Konoha Guest House.
"Lord Nagato, Lady Konan."
Hakuryu bowed respectfully upon seeing Nagato and Konan.
Nagato asked, "Hakuryu, how was your tour around Konoha?"
"Impressive, very prosperous."
Konan remarked, "It's a village blessed by nature, but our Amegakure will continue to grow stronger. One day, we won't be any less than Konoha."
Hakuryu said confidently, "I believe that. Lord Yahiko will definitely make it happen."
Nagato smiled, "Of course."
They had always firmly believed in that.
"It's getting late. Let's stay in Konoha tonight and head back first thing in the morning."
"Alright."
......
Ever since catching sight of that figure, Anko had been distracted all day.
She felt like she was losing her mind—how else could she mistake a stranger for Orochimaru?
Not long ago, she had simply gone to sleep, only to wake up and be told that Lord Orochimaru was dead.
Not just dead, but branded a traitor, killed by his teacher, the Third Hokage himself.
The man she had revered, idolized as both a father figure and a God, was gone...
Why did it have to end this way?
Anko couldn't comprehend it. She couldn't accept it.
She confronted Makoto, but his answer was just as cold.
Orochimaru had committed unforgivable crimes against the village.
After being judged by the two previous Hokage, he confessed to his sins and was ultimately taken down by the Third Hokage—both perishing in the end.
The entire village cursed Orochimaru's name.
Even her friends, though avoiding the topic in front of her, would sometimes let slip their indignant condemnation of his crimes.
After venting her sorrow and finally calming down, Anko discovered something strange—her body had changed, suddenly gaining a surge of powerful strength.
There was only one explanation she could think of: it was a gift from Lord Orochimaru.
What had really happened? Why hadn't he told her anything?
She knew Makoