"Let's move," Orochimaru said, suppressing the swirl of thoughts in his mind. His hoarse voice returned to its usual calm as he carefully sensed the surroundings.
"It's not peaceful out here right now. There are people everywhere looking for you."
He gestured subtly toward Karin. The title of "Demon Child" had already spread across the shinobi world. Every faction either coveted her—or feared her.
"We'll return to one of my hideouts," Orochimaru decided. "Once we're there, we can talk in detail."
He had many more specific questions—about the so-called Lord of Demons, about the exact process by which her power had been granted, about what exactly she could "see."
But this was not the place.
The wilderness had too many unseen ears.
First, he needed to bring this precious—and dangerous—"specimen" into a controlled environment.
Karin had no objection.
They had not traveled long.
As they passed through a sparse woodland and approached a more secluded mountainous region, a figure appeared ahead of them like a ghost, silently blocking their path.
The man wore an ANBU uniform and an animal-shaped hawk mask. But the aura he carried—dark, oppressive, like roots buried deep underground—instantly told Orochimaru exactly where he came from.
Any trace of ease vanished from Orochimaru's face. His golden snake eyes narrowed, killing intent flickering within them.
"A filthy little rat from the sewers," he sneered. "What? Crawling into the open now?"
The masked shinobi—codename "Hawk"—showed no visible reaction to the insult. His voice was stiff and mechanical.
"Orochimaru-sama was once a member of Root as well."
"Heh…" Orochimaru let out a low, mocking chuckle. "Danzō… that old fossil really can't stay quiet, can he?"
At the blatant disrespect toward Shimura Danzō, a sharp glint of anger flashed beneath Hawk's mask.
But he restrained himself.
"You managed to track me down," Orochimaru continued coldly. "As expected of Root. Clinging like maggots to a corpse."
He cut straight to the point.
"What do you want? If the answer doesn't satisfy me—or if it annoys me…"
His tongue slid across his lips, a cruel smile forming.
"Then you'll stay here. Fertilizer for the soil."
The killing intent in the air thickened.
Orochimaru had no patience for Root—not with Karin beside him.
Hawk did not answer directly.
Instead, he withdrew a sealed scroll.
After forming hand signs, a puff of smoke burst forth.
A figure materialized.
"A Shadow Clone?" Orochimaru arched a brow, amused. "Danzō, you really are as cautious as ever. No… as afraid of dying as ever."
Before them stood a Shadow Clone of Shimura Danzō.
The moment he appeared, his single visible eye scanned the surroundings with habitual calculation.
Then—
It locked onto Karin.
His gaze burned with greed, possession, and cold evaluation—like a predator spotting rare prey.
He did not see a child.
He saw a weapon.
And that gaze—
Instantly infuriated someone.
Karin's face darkened at once. Crimson eyes flared with killing intent.
"I don't like the way you're looking at me," she said crisply.
"I'll kill you."
Danzō's clone stiffened, surprise and irritation flashing in his eye.
He clearly hadn't expected such blunt hostility from a mere girl.
His lips parted, ready to speak—
But Karin gave him no chance.
In the very instant his mouth began to move, her figure blurred.
She vanished from where she stood.
Too fast.
Danzō's pupil contracted.
Before he could react—
Pop.
A soft sound—like a bubble bursting.
Karin's small fist rested lightly against his chest.
No grand explosion. No dramatic display.
Yet the Shadow Clone twisted violently and dissipated into smoke, erased completely.
From appearance to destruction—
Danzō's clone hadn't managed to utter a single word.
Karin withdrew her hand, irritation still evident on her face.
She turned her gaze toward Hawk, who stood frozen in stunned disbelief.
"Hmph. Annoying."
Her figure blurred again.
BOOM—!!!
This time the impact was real.
Hawk didn't even have time to scream.
Under Karin's monstrous strength, his body exploded like a watermelon crushed by a boulder—limbs and blood scattering in every direction.
The forest fell silent.
As if she had merely brushed away two flies, Karin lightly dusted her hands.
Her expression returned to calm.
Orochimaru watched the entire scene unfold—watched as Danzō's clone and subordinate were "cleansed" without a single conversation taking place.
Even he couldn't help the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"You could've at least let him explain why he came," Orochimaru remarked dryly.
That was the leader of Root, after all.
It might have been useful to hear him out before killing him.
Efficiency, in this case, had been… excessive.
Karin turned her head slowly.
Her red eyes were pure—and utterly cold.
"I don't care why he came."
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