"Also, your performance today really shattered my perception of the Uchiha."
"A proud member of the Uchiha, and one who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan at that — and you actually fell for a Genjutsu?"
"Sigh, if Madara were still alive, he might beat you to death for this. It's a disgrace to the Uchiha name."
Black Zetsu was truly at a loss for words; Uchiha Makito had left him speechless.
Makito, already in a foul mood, grew even more irritable at that.
"Hmph, that was an accident. Genjutsu and the like wouldn't normally work on me."
"It was just a momentary lapse in attention."
Uchiha Makito forced the description for himself, but privately he mentally assigned himself a lesson: when he returned he absolutely must brush up on his Genjutsu abilities.
"But why did you come here?"
"Have you taken care of the Three-Tails?"
Makito and Zetsu had deployed separately — Makito responsible for capturing the person, Zetsu for tracking the Three-Tails.
Now that Zetsu had appeared here, it meant the Three-Tails' whereabouts had been settled.
"Yes. It's in the sea south of Kirigakure. We can capture it there when the time comes."
"With the Three-Tails' power, it won't be a match for you."
"We've prepared a seal as well — the technique will be placed on this person's heart, so in the end he can only allow someone else to kill him."
Uchiha Makito nodded in satisfaction; with that arrangement the plan could proceed securely.
Zetsu then took Akashi back, while Uchiha Makito went on ahead.
...
Land of Fire borderlands — beneath the ruins.
"Damn, what is all this…"
"Kakashi, do you know what these are?"
Uchiha Obito looked at the shattered culture dishes scattered before him; the air around them was heavy with the stench of blood.
Kakashi and Rin beside him wore grave expressions.
What lay before the three of them was far beyond their usual experience.
Clearly this was some kind of research facility, but why it had been abandoned — or why it had only recently been abandoned — was unclear.
Many things hadn't even been dealt with.
"It looks like another research lab…"
"As for what experiments they were conducting… probably forbidden types."
"Otherwise they wouldn't have been destroyed."
Kakashi's face was very solemn; if these were ordinary experiments, there wouldn't be such an intense metallic tang of blood.
Live-subject experiments?
Although Kakashi was not old, his horizons were not that of an ordinary kid.
"So what do we do? Kakashi?"
"Report it truthfully?"
"This place is already abandoned."
Obito looked around; there was nothing but debris, complete wreckage.
At that moment, Rin took out the notebook she carried with her.
"This is already the fourth research facility. The previous ones weren't as extreme as this, but the content of the research was also top-secret."
"Who exactly is conducting these studies?"
Their mission was to investigate the marked areas, and every place they checked turned out to be a research site.
But as their investigation went deeper, the three of them grew gloomier.
They didn't think these were enemy-nin hiding in the Land of Fire to do research; rather, it felt like the work of people from the village itself.
"Let's go back and submit our report…"
At Kakashi's words, Obito and Rin nodded, and they began heading back toward the village.
On the way, Obito kept thinking about the research facilities.
"Kakashi, who do you think would conduct this kind of research?"
"Could it be someone in the village?"
Kakashi was silent a moment, then nodded, which made the atmosphere even heavier.
"The Hokage set us to investigate… does that mean this kind of research is not sanctioned by the village?"
"If so, then who in the village has the ability and resources to carry out such research…"
Obito's tone grew darker as his doubts mounted. But Kakashi and Rin had thought the same things.
A string of names flashed through their minds, and in the end they chose silence.
Back in the village, the three reported to the Hokage's office.
Seeing the materials the three had collected, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, then set a put-on smile.
"You did well on this mission."
"The follow-up will be handled by the proper people. Go rest — we're in the middle of battles right now."
"After resting, the three of you will probably be sent to the front lines."
"Prepare yourselves."
After seeing Kakashi and the others off, Hiruzen was suddenly overcome by a sense of helplessness. He leaned on his chair, his head pounding.
All the coordinates led back to research facilities...
Looking at the materials Kakashi had gathered, no matter how much he tried not to admit it, Hiruzen couldn't deny the truth.
These were the locations of Orochimaru's research labs, reported up by Danzo.
Among them, several of the research projects filled him with dread…
They were unquestionably forbidden experiments.
"Orochimaru…"
"Send someone to summon Shinnosuke."
Since the truth was so clear, he had no choice left. Such forbidden experiments had already surpassed what the village could accept.
Even his disciples could not be pardoned for this…
Not long after, Shinnosuke hurried in.
"Hokage-sama, you wanted to see me?"
Shinnosuke looked at his father and then at the materials on the desk; he already knew why his father had called.
Hiruzen's face was stern as he handed the files to Shinnosuke.
"Orochimaru's actions have been confirmed. He's on the battlefield now. Once the front stabilizes, arrest him."
Shinnosuke nodded. He had suspected this result — when he'd seen the research materials he had been shocked beyond measure.
"Hokage-sama, I understand. I'll keep a close watch on this."
"But, Hokage-sama…"
Hiruzen closed his eyes, pained yet understanding the gravity of the situation. As Hokage, he had to present a solution.
"Don't try to persuade me — this is my responsibility. You do what you must. If he refuses to cooperate, I will handle it personally."
Unbeknownst to them, their conversation had been overheard by a small snake hidden in the floorboards.
At the same time, far away in the Land of Hot Water, Orochimaru's expression was very low…
The snake had been left in the Hokage building to gather information.
Although Orochimaru had expected some outcome, hearing those words nonetheless left him disconsolate.
He was merely pursuing the extremes of human potential — why would that be forbidden?
Science always comes with sacrifices; is that so hard to understand?
"Chizan-kun, things are going exactly as we calculated."
"Ah… the Land of Water will be my new stage."