After returning from the Land of Rain, Danzo issued no further orders. That critical gust of wind seemed to have left a lingering thorn in Danzo's mind. Nonetheless, Ye Zi wasn't concerned; at this point, he no longer needed to worry about too much.
Danzo had gone silent as if in hibernation, while Hiruzen, short on manpower, unexpectedly gave Team 9 a week's break.
With the sudden free time, Ye Zi instructed Kotoe to spar with Kurenai, helping her gain more real combat experience. As for Guy, he assigned him more intense training, and Yakushi covered all the expenses.
Over the next few days, Ye Zi visited Nanako's research lab many times, but she was always absent. Eventually, he realized something was wrong. Even if Nanako had been sent on a long-term mission, she would have left a message. Yet there was no trace of her or any note—something had clearly happened.
Ye Zi knew that Nanako worked for Danzo, but he couldn't ask him directly. When he thought about other people he could inquire with, none came to mind. Despite the size of Root and the number of people involved, it seemed only Nanako and Orochimaru were ones he could establish any sort of contact with.
"Orochimaru might know something."
Standing in the empty lab, Ye Zi couldn't find any leads on Nanako's disappearance and had no other ideas. His only option now was to seek out Orochimaru.
Having made up his mind, he headed straight to Orochimaru's lab, located in a remote area within Root, an area inaccessible to ordinary people. But Ye Zi entered easily, navigating through dark corridors until he reached Orochimaru's lab. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.
The sound of the door opening made Orochimaru, who was bent over his workbench, grow cold. Someone had entered without permission—an unforgivable act. Even Danzo couldn't do this without consequences. If it were anyone else, Orochimaru would have already sentenced them to death in his mind.
"Orochimaru," Ye Zi said, eyeing Orochimaru's back before his gaze shifted slightly to the young boy on the workbench. His expression changed. With his sharp eyesight, he could see the Sharingan implanted into the boy's arm—at least two pairs of them.
The Sharingan of the Uchiha clan had been implanted into the boy's arm. The boy was still breathing—it was a human experiment...
Ye Zi had long known about Orochimaru's human experimentation. Due to his childhood experiences, he had always deeply resented and rejected such practices. But now, with the benefits not directly affecting him, he could suppress his distaste and no longer resist it.
"Ye Zi, is it?" Orochimaru straightened up, turning to face Ye Zi. His cold expression softened slightly as he looked at the calm Yakushi. "What brings you here?"
If it had been anyone else, Orochimaru would have already used his Hidden Shadow Snake Hands to strangle them.
"I need to ask you something," Ye Zi nodded, his gaze lingering on the boy on the workbench. His interest was piqued by the eye implantation experiment.
Seeing where Ye Zi's attention was, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a wicked light. He was well aware of Nanako's research and knew it aligned with his current experiments. After a brief pause, Orochimaru stepped aside, allowing Ye Zi a clear view.
On the long workbench lay a black-haired boy, his limbs bound. Four pairs of Sharingan had been implanted into his left arm. The boy hadn't lost consciousness, but he was in a dazed state.
Seeing the eyes on the boy's arm, Ye Zi couldn't hide his surprise.
Orochimaru chuckled in a low, raspy voice. This marked a significant breakthrough in his human experimentation—a step that brought him closer to immortality.
"What do you want to ask?" Orochimaru put down the tools in his hand, drawing Ye Zi's gaze back to him.
"Do you know where Nanako Shimura is?" Ye Zi asked directly.
"Yes," Orochimaru replied without hesitation. He had no agreement with Danzo to keep it secret, so he felt no obligation to do so.
Ye Zi's eyes narrowed, waiting for him to continue.
"That woman was imprisoned by Danzo," Orochimaru said, his tone calm.
Ye Zi fell silent.
Imprisoned? For what reason? Was it related to him?
"And what are you planning to do about it?" Orochimaru asked, still calm.
Ye Zi didn't respond right away, instead pondering the reasons behind Nanako's imprisonment. After thinking it through, he could only conclude that it was related to her research on cell implantation and eye transplants. But did that warrant imprisonment?
Ye Zi had his freedom now—he could act at any moment. But he couldn't rescue Nanako. There was no way.
"Help me," Ye Zi said, turning to Orochimaru.
Orochimaru smiled faintly and asked, "Why?"
"She's important to me," Ye Zi replied seriously.
"I don't believe that," Orochimaru said.
Ye Zi's brows furrowed slightly. Orochimaru's words carried a deeper meaning.
Orochimaru continued, "All of Nanako's research materials are here with me. She's no longer necessary."
Ye Zi's frown deepened.
"You understand Root. That woman defied Danzo's will, and her only fate is death. I won't deny she was an extraordinary woman, but she no longer holds any value for you," Orochimaru said with a trace of regret in his tone. "So just let her die quietly."
Discarding something that no longer held value was a perfectly reasonable approach.
Logically, Ye Zi should have quickly shown his cold-blooded nature. But at this moment, he hesitated.
Instead of focusing on the idea of abandoning Nanako, he was thinking about how difficult it would be to save her. Once again, it came down to the same question: was it worth it?
Though there was no strict need for him to stay in Konoha, was there a compelling reason to save Nanako?
The weight of this decision required careful consideration.
If saving Nanako meant losing many future opportunities, Ye Zi was unwilling to take that risk. However, he also didn't want to let Nanako die at Danzo's hands.
He needed a solution that would achieve both goals.
Finally, he looked back at Orochimaru, speaking seriously. "I want to save her."
Orochimaru's expression shifted subtly, growing darker.
"It's not worth it. Once the transplant technique is perfected, I can give it to you."
"But I still want to save her."
"You can't."
"That's why I need your help."
Orochimaru fell silent. He didn't want Ye Zi to make a move against Konoha for Nanako's sake. The result wouldn't be something he desired. Was helping Ye Zi his only option?
No, there was another choice—to ensure Nanako's death as soon as possible. Only then would Ye Zi give up.
"Alright," Orochimaru finally said.
Check out the patreon and get 49 chapters in advance
Currently on Chapter 173 - Recruiting Kakuzu