Chapter 162: Chapter 55: Late Night Secret Meeting
Konohagakure, late at night.
In the dense forest, a sneaky figure quietly crouched in the bushes, looking warily around through the gaps between the leaves.
He had been in this position for a long time.
Finally, footsteps came from the forest path, the sound of a patrol.
"Hey, did you hear? The Uchiha are making trouble again. The loser of the clan chief election murdered Uchiha Chiru's brother, but was killed in return!"
"Of course, I know. The Uchiha has a Wood Release kid, and even the Hokage is shocked by it."
"The Uchiha haven't been peaceful lately. Their clan land was inexplicably destroyed. Poor patrol brothers in the west district, they're having a hard time."
"Is that the point? Damn it, Wood Release! That's the First's secret technique! Not even Tsunade has mastered the power, but it was mastered by an Uchiha! Isn't that explosive enough?"
"Now that you mention it, it is. The Uchiha's first Wood Release, and he awakened the Sharingan, he's got a limitless future."
"Don't speculate blindly without knowing all the facts. The Uchiha's first Wood Release isn't that kid."
"Listen to our old Kosuke blowing his own horn."
"Hey, you guys haven't been on the battlefield, you wouldn't know…"
"Wouldn't know what? Hahaha, I say, if you put more effort into training instead of bragging, you wouldn't be called the 'Eternal Genin,' hahahaha…"
They passed by as usual, not lingering, and the dwindling laughter faded away.
After a moment, an unremarkable bush stirred slightly, and a figure quickly jumped out, scattering leaves.
He wore black clothes, a mask, white hair tied back in a ponytail, and looked cautious.
He quickly crossed the path, easily avoiding all the hidden posts, and passed through layers of trees, eventually arriving at a moss-covered stone.
"Huff~"
Everything was silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind and the chirping of cicadas. He took a deep breath, and a few hints of excitement appeared in his eyes.
It was Hizure.
After more than a year of exploration, the earth-based surveying, and countless days and nights of careful mapping, he knew the entire shape of the underground vault.
Through repeated deduction and validation, he was sure that the blue stone, which was almost everywhere in Konoha, was the entrance to the underground chamber!
He began to form seals, gently placing his hand on the stone. "Earth Release: Seismic Pulse."
A surge of chakra spread across the surface of the stone, then completely merged into the earth and stone. Hizure closed his eyes, extending his senses inward.
It was a marvelous feeling. At one point, he even felt as if the stone was a part of his body.
"It's hollow!" He suddenly opened his eyes, following his inner sense, and punched a certain spot three times.
The subtle vibration touched a mechanism. After a few breaths, the blue stone slowly cracked open, and fine sand fell. The stones on both sides shifted backwards, and the gap widened into a doorway as tall as an adult.
With a bit of moonlight, a dark staircase was visible, and the bottom connected to a long passage.
Hizure couldn't hide his excitement and swallowed hard. He began to enter.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist, and his heart jumped. With a hasty glance, he barely managed to identify pale skin before being thrown back into the bushes.
"Shh!"
A head of black hair and golden slitted pupils appeared in his vision.
Orochimaru tightly pressed Hizure's mouth, picked up a few stones, and tossed them toward the opening stone.
The three stones broke through the air, colliding with each other and landing on the exact same spot!
Then, in Hizure's disillusioned eyes, the stone shook and closed, returning to its original state.
"You!"
He glared at Orochimaru resentfully, not knowing his motives, or how he could operate the blue stone mechanism so well.
"Don't move!" Orochimaru whispered urgently.
Suddenly, the blue stone trembled again, and heart-stopping footsteps emerged from the opening!
Hizure's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
Before his horror, two ninjas wearing Konoha headbands walked out of the blue stone, silent, with heavy dark circles under their eyes.
The two in the bushes held their breath, not daring to make a sound, and after the people outside walked away and the stone closed, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"What's wrong with you? Why do you know the intelligence here? And why are you following me?"
Hizure asked first, with a barrage of questions.
"A little slow to ask at this time, Hizure," Orochimaru smiled slightly. "From the first day you used earth techniques to map the area, I've been following you."
"What!"
Orochimaru said in a low voice, "Don't be so shocked. If I hadn't been diverting the guards for you every day, secretly dealing with the threats and obstacles, do you really think you, a Genin, could have found the entrance to the vault safely?"
"I…" Hizure was dumbfounded, and he felt numb all over.
He suddenly had a bad feeling. "Could it be that you want to use me to find the treasure and then take it for yourself!?"
"Don't be silly, Hizure. Master did set a test, but I don't remember him setting a limit on the number of people." Orochimaru said calmly.
"You… what do you mean?" Hizure asked blankly.
"You're not stupid, do you not understand? If you want to gain Master's approval, you have to work together!"
Hizure finally reacted. "Then why didn't you look for me before? Instead of letting me explore the way alone?"
"Because there was no need to cooperate at that time. I didn't think you would succeed," Orochimaru said matter-of-factly. "But now, you have proven your ability."
"You…"
"What do you mean? I predicted the entrance two days ago and used my skills to investigate. This place..." Orochimaru took a deep breath, his eyes shining brightly. "It's not empty, and secret personnel come in and out every night!"
"You mean... the place is guarded?"
"Rather than guarding, I prefer the word 'research'," Orochimaru glanced at the stone and pointed to his feet. "Combined with the path of evolution that Master said, this is very likely a laboratory."
Hizure struggled to get up. "Why should I believe you?"
"You have no choice. We're on the same boat now. You don't want to be discovered, do you?" Orochimaru let out a contemptuous laugh.
Hizure's eyes flickered, and he struggled for a bit before making a decision. "This is not a place to stay for long. Let's retreat first, and then you can tell me the details. Since we are working together, we must share the intelligence we have."
"I have no objections."
The two retreated from the bushes one after another, quickly scanning the area, and then retreating in the same direction.
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