Chapter 55: Seeds Planted

In a dim underground laboratory, a pair of snake-like eyes were intently focused on the tools at hand.

On the experiment table, a grotesque, bloody test subject lay motionless. It had failed.

"Ssshh…"

A white snake suddenly burst out of the ground, its hissing making Orochimaru pause. He set down his tools and removed his gloves.

The white snake opened its mouth and produced a scroll. Orochimaru unrolled it, and his snake-like pupils instantly contracted.

'Danzo… is dead?'

'Uzumaki Ku?'

'Wood Style from Hashirama Senju? Susanoo from a Mangekyō Sharingan?'

'Sensei... it seems you've underestimated the Fourth Hokage.'

'He's pulled the Uchiha into his base of support, and used this incident with Danzo to win over the major Konoha clans with secret techniques and kekkei genkai.'

'This kind of maneuvering… was this really something Jiraiya could've taught?'

Orochimaru put the scroll away and began packing up all the data and notes from his lab.

It was obvious, after Danzo's fall, this place was no longer safe. And perhaps, he wasn't safe in Konoha at all anymore.

The secrets of chakra, of life, of ninjutsu across the Shinobi World… there was still too much to uncover.

Konoha was no longer the place to stay.

"Big brother, when can I awaken my Sharingan?"

At the Tri-Color Dango Shop, Izumi's cheeks puffed up with dango in her mouth; she looked like a guinea pig.

Uchiha Yun poked her with a finger and replied, "What do you mean 'awaken your Sharingan'? I've told you, you only awaken it after experiencing pain. And most people who awaken it… are at least a little unwell."

Izumi stared at her brother. "Then you… are also a little unwell?"

Bonk!

Yun smacked her lightly on the forehead. "After you graduate, I'll talk to the Fourth Hokage and get you assigned to my team. Once you achieve Chūnin, I'll transfer you to the academy as a teacher. That's the safest route."

Izumi blinked. 'He already had it all planned out?'

She didn't particularly like fighting, just like that scary day when the Root members suddenly appeared. If it weren't for her brother, it could've been very dangerous…

"Sasuke, this is Aunt Kushina and little Naruto. Say hello."

"Naruto, call him 'big brother,' okay?"

Not far away, Yun turned his head at the familiar voices. 'Was this… the first meeting of the two protagonists?'

How much had he already altered the fate of these two? Or perhaps the fate of Indra and Asura themselves?

Two-year-old Naruto, just able to walk, reached for Sasuke's hand.

Slap!

Too bad, Sasuke smacked his hand away.

He turned to Mikoto and said, "Mom, I don't know him."

Naruto looked at the back of his slapped hand, confused and on the verge of tears.

Mikoto hurriedly consoled him, rubbing his hand and explaining to Sasuke, "Naruto's mom is my friend. You'll be classmates at the Ninja Academy soon, so you should get along."

Kushina looked at Sasuke with a sparkle in her eyes. "Mikoto, it's been a while. Your little Sasuke's even more handsome now. Just like his big brother."

That last line seemed to hit home. Sasuke straightened up proudly. "I'll become a powerful ninja, just like my brother."

Naruto tilted his head. "Nin…ja?"

Kushina ruffled his hair. "Just like Daddy, he's a ninja who protects the whole village."

Naruto understood that part and started happily shouting, "Daddy! Daddy!"

But Sasuke lowered his head in disappointment. After a pause, he asked his mother, "Mom, why don't I have a daddy like big brother?"

The atmosphere instantly grew quiet.

Kushina quickly stopped Naruto's cheering and looked apologetically at Mikoto. "I'm so sorry, Mikoto…"

Mikoto shook her head, knelt down to face Sasuke, and gently said, "Sasuke, you and Itachi both have a father. He was a great ninja who protected this village too. When your brother comes home, we'll take you to see him."

Sasuke nodded seriously, and Kushina gave him a guilty look.

No matter how it was framed, the death of Fugaku had partially stemmed from her own involvement.

"Would you like some dango, sweetie? You can have as much as you want!"

Kids don't dwell on sadness long, especially when there's an offer of unlimited sweets. Their eyes lit up with joy as they cheered.

Yun, watching all this from nearby, sighed. Fugaku's death might not be a bad thing for the Uchiha, but for children… grief works differently.

Just as the two mother-child pairs entered the dango shop, their eyes met Yun and Izumi's.

Yun stood up and greeted them with a grin. "So Itachi's little brother is this big already? Last time I saw him, he was still peeing his pants."

Sasuke's face turned red immediately.

He looked up at the unfamiliar man and snapped, "You're lying! I don't pee my pants!"

Yun chuckled and turned to look at little Naruto, just as he remembered him, with the same blond hair as the Fourth.

At the moment, Naruto was hiding behind Kushina, still shaken from Sasuke's earlier slap.

"This must be the Hokage's son? Same hair color… he should be around two, right?"

Kushina nodded. "You're Uchiha Yun, right? Minato mentioned you. He said you and Itachi helped him a lot recently."

Yun bowed slightly. "Just doing what I should."

After some polite exchanges, Yun glanced at Naruto and Sasuke one last time. He signaled for Izumi to say goodbye, and the two siblings left.

Phew…

He really wanted to extract some DNA from those two little brats… maybe one sample wasn't enough; ten might do.

After Yun left, Mikoto turned to Kushina. "That boy's only nine, right? He helped the Minato?"

Kushina smiled. "Are you asking about the other night? I'm not totally sure myself, but both Yun and Shisui were present."

'They were there?'

Mikoto's expression changed. She quickly said, "Kushina, Shisui's always been trying so hard. About Minato…"

Smack!

Kushina suddenly pulled Mikoto into a friendly hug and whispered in her ear, "What are you thinking? Relax. Someone high up in Konoha died that night. But for the Uchiha, it's a good thing, Minato let that slip himself."

Releasing Mikoto, Kushina scratched her head. "I never liked that old man anyway. But now that he's dead, let's just move on."

Only now did Mikoto finally relax.

But behind her, young Sasuke silently recorded every detail of what had just happened.

.....

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