c3: Senior, This Is the Second Time
"You're a really nice person."
Watching Orochimaru finally disappear into the shadowed corridor, Hidezawa couldn't help muttering to himself, half exasperated, half relieved.
The oppressive aura that man exuded lingered even after he was gone. Orochimaru's killing intent wasn't wild , it was controlled, surgical, like a scalpel pressing against your soul. Even for someone as absurdly adaptable as Hidezawa, that kind of presence was almost unbearable.
But it was only natural. Despite the impressive numbers on his status panel, his strength was, at best, equivalent to that of a well-rounded jōnin. Against one of the Sannin, even that felt woefully small.
He sighed softly. "I'm about the same age as Kabuto and joined Root around seven, but I've never been sent outside the village only internal missions. How could I have possibly gotten this strong already?"
The thought left him bewildered for a moment. Then irritation flared. Danzo's entire organization thrived on exploiting child operatives the same twisted logic that once turned kids like Sai into emotionless weapons.
Still, when he thought about it, he knew he'd gotten off easy. At least compared to Kabuto, whose life became an endless cycle of espionage and identity erasure, or the countless children who were little more than cannon fodder during the Third Great Ninja War, his situation wasn't nearly as tragic.
[New Mission Unlocked]
[Rescue ANBU Operatives]
The system notification flashed before his eyes. Hidezawa didn't look surprised; he even welcomed it.
A mission meant movement and movement meant opportunity. Without new assignments, he'd never find a chance to slip Danzo's leash, let alone undermine him.
After all, being a Konoha shinobi wasn't just a job; it was a chain of command that tied one to the very heart of the Hidden Leaf. Like the bureaucracy of the Five Great Villages, it had ranks, politics, and rules. Hidezawa had long learned how to survive under those a veteran's instinct carried over from his past life.
"If you want to move up, wait for your superior to move first. If he can't, then push him until he does," he muttered. "Some things never change even in a ninja village."
He replaced his ANBU mask, the smooth porcelain reflecting faint torchlight, then turned his gaze to the glowing panel in his mind.
He still had five Free Points left plenty of room for experimentation. Upgrading techniques below LV5 was cheap; he could improve several at once if he wished. Yet what caught his attention most was the [Ownerless Curse Seal] he had just obtained.
[Ownerless Curse Seal: A construct born from corrupted natural energy. When bound, it stabilizes and channels nature's force into the user. Activation temporarily enhances all physical and chakra-based abilities in proportion to level.]
Hidezawa knew the origins of the Cursed Seal all too well. Orochimaru had developed it after studying Jūgo of the Ryūchi Cave a man whose unique genetics let him absorb natural energy directly, at the cost of his sanity.
The power of nature was extraordinary, but also perilous. Uncontrolled, it devoured the user. Even Orochimaru's chosen test subjects Anko Mitarashi, Sasuke Uchiha, and countless others had risked their lives for it.
Although temptation burned in his chest, Hidezawa remained cautious. He didn't want to end up as mindless as Jūgo during one of his berserk fits, or marked by Orochimaru's influence like Sasuke later would.
Still, his system's rewards had always proven stable, if a little stingy. For once, it seemed to offer him something genuinely powerful.
"I just hope a low-level Cursed Seal still packs a punch," he muttered. "And why are all my rewards meant for number-obsessed freaks anyway?"
He smirked faintly at his own complaint. Then again, maybe being a "numbers monster" wasn't such a bad thing. Even the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, could be called that overwhelming vitality, massive chakra, absurd healing, and raw power that no bloodline alone could explain.
"Bind the Cursed Seal and enhance it," he commanded silently.
A moment later, a burning heat flared across the back of his hand. He quickly stripped off his glove and stared.
Three black tomoe curved marks like a twisted Sharingan spiraled into view on his skin. The moment they settled, the panel before him shifted again.
[The Cursed Seal has been bound Current Level: LV1]
[The Cursed Seal has been enhanced Current Level: LV3]
[Remaining Free Points: 2]
As the information flooded his mind, a rush of power pulsed through his veins. Hidezawa exhaled slowly, feeling his chakra flow deepen and his body grow lighter, sharper.
