Yamato’s reputation has been unfairly tarnished.

After leaving the Uchiha Police Force’s infirmary, Orochimaru estimated the time—it should be about when Uchiha Jinsuke and Kabuto Yakushi had agreed to train together—so he took the opportunity to head over to the Uchiha training grounds for a look.

Uchiha Jinsuke had not let him down. Despite inserting quite a bit of his own flair into the teaching process, he was, on the whole, earnest and dedicated.

Kabuto, having grown up in the orphanage, was not truly a traditional shinobi. He had never received systematic ninja training; his only real skill was medical ninjutsu learned from Nonō Yakushi.

As for the brief training he received from Root, it was strict, but in truth, they treated him as nothing more than expendable material. After all, a spy sent deep into enemy territory, likely to be exposed and sacrificed at any moment, was not worth significant investment.

The fact that Kabuto managed to survive countless dangers had little to do with personal combat strength, and far more with using his wits—setting traps, concealing his presence, and other such tactics.

Being used to operating from the shadows, he found himself easily cowed during real one-on-one combat, overwhelmed by his opponent’s presence. There was no simple fix for this bad habit—it just required fighting, relentlessly. Only after enduring enough beatings and learning pain would his instincts be awakened.

Even a clay figure has a temper. Watching someone he had once made scream now turn the tables and beat him mercilessly, Kabuto, no matter how indifferent to life he felt, couldn’t help but feel anger stir within him, plotting how he might land a blow on Uchiha Jinsuke’s unpleasant face.

Yet, in Orochimaru’s view, this was unlikely to change in the short term.

Even with the “Yamato Brand Cell Fusion Solution” enhancing his body, Kabuto’s physical aptitude was at best mid-chunin level, and his taijutsu was no better than a genin’s.

Uchiha Jinsuke, on the other hand, was an elite jonin—one of the strongest—and possessed the Sharingan, the ultimate cheat for taijutsu.

Even if Kabuto tried some trick while Jinsuke was off guard, it would be easily seen through.

Simply put, in terms of taijutsu, Kabuto’s situation was utterly hopeless, with no opportunity for a turnaround.

If nothing else, the Uchiha elite had always excelled at “bullying the weak.”

So, after watching this rather predictable training session for a while, Orochimaru stood up and left.

Behind him, the grinning Lamp Spirit, who had been happily enjoying the spectacle, had no choice but to withdraw his attention and shrink back behind Orochimaru.

…

In the heart of the Hidden Leaf Village, on the balcony of a house, Yamato leaned against the wall, carrying out his duty of guarding Naruto while basking in the afternoon sun.

Lately, Yamato’s life had been quite pleasant. After leaving behind the ruthless Danzo, it felt as though his fortunes were finally rising.

His new boss, Orochimaru, treated him well. Aside from occasionally having to assist with experiments, he was largely left to his own devices, with almost no restrictions on his actions.

He had also managed to make some good new friends and, having caught the attention of the Third Hokage, had joined the ANBU as a special jonin—a position that not only brought extra income but was also relatively undemanding.

Yamato knew full well that all these changes stemmed from Orochimaru’s protection.

Though this “Legendary Sannin” still held no real power in the village, having lost interest in political acclaim had only made his aura grow stronger by the day.

Thus, even after being recognized by both Jiraiya and the Third Hokage, Yamato was unwilling to sever ties with Orochimaru, and instead carried out his assignments with utmost dedication.

He had not missed a single day of training in breathing techniques and Wood Release; whenever possible, he would spar with Guy and Kakashi.

Moreover, after each day’s training, Yamato would channel his chakra to nurture the Mangekyō Sharingan, hoping to restore Shisui’s ocular power as soon as possible.

As for the results—well, there was some progress, but compared to the pain, it was barely worth mentioning.

If nothing else, the dark circles under his eyes were now quite pronounced; he moved through the day listless, lips dry and pale, looking as though he’d been through some unspeakable ordeal. Kakashi, feeling deeply guilty, had collected all his questionable novels and returned them to his shelf.

Unable to reveal the real reason for his condition, Yamato had no choice but to accept the ensuing rumors with tears in his eyes, to the point that even his reputation within ANBU had taken a hit.

Thus, during his current guard duty, Yamato preferred to sunbathe alone, rather than face his colleagues’ teasing glances.

Not that he minded; the sunlight actually improved his mental state considerably.

He wasn’t sure why—perhaps it was related to the Sharingan, or his Wood Release inheritance.

Yamato was no researcher, and didn’t dwell on such matters. All he knew was that the afternoon sun filled him with comfort, and that was enough.

Suddenly, Yamato’s narrowed eyes snapped open. Before he could react, a figure appeared before him.

He immediately bowed. “Lord Orochimaru!”

Orochimaru nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on Yamato, finally settling on the dark circles around his eyes. A hint of astonishment flashed in his eyes; after a brief hesitation, he spoke quietly:

“You’re still young—sixteen, seventeen at most. Don’t overdo… that sort of thing.”

Yamato’s eyes instantly filled with tears.

…

After some explanation, Orochimaru learned that Yamato’s dark circles were not the result of frequent self-abuse—he had misunderstood.

But Orochimaru felt no need to apologize; he believed the blame lay with Jiraiya.

When he had entrusted Yamato to Jiraiya’s care, he had already anticipated some influence. After all, no one knew Jiraiya’s character better than Orochimaru.

A little misunderstanding, therefore, was hardly surprising.

Whoosh—

As Orochimaru and Yamato conversed, a sudden gust of wind announced the arrival of the ANBU captain assigned to guard Naruto.

Seeing Orochimaru, the captain paused for a moment, then immediately ordered the hidden operatives to summon the other Sannin.

He himself gave a respectful bow but did not leave, instead standing aside in a watchful posture.

Orochimaru smiled, not troubling the dutiful captain. Once Jiraiya arrived, he pointed to Yamato.

“Jiraiya, I have something I need him to do. I imagine you have no objections.”

Jiraiya, holding a bottle in one hand and a diaper in the other, glanced at Yamato and nodded.

This Wood Release youth was, after all, originally Orochimaru’s subordinate, merely on loan to the old man for now. The fact that Orochimaru even bothered to ask was already a courtesy in front of others—Jiraiya certainly had no complaints.

If anything, he was more curious about what Orochimaru wanted with the Wood Release boy.

Seeing Jiraiya’s nod, the ANBU captain signaled Yamato as well, then returned to his post.

Although it was technically a breach of duty to leave during an assignment, Jiraiya was the official commander of the guard. The captain had no desire to make trouble for himself.

After sending out a shadow clone and taking Yamato with him, Orochimaru’s eyes fell on Jiraiya. Noticing his disheveled appearance, Orochimaru’s lips curled. “You seem to be having a tough time lately.”

Jiraiya brushed at the wrinkles and stains on his clothes, forced a bitter smile, and sighed, “Don’t ask. A five- or six-month-old child is impossible to control—it’s all about the lower half at that age.”

Orochimaru’s expression turned distinctly odd. After a moment, he replied quietly, “Only you could describe it like that, managing to make even this sound so peculiar.”