For two days, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Hamura, and their team waited, creating smoke bombs to distract the Third Kazekage. Yet no reinforcements arrived—not even a hint of their presence.
"They should be here soon," Hamura said, trying to reassure both Koharu and himself. "We have to trust Hiruzen. Don't you trust him?"
Koharu's frustration simmered, but Hamura's words struck a chord. The Third Hokage had never broken his promises. If he said reinforcements were coming, they would come. Perhaps there had been a delay.
"Fine. We'll wait a little longer," Koharu relented.
---
However, two more days passed, and there was still no sign of reinforcements.
Koharu's mood darkened, her anger palpable. Even Hamura, usually calm and diplomatic, avoided her glare.
They had trusted the Third Hokage, but no reinforcements had appeared. Had Hiruzen abandoned them?
The truth, however, was far more unfortunate. The intelligence ninja tasked with maintaining communication between the Bear Country and Konoha had been killed during one of the diversions. As a result, critical updates never reached the village, leaving the Third Hokage unaware of the dire situation.
---
Meanwhile, in an underground laboratory in the River Country, Shinki, in Sage Mode, assisted Orochimaru with his experiments. Neither gave much thought to the events unfolding in the Bear Country.
Orochimaru had long dismissed the importance of the two elders' survival. Shinki, seeing the terrain of the Bear Country as unsuitable for puppets, had withdrawn his own creations.
In the laboratory, Orochimaru worked meticulously, integrating Sage Chakra and the Tenseigan Eye Chakra into his experimental subjects.
Watching the process, Shinki couldn't help but admire Orochimaru's dedication—though it also sent a shiver down his spine. Orochimaru had admitted to conducting hundreds of experiments to perfect this batch of test subjects.
The exact number of failures, and the cost in lives, was something only Orochimaru himself knew.
---
"Rejection," Orochimaru muttered, pointing to one of the snakes in a glass jar.
The snake's body began to swell unnaturally, its movements becoming erratic. Shinki instinctively stepped back.
**Bang!**
The jar exploded, sending shards of glass and viscera flying. Fortunately, Orochimaru had placed a protective barrier around the area, preventing the mess from spreading.
Calmly, Orochimaru picked up a notebook and began documenting the failure.
"The experimental subject absorbed Sage Chakra effectively, but your chakra, Shinki, caused instability," he said matter-of-factly.
Shinki's eye twitched. "Blaming me? You're the one who insisted on testing with Sage Chakra."
He glanced at the remains of the snake, shaking his head. "This isn't for me. You can handle the rest of the experiments yourself. This place doesn't suit me."
Orochimaru didn't even look up. "Fine."
Shinki sighed, leaving the laboratory.
---
Above ground, Shinki made his way to the prisoner holding area to check on Pakura, who had been captured during the earlier conflict.
Thanks to his prior warnings, the guards had refrained from harsh treatment or invasive interrogation methods.
Inside her cell, Pakura sat slumped against the wooden bars, staring blankly at the sky. Her once vibrant appearance had dulled—her green hair was unkempt, her face smudged with dirt, and her clothes tattered and stained.
"My lord," a guard greeted Shinki respectfully.
"Thank you for your service," Shinki replied with a nod. "Leave us for a moment."
The guard tactfully departed, leaving Shinki alone with the prisoner.
Noticing his presence, Pakura lowered her gaze and studied him.
"Who are you?" she asked, her tone devoid of emotion.
Shinki raised an eyebrow. *Who am I?*
He had expected anger, insults, or even defiance—not this.
"Doesn't the Sand Village have any intelligence on me?" he asked dryly. "Or has Chiyo been suppressing information?"
Pakura squinted, as if trying to remember, before her eyes widened in realization.
"Hyuga Shinki? The so-called 'God Slayer,' the one who killed Salamander Hanzo?" she said, her voice rising with sudden emotion. "You ambushed me and brought me here?"
Her anger flared, and she glared at him.
>>>>>
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