Alternate space. Training room.
"Bang, bang, bang—!!!"
The beautiful woman with a head of curly yellow hair, Delta, was furiously venting her anger on the training dummy in the room!
"That guy Kashin Koji is such a coward! If he hadn't dragged me away last time, I would've definitely captured the Sixth Hokage alive…"
"Unbelievable! I've never been this pissed off!"
The more Delta spoke, the angrier she became. Finally, with a loud "Bang!" she blasted the highly durable training dummy to pieces with a single punch!
From a dark corner of the training room, a teasing voice sounded, "Delta, is bragging the only thing you're still good at?"
Delta didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. She growled irritably,
"Code, you'd better not mess with me right now! Because I really will tear you into eight pieces! (*Ӧ)σ"
The red-haired Code didn't care at all.
"Whatever. I'm not going to lose to you."
Delta turned her head and glared at Code's annoying face.
"Don't tell me you're really going to just swallow this humiliation!"
"The mighty Kara didn't even see the enemy's face before running this far!"
"And the key 'vessel' of the organization got taken by Konoha!"
Code said, "That was Jigen's decision. I follow him."
Delta snapped, "Yeah, yeah, but… I just can't swallow this! I'm going to talk to Jigen properly! If that doesn't work, I'll just storm into Konoha myself and drag the 'vessel' back!"
Code shrugged. "If you want to go, go. I can't easily leave the base."
While the two of them were talking, a burly man in a black robe appeared in the training room.
Delta's eyes carried a hint of annoyance toward everyone. She swept a speechless glance at the burly, black-robed man.
"Boro, what are you doing here?"
In response to Delta's question, the burly Boro smiled.
"I heard you're planning to break into Konoha to take back the 'vessel,' so I came over just to remind you—Konoha isn't that easy to get into…"
"Trust me on this. I've been active in the shinobi world longer than any of you…"
Delta sneered. "And after all those years 'being active,' I don't see you having overthrown Konoha."
"Oh, right, I heard Konoha even distributed portraits of every Kara member to all their shinobi… The moment you step outside, you're a wanted man. How exactly are you still 'active'? (σ≧︎▽︎≦︎)σ"
Boro remained as composed as ever.
"It's fine. Transformation techniques are the simplest thing… Besides, my followers are absolutely loyal. (๑ت๑)"
Delta snorted. "Yeah, right!"
...
Second Konoha Orphanage.
As the director, Kabuto frowned as he looked at the problem child Anbu had just delivered…
"What's your name?" Kabuto tried to speak kindly to the boy bound tightly with vines.
As expected, the boy turned his head away. "Hmph!"
"Don't expect to get any useful information out of me! ꐦ≖ ≖"
Kabuto felt a headache coming on.
"Why is Shinju sending every kind of person to me…"
Just then, Yakushi Nonō returned from shopping.
When she saw the boy tied up so tightly, Nonō looked puzzled.
"This kid doesn't look aggressive at all. Why is he tied up?"
Kabuto repeated what Anbu had said when they'd delivered him earlier.
"He's being targeted by a mysterious organization in the shinobi world, so it's a bit sensitive…"
Nonō said, "I see… Since the Hokage sent him to the orphanage, that means he wants us to properly guide this child… Untie him. (๑ت๑)"
Hearing this, the boy showed a hint of surprise…
Soon after, Anbu contacted the Hokage's office, and Shinju released the vines binding the boy.
The moment he was freed, the boy instantly bared his fangs like a beast escaping its cage!
"Hah!"
His right fist swelled with power as he threw a punch straight at who looked the most fragile—Yakushi Nonō!
However, just as the boy leaped into the air, Kabuto's swarm of snakes coiled around him and restrained him!
The boy: ◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞
Even a random orphanage director in Konoha is this strong?!
Next to him, Kabuto pointed at the boy unhappily.
"How can you repay kindness with hostility like this! Let him go hungry for two meals! (눈益눈)"
Yakushi Nonō patiently said, "Listen, this is the Second Konoha Orphanage. We won't hurt you…"
The boy stubbornly glared back.
"I'm not going to submit, no matter what! (｡•ˇ‸ˇ•｡)"
Nonō acted as if she hadn't heard him and continued,
"We still don't know your name."
The boy turned his head away.
He didn't want to talk to anyone from Konoha.
And more than that, he hated his own name.
His father had given him that name—and then personally sold him to Kara, where he underwent all kinds of inhuman experiments…
Such a simple name carried far too many humiliating memories he didn't want to recall.
In the silence, Nonō spoke up on her own. "Then I'll give you a new name."
The boy still said nothing. Nonō simply took it as tacit approval and went on,
"You've just arrived in Konoha, so it's a new beginning. How about 'Hatsuo'…"
Kabuto's expression changed. "Hatsuo… Mom, is that supposed to be a hidden message?"
"Uh, maybe… we should change it?"
Nonō nodded. "Then Kabuto, you think of one."
Kabuto said casually, "Let's just call him 'Ichiyo'—simple and clear!"
Hearing this, Nonō agreed. She tilted her head to look at the boy and, seeing no obvious resistance on his face, grinned.
"Then it's settled! Have you eaten yet? I'll make you some porridge!"
...
Hokage's office.
Shinju received the latest news from the orphanage.
"Ichiyo, huh? That name's actually better than the one I came up with…"
Shikamaru nodded in agreement beside him.
"It's not just a little better. It's way better."
Shinju said, "…You don't have to hit that hard with your words."
Shikamaru's expression suddenly became serious as he continued,
"You know how important this boy is to Kara. Why are you still keeping him in the village… If Kara attacks…"
Shinju spread his hands. "Honestly, my thinking is pretty simple. Konoha has defensive installations everywhere now, plus the chakra identification and sensing systems— even a fly would have trouble getting in… And besides, Kabuto is really strong too…"
Shikamaru muttered, "I mean, you're not wrong, but still…"
Shinju raised his hand. "Relax. I'm still here… Oh, right, help me arrange for those two we captured the other day, Ao and the big guy. I want to look at their memories…"
"I really didn't expect Ao to join Kara. Shikamaru, have you informed Kirigakure about this?"
Shikamaru nodded. "Of course. The Mizukage apologized over the phone and said she'd personally visit soon…"
Just as Shikamaru finished speaking—
"Swoosh!"
An Anbu appeared in the Hokage's office, knelt down, and reported,
"Hokage-sama, the two Kara members you brought back yesterday committed suicide in prison."
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