Chapter 246 – Unknown Power
Orochimaru's brilliance ranked among the highest in the shinobi world—easily in the top tier.
If he couldn't discern Uchiha Kei's intentions from those words, then he wouldn't be Orochimaru.
Kei was here for his research. That much was obvious. But only a fool would think Orochimaru hadn't relocated his laboratories by now.
So the conclusion was simple: Kei had come not to "discover" anything, but to stir trouble—loudly and publicly.
But why provoke chaos if it yielded no results? Unless Kei's true target wasn't him at all.
Perhaps Orochimaru was the surface, and someone behind him was the real aim.
Everyone assumed Kei was Fugaku's puppet. Orochimaru never believed that.
He remembered vividly the day he glimpsed that shell of black chakra encasing Kei's body—chakra so suffocating and tangible it seemed alive.
That kind of power, combined with Kei's rise to Police Commander and his battlefield feats, painted a picture most dared not imagine: Kei wasn't Fugaku's pawn. If anything, he might have subjugated Fugaku himself.
Fugaku's behavior before and after Kei's return was night and day. Once passive, he had suddenly become decisive, reformist, aggressive.
The contrast fascinated Orochimaru. Hiruzen had noticed it too, but his wartime burdens, the Fourth's succession, and his own questionable experiments had dulled his instincts. He dismissed it all as Fugaku "sending a signal"—one tempting, but contrary to Tobirama's doctrine.
Orochimaru, the observer, saw more clearly. But he never told his teacher. His own ambitions had already outgrown Konoha. The village had become a cage of morals and politics, binding his hands.
And Hiruzen? He was old now, softened and corroded by power. He was no longer the man Orochimaru had once admired, no longer the worthy opponent he longed to surpass.
The rift between master and student had already opened.
---
Kei stared calmly at the two massive serpents. His blade slid into his hand, blue chakra flaring along its edge.
"I'll handle Orochimaru," Kei said quietly. "You two—sweep below."
"Is that really necessary?" Ayaka activated her Byakugan, frowning. "There's too much mist and sealing chakra. From what I see… it's empty down there."
"We'll fight him together," Kenta said coldly, drawing his own blade.
"Afraid I'll collapse my lab again?" Orochimaru chuckled, tongue sliding across his lips. "No need to worry. Not this time. Besides—if you don't go down, how will you know whether there's anything worth finding?"
His raspy, magnetic voice dripped with temptation.
The three exchanged uneasy glances. Orochimaru was as unpredictable as ever. Was this whim? Or a carefully chosen ploy?
"Follow orders." Kei's tone hardened, his stance shifting as he entered battle mode.
Kenta hesitated, then nodded. "Yes… Captain."
Ayaka said nothing, only readying herself at Kei's side. The moment he clashed with Orochimaru, she and Kenta would descend.
Kei narrowed his eyes—and moved.
Even without Body Flicker, he crossed the gap in less than a second. His chakra-laced blade carved a blue arc toward Orochimaru's throat.
He didn't spare the serpents a glance.
Orochimaru twisted fluidly, dodging by a hair. With a backward leap, his jaw unhinged grotesquely, spitting out a long sword. Catching it mid-air, he parried Kei's next strike with ease.
"A fine blade," Orochimaru hissed. "Same make as White Fang's. A gift from Kakashi Hatake, perhaps? They say you use the same kenjutsu."
"Yes. He gave it to me." Kei's voice was steady. "My swordsmanship isn't elegant—but it's more than enough for most shinobi."
"Indeed. Heaven's gift—the Sharingan."
Orochimaru's golden pupils narrowed, gleaming with hunger. "What a pity. Certain… limitations make it difficult for me to use. So many ideas—yet so many barriers."
Kei's brow furrowed. What did he mean by that? Was he mocking him? Or hinting at something deeper?
No time to dwell. Orochimaru's body twisted unnaturally—legs snapping like whips. A kick lashed toward Kei.
Kei reacted instantly, sidestepping the strike and countering with a slash at an impossible angle aimed for Orochimaru's chest.
But Orochimaru's body stretched, contorted, bending like a serpent to evade the blade.
Then suddenly—he froze. His golden eyes flickered with a strange haze.
Kei's blade flashed—and Orochimaru's head was severed cleanly. Kei sprang back, avoiding the lunging serpents.
Landing a safe distance away, he flew through hand seals, chakra surging violently.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
His jutsu erupted instantly—seals almost too fast to follow. Three blazing dragons of fire roared from his mouth, surging toward the massive serpents.
The snakes reacted swiftly, but their size betrayed them. There was no space to dodge.
In moments, the fire consumed them. Their screams echoed through the forest as the flames spread, igniting the trees and belching thick smoke skyward.
"Do you know the Leaf's famous saying?" Kei said suddenly.
"Wherever leaves dance, fire will burn. The fire's shadow will shine upon the village… and new leaves will sprout."
His scarlet eyes glowed in the blaze. "We may not see the sprouts yet—but the fire's shadow will illuminate Konoha."
"Captain Kei, aren't you that new sprout?"
From beneath the scorched earth, a familiar voice rose—low, steady, almost amused.
Slowly, Orochimaru emerged, his pale figure slipping up from the ground like a phantom.
"But this little fire of yours… it seems you've kept someone locked out."
"Ah, yes. Lord Jiraiya." Kei's tone was calm, his nod faint. "But tell me, Orochimaru—why are you so certain I can't deal with you?"
Orochimaru suddenly laughed, his hoarse voice spilling into the flames.
"Hahaha… true enough. Captain Kei's power is interesting—mysterious. I haven't forgotten that chakra of yours… so tangible, so suffocating. But what intrigues me more—do you truly believe the Fourth Hokage will find what you want?"
Kei's brows furrowed, his expression hardening.
The reason he'd picked this fight was simple: to drag all eyes here. To flush out the rats hiding underground—and perhaps even lure the "revered" Third Hokage himself.
It was a diversion, meant to buy Minato time. Time to dig into Root. To uncover those sealed files on human experimentation.
But Orochimaru's words made Kei hesitate.
Had the Third already moved the documents? Sealed them away—or worse, destroyed them?
If sealed, that was within his calculations. If destroyed… all of this would be wasted effort, tonight reduced to a farce.
Did they burn the records? Kei's mind raced. He even considered unleashing his Mangekyō, forcing answers from Orochimaru—though first, he needed certainty.
"No. They're still in Root," Orochimaru drawled, licking his lips. "Buried deeper now, yes. And I may have helped."
He wove seals swiftly. At once, the flames surged, spreading wider through the forest.
"This way, no one interrupts us."
"So… sealed, then. That changes little." Kei exhaled silently, though his frown deepened. His suspicions only grew sharper.
"What are you playing at, Orochimaru?"
"Nothing at all. Only that I've prepared a gift for you, Captain Kei." Orochimaru's smile widened, voice dripping with amusement. "Originally, it was meant for that fool Jiraiya… but now, I find myself far more interested in you."
A gift?
Kei's grip tightened on his blade. He said nothing, but in his heart he already knew what Orochimaru meant.
"You needn't trouble the Fourth. What you seek is all down below." Orochimaru's voice slithered on. "But first… indulge me. I want to witness a certain power. A legendary power."
"…The Mangekyō, huh? Of course." Kei sighed softly. His eyes slid closed.
When they opened again, they were no longer the simple scarlet of the Sharingan, but a pair of strange, triangular tomoe, forming a crystalline pattern.
"To toy with the unknown is to court death, Orochimaru." Kei's voice was calm, cold.