Are You Going to Defect?

Afternoon, Hidden Leaf Village, inside a secluded training ground.

"Ah~ After finishing training, my whole body is exhausted. Only a dip in the hot spring can soothe my body and mind..."

Jiraiya hummed a self-composed tune, walking in the front with his hands behind his head.

He glanced at the back, putting on airs and said, "Anyone want to go to the hot spring with me? Just so you know, the generous Jiraiya is in a good mood today and might even treat you..."

Tsunade suddenly said, "Jiraiya, you go yourself. I have something to discuss with Orochimaru."

"Something? What could you two possibly have to talk about?" Jiraiya turned his head sharply, his eyes full of vigilance. "And what secrets can't I hear?"

He approached like a mongoose, looking at Tsunade and then at Orochimaru, only to find that both of them looked terrible, as gloomy as dark clouds.

Jiraiya then remembered that the two of them had been absent-minded during training today, as if something had happened.

At this moment, Orochimaru spoke, his voice low:

"Did Nen really defect?"

"What!" Jiraiya looked shocked, his tone incredulous. "Uchiha Nen? He... he defected?"

In his opinion, this was a guy who could use the same Wooden Style power as the First Hokage, and he was also a member of the Uchiha Clan. Although he had always been low-key, he was bound to have a bright future!

Such a guy actually defected!

"Shut up first!" Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya, using a threatening look to ensure that he wouldn't spread the word, and then sighed.

"Although the village has blocked the news, I went to his house this morning, and his house no longer exists." Tsunade looked at Orochimaru. "I immediately ran to find Master, and after some questioning, I heard about this from him."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "The village wants to block the news?"

"That's not right. A sudden disappearance, why didn't it attract anyone's attention?" Jiraiya couldn't help but ask.

Orochimaru glanced at him. "He's an orphan. In this village, he has no friends except for me."

"Oh, oh." Jiraiya scratched his head and asked suspiciously, "That's not right either, Tsunade. Why did you go to him for no reason?"

A few traces of guilt flashed in Tsunade's eyes, and her voice suddenly lowered, "Actually... I think... Master and the others are deliberately hiding something, and Nen didn't really defect."

Orochimaru took a deep breath. "Tell me the details."

Tsunade sighed deeply, "The matter has to start with the Blood Pond Clan riot in Hell Valley a year ago..."

Next, Tsunade recounted the whole story of her curiosity about Nen's Wooden Style, her silent investigation of Uchiha Kagami, and finally her late-night meeting with Uchiha Nen, including all her thoughts, and told them both.

The more Jiraiya listened, the more panicked he became, and he almost covered his ears several times, because what Tsunade said was too rebellious. If the facts were really as she guessed, then the village might have killed a hero who saved Hidden Leaf Village, and even their Master, the current Third Hokage, could not escape suspicion of being the murderer!

Orochimaru lowered his eyes. As Tsunade narrated, his pale face became more and more gloomy, like dark clouds before a storm, gloomy and continuous, half of his face swallowed by shadows.

"So, before you went to him, Nen was already being monitored by the village, and after you left, he defected?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Yes." Tsunade gritted her teeth and smashed the wooden stake beside her with a punch. "Damn it, it's all my fault. If I had insisted on staying with him at the time, I might have known what happened. No! If I hadn't gone to him, this kind of thing wouldn't have happened at all!"

"No, you're not to blame for this. There's a problem with the village." Orochimaru said.

"No, bro, you can just think about this kind of thing in your heart, how dare you say it directly." Jiraiya hurriedly came to cover Orochimaru's mouth, but was scared back by the other party's cold vertical pupils.

"Nen has never been an extreme person. On the contrary, his emotions are even more stable than Kirito, who's always laughing." Orochimaru looked at Tsunade, "I don't believe he would defect."

"So, you don't believe in the village either?" Tsunade raised her eyes.

"Uchiha Kirito? Right, could he have become overly saddened by Kirito's death, leading to a drastic change in emotions? Is that why he defected?" Jiraiya slapped his head, as if he had discovered a blind spot.

"Absolutely impossible." Orochimaru glanced at him indifferently.

Kirito was still alive, a fact known only to the two of them in the entire village, not even Zhi Li, his own sister, was aware.

Could it be because he exposed the Wooden Style? Or is it related to his background? Orochimaru pondered, various thoughts flashing through his mind.

He racked his brains but couldn't come to a conclusion.

...

Three days later, late at night, someone suddenly knocked on Orochimaru's window.

"Who is it?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, cautiously lifting a corner of the curtain, and a familiar white-haired figure came into view.

"Hiruko?"

He quickly opened the door, let Hiruko in, and then swiftly scanned the street outside, confirming that no one was following, before carefully closing the door tightly.

"Why are you here so late? Didn't I say that the time isn't ripe yet, and we can't act rashly?" He frowned.

"Your judgment is correct. The time is indeed not ripe. That underground secret room is filled with various experimental devices. Most importantly, it's constantly guarded by Ninja, and there are many experimental personnel who are never seen on ordinary days, secretly researching something." Hiruko said calmly.

Orochimaru was surprised, "How do you know this?"

Hiruko sighed softly, "It's me, Uchiha Nen. I'm currently using the 'Spiritualization Technique' to control this guy's body and talk to you."

"You think I'll believe that?" Orochimaru immediately showed a suspicious look, "Name Kirito's favorite food in two seconds."

"Mint-flavored ice cream." "Hiruko" immediately replied, reacting quickly.

"It really is you!"

Orochimaru instantly confirmed Nen's identity and believed it without a doubt, because this was a secret known only to the three of them.

Although Kirito outwardly claimed that his favorite food was the dishes made by his dear sister Zhi Li, both Nen and Orochimaru had the misfortune to taste them, and the taste was really...unflattering.

Every time, Kirito would happily eat all the dishes and shout "Ten more bowls!", but afterwards, he would go to the convenience store to buy mint ice cream.

"What's the deal with the defection? Where have you been these past few days?" Orochimaru immediately asked.

Nen sighed, "After Tsunade left that day, Danzo attacked me, forcibly wanting me to join his 'Root'. I disagreed, so they tried to kill me, until a senior appeared and took me away."

"Danzo?" Orochimaru frowned, "Does Master know about this?"

"This matter is likely condoned by the Hokage." Nen said expressionlessly, "The senior told me that my father, Uchiha Kagami, led Hidden Leaf Village to victory against the Cloud Ninja on the front lines, but the Hidden Leaf Village higher-ups incited public opinion and framed him, slandering him as a traitor... It's a long story, but in short, I'm completely disappointed in Hidden Leaf Village now."

"The senior's words are naturally beyond doubt..." Orochimaru murmured, he suddenly felt that everything made sense, "Danzo attacked you, perhaps precisely because he was worried that you would know the truth and turn against the village, so preemptive elimination was the best policy..."

"Let's put my matter aside for now. I'm here to find you for another matter."

Nen looked directly into Orochimaru's eyes, his gaze burning, "Orochimaru, are you going to defect?"

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