The stone corridor echoed with quiet footsteps, the only sound beneath the underground lair of the Hidden Sound.
Orochimaru sat alone in a dim chamber, his face pale and drawn, sweat clinging to his brow. His arms hung limply at his sides, black veins crawling along the flesh like rot spreading beneath the skin. His fingers didn't twitch. Couldn't. The pain was constant. Dull now, but deeper than before.
Across the room, Kabuto stood silently, hands clasped behind his back, his expression unreadable.
"They've left Tanzaku Quarters," Kabuto said softly.
Orochimaru's golden eyes shifted to him. "All of them?"
"Yes. Jiraiya, Naruto Uzumaki, Shizune, the pig… and her."
"And the tall one?"
Kabuto nodded once. "Hajime too. He's with them. Weapon still on his back. Clinic's closed. Sign removed."
Orochimaru leaned back slowly, his breath hitching from the pressure in his chest.
"Leaving for Konoha," he muttered, voice like cracked silk. "So she accepted."
Kabuto remained still.
"Useless," Orochimaru hissed. "well it's normal. Even if Tsunade acts like she don't care about konoha anymore, she cared about it more than anyone."
He stared at his arms with hate, then disgust.
"They won't heal," he whispered. "Even in this new body."
The host was young, barely past sixteen. The skin was still firm, the face still smooth, but the arms, useless. Already beginning to decay.
"We'll need stronger suppressants," Kabuto said quietly. "I've prepared a longer-lasting compound. But even then, you'll need treatments daily."
Orochimaru's lips curled. "No. I won't wait anymore."
His eyes gleamed with a sudden sharpness.
"Send word to the Sound Four. Mobilize Kimimaro. It's time."
Kabuto's brow lifted slightly. "Sasuke?"
"Yes." Orochimaru's voice turned harsh. "Uchiha blood… will be mine. I'll make the boy crawl to me if I have to."
Kabuto bowed slightly. "As you command."
He turned and walked out in silence, leaving the Sannin to sit alone, broken hands folded useless in his lap.
The afternoon sun was warm as it stretched across the winding forest road. Trees bowed overhead in wide arcs of green, and sunlight flickered between the leaves in gentle waves.
A group of five moved steadily down the dirt trail.
Jiraiya walked at the front, arms folded, posture casual, but eyes always scanning. Tsunade strode beside him, her coat fluttering behind her, a tension still clinging to her shoulders despite her calm face. Shizune followed a step behind, carrying Tonton in her arms, the pig nestled quietly against her chest.
Naruto was a few meters back, face scrunched in concentration, gripping a water-filled balloon in both hands.
And beside him, Hajime.
The tall teen's halberd was strapped across his back, gleaming faintly in the sunlight. His steps were steady, heavy, yet quiet, armorless but commanding. The path shifted beneath his weight.
Naruto growled in frustration. "Ugh! It just wiggles! Why won't it pop?!"
Hajime glanced over, watching the water balloon wobble violently in Naruto's grip.
"Too much force," he said calmly. "You're trying to overpower it. That's not what control means."
Naruto frowned. "But I gotta spin it!"
"Yes," Hajime nodded, "but with focus. Not with rage."
Naruto gritted his teeth, holding the balloon tighter. Water sloshed inside, refusing to break.
Hajime reached down and took a fresh balloon from Naruto's pouch, holding it up with two fingers.
"Imagine the chakra not as something you force outward, but something you compress. A storm in your palm. Not flailing, spiraling."
He began spinning the water inside the balloon with visible precision. The surface vibrated. It rippled… then burst.
Naruto's eyes widened. "You didn't even strain!"
"Efficiency beats effort when the control is right."
"Ugh… you and Kakashi would get along," Naruto muttered, squeezing his balloon harder.
They kept walking.
Tsunade glanced back once, catching sight of Hajime and Naruto, one tall and silent, the other small and loud, and a strange softness touched her face before she looked away again.
Jiraiya tilted his head slightly. "He teachin' him?"
"Looks like it," Tsunade muttered.
"You trust him?"
She was quiet for a long moment.
"…Yes."
Jiraiya smirked faintly, not teasing, just acknowledging.
The group continued down the road, wind rustling through the trees, boots kicking up small clouds of dust.
Far behind them, Tanzaku Quarters vanished behind the horizon.
Ahead?
Konoha awaited.
But for now, there was only the road, the quiet sounds of training, and the steady march forward.