Chapter 199: The Gift
Outside the Konoha orphanage, Kitahara Kaede and Orochimaru stood side by side atop the canopy of a tree.
In the yard below, several children were chasing one another, their laughter echoing clearly over the walls.
Orochimaru cast a glancing look downward. "Which one is the child you mentioned?"
Kaede didn't answer immediately. His gaze shifted to a corner of the yard.
One of the children, running too fast, tripped over a stone and crashed heavily to the ground. His knee scraped against the gravel, and beads of blood began to well up. He burst into loud, wailing tears.
The surrounding children panicked, crowding around him in a flurry of helplessness.
Just then, a silver-haired boy, who had been quietly reading a book in the corner, closed his volume. He stood up and walked over.
The boy knelt, gently placing his hands over the injured knee. A soft green glow radiated from his palms. It was faint, but steady.
The wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The fallen child stopped crying and stared down at his knee. After a few seconds of stunned silence, his tears turned into a smile.
Orochimaru flicked his tongue across his lips. "Kitahara-kun, you've given me another extraordinary gift."
The excitement in his voice was unmistakable.
Kaede's expression remained impassive. "Since you're satisfied, go down and meet him."
With a blur of movement, the two descended from the trees and pushed open the gates of the orphanage.
Almost the instant the door opened, Kabuto looked up. A flash of light flickered in his eyes when he saw Kaede.
As they approached him, Kaede gestured toward the man beside him. "Kabuto, this is Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin of Konoha."
Kabuto naturally understood the weight of the title "Sannin." Unlike the other children, he didn't recoil in fear from the dangerous aura Orochimaru emitted. He was simply confused.
Why would Senior Kaede introduce him to such a towering figure?
Kabuto pushed up his glasses and stood silently, awaiting further instructions.
Orochimaru studied him. After a long pause, he spoke slowly. "Your medical ninjutsu is quite impressive."
The sudden praise caught Kabuto off guard. He pressed his lips together, bowed his head slightly, and replied softly, "Thank you for the compliment."
"Do you want to learn more?" Orochimaru continued. "The knowledge found in textbooks is merely the surface. There are far more interesting things to discover."
Kabuto didn't answer right away. He looked up at Kaede, his eyes searching for guidance.
Kaede gave a small nod.
Having received his answer, Kabuto looked back at Orochimaru. "I want to learn."
Orochimaru was thoroughly pleased. "Very well. From today onward, you shall accompany me."
He turned, signaling for Kabuto to follow. "If that's settled, come to my laboratory first to familiarize yourself with the environment."
Kabuto looked back at the orphanage one last time, then turned and followed the two men.
***
In the laboratory.
Orochimaru pointed casually toward a mountain of texts and scrolls piled in the corner. "Before you officially begin, read through all of those."
Having said his piece, he ignored them and walked straight to his workbench, immersing himself in his own world.
Kabuto walked quietly to the pile of books, picked up the top volume titled *Preliminary Study on Cellular Rejection*, sat cross-legged on the floor, and flipped open the first page.
Watching him, Kaede nodded inwardly. Kabuto's situation was now resolved.
He walked over to Kabuto and whispered a few instructions, then turned to Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, a word in private."
Orochimaru looked up and nodded. He followed Kaede out of the lab, and the two made their way up to the rooftop terrace.
Kaede got straight to the point. "I will be leaving the village frequently from now on, and I need substantial funding to support my upcoming plans. However, given my current status, frequent absences will attract the attention of the higher-ups and certain other individuals."
Orochimaru remained silent, letting him continue.
"I need to use your name as a cover. If anyone asks, tell them I am leaving the village to help you search for rare experimental materials."
Orochimaru's golden slitted pupils narrowed slightly.
*He's tying us completely to the same boat?*
Considering Kabuto and those era-defying theories, it was a bargain he couldn't refuse.
"No problem, Kitahara-kun."
***
The laboratory door was suddenly flung open with a loud *bang*.
Anko Mitarashi stormed in, looking visibly irritated. She immediately spotted the silver-haired boy sitting by the pile of books.
A stranger.
Anko's heart sank. She strode over and glared down at him, her tone brimming with the annoyance of someone whose territory had been invaded.
"Hey! You're the new assistant Sensei picked up?"
Kabuto looked up from his book. He instantly read the complex emotions swirling within the girl.
He didn't argue, nor did he get angry at her hostile tone. He closed his book, stood up, pushed up his glasses, and adopted a very humble posture.
"I am only here to help with chores. I look forward to your guidance, Senior."
"..."
The barrage of questions and anger Anko had prepared vanished instantly, as if she had punched a cloud. She opened her mouth to speak, but looking at Kabuto's docile demeanor, she found herself momentarily speechless.
***
When Kaede and Orochimaru returned from the roof and opened the lab door, the scene before them gave them both pause.
Anko was standing by the workbench, holding a row of test tubes and muttering something. Kabuto stood quietly beside her, listening intently as she explained the classification standards.
The atmosphere between them was unexpectedly harmonious.
Orochimaru gave them a cursory glance before heading straight to his workbench.
As evening approached, Kaede led Kabuto out of the lab and walked him back to the orphanage. At the gate, Kabuto stopped and gave Kaede a deep, respectful bow.
"Senior Kaede."
Kaede looked down at him.
"Thank you."
Kaede reached out and ruffled the boy's silver hair. "It was nothing. Just focus on your studies."
Kabuto nodded vigorously and ran back into the orphanage.
Kaede withdrew his hand and turned to walk back. Returning to his empty apartment, he sat on the edge of the bed, his gaze falling on the calendar on the desk.
A date in late August had been circled in red ink.
The excuse for leaving the village was ready. Next, he had to meet Pakura at the border of the Land of Rain.
His gaze shifted down to his wrist. Tsunade's words—"I'll begrudgingly forgive you"—seemed to still be echoing in his ears.
Visiting Pakura would take at least two or three days.
If... if Tsunade asked about it again...
Kaede raised a hand and pressed his fingers against his throbbing temple.