Over the next month, Gento lived quite leisurely.
As for administrative affairs, he handed all the duties of the Hidden Leaf Police Force over to Fugaku.
Even though the crime rate in the Hidden Leaf Village remained high, Fugaku being overwhelmed with work had nothing to do with Gento.
Either he would find Kurenai for "deep exchanges" in genjutsu; once they started, it would last well into the night.
Or he would train Pakura, gradually turning her into a qualified female secretary.
Mm, the kind that was qualified in every aspect.
Occasionally, he would also check on the construction progress of Gen Kigami.
The open area in the clan grounds had now been fenced off, and the constant clanging of construction rang out all day.
Whenever Uchiha clan members passed by, they would crane their necks to peek inside, curious about what was being built.
But the craftsmen were tight-lipped; ask anyone and they would just shake their heads.
This only made everyone even more curious.
Gento didn't explain either, merely smiling as he said:
"Once it's finished, I guarantee it'll leave you all stunned."
That day, Gento had just finished inspecting the construction site with Pakura.
Gen Kigami had already stated that the first building would be completed within the next few days.
The rest would take a few more days.
Gento couldn't help but look forward to it.
Just as he was planning to head home and continue "training" Pakura, someone suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was a Kunoichi, about the same age as Shisui; around twelve or thirteen.
She wore a black skintight outfit, with a fishnet-style undergarment inside that wrapped her just-developing figure into alluring curves.
Below her short skirt were a pair of pale, slender legs, and she wore ninja boots on her feet.
Her dark purple hair was tied into a high ponytail, her bangs covering half her face, with the visible eye carrying a hint of unruliness.
She placed her hands on her hips and raised her chin:
"Gento, my teacher, invites you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a voice rang out in Gento's mind:
[Ding! Suitable Dual Cultivation target detected.]
[Name: Anko Mitarashi]
[Bloodline Limit: Cursed Seal of Heaven]
[Strength: Chunin]
[Overall Evaluation: A-rank]
Hm?
Gento paused for a moment.
Anko Mitarashi?
Of course, he knew this girl: Orochimaru's disciple, and in the original, a mature woman who loved eating dango.
But now… she was far too young!
He looked at the still undeveloped girl in front of him, shaking his head inwardly.
Twelve years old… on Blue Star, that would still be a middle school student.
Although in the shinobi world, twelve-year-olds going to war and even getting married and having children was not uncommon.
Still, he retained memories of Blue Star, and he had his bottom line.
Wait two years; let her grow first.
"Your teacher… is one of the Three Sannin, Orochimaru-sama?"
Anko nodded.
Gento narrowed his eyes.
Orochimaru was looking for him?
What was he planning?
He thought about it; now that he had the Mangekyo Sharingan, even if Orochimaru had ulterior motives, he might not be able to do anything to him.
"Alright, lead the way."
He also wanted to see what exactly Orochimaru was up to.
Anko led Gento and Pakura toward the outskirts of the village.
The three moved through the forest for half an hour, arriving at a familiar place:
The Forest of Death.
Anko didn't stop, leading them deep into the forest, finally halting in front of a moss-covered boulder.
She reached out and pressed against the stone, and the ground suddenly split open, revealing a staircase leading downward.
"Please."
Gento glanced at the pitch-black entrance and stepped inside.
The staircase was long, and the deeper they went, the colder it became.
Dim oil lamps were lit at intervals along the passage, their flickering flames casting long shadows.
The air was filled with an indescribable smell, like medicinal fluids, yet also like something rotting.
After turning a corner, the view suddenly opened up.
This was a massive underground space. The walls were carved with numerous recesses, each filled with glass containers of various sizes.
Under the dim yellow light, the contents inside the containers were revealed:
Human arms, eyeballs, and unidentifiable organs floated up and down in a pale green liquid.
In the corner were several iron beds, their surfaces stained with dark brown residue.
Various tools hung on the walls—hooks, tweezers, saws—gleaming coldly under the light.
Gento's eyelid twitched, but his steps did not stop.
