Chapter 4: Blame It All on Orochimaru
By the time the rush of excitement finally faded, the sky outside had begun to lighten.
Lin Mu turned, pushed open the window, and took a deep breath.
Watching the sun slowly rise, he couldn't help but sigh. Another beautiful, vibrant morning.
Too bad it wouldn't last. In just a few hours, Orochimaru would launch his invasion, and the entire village would be engulfed in smoke and chaos.
Still, Lin Mu wasn't overly worried. As a transmigrator, he knew exactly how events would unfold.
Orochimaru was terrifyingly strong, but the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was no pushover either.
In his memories, their master-disciple battle ended with the Third dying and Orochimaru losing both arms.
What truly interested Lin Mu wasn't the grudge match itself—it was the forbidden technique Orochimaru would use: Edo Tensei.
The Impure Reincarnation that would bring back the First and Second Hokages.
The First Hokage... Hashirama Senju.
If he could observe Hashirama using Wood Release up close, his own mastery of the Wood Release body would skyrocket.
Hashirama himself would be the greatest teacher imaginable—the only one capable of revealing the true essence of Wood Release techniques.
Knock knock knock!
A sudden rap on his door snapped Lin Mu out of his thoughts.
He opened it to find a chubby little boy standing there.
Even though they were both around ten years old, this kid's width made him look far older.
"Akiyama!"
A grin tugged at Lin Mu's lips the moment he recognized his visitor.
Akiyama was his best friend in Konoha. Like Lin Mu, he was a war orphan.
War...
Since the village's founding, the shinobi world had endured three great ninja wars. Countless ninjas had perished in the bloodshed.
To honor the fallen and support the living, every major village had introduced policies: orphans of deceased shinobi would be raised by the village, educated, and the parents of the dead would receive pensions.
But treatment varied greatly. The ninja world was full of powerful clans.
Families like Choji Akimichi's Akimichi clan, Ino Yamanaka's Yamanaka clan, Shikamaru Nara's Nara clan—those prestigious clans offered their bereaved far more generous support.
Not to mention the Hyuga with their Byakugan or the Uchiha with their Sharingan.
Compared to them, orphans like Lin Mu and Akiyama—with no clan, no backing—had it much harder.
Birds of a feather flock together. The clan kids stuck with their own, so the orphans naturally banded together for warmth and protection.
Now that his system was active, none of that mattered anymore. Problems in the future? One Wood Release punch would shatter them all.
Hashirama's power was no joke.
And Akiyama was the closest friend he'd made among the orphans.
Lin Mu grabbed the dazed boy by the arm, yanked him inside, and plopped him down on a chair.
"What's up, Akiyama? Got something on my face? You've been staring."
Only then did Akiyama snap out of it. He stood, circled Lin Mu several times, poking and prodding, even measuring height.
"What happened to you? You look taller, stronger... even your hair's longer!"
He tugged at a strand, utterly confused.
Lin Mu chuckled. He'd known his bloodline awakening couldn't stay hidden forever, so he'd prepared an excuse.
And that excuse? Orochimaru.
More precisely, the beautiful "woman" he'd encountered last night.
Orochimaru was the most infamous scientist in the entire shinobi world—and the craziest madman alive.
All he had to do was mention, at the right moment, that he'd spoken with that mysterious woman, then pin the changes in his body on her experiments.
Konoha already knew about Orochimaru's test subjects. No one would suspect a ten-year-old kid of anything worse.
Later, once he grew strong enough, he wouldn't need to hide at all. Any threat—just smash it with a fist.
"After evening class yesterday, I got bored and went for a walk outside the village. Wandered a bit too far into the forest... and met a really pretty lady."
Lin Mu leaned in close, eyes gleaming with mock mystery.
"Then guess what happened?"
Akiyama, who'd been listening seriously, rolled his eyes.
"Spit it out already! If something's wrong, we should go tell a teacher."
He looked dead serious—Lin Mu was his best friend in the village. He didn't want anything bad to happen.
"Then the pretty lady talked to me for a bit, poked me right here in the chest, and told me to go home. When I woke up this morning... I was like this."
Warmth spread in Lin Mu's chest at Akiyama's concern.
"That's it?"
Akiyama blinked, totally lost.
Of course not! Lin Mu thought.
But this was the only story he could tell others—vague, half-true, perfectly fitting for a kid stumbling into a mysterious encounter.
He couldn't exactly admit he'd spent three years plotting to steal Hashirama's cells, could he?
"That's it! Honestly, I don't really get it either, but I feel way better than before. Should be fine."
Seeing Akiyama about to press further, Lin Mu jumped up and dragged him toward the door.
"Come on, look at the time! Chunin Exams today—we can't be late!"
Akiyama still had questions, but seeing his friend so full of life, he let it go. As long as Lin Mu was okay, that was enough.
"What're we eating for breakfast?"
"Chunin Exams day, bro—I'm treating you to the good stuff. Ichiraku Ramen!"
"Hell yeah, bro!"
Akiyama whooped and danced in excitement. Lin Mu just shook his head with a helpless smile.
As the two strolled leisurely toward Ichiraku Ramen...
Outside the village gates, in a small grove...
Several figures in black cloaks and masks—foreheads bearing Sunagakure protectors—exchanged glances.
The leader spoke in a low voice:
"Begin."
"Yes, sir!"
The others scattered instantly, taking up precise positions in an intricate formation.
Each pulled a black scroll from their back, unrolled it on the ground, bit their finger, and slammed a blood-stained palm down.