The arrival of Orochimaru greatly surprised Nara Shikakichi and his wife, especially when they saw Orochimaru holding Nara Kagetsu.
"Orochimaru-sama is very interested in my insect and wanted to come and take a look," Kagetsu said succinctly, his face displaying a look of obedience.
"Don't worry about me. This is just a minor visit; I'll look at the insect and then leave," Orochimaru said, nodding to the Nara couple and emphasizing that this visit was just an accident.
Orochimaru wasn't concerned about what the clever Shikakichi might be thinking at the moment.
As Orochimaru and Kagetsu walked towards the backyard, Shikakichi and his wife, Yuno, exchanged worried and helpless glances.
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had managed to stay low-key and stable in Konoha for so long not only because of their intelligence but also because they understood when to ally and when to compromise. They had always been trusted advisors and allies of the Hokage.
If possible, Shikakichi would prefer his son not to get too close to Orochimaru. The man was slowly walking down a dangerous and dark path, aligning with the Root, which claimed to be the "dark side" of Konoha. Shikakichi didn't want his son to be involved with these matters.
"It seems your parents are quite worried about you being around me," Orochimaru said softly to Kagetsu, who was walking beside him.
"You must be mistaken," Kagetsu shook his head.
"It's not just about seeing," Orochimaru replied without showing any outward emotion. "I sensed their anxiety from their chakra."
"Chakra?" Kagetsu looked up instinctively at Orochimaru's statement.
While Orochimaru was most memorable for his immortality and mastery of forbidden techniques, his understanding and use of chakra were also remarkable.
Orochimaru was one of the few who approached the Six Paths level in chakra mastery.
"Chakra is a product of the average mixing of life's spiritual and physical energy. It is said that chakra has the ability to communicate with and observe the inner thoughts of a person, creating a mental bridge for sharing memories and emotions. This notion may seem somewhat abstract.
"But experienced individuals who are very sensitive to chakra can 'sense' the emotional state of the person from their chakra," Orochimaru explained to Kagetsu.
"Of course, some elite ninjas can maintain their inner calm very well or give a misleading impression."
Kagetsu nodded, feeling that Orochimaru had a bit of a lecturing tone. Of course, this was only shown if the person lecturing had the talent and skills he valued.
For instance, in his memory, his trusted aide, Kabuto Yakushi, was such a person.
"Are you doing some research too?"
Once they entered Kagetsu's workspace, Orochimaru glanced around and easily identified the purposes of the various instruments and inferred the type of experiments Kagetsu was conducting based on the materials present.
Without asking for Kagetsu's permission, Orochimaru became interested and started browsing through Kagetsu's research notes on the desk, glancing at Kagetsu with a thoughtful expression.
Feeling uneasy under Orochimaru's gaze, Kagetsu excused himself and went to fetch the insect he was keeping.
And indeed, he brought it out!
Once a palm-sized blue worm, it had grown to the size of an adult arm over the past few months. Its body was now soft and its once-blue skin had become much whiter.
[Name: Unknown Larva
Quality: Blue (After choosing its evolutionary path, it will undergo a period of intensive development. Once this process is perfected, it will form a cocoon and evolve into the next stage.)
Traits: Ordinary, with the only notable trait being its strong vitality, adaptability, and excellent potential for modification.
Skills: Cocoon (Crawling), Eating, Spitting Silk, Multiplication (Hidden)
Evaluation: Its growth depends on the skills and feeding of its caretaker.
Conclusion: It is now a worm with some combat ability, though not very high.]
Placing the worm from his arms onto the table, he watched as the pale blue worm, sensing its owner's departure, hovered its head, sniffed the air, and then crawled towards the direction of the owner, Kagetsu.
However, the next moment, the worm was picked up by a hand. Startled by the sudden grab, the worm's color changed from pale blue to a more colorful pattern, and black liquid began to ooze from its body.
"Eh?"
Feeling the burning sensation on his skin, Orochimaru immediately used chakra to isolate contact with the worm.
Seeing that its counterattack wasn't effective, the worm, in a panic, used its last resort. Its body expanded greatly, curling up into a ball.
It managed to push open Orochimaru's hand with its size and weight, fell onto the table, rolled around, and quickly reached Kagetsu, pressing its head against the edge of the table, seemingly dazed, and complained to Kagetsu.
Kagetsu quickly took out a black paste and placed it near the worm's mouth, calming the frightened creature. Now, with its intelligence as low as a human baby, the worm forgot its earlier panic upon receiving comfort from Kagetsu. It began to munch on the black paste with its head lowered, trying hard to swallow it.
"What is this?"
Orochimaru, who had shown little interest since arriving, now displayed a strong interest. His eyes glinted as he watched the worm eating and Kagetsu soothing it.
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