To Unlock Bonus Chapters:
Reach 40/50/100/200/400 Power Stones! 3 Extra Chapters!
Reach 800 Power Stones to activate NP!
Resets Weekly! [Monday]
—————————————————————————————————————————
"Lord Orochimaru, please take me as your disciple!"
Anko's voice echoed unusually clearly in the empty corridor. Orochimaru, who was walking, twitched slightly, turned around, and regarded her calmly.
Anko didn't lift her head. She remained deeply bowed. Only the face buried in her chest betrayed an unprecedented determination.
"Why do you want to be my disciple?"
Orochimaru wore a playful smile as he sized Anko up and down.
"Anko..."
In the ward, almost everyone was shocked by this sudden scene.
Rin Uchiha's eyes held a hint of surprise. That was Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. She probably didn't even have the guts to go over so directly. Who would have thought that Anko, that shy girl, actually...
But why on earth did she have to become Orochimaru's disciple?
Shibi Aburame let out a sigh. He had also noticed the recent changes in Anko, but he didn't expect her to be so bold.
However, he didn't hold out much hope that Anko could become Orochimaru's disciple. Orochimaru was well-known among the Jonin for his discerning eye. Anko had been under his tutelage for so long, yet in terms of talent, she wasn't particularly remarkable.
I hope she can withstand this setback!
Satoru Hyūga's face showed a faint smile. Was this a fateful meeting? Or was it the self-correction of the timeline?
Originally, under his influence, Anko, who hadn't become Orochimaru's disciple, actually mustered up the courage to ask Orochimaru to take her as a disciple.
Perhaps from the very beginning, this result was doomed.
Why do you want to be my disciple?
Orochimaru's voice still echoed in Anko's ears in the corridor, making her lose her focus for a moment.
Why did she have to become Lord Orochimaru's disciple? Anko asked herself this question inwardly.
Suddenly, scenes flashed through her mind...
She was at a loss when facing the enemy...
When she saw Rin Uchiha and Kakashi engaged in a fight, she could only frantically seek someone for help...
When she faced an invincible enemy, she could only flee desperately...
In the pouring rain, she saw Satoru Hyūga covered in wounds among the ruins...
"Satoru, am I a useless person? I really hate myself, so much hate..."
Memories came rushing back like a tide and instantly overwhelmed her. She subconsciously clenched her fists, and her body trembled with excitement. The face buried in her chest was already streaked with tears.
"Because I loathe myself, loathe myself for being useless! Hate myself for being powerless!"
"When my companions are in danger, I can only watch helplessly. I really want... really want... but I..."
"Lord Orochimaru, please take me as your disciple! I want to have power. I want to protect my companions. I'm already... so sick of the person I used to be!"
Anko almost roared the last sentence.
She bowed even deeper, her fists clenched tightly. The floor in front of her was dotted with her tears.
Before she realized it, the ward had fallen into complete silence.
Anko's hoarse and grief-stricken voice drifted down the corridor sentence by sentence, like a hammer pounding on their hearts again and again.
Shibi Aburame suddenly recalled the first time he met Anko. That smiling girl said in her self-introduction, "My favorite is sweet food, and what I hate most are those who hurt their companions."
Now, those words ring so true.
Maybe I'm an irresponsible teacher. I failed to tap into her true potential... He couldn't help but blame himself.
Uchiha Rin fell silent. Anko had always had a very low presence in her eyes. All this time, her impression of Anko was that she was timid, useless, and Satoru Hyūga's follower. Now she finally knew what kind of struggle was going on in that delicate girl's heart...
Out in the corridor.
Orochimaru suddenly let out a laugh, his voice hoarse.
"Do you want to protect your companions? An interesting thought."
"I agree."
What?
Anko, still hunched over, suspected she had misheard. She slowly lifted her head and regarded Orochimaru with a hint of hesitation.
Orochimaru offered her a faint smile and repeated.
"I agree. From now on, you will be my disciple."
"R... really? M... my lord Orochimaru, no, Master Orochimaru."
Orochimaru nodded at her smilingly.
"Great!"
Anko was so excited that she almost jumped up. The sudden rush of happiness almost made her faint. In fact, she didn't have much hope of becoming Orochimaru's disciple. She just thought that as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she had to give it a try.
Who would have thought...
She happily darted into the ward and grabbed Satoru Hyūga's hand.
"Satoru, did you hear that? Lord Orochimaru has agreed to take me as his disciple."
"I heard." Satoru Hyūga shot her a helpless smile. "Can you be a little gentler? I'm still a wounded person."
"Oh, sorry!"
"Rin, did you hear?"
"Yeah, congratulations."
"Teacher Shibi Aburame..."
"Congratulations, Anko. Orochimaru is a well-known Sannin. I hope you won't be lazy under his guidance."
Shibi Aburame pushed his sunglasses up. Although he completely didn't expect Orochimaru to agree, he was genuinely happy for Anko.
"Yeah, definitely!"
Satoru Hyūga let out a breath and looked at the ceiling. It seemed that the ninja world had undergone many changes because of his arrival. He wondered whether Orochimaru would still defect from Konoha.
But for now, Anko becoming Orochimaru's disciple was probably the best outcome.
"Congratulations, Anko." He looked at Anko with a smile, his eyes showing a hint of complexity. "From now on, you'll be training with Orochimaru."
"Yeah." Anko replied softly and subconsciously lowered her head slightly.
Becoming Orochimaru's disciple meant parting ways with Team 3.
"Anko, don't worry. I'll take care of things with the Hokage."
」
Shibi Aburame said in a solemn voice. Since Anko had become Orochimaru's disciple, she would surely have to leave Team 3 temporarily. He could go to the Hokage to handle the relevant formalities by himself.
「Thanks, Teacher Shibi.」
Anko's voice became much quieter. Although she had become Orochimaru's disciple, just thinking about separating from these companions made her feel a bit sad.
「Anko, don't think so much.」Satoru Hyūga said, smiling. 「We're all happy for you that you've become Orochimaru's disciple. Go on, Orochimaru is waiting for you outside. I'm really looking forward to the day when you grow up.」
「Okay.」
Anko replied softly. She looked at the few people in the ward reluctantly, as if trying to imprint their faces deeply in her mind...
After Anko left, it was quiet in the ward for a long time.
Shibi Aburame hesitated for a moment, looked at Satoru Hyūga, and said.
「I originally intended to tell you this news later, but since Anko has left, it doesn't matter to say it earlier.」
「The Hokage has specially promoted you to chunin, which means...」
「In the future, you may have to lead teams or carry out missions alone. That is to say, Team 3 is going to be disbanded...」