The crimson hue of the sky slowly faded, swallowed by the encroaching night.
Saiguu and Nawaki silently bent down, each picking up a kunai. No words passed between them. No hesitation, either.
Kadoya summoned a water blade, its faint gleam catching the last flickers of firelight.
Then, without a word, the three of them pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Though none of them were strangers to bloodshed, this was different. These weren't enemies on the battlefield. These were the unarmed, the broken, the defeated.
But like Orochimaru said… this was the path they chose. There was no turning back now.
Even if they had to crawl forward, bloodied, scarred, and on their knees, they had to keep going.
Kadoya slipped in first.
The inside was dim, the air thick with the stench of blood and smoke. More than a dozen people were tied up, some bloodied and half-conscious, others wide-eyed with terror.
A few men lay slumped in a corner, barely breathing. Among the captives were women, entangled in snakes that coiled lazily over their bodies, holding them in place like living chains. Pain clouded their eyes.
Kadoya's gaze locked onto a middle-aged man seated at the center of the room. His eyes blazed with fury, helpless, desperate, bitter.
Once, maybe, he had power. Influence. Perhaps he'd ruled over Windmill Village with pride.
Now, he was just another dying animal in a burning cage, staring up at a boy with a blade.
He struggled, only worsening the bleeding from his severed arm. His teeth clenched. His eyes screamed: How dare someone like you… end me.
Kadoya didn't flinch.
He stepped forward, raised his water blade, and pressed it to the man's neck.
A muffled gurgle escaped the man's throat as crimson spilled across the floor. In that instant, the world felt colder. Sharper. Like all warmth had been drained and poured into that wound.
Kadoya exhaled deeply. His eyes flicked to the corner of his vision, his Evil System had popped a notification, something about progress or rewards.
He used it to anchor himself, to keep from thinking too hard.
Another target. A woman this time.
She whimpered, eyes glistening with tears. Her voice trembled as she begged, soft, broken words that reached deep into something inside him.
But his blade didn't stop.
The water sliced across her throat.
One kill. Then another. And another.
With each strike, his mind edged further into something numb. Cold. Detached.
Until-
A firm hand gripped his shoulder.
Kadoya froze.
He turned and saw Orochimaru standing behind him, his expression unreadable.
"…That's enough," he rasped. "Your teammates need to learn too."
Kadoya blinked, his breath ragged. He turned slowly, taking in the room, the lifeless bodies sprawled across the floor, the blood pooled beneath them.
His grip on the water blade loosened, and it dissolved into mist.
He followed Orochimaru out without a word, stepping back into the night.
The door creaked shut behind him.
And inside, the lesson continued, left to Nawaki and Saiguu.
Orochimaru sat quietly on the ground, his eyes drifting up toward the night sky.
Kadoya wordlessly sat across from him, following his gaze.
From here, they could see the moon peeking through wisps of smoke, the silhouette of the forest just beyond. If not for the ruins scattered around them, the view might've been beautiful. The leaves might've glistened green in the moonlight.
Back in Konoha, Kadoya used to love the scenery.
It wasn't too big, not too small. Familiar. But he'd seen it so often that he began to yearn for something new, something beyond those gates.
And yet, after only a few days away… he already missed it.
The outside world wasn't what he imagined.
It wasn't a grand adventure. It was blood, death, and the reek of fire lingering on his clothes no matter how many times he washed. He'd changed, and not in a way he could simply reverse.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"Because a jonin appeared during this mission, and you killed him. I'll apply to have it reclassified as A-rank," he said in a calm, almost offhand tone. "How does it feel? Completing an A-rank mission before you're even a genin."
He licked his lips, amused.
"So, you're a clone," Kadoya muttered, still staring at the sky.
Orochimaru nodded. "The real me is tracking the leader."
Kadoya exhaled, unsurprised. "I figured as much."
The pieces clicked into place the moment he saw how similar the scarred man looked to the innkeeper couple. Orochimaru had orchestrated everything from the beginning. That inn hadn't been chosen at random; Orochimaru had known the connection from the start.
Kadoya raked a hand through his hair, annoyed. "You were nearby the whole time, weren't you?"
"More or less," Orochimaru said, not denying it.
"…What's the deal with this village, anyway?" Kadoya asked.
Instead of answering directly, Orochimaru began in that raspy, deliberate voice of his, "The mission to exterminate the bandits here has already been issued twice."
Kadoya narrowed his eyes. "So the place has been wiped out before… and they still came back?"
"Exactly. During my investigation, I noticed the deputy leader frequently traveled to Rogue Town. Then I realized… he looked eerily similar to that innkeeper couple."
He paused. "The truth is simple. This village and Rogue Town are one and the same."
Kadoya blinked. "What?"
"Merchants pass through Rogue Town every day. The locals gather intel, then feed it to the bandits. The bandits strike the targets worth robbing. It's a system."
"A cycle. Rogue Town protects them. Rebuilds them. As long as that town exists, this village will never stay dead."
Kadoya sighed, the bitterness rising in his throat. "And I thought I was twisted… but this…"
The ninja world was darker than he ever imagined. Beyond what even the other soul had prepared him for.
"So, what now?" he asked.
"What do you think?" Orochimaru smiled coldly. "This place connects directly to the Land of Rivers. Trade routes are smooth. Strategic value is high."
He continued, voice low and cutting. "If war breaks out with the Land of Wind, this location becomes a perfect forward base. Almost fully built, already populated."
Kadoya stared at him, realization dawning.
"…So we weren't sent here just to kill bandits?"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Training you was a bonus."
He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a whisper. "Konoha just signed a peace agreement with the Third Kazekage. These details aren't for public ears."