He nodded once, a faint smile curving beneath his mask.
"Not bad at all."
Then he carefully attuned his senses to the surroundings, extending his chakra perception outward until he had already mapped the general situation of the battlefield.
It was fascinating, really the [Comprehensive Physical Fitness] attribute didn't just enhance his muscles or reflexes; it amplified everything connected to the body. Even his chakra sensitivity and perception range, once dull compared to trained sensory-nin, had become remarkably sharp.
That was the real strength of a well-balanced "numerical monster."
To be honest, if not for the need to strengthen his combat potential across all areas, he might have dumped every single Free Point into that stat alone.
"Well," he murmured under his breath, flexing his fingers as faint black markings from the Cursed Seal pulsed on the back of his hand, "it's time to take action. This'll be a perfect chance to test the power of this seal."
—
Uzuki Yugao's face was grim beneath her ANBU mask as she tightened her grip on her chokutō, the blade gleaming faintly in the dim light.
She had followed Hidezawa's plan withdrawing temporarily to request reinforcements but fate had other ideas. The group that ambushed her were no ordinary missing-nin; their bodies carried strange chakra signatures and half-healed scars.
"As expected of Orochimaru of the Sannin," she muttered, sliding her blade back into guard stance. "Even after leaving Konoha, he still has loyal subordinates lurking in the shadows."
Her mind raced as she fended off another wild swing. Missions involving Orochimaru were never supposed to fall under their unit's jurisdiction not for a small ANBU reconnaissance team like theirs.
But the assignment had come suddenly, issued under Danzo's authority, citing "urgent intelligence recovery." With no time to prepare and no jonin commander available nearby, they were the only squad close enough to respond.
Even so, Yugao had been ready. She had known the risks of confronting one of Konoha's legendary Sannin. But seeing her teammates fall unconscious under strange jutsu and her own sword unable to end the fight quickly left her heart heavy.
"No… I have to move faster," she thought, twisting aside from a slash that grazed her shoulder armor. That boy stayed behind to face Orochimaru alone…
The thought of Hidezawa holding the line by himself reignited the fire in her eyes.
Facing the charge of those mindless, fearless enemies, she leapt high, spinning midair. The silver arc of her blade blurred into a crescent of light.
This was a technique she had been developing herself still rough, but perfect for multi-target combat.
"Konoha-ryū Kenjutsu: Hazy Moon Dance!"
Her sword flashed like a falling moon, slashing through the air with layered precision. The attacking shinobi, faces twisted with madness and devotion, didn't even flinch. They charged through the arcs of light, swinging broken weapons with suicidal intent.
Their eyes burned with fanatic loyalty Orochimaru's influence lingered deeply in them. Many of his followers were former test subjects from his hidden laboratories; their minds warped by experiments, their bodies sustained only by his chakra-infused serums.
To them, Orochimaru was not a traitor he was a god.
Even if it meant dying with the enemy, they would obey him without hesitation.
"Damn it…" Yugao's brows furrowed. She could see the crazed determination in their faces, but she didn't back down.
Her heart was steady she had to survive, find her teammates, and bring Hidezawa back alive.
The two sides closed the gap steel and chakra colliding in a storm of sparks. Their weapons scraped, slicing through the air, the distance between them narrowing to nothing.
Then suddenly
The ground trembled.
"Earth Release Earth-Style Wall (Doton: Doryūheki)!"
A massive wall of stone erupted from the ground between them, its surface etched with glowing seals of reinforcement.
Boom!
The impact sent shockwaves in every direction. Neither Yugao's attack nor the blows of Orochimaru's subordinates could break through immediately. Smoke and dust billowed, obscuring everything.
Both sides were thrown backward by the force of the explosion.
Yugao stumbled as she landed, sliding across the rough ground, the breath knocked from her chest. Before she could regain her balance, a hand caught her arm, steadying her.
She blinked through the haze and saw a familiar silhouette emerge from the dust. His clothes were torn, his mask cracked, but his expression was calm and sharp, eyes glowing faintly with the trace of his activated Cursed Seal.
"Senpai," he said with a faint, tired smile, "this makes twice now. You really have to be more careful next time."
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