Chapter 46: A Practical Guide
"Here's how it happened," Alice continued. "Hiruzen personally requested Alex, Jasper, and me to join him and a few Anbu on a mission to locate Orochimaru's whereabouts in the Fire Country. It was quite the ordeal, and he trusted that since we had so much intel, he wanted us to come."
"How was it?"
"It was a fight of epic proportions!"
"And Orochimaru, finding Alex... That's how he gained the curse mark?"
Alice nodded and said, "Yep! You got it. Jasper tried to intervene, of course, but Alex stopped him. Said he was willing to accept the mark, much to our shock."
"Shocking indeed," Arthur said, thoughts churning.
This was even more disturbing than he had initially considered. Alex wasn't just accepting the curse mark; he was actively seeking its power for a bigger purpose.
But why? What desperate ambition drove him down this path?
"Upon returning to the village," Alice continued, "Alex explained his plan. He says he'll modify the curse mark and turn Orochimaru's power to his own advantage. Make it his own."
Arthur understood. Alex was scheming, attempting to cheat the system yet again.
Whether he would succeed or succumb to the curse mark's corrupting influence remained to be seen. But one thing was clear: Alex was playing a dangerous game, and it was a game that could have dire consequences for them all.