"There's a reply!"
Nawaki's voice broke the silence in the cave. He was the first to notice the small snake slithering in from the rain, coiling neatly at Orochimaru's feet.
"Really? Really?" Kushina leaned closer, a mix of nerves and curiosity lighting up her face.
Hiroki, who had been running through a new ninjutsu code sequence in his mind, looked up and stepped forward.
The little snake opened its mouth and spat out a sealed scroll.
Orochimaru picked it up with his pale fingers, unfurled it, and his golden pupils flicked rapidly across the text. The handwriting was unmistakable — the Third Hokage's.
"That's from Lord Third," Orochimaru confirmed with a nod, glancing briefly at Nawaki.
He read it carefully once more, then rolled it up and tucked it away. His expression was calm, deliberate."The mission is aborted," he announced. "Danzo will meet us personally at the border. We're returning to the village."
"What?" Nawaki froze for a moment before clenching his fists. Surprise turned to frustration, and then humiliation.We just got here! They had barely seen any action, and now they were going back? Like this? In disgrace?
But even he knew — a ninja follows orders.
Still, he couldn't stop his hand from rising to the blue crystal pendant at his chest.The smooth warmth of the necklace didn't calm him. It only reminded him of how far he was from his sister's expectations — from the dream of becoming Hokage. Retreating felt like betrayal.
Kushina stayed quiet. She exhaled softly, tension leaving her shoulders. Relief, yes — but not satisfaction.At least we're alive, she thought, though when her eyes drifted to Hiroki, calm as ever, unease crept in.He was growing stronger by the day — at a pace she couldn't even comprehend. Would that gap widen even more when they returned? Her hands curled at her sides. The desire to master sealing jutsu burned hotter than ever.
Hiroki, meanwhile, wasn't caught up in their emotions.
Going home alive? Great.That meant more time to study, to upgrade, to experiment. The battlefield was risky, but productive — he'd already copied a few new jutsu and even created one himself (useless as it was).Still, once he was back in Konoha, he could analyze everything properly. Maybe even build version 2.0… or 3.0.
But first, one problem remained.
After returning, Orochimaru probably wouldn't have much time for them. So Hiroki needed to ask now — before the chance disappeared.
"Sensei," Hiroki said suddenly, cutting through Nawaki's grumbling. He looked straight into Orochimaru's golden eyes. "How can I increase my total chakra effectively?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, surprised. Of all questions…Hiroki was sharp, with precise chakra control and high learning speed — but his chakra reserves were abnormally low.
The pale man studied him for a moment, then smiled faintly."Hiroki-kun, do you know what the essence of chakra is?"
"The essence?" Hiroki frowned slightly, uncertain where this was going.
Orochimaru didn't make him guess.
"Chakra is created from physical energy and spiritual energy," he explained smoothly. "Physical energy comes from every cell in your body. Spiritual energy comes from your mind — your experience, your willpower, your practice."
He lifted one hand, a faint glow sparking between his slender fingers."Spiritual energy determines quality — your precision and control. Physical energy determines quantity. The more active your cells, the greater the flow of energy your body can produce."
His eyes swept over Hiroki's thin frame — the message was clear.
"In short, if you want more chakra, there's only one direct and effective way—"
Hiroki already knew the answer before he said it.
"Exercise," Orochimaru finished.
"Exercise?!"Nawaki and Kushina exclaimed in unison. They exchanged doubtful looks.
"No way, Sensei!" Nawaki blurted. He flexed his arm, showing off. "If that's true, I should have way more chakra than Hiroki! But—" he frowned, remembering the last chakra readings. Hiroki had less chakra than anyone else in the group, yet his efficiency and endurance were still freakishly high.
"That's right!" Kushina added, hands on her hips. "He looks like a bean sprout! I could knock him out with one punch! I train way harder than him every day!" She punched the air for emphasis.
Hiroki sighed inwardly. Yeah, yeah. Fair point.
He didn't exercise much. Why would he?He was a programmer — his natural environment was a desk, not a gym. If a programmer wasn't bald, didn't wear plaid shirts, or didn't cosplay once a year, that was already solid life management. Exercise? That was for people who had spare time.
Maybe I should just finish the auto-muscle-growth code instead…
Just as he was thinking that, Orochimaru spoke again — voice low, deliberate.
"When I received the Hokage's reply," he said, "the laboratory also sent me a message."
He paused, the faintest curve forming at the corner of his lips."They said the experiment was a success."
Hiroki blinked. "The… experiment?"
"Now," Orochimaru said softly, almost amused, "you can start building muscle for yourself, Hiroki-kun."
Hiroki's eyes widened in disbelief. Really!?But before he could say another word—
"Lightning Release: Pseudo Darkness!"
A blinding flash of white light tore through the cave!