Chapter 415: Hehehe
At the home of Tobitake Tonbo.
Along the main corridor, a figure appeared leading a young child.
The child had blue hair and wore a youth-sized kimono with long, flowing sleeves. With a pale, porcelain complexion, he held tight to the hand of the man walking ahead of him.
"So this is Captain Tonbo's home. It's huge," Mitsuki remarked like an innocent child, taking in the surroundings.
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "Of course. This is the foundation he built all on his own. In the future, you can achieve the same."
The young Mitsuki was the synthetic creation he had painstakingly cultured, embodying a monumental portion of his personal research breakthroughs. After years of development, Mitsuki had finally gained full mastery over his latent power, allowing him to walk freely in the outside world. This was actually his very first time witnessing the scenery of the outside world directly; previously, due to the volatility of his internal energy, he had only been permitted to observe it through laboratory monitors.
"I have no interest in that," Mitsuki said simply. "I only want to know if, once I grow up, I'll be able to defeat him using my own power."
As he spoke, his chakra manifested into pale-blue ethereal serpents, swirling fluidly around his body.
"Do not flex your chakra here. We are attending a wedding, not looking for a fight," Orochimaru instructed calmly.
"Yes, Father," Mitsuki replied, instantly retracting his power.
Orochimaru added, "If you train diligently, you might eventually surpass me. However, the odds of you surpassing that man are not particularly high."
Even with Sage Transformation and Otsutsuki genetic material, it merely provided Mitsuki with an extraordinary foundation. Whether he could ultimately surpass Tobitake Tonbo was something Orochimaru couldn't guarantee. After all, both Tonbo and Orochimaru himself currently possessed the absolute confidence to handle multiple Otsutsuki in direct combat.
Still, now was not the time for such heavy considerations; the priority was attending the wedding.
Even so, this estate was absurdly vast. Every time Orochimaru visited, he resented having to walk such long distances—it felt like a genuine waste of time.
"Orochimaru? What are you doing here?"
Just then, a voice called out. Orochimaru turned to see a couple holding the hand of a young girl—slightly older than Mitsuki—standing before them.
Leading the pair was one of Tonbo's former disciples, Togetake Tetusen—now a seasoned Konoha Jonin—alongside Anko Mitarashi.
Togetake Tetusen retained much of his younger appearance, though he had matured significantly, complete with a dusting of stubble on his chin that gave him the classic look of a middle-aged man. Anko, on the other hand, had filled out quite a bit, clearly living a comfortable, well-fed life.
"Attending a wedding, just like you," Orochimaru offered his congratulations smoothly. "It's been a while, Anko. You've married quite well." Seeing his former student living such a prosperous life brought him a genuine sense of quiet satisfaction.
Anko instinctively shielded her daughter behind her back, eyeing him warily. "Aren't you supposed to be under strict surveillance? How did you get out here?"
Orochimaru smiled subtly. "I am under the supervision of Tobitake Tonbo, am I not? Besides, I have zero interest in your child—though seeing her is like looking at a younger version of you. Greet your grand-master, little girl."
Mitsuki watched from the side, his eyes full of curiosity as he looked at the girl hiding behind Anko. Did she inherit her father's power too? He could distinctly sense the faint trace of a serpentine chakra signature on her.
Hiding behind her mother, Togeito Maruko bowed politely. "H-Hello, Grand-master... and..." She trailed off, realizing she didn't know the boy standing beside him.
Mitsuki offered a gentle smile. "My name is Mitsuki. What's yours?"
"I'm Togetake Maruko, and I'm four years old," Maruko replied in a soft, timid voice.
Anko scowled slightly as she looked at Mitsuki, sensing the unmistakable signature of Orochimaru's power within him. That bastard... is he still conducting human experiments? How infuriating. Why hasn't Uncle Tonbo put a stop to this?
Togetake Tetusen stepped in smoothly, carrying a neatly wrapped gift box. "Since we're all here for the wedding, let's head over together. I heard Teacher Tonbo prepared quite a lot for this occasion—not just gifts, but also rare marvels you don't usually get to see. It's truly a grand celebration!"
In the blink of an eye, his teacher's children were already tying the knot.
"By the way, what gift did you bring?" Togetake Tetusen asked comfortably, completely unbothered by Orochimaru's presence. He trusted his teacher implicitly, knowing Tonbo would never allow a dangerous individual to wander around freely without absolute guarantees. If Orochimaru was here, it meant Tonbo was completely at ease with it.
"Rest assured, I have naturally prepared a suitable gift for Tobitake Tonbo," Orochimaru said, lightly brushing a finger over the ring on his hand. In an instant, a large, ornate gift box materialized in his grip.
"Eh? How did that big box suddenly appear? Is that a summoning jutsu?" Four-year-old Maruko already had a basic understanding of shinobi concepts, and this looked just like the summoning techniques her mother had described.
Mitsuki smiled and explained softly, "No, it's a Spatial Storage Ring—a new type of Scientific Shinobi Tool developed by the Scientific Technology Development Bureau. It's far more convenient than traditional sealing scrolls. You simply channel a trace of chakra into it to retrieve stored items. Furthermore, it features chakra-recognition security, meaning only the ring's designated owner can extract its contents!"
As he spoke, Mitsuki raised his own hand, displaying a teal-colored ring that caught Maruko's wide-eyed gaze.
"Really? Scientific Shinobi Tools have already advanced that far? That's amazing!" Tetsusen looked on with envy. This was vastly superior to carrying around clumsy summoning scrolls; being able to retrieve equipment with a simple pulse of chakra was an absolute game-changer for a field shinobi like him.
Maruko's eyes sparkled. "Can I get one too? Is it really expensive?"
Anko watched the blue-haired boy enticing her daughter with high-end tech, her plump face instantly tightening with murderous intent.
Mitsuki, completely oblivious to her deadly glare, chuckled softly. "Haha, this is cutting-edge tech. Currently, only a few core members of the Development Bureau possess one. It incorporates rare spatial metals and complex space-time sealing formulas, making the production cost extremely high. It hasn't been released to the public market yet."
"Ah, what a shame... I have so many dolls, and it'd be wonderful if I could carry them around in a ring," Maruko sighed regretfully. If she had one, she could take her toys everywhere, making all her playmates completely green with envy.
"Let's move," Orochimaru said, watching the fireworks continuously exploding in the sky above as he set off toward the main venue. "Ninjutsu tools like this will eventually be distributed to Konoha's Jonin rank anyway. Though the price tag will likely be steep, requiring you to save up—or perhaps convince your teacher to gift you one."
Togetake Tetusen scratched the back of his head with a grin. "True enough, but I'd rather rely on my own earnings. I'm sure my salary can cover it eventually." He then led his family to fall into step behind Orochimaru.
Mitsuki let go of Orochimaru's hand and walked alongside Maruko, a bright, friendly smile on his face. Maruko blushed slightly, feeling a bit shy as she walked softly by his side.
Watching the two children interact, Anko felt a sudden urge to draw her kunai. However, considering it was Teacher Tonbo's children's wedding day—and with Orochimaru standing right there—she had no choice but to forcefully suppress the urge to thrash the boy then and there.
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