Konoha Notes

Chapter 137 Invitation

Old house in the western suburbs
Shuji led Ako through the somewhat empty courtyard.

“Grandma,” Shuuji said to Senju Momoka, who was sitting on the veranda seemingly admiring the sunset, “Anko will be staying here for a few days.”

Senju Momoka slowly turned her head, her gentle gaze falling on the somewhat flustered Anko, and she nodded lightly.

Then she stood up and beckoned to Hongdou: "Come with me, child, I'll arrange a room for you."

"Um, Granny Taohua, I'm so sorry to trouble you." Hongdou bowed quickly, her tone revealing obvious nervousness.

Grandma Tao Hua smiled faintly: "No need to be so polite. It's a good thing that this old house has more of a young person's atmosphere."

"Shuji used to always come to your place for gatherings, which must have caused you a lot of trouble, right?"

Hongdou immediately waved her hand vigorously, her cheeks slightly flushed: "No, not at all! It's not troublesome at all!"

Strangely, even though it wasn't her first time visiting this old house or meeting this old woman, Hongdou felt an unprecedented sense of restraint today.

Dinner at the old house consisted of simple home-cooked dishes. The three of them ate quietly, with only the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks and Grandma Taohua's occasional concerned inquiries.

After dinner, Hongdou returned to her room. Night completely enveloped the courtyard. She tried to calm herself down by closing her eyes, but she still felt uneasy, and her heart was pounding uncontrollably in her chest.

I've stayed away from home before, but for some reason, this time feels different.
-
Shuji sat quietly on the edge of the main house, without a lamp lit, only a sliver of moonlight falling upon him. He was not sleepy; his senses were like an open net, filtering every sound of the night.

Suddenly, a very faint rustling sound, different from the sound of natural wind, came from the darkness under the corridor.

The next moment, a brightly colored venomous snake shot out, its mouth wide open, aiming to bite at Xiu Si's neck.

However, just as the venomous snake leaped into the air, the wooden planks beneath it seemed to come alive. Several strong vines grew out, wrapping around the snake's body from bottom to top, swiftly sweeping it away and pulling it into the shadows beneath the plank.

A faint thud and a struggling movement came from beneath the soil, then everything fell silent.

Shuji frowned slightly. They were actually coming for him? And this time, Anko in the next room seemed completely unresponsive.

In his perception, although the girl was tossing and turning in bed, it was completely different from the abnormality when the curse mark was activated.

Therefore, Shuji concluded that this was more like a personal invitation to him, one that was meant to test him.

If he could, he really wanted to ignore it completely, or even immediately sound the alarm and call for backup. But this was an old house in the western suburbs, where Granny Momoka lived. The house was quite old, about the same size as Konoha.

Are we just supposed to stay here and not go out? What if they actually break in? Are we supposed to fight inside? Do we even want this house anymore?

Even if reinforcements arrive from the village quickly, it will still take time.

tsk...

With a hint of reluctance, Xiu Si slowly stood up, opened the gate, and walked out.

"That was... Wood Release technique, wasn't it?"

A hoarse voice with a unique magnetism came from the darkness at the edge of the woodland surrounding the old house.

Shuji looked up and saw Orochimaru slowly walking out from beside an ancient tree. The moonlight outlined his pale face and his eyes that gleamed with an eerie light in the darkness.

He looked at Xiuji with great interest, his long tongue unconsciously licking his lips.

Shuji frowned even more. He hadn't felt anything while watching the anime, but seeing it in person, he only found the action somewhat unsettling, sticky, and disgusting.

"Excuse my intrusion, Mr. Orochimaru." Shuji's tone was calm, showing no emotion whatsoever upon seeing this rogue ninja, one of the Three Legendary Sannin.

How do you usually manage to stick your tongue out so long?

"Or is it that the base of your tongue is located lower down, so your mouth can accommodate such a long tongue?"

Orochimaru, who was licking his lips, suddenly stopped, and his tongue even drooped down somewhat comically.

He then let out a low, pleasant laugh, seemingly finding the question amusing: "If you want to know the answer, why not satisfy my curiosity first, Shuuji-kun?" "That one just now, it was Wood Release, wasn't it?"

"It's Wood Release," Shuji readily admitted.

"Truly astonishing." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a spirit of inquiry. "This is a technique mastered after research. Through the modification of the body, the tongue and limbs can be stretched, contracted, and twisted at will... The mysteries within are far more profound than they appear on the surface."

After a round of rather bizarre questions and answers, Orochimaru tilted his head slightly and re-examined the person in front of him.

"You were completely different when you were in school, Shuuji-kun, both in terms of this unexpected sense of humor and this extraordinary composure when facing me."

"I didn't expect that I had misjudged you. If I had been able to see things more clearly, even if I knew that you were a child that Lady Tao Hua cared about, I would have tried to bring you under my command."

"With red beans."

Shuji looked at him silently, his face expressionless in the moonlight. After a while, he asked, "Since you were able to control Anko's cursed seal so she couldn't sense it, why did you let it flare up at the Chunin Exams venue?"

Orochimaru chuckled, "I haven't paid attention to her for a long time. I didn't expect that she still hasn't been able to unleash the hidden power of that cursed seal."

"She possessed a physical constitution superior to many experimental subjects, yet lacked a sufficiently strong desire and obsession to match it."

"Just like the Senju clan today, scattered in various places, content with the status quo, it is difficult to see even a trace of the glory that once stood at the top of the ninja world."

He exclaimed, "The power of the First Hokage was like that of a god descending to earth. Even after his death, the life energy contained in his cells still surpasses the ordinary and is fascinating."

"The Second Hokage, Tobirama, although not as powerful as his elder brother Hashirama, possessed wisdom and talent that transcended his time. Every time I read the ninjutsu he left behind, I am amazed."

"He... Lord Tobirama is someone I admire even more than Sarutobi-sensei."

"However, such a glorious clan, after disbanding itself, saw its bloodline dissipate and became so mediocre. It is truly disappointing."

"Perhaps those two respectable adults made a wrong choice."

"Originally... that's what I thought."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with growing interest: "Shuji-kun, you're different. Although you've hidden it well, I can sense the power you possess now, the power that's hidden within you."

"It should not be buried in this increasingly decaying and stagnant village, slowly rusting away under endless tasks and hypocritical rules."

“Join me, Shuji-kun,” Orochimaru extended the invitation. “I can offer you something Konoha could never give you.”

"Unfettered freedom of exploration, a shortcut to truth, and... the method to fully unleash the great power within you that originated from the First Generation."

"With me, you will become much stronger than anyone could imagine, far beyond what you would have achieved if you stayed in Konoha."

As he spoke, Shuuji stood quietly, seemingly just listening. However, the invisible yet energetic forces of nature in the surrounding air were continuously converging on him.

Sage Mode activated, chakra fully mobilized.

Black lines slowly emerged from his face.

Orochimaru's smile deepened as he watched this: "So, you've even mastered this power?"

No wonder Danzo put him on par with Tsunade; not only does he possess Wood Release, but he also has the power of Sage Mode.

Danzo, when you mention this person, you're probably expecting me to make a move against him.

"You're giving me more and more surprises, Shuuji-kun."

“You’re not beyond my expectations, Mr. Orochimaru,” Shuji replied calmly. “If I refuse, shall we fight?”

"If a confrontation is unavoidable, could you please consider my house?"

"This house is several decades old, and considering that it was the Senju clan's first home in Konoha, its total value is quite considerable."

(End of this chapter)