Chapter 214: Get to Work, Yet Another New Lord Hokage!
Hidden Sound Village.
Orochimaru turned and signaled Sakura Haruno to follow.
Passing through several heavy alloy gates, the smell of disinfectant in the air grew stronger.
Inside a brightly lit, massive laboratory, Kabuto Yakushi was directing several Sound ninjas in white lab coats, processing a white spore-like substance.
"Lord Orochimaru, you've returned."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, his gaze sharp and calm behind the lenses. "The 'small gifts' brought back from Konoha have been mostly cleaned up. These White Zetsu spores are indeed excellent material. When injected with chakra, they can proliferate continuously and even mimic appearances."
Orochimaru stepped forward slowly, examining the writhing spores in the petri dish with interest.
"Their vitality is tenacious. Inject some with chakra to use as sacrifices for the Impure World Reincarnation. Incorporate the rest into the latest research project."
He licked his lips, eyes flashing with greed and fervor for the unknown.
Sakura looked at the unsettling white substance, her stomach churning. What is this? Remnants of war? She subconsciously clenched her fists.
"Are you ready, Sakura?"
Orochimaru's voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "Your wish will be granted immediately."
In an even more secluded laboratory, complex formations were inscribed on a cold stone platform.
Orochimaru placed the two "sacrifices" prepared earlier onto the eye of the formation. As he formed hand seals, low incantations echoed in the room, and the entire space filled with a chilling, eerie chakra fluctuation.
Light flashed, and dust swirled.
Moments later, two coffins slowly rose from the ground. Then, two familiar figures stepped out, looking around blankly.
"Where is this—?" Kizashi Haruno rubbed his forehead, confused.
"Sakura?" Mebuki Haruno spotted her daughter standing not far away and smiled with delight. "Why are you here? Are we—saved?"
Seeing her parents' familiar faces, tears instantly blurred Sakura's eyes. She rushed forward, hugging them tightly, her voice choked.
"I was wrong… Dad… Mom…"
"Silly child, why are you crying?" Kizashi patted his daughter's back gently. "Aren't we fine? By the way, where is this place? Those bugs—"
He recalled his actions to evacuate and protect civilians, his heart still palpitating with fear.
After talking with her parents for a while, Sakura realized that some of the facts about what her parents did previously had been forcibly distorted, possibly due to the wish. But everything else matched up.
Confirming that the two before her were indeed her parents, she told them they had been resurrected by the Impure World Reincarnation. They were obviously clueless about such high-level forbidden jutsu, which made it easier for Sakura to continue her deception.
Then, Sakura took a deep breath. Following Orochimaru's prior instructions, she suppressed her inner guilt and unease, weaving a lie:
"Dad, Mom, I'm currently on a very important secret mission. This is the mission base; it's safe. Konoha—things in Konoha have settled down, you don't need to worry."
"Secret mission?"
The Haruno couple looked at each other. Although still confused, seeing their daughter safe and sound, they didn't ask further. In their hearts, their daughter would always be the little girl who needed protection.
A researcher walked over at the right moment, wearing a gentle smile.
"Please rest here at ease. Everything you need for daily life will be arranged. Sakura's mission is special, so she cannot leave here for the time being."
Although the Haruno couple was wary of this stranger, seeing that he seemed to mean no harm to Sakura, they nodded politely.
In the days that followed, Sakura's parents were settled in an elegant courtyard within the Hidden Sound, isolated from the outside world. There were comfortable rooms and good-looking food—though as Impure World Reincarnations, they couldn't taste it, eating nicely was still good—and even some basic entertainment facilities. They were told that for the sake of "mission secrecy," they couldn't wander freely or contact the outside world.
Sakura took time to visit her parents periodically, chatting with them, trying hard to play the role of an obedient and filial daughter.
But late at night, when she faced the cold metal walls of the Hidden Sound alone, she pondered silently.
Because life now… wasn't exactly good or bad…
At least, for these reasons, she no longer had to listen to her parents nagging in her ears every day. And if Orochimaru's words were true, they could seemingly live forever as Impure World Reincarnations.
But she also knew that all this was a false happiness built on lies, and she could no longer turn back.
As she became familiar with the Hidden Sound, Sakura gradually witnessed the daily life of this "village."
Rather than a village, it was more like an efficiently operating scientific research city. Most villagers were researchers or specially modified ninjas, each performing their duties, working fanatically for the "strength of the Hidden Sound."
Patrolling mechanical puppets and identical androids were everywhere on the streets. Recently, these androids seemed to be equipped with Sharingan and Byakugan. The entire village was shrouded in a strict and orderly atmosphere.
She saw Karin patiently teaching a group of young children basic medical knowledge and literacy. The children's eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge, occasionally cheering for a small reward from Karin. Not far away, Suigetsu was fiddling with some precision instruments with an impatient look. He seemed to be researching a chip that could directly input knowledge into the brain, muttering, "Teaching is too troublesome; might as well just pour existing knowledge directly into the brain."
Jugo often stayed in a huge hangar, looking up at a mecha being assembled. The mecha pulsed with senjutsu chakra, clearly custom-made for him. His eyes shone with envy at the thought of fighting side by side with Kimimaro.
Kimimaro and the Sound Four were like ghosts, often unseen. When they did appear, they were always in a hurry. Recently, they were discussing a mission to Hozuki Castle to seize the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
Sakura observed all this silently. This village, created single-handedly by the man who destroyed Konoha, displayed a strange "prosperity" and "vitality." The villagers seemed full of admiration and trust for Orochimaru, willing to dedicate everything to him.
Orochimaru seemed very satisfied with this state, but he was currently busy conquering the fusion of the Mangekyo Sharingan and Byakugan.
Sakura was also studying the content assigned by Orochimaru.
One day, while walking with her parents in the courtyard, Sakura inadvertently heard a rhythmic rumbling sound from the distance.
"What is that sound?" Mebuki asked curiously.
"Probably the village building some new facility," Sakura answered vaguely, though she wasn't really sure. Some areas were off-limits even to her, or rather, she didn't have clearance yet.
Deepest within the Hidden Sound, inside a building, countless identical personnel in white uniforms were busy. Various rare materials were fed in, going through complex processes to become powerful scientific ninja tools.
In a special workshop of the factory, an elderly man resurrected by the Impure World Reincarnation stood silently before a huge energy conversion device.
He wore plain clothes, his Kage hat long gone.
No android knew who he was, nor did any android care.
Except for… the three "Kage" who had been working here for a long time…