Passing through this area and walking down another corridor, they finally arrived at the innermost room.
The room was somewhat brighter than outside, with more lamps lit on all four walls.
At the center stood a man.
He wore a gray-white kimono with a purple rope tied around his waist. His collar was wide open, exposing his pale chest.
His long black hair fell to his waist, and his complexion was so pale it bordered on sickly.
His face was extremely handsome, with narrow eyes and thin lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile.
Most striking were his eyes; golden vertical pupils, like a snake's, sending chills down one's spine when he looked at you.
"Gento-kun, you've indeed come."
Orochimaru's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an indescribable and sinister feminine softness.
Gento stopped in front of him, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
"Orochimaru-sama, along the way here, I saw quite a few things. These experiments… are strictly forbidden in Leaf."
Orochimaru let out a soft chuckle, the smile cold and devoid of any warmth.
"Mundane rules hold no meaning in my eyes. Gento-kun is a smart man; I believe you can understand."
Gento didn't respond.
He did indeed admire Orochimaru.
The man was intelligent, a master of research, and many of his ideas were far ahead of this era.
Moreover, strictly speaking, he wasn't exactly evil… it was just that many of his ideas were not permitted at this time.
Yet dealing with someone like him meant always being on guard against being bitten back.
Gento didn't bother with roundabout words and asked directly:
"I wonder what Orochimaru-sama wants with me?"
Orochimaru stared at him, his golden vertical pupils unmoving.
"I'm very interested in the Sharingan of the Uchiha. I want to study it."
Gento raised an eyebrow:
"Do you not know I'm the Uchiha clan head? Saying that right in front of me, you're not afraid I'll turn hostile?"
The smile at the corner of Orochimaru's lips deepened slightly.
"If someone as rigid as Fugaku were the clan head, I would have secretly captured a few Uchiha clan members and studied them at leisure. But with you, I'm willing to try communicating instead; I believe you have your own methods."
Gento neither confirmed nor denied.
Seeing this, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips.
That tongue was thin and long, like a snake's forked tongue.
"Experiments can help us explore the secrets of Bloodline Limits. My research results can also be shared with you."
"How do I contact you?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up.
He took out a scroll from his sleeve and tossed it to Gento.
Gento caught it and unfolded it. It was a summoning technique formula.
He nodded and put the scroll away.
"Alright, I'll be going then."
With that, he turned and left with Pakura.
Anko stood in the corner, watching Gento's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.
She bit her lip and walked over to Orochimaru, speaking in a low voice:
"Sensei… I… I don't want to participate in these experiments anymore…"
Orochimaru turned his head, his golden vertical pupils falling upon her.
That gaze was cold, devoid of any emotion.
A chill ran down Anko's spine, her body hair standing on end.
Before she could react, her neck suddenly grew hot.
The heat spread rapidly, like a searing branding iron pressed against her skin, or countless needles piercing into her blood vessels.
"Ah…!"
Anko's legs gave out, and she dropped to her knees.
Her hands clutched her neck, her body curling like a shrimp, trembling all over.
Sweat burst out instantly, streaming down her cheeks.
"N-no… stop… it hurts…"
She curled on the ground, her teeth chattering as she tried to scream but couldn't, only broken syllables escaping her throat.
"Hot… so hot… Sensei… I was wrong…"
Orochimaru looked down at her from above, his expression completely unmoved.
Only when Anko's struggling gradually weakened did he slowly speak:
"You are my most perfect test subject. So…"
He paused, then bent down, leaning close to Anko's ear.
"I don't wish to hear those words again."
...
On the flip side, by the time Gento brought Pakura back to the Uchiha clan grounds, it was already late at night.
Moonlight spilled over the stone-paved road, the surroundings silent.
Gento's hand had just rested on Pakura's waist, not yet having the chance to do anything, when a voice suddenly came from behind:
"Gento-sama."
Shisui stepped out from the shadows, kneeling on one knee.
On the ground beside him lay two people, their hands and feet bound, faces down, unmoving.
"These two just tried to kidnap members of the Uchiha clan. I captured them."
...
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