom and dad told me not to go to strangers' houses. Goodbye, mister."
Ace turned to run, but several snakes slithered out from Orochimaru's sleeves, binding him tightly.
The cold bodies of the snakes held him firmly, their tongues flicking at him.
Oh no!
Orochimaru smiled. "Ace-kun, you're very cautious, but I won't harm you. I'm simply curious about your ability. Come with me."
Orochimaru, please, no! Orochimaru!
"Help! Someone's kidnapping a child! Help!"
Ace shouted at the top of his lungs.
"No need to shout. This place is a great training spot, which is why I like to walk here. No one will hear you, even if you scream."
"Ahhh!!! Nooo!!! Ahhh!!!"
"…"
Is this kid really okay in the head?
To ease Ace's fears, Orochimaru released the snakes binding him. "Ace-kun, I am Orochimaru, a disciple of the Third Hokage. You don't need to worry. I just want to understand the source of your ability. I won't harm you. And judging by how secretive you are, you probably want to keep this ability hidden, right? If I can figure it out, you could use it openly in the village. What do you say? Will you come with me?"
He extended his hand to Ace, eagerly awaiting the boy's decision.
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