CHAPTER 217

Orochimaru's discovery of Kenta Imai wasn't intentional—it was purely coincidental. He had been surveying secluded areas around Konoha to construct a discreet research laboratory, away from the prying eyes of the ANBU and the Third Hokage.

One such area was a dense forest commonly used as a training ground by Genin and Chūnin. Among them, Kenta Imai stood out—though Orochimaru initially paid little mind.

Kenta possessed excellent sensory instincts, but even those weren't enough to detect someone like Orochimaru unless the latter wished to be found. When Orochimaru first sensed Kenta's chakra during a reconnaissance visit, he paused. The boy's chakra signature was unusually composed, focused—disciplined, even if raw.

Curious, Orochimaru covertly gathered intelligence on the boy through backchannels within Konoha's records division—leverage from his position in the village's hierarchy. What he found seemed... underwhelming.

Officially, Kenta Imai was a civilian-born shinobi. No clan. No notable bloodline. His records from the Academy were average, unremarkable. He had graduated early during the height of the Second Shinobi War due to accelerated mobilization. His early field performance was middling—no flashy jutsu, no outstanding missions.

Orochimaru nearly dismissed him.

But what he observed during Kenta's training told a different story. This wasn't an average shinobi. His movements were honed through relentless repetition. His reflexes were finely tuned. His chakra control and stamina recovery bordered on unnatural.

Orochimaru grew suspicious. He dug deeper—past the falsified public records—and unearthed hints of something buried. The boy's ancestry wasn't officially recorded, but there were traces, whispers, inconsistencies in the archives. There had once been a family that exhibited extraordinary chakra resilience—one that had vanished from prominence decades ago due to a combination of political shifts and restrictive policies following the establishment of the Hidden Villages.

Orochimaru, intrigued and increasingly certain that the truth was being concealed, filed this information away. He had no intention of reporting it to Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage's idealism disgusted him. Let the village decay in its hypocrisy—Orochimaru had other plans.

This boy—Kenta—might be a relic of a forgotten legacy. Orochimaru decided not to interfere for now. Perhaps, in time, the boy would become... useful. A test subject, maybe. Or a threat.

Later – A Battle Deep in the Forest

Now, years later, that quiet boy had become a young man—and a nuisance. Orochimaru hadn't expected him to grow this strong.

"Let me see," Orochimaru muttered, golden slitted pupils narrowing, "just what remains of your lineage."

He struck first, calling out, "Sen'ei Jashu!"—Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. Pale serpents erupted from his sleeves, darting toward Kenta.

Kenta was calm. He rotated his grip on his sword slightly, reading Orochimaru's stance. With a clean arc, he sliced through the snakes. They burst into smoke—clones.

Orochimaru appeared at his flank almost instantly, blade flashing.

Clang! Their swords collided.

Orochimaru's body twisted unnaturally as he pressed the attack. Kenta deflected the blow and vanished in a puff of smoke—a substitution.

Perched in the treetops, Kenta narrowed his eyes. A thin line of blood traced down his forearm—he'd been grazed. Orochimaru's precision and coordination were terrifying. But Kenta endured.

"I see," Orochimaru said, licking his lips. "You're not just a survivor. You've adapted. Your instincts are honed... This is getting interesting."

Kenta exhaled. "You're strong, Orochimaru-sama. But... I don't fight alone."

"Hm?" Orochimaru paused, glancing sideways.

Kenta continued, voice low but firm. "You think it was just me and Kai Uchiha investigating this place? No... I know him too well. He'd never walk into a snake's den without a contingency."

Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly. "...You're stalling."

"Of course."

And as Orochimaru shifted to attack again, he sensed it.

A surge of chakra. Not just any chakra—Uchiha chakra. Familiar. Commanding.

"Tch." Orochimaru clicked his tongue. "So... even Uchiha Fugaku came. That child, Uchiha Kai... has risen faster than I expected."

"Are we done?" Kenta asked, still poised for battle.

"I suppose," Orochimaru said. "But before I go—let's leave a parting gift."

"Doton: Yomi Numa." (Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld)

The ground beneath the forest churned into thick mire, dragging down the soil and swallowing the lab below. A split second later—

"Doton: Iwa Suberashi!" (Earth Release: Rock Collapse)

The entire structure began to cave in.

"You fool!" Kenta shouted, leaping back to avoid the crumbling terrain. "Are you burying him alive?!"

Orochimaru smirked. "If your captain is as capable as you believe, he'll survive. If not—he was never worth noticing."

As the ground trembled and smoke billowed, a giant obsidian hand broke through the sinking earth. Scarlet eyes gleamed behind it—a fully-formed Susanoo.

Uchiha Kai emerged, unscathed, encased in the ribcage of his chakra guardian.

Kenta landed beside him. "Captain..."

"I'm fine," Kai said, his face pale with strain. "But he destroyed most of the evidence. I couldn't recover much... Orochimaru was more prepared than I expected."

"He even tried to bury you alive."

"He almost succeeded."

Orochimaru, now halfway sunken into the ground through his summoning technique, gave them a lingering look. "Fascinating... you survived. Perhaps I'll test you again, someday."

He disappeared.

Kenta turned to Kai. "What now?"

Kai pulled a sealed scroll from his armor and handed it to him. "Some data survived. It's encrypted, but take a look when we return. Oh—and one last thing."

Kai's gaze lingered on Kenta, serious now.

"Kenta... are you sure you're not Senju?"

Kenta blinked. "Don't joke like that."

"I'm not. The data suggests this lab was researching... remnant bloodlines. Specifically—cells compatible with Hashirama Senju."

Kenta's face darkened. "That's insane. I'm not... I couldn't be..."

"Relax. Just think about it. Let's head back."

Kai vanished in a flicker. Kenta remained for a moment, eyes scanning the ruined swamp, the collapsed base, and finally the scroll in his hand.

Something in his blood stirred.