"I get it…" Kadoya said softly. "What about the couple?"
"That's your mission," Orochimaru said.
"Kill them." Kadoya said simply.
Orochimaru turned his gaze toward him.
"But remember this, Kadoya."
His snake-like eyes narrowed. "Killing is part of being a ninja. But don't get too comfortable with it."
He watched the boy's expression.
"I saw what you did, taking on the burden of killing the bandits to spare your teammates. A noble thought… but misplaced. Overprotection stunts growth."
Kadoya lowered his gaze.
"I know…" he murmured.
He looked down at his hands. They were shaking slightly, though he wasn't sure if it was from exhaustion, guilt… or excitement.
Ever since inheriting the other soul, he'd changed. He wasn't that wide-eyed five-year-old anymore. Back then, he thought he understood this world because he'd seen it from behind a screen.
But this wasn't a cartoon.
This was his world now.
And if he kept pretending it was a story with plot armor and moral victories, he'd be dead long before he even met Madara.
'What if I just treated this world like a game?'
A life-or-death game. Hardcore difficulty. No resets.
His system already looked like a game interface. That made it easier to accept the blood. Easier to justify the madness creeping in.
The Uchiha blood in his veins didn't help.
Orochimaru, seeing that he had no more to say, released the clone.
The earth clone crumbled back into mud with a soft splash.
Kadoya stared at the spot where he sat.
And then… he chuckled.
A soft, broken chuckle that twisted into full-blown Uchiha laughter, dark, manic, raw.
A sound only the night dared to echo.
"What!? Where is that evil laughter coming from?" Nawaki's panicked voice rang out.
"Damn it! Kadoya! Did you lose a screw!?" Saiguu shouted.
...
The real Orochimaru returned to the meeting point, his long hair trailing behind him as his golden eyes swept over the group waiting for him.
"Orochimaru-sensei, did you catch him?" Kadoya asked, tone casual but eyes sharp.
Orochimaru met his gaze for a moment before shaking his head. "He got away."
Nawaki crossed his arms and gave a thumbs-up with a big grin. "Don't worry, sensei! Everyone has off days. Even I fail sometimes. No shame in it!"
Orochimaru: "…"
He gave no reply, simply turned and gestured for them to follow.
"Come. The loot is stored in a cellar nearby. We'll inspect it."
The group followed him through a broken pathway until they reached a hidden entrance. Orochimaru pulled open the old, creaking door to reveal a staircase leading into the earth.
Once inside, the dim torchlight flickered off gold bars, silver ingots, lacquered boxes, and shelves stacked with ancient porcelain and other treasures.
Kadoya's eyes lit up. "Whoa…"
A wide grin broke across his face.
"This… this is what it feels like to be rich!" he declared, arms spread.
Everyone: "…"
From behind him, Orochimaru's dry voice slithered into the air.
"…I think it's time I reminded you who holds the highest authority in Konoha."
Kadoya turned and sauntered over, flashing a sly smile. "Orochimaru-sensei, aren't you going to take a closer look at all these lovely, liberated goods?"
He sighed theatrically. "It's such a shame. In two days, all of this gets shipped to Konoha. What a pity."
"I'm aware," Orochimaru said flatly. "I've been assigned to oversee the transport."
"Ah, sensei," Kadoya said, smirking. "I don't think you understand what I mean."
He stepped closer, voice dropping into a playful whisper.
"All this treasure goes back to the village… to build hospitals, pave roads, fund some chunin's pet dango shop… but what about us?"
He motioned around the room. "We're the ones risking our lives. Yet, somehow, we're still broke."
Orochimaru didn't respond, his face remained unreadable.
Kadoya shrugged. "Konoha may be the richest of the Five Great Nations, but we're still wearing hand-me-down gear. Shouldn't we... solve some personal issues before we save the village budget?"
"These treasures deserve to be in the hands of people who actually earned them," he said smoothly.
Still no reaction from Orochimaru.
"…Still not getting it, sensei?" Kadoya added with a grin. "I've already done a little window shopping."
He pulled something from a nearby cabinet and dangled it: an old scroll bound with a deep red thread.
"Forbidden technique. Found it tucked behind a cabinet. No one else saw it."
That finally caught Orochimaru's attention. His eyes gleamed, ever so slightly.
Kadoya pressed on, sensing the hook had been set. "How about I hand it over to you? Personally. As a token of loyalty."
Orochimaru hesitated, but the hunger in his eyes betrayed him.
"…Kadoya, I've actually been considering pushing for you to become a jonin. But you're still just a student in the Academy," he said at last.
"So, I can reward you another way. Take what you want from here. Within reason."
He patted Kadoya's shoulder with a faint smile. "Consider it… supplemental compensation."
Kadoya immediately straightened up. "Thank you, sensei. Your wisdom is boundless."
Behind them, Saiguu and Nawaki stared in silent disbelief.
"…Did he just convince Orochimaru-sensei to loot a mission site?" Saiguu muttered.
"I… think he did," Nawaki whispered back, stunned.
Unbothered, Kadoya dove into the treasure, scanning for high-value items, while Orochimaru moved toward the scroll shelves, curiosity already taking hold. He also needs some fun for his research.
He picked up a thick scroll from the table, its seal partially broken.
As he unrolled it and scanned the contents, his eyes narrowed. The air shifted. The once relaxed room suddenly felt colder, denser.
The light in the cellar dimmed, not from the torches, but from something in his presence.
Kadoya, still rifling through a chest, noticed the change.
"…Sensei?" he called, straightening.
Orochimaru didn't look at him.
His voice dropped to a deadly hush.
"Something happen."