Chapter 201: The Housekeeper
The lights were still burning in the corridors of the Research Department building.
Tsunade stood at the door, but she didn't bother knocking. She simply pushed the laboratory door open.
Inside, Orochimaru stood before a workbench, flipping through a notebook while questioning a student.
"During cellular mitosis, what is the effect of chakra on the mitochondria?"
"Chakra accelerates the energy metabolism of the mitochondria. However, during the late stages of division, excessive injection can cause the spindle fibers to break, leading to an abnormal distribution of chromosomes."
The voice answering was young and devoid of hesitation.
Tsunade's footsteps paused. That wasn't Anko's voice.
She took a few steps forward and clearly saw the silver-haired boy who had answered.
Yakushi Kabuto.
Wasn't this the orphan Nonou had brought back from the ruins of Mount Kikyo? What was he doing here?
"Teacher, Kabuto has been amazing these past few days!" Anko popped her head up from behind the workbench, her tone laced with a competitive streak. "He's already finished several thick books. He's way faster than I am."
Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "You flatter me. I've had a lot of help from Anko-san these past few days; she's the one who taught me how to categorize most of the experimental equipment."
Anko puffed out her chest. "Well, obviously..."
She stopped mid-sentence as she caught sight of the person standing at the door.
"Tsu... Tsunade-sama!"
Hearing this, Kabuto stood up as well. "Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade gave a small nod without saying much, her gaze shifting to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, come outside for a moment."
Orochimaru turned around, his golden slitted pupils scanning Tsunade.
Tsunade rarely stepped foot in this building, let alone barged into a laboratory without warning. He already had a few guesses as to why she was here.
"Keep studying," he told the students.
Leaving those words behind, he closed his notebook and followed Tsunade into the corridor. The door clicked shut behind them.
The two stood facing each other in the hallway. Tsunade didn't beat around the bush.
"Did you send Kitahara Kaede to find some kind of special experimental materials for you?"
Orochimaru didn't rush to answer. He processed the information quickly.
When Kitahara Kaede had mentioned using Orochimaru's name to leave the village, Orochimaru had assumed it was to deceive the higher-ups and Danzo's spies. Now it seemed that excuse was mostly intended for the woman standing before him.
Interesting.
"I did."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What materials?"
Orochimaru pulled a folded piece of paper from his robes and handed it over.
"Rare catalysts needed for cell fusion experiments. A few types of fungal extracts unique to the Land of Rain, and mineral powders from the border of the Land of Grass. They can't be bought through conventional channels; they must be harvested in person."
Tsunade took the paper and scanned it. As one of the world's top medical ninja, her brain instinctively began to deduce the purpose of these materials.
Fungal extracts to catalyze cell membrane permeability, mineral powders to neutralize chakra residue... it made perfect sense. Moreover, this was exactly the kind of thing Orochimaru would pursue.
But Tsunade didn't let her guard down. She folded the paper and handed it back, staring into Orochimaru's face.
"Since when did you start collaborating with Kitahara Kaede?"
"His abilities are impressive."
"There are plenty of people with impressive abilities," Tsunade said, stepping forward. "Since when did you become so easy to deal with?"
Orochimaru didn't respond. He simply tilted his head, looking at her with a faint, enigmatic smile. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.
"What is this?" his voice carried an undisguised hint of mockery. "Since when did the great Tsunade, one of the Sannin, start acting like a nagging housekeeper, prying into the affairs of a Jonin?"
Tsunade's expression darkened.
"Cut the crap," she huffed. "I'm warning you: don't drag Kitahara Kaede into those disgusting experiments of yours. Otherwise, I'll personally tear this pathetic laboratory apart."
Having said her piece, she turned abruptly and strode away.
Orochimaru watched her retreating figure, a slow smirk curling his lips. To be able to make Tsunade lose her composure like that... Kitahara-kun was even more interesting than he had imagined.
***
The night wind whipped into her collar, leaving Tsunade feeling irritable.
Logic told her that if what Orochimaru said was true, then Kitahara Kaede leaving the village on a commission was also true. But something still felt off.
Orochimaru's explanation had been too smooth. Did she not know his personality? If Jiraiya asked him if he had eaten today, he would spend half the morning being sarcastic and passive-aggressive. Yet today, he answered every question directly, cooperating to an absurd degree.
It wasn't normal.
As she walked, Tsunade suddenly stopped. The face of the silver-haired boy in the lab flashed through her mind.
Yakushi Kabuto.
Nonou wasn't close with Orochimaru at all. So how did Kabuto end up in Orochimaru's laboratory?
Tsunade stood under a streetlight, her shadow stretching long across the ground. Clues began to click into place in her mind.
Kitahara Kaede frequently visited the orphanage.Kitahara Kaede was collaborating with Orochimaru.Kabuto suddenly appeared by Orochimaru's side.
When she connected those three lines, the answer was crystal clear.
Had Kabuto been arranged by Kitahara Kaede?
Tsunade frowned. If Kabuto really had been planted there, then the "collaboration" Kaede spoke of was certainly not as simple as running errands for materials. He was doing something else—something she didn't know about.
As this thought emerged, Tsunade felt a strange sensation in her heart. She clenched her fist, then slowly relaxed it.
She couldn't get the truth by asking. She would have to investigate on her own.
Tsunade turned and headed toward her home.
***
At the same time, in the dense forests outside Konoha, a dark figure moved silently through the canopy.
Kitahara Kaede was traveling at full speed. He was calculating the timing in his head; running at full tilt for one night would put him exactly at the border of the Land of Rain.
He just wondered how things were progressing on Pakura's end.
Additionally, Orochimaru had proven to be an exceptionally useful shield. With that explanation provided, even if Tsunade was suspicious, she wouldn't find a flaw in short order.
However, the phrase "in short order" implied a hidden risk. Tsunade wasn't stupid. The fact that she didn't press him today didn't mean she wouldn't investigate in secret.
But for now, he couldn't worry about that. Meeting Pakura, assessing the situation, and then executing the plan to eliminate Danzo were the priorities.
As the horizon began to pale with the first light of dawn, Kitahara Kaede finally saw that grey region perpetually oppressed by dark clouds.
The border of the Land of Rain.
He landed on a protruding rock, keeping a sharp eye on the path ahead. In the mist and rain, a figure was already standing there.
He hadn't expected her to arrive so soon. She was even earlier than the agreed time.