The night was as thick and black as ink.
The camp deep within the forest lay shrouded in silence.
The campfire had already burned out, leaving only a pile of dark red embers that flickered faintly in the night breeze.
Inside Sunagakure's tent, Teizawa was sleeping soundly with Temari in his arms.
She was curled against him, her golden hair spread across the pillow. Her breathing was slow and steady.
Suddenly...
An explosion sounded in the distance.
It was not particularly loud, but in the silence of the night, it was especially jarring.
The clash of metal followed, along with shouting and the roar of erupting chakra.
Teizawa's eyes snapped open.
Temari awakened as well and sat up in his arms, her green eyes still clouded with sleep.
"What's happening?" she asked hoarsely.
Teizawa was already out of bed and getting dressed.
"I'll take a look." He fastened his belt. "Stay inside the tent."
Temari did not ask any questions.
She quickly got dressed and followed him outside.
Accompanied by several Sunagakure ANBU, they passed through the forest and hurried toward Orochimaru's camp.
The moon was hidden behind dark clouds. Only a few scattered rays of moonlight slipped through the gaps, barely illuminating the path beneath their feet.
The scent of blood grew stronger as they approached, mixed with the smell of something burning.
When they reached the camp, Teizawa found a large group of Sound-nin gathered together in complete disorder.
Some were shouting, others were searching the surrounding area, while several tended to the wounded.
The entire camp was a wreck.
Several tents had been burned, and large craters scarred the ground. A handful of injured Sound-nin lay nearby, groaning in pain.
Teizawa immediately spotted Kabuto.
He was crouching beneath a hastily constructed shelter, medical tools in hand as he treated someone.
His movements were quick but steady, and fine beads of sweat covered his forehead.
Teizawa looked more closely.
The person being treated was Orochimaru.
He lay on a blanket, his face terrifyingly pale. A deep wound ran across his chest, nearly exposing his ribs.
His white kimono was soaked with blood.
Kabuto was using chakra to stop the bleeding, but the wound was too deep. Blood continued seeping from it.
Orochimaru's eyes were half-closed, and his breathing was faint.
He resembled a candle on the verge of burning out.
"Well, well..."
Teizawa walked over with a gloating smile.
"Looks like you stumbled into a ditch, Orochimaru."
The Sound-nin turned toward him.
Their faces twisted with anger. Some gripped their kunai, others began forming hand seals, while several moved to shield Orochimaru.
Teizawa scoffed.
"What? You want to fight me?"
"Where did you find the nerve? Do you think Orochimaru can protect you? He can't even beat me."
His voice dripped with undisguised mockery.
"Your useless leader couldn't even handle some wet-behind-the-ears brat, and you still have the nerve to posture in front of me?"
One of the Sound-nin could no longer contain himself.
He drew his kunai and prepared to charge.
"Stand down."
Orochimaru's voice came from behind him.
It was hoarse and weak, yet it still carried unquestionable authority.
The Sound-nin froze, then reluctantly retreated.
With Kabuto's help, Orochimaru slowly sat up and looked at Teizawa.
Complex emotions churned within his golden serpent eyes.
Teizawa walked over and crouched before him, examining the wound that was still seeping blood.
"Looks like you failed."
His tone was as calm as though he were commenting on the weather.
Orochimaru gave a sinister chuckle. His smile held both self-mockery and bitter frustration.
"Sasuke was more perceptive than I expected. He was already wary of me."
"He knew I intended to take his body, so he never lowered his guard."
"He stabbed me during the critical moment of the reincarnation ritual."
Orochimaru paused.
"He aimed for my heart. I managed to evade it, so the blade only pierced my chest. It was close."
Teizawa shrugged.
"That was to be expected. Your intentions were far too obvious. Sasuke may be young, but he isn't stupid."
"You stared at him every day. Anyone would've become suspicious, especially a descendant of the Senju Clan."
Teizawa stood and looked down at him.
"Where is he now?"
"He escaped," Orochimaru replied, unable to conceal his frustration. "He fled during the confusion. I sent the Sound-nin after him, but they couldn't catch him."
"He was too fast, and he knew the terrain extremely well. He must have planned his escape route in advance."
Teizawa nodded but said nothing more.
Orochimaru had suffered a serious injury, but he was not weak enough to lose his ability to fight.
His reincarnation ritual had been interrupted, but his strength remained.
Kabuto's medical ninjutsu was also more than capable of stabilizing him.
Given enough time to recover, Orochimaru would soon be back on his feet.
But the reincarnation had failed.
Sasuke had escaped.
Orochimaru's current body did not have much time left.
Now, he needed a new vessel.
One powerful enough to contain both his soul and his strength.
"Kazekage-dono..."
Orochimaru's voice sounded strained.
"I'm going to die soon. Are you really not going to reveal your contingency plan?"
Teizawa paused, then laughed.
His smile carried the helplessness of someone whose intentions had been seen through.
"How did you know I had one?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"I investigated you. Every move you've made since taking control of Sunagakure through a coup has been remarkably steady."
"You pretend to act recklessly, but every step you take is meticulously planned."
He paused.
"I don't believe you came here unprepared. Without absolute confidence in your plan, you would never have handed me the Reaper Mask so easily."
Teizawa clicked his tongue.
"Clever. I'd expect nothing less from the man who almost became the Fourth Hokage."
Orochimaru's mouth twitched.
His expression grew even uglier.
Kabuto's face also became somewhat peculiar.
Orochimaru had indeed once been nominated as a candidate for the position of Fourth Hokage.
He had competed against Minato.
But he had lost, and the defeat had not been a graceful one.
It was one of the greatest humiliations of his life, a scar that would never fade.
By mentioning it, Teizawa had deliberately struck a sore spot.
"All right, I'll stop teasing you."
Teizawa clapped his hands.
"I really did prepare a contingency plan."
He took out a sealing scroll and unfurled it before Orochimaru.
The symbols covering the scroll began to glow.
A cloud of smoke erupted from it.
When the smoke cleared, a white figure stood before them.
The creature looked human, but it was not.
Its skin was white, and it had no facial features. Its body resembled a plant, with long limbs and strange patterns around its joints.
It stood there silently.
There was no breathing, no heartbeat, and no chakra fluctuation.
It resembled a vessel without a soul.
Orochimaru frowned slightly.
"What extraordinary vitality. What is this thing?"
His voice carried both caution and curiosity.
He had studied countless forbidden techniques and encountered innumerable bizarre creatures and experimental subjects.
Yet he had never seen anything like this.
It possessed no obvious signs of life, yet an indescribable vitality emanated from it.
It was like a sapling waiting to be planted.
Teizawa did not explain immediately.
At this point, Orochimaru knew nothing about creatures like White Zetsu.
He did not know where they came from or how they could be used.
He only knew that this creature was neither an ordinary life-form nor a typical experimental subject.
It was something far older and more mysterious.
(End of Chapter)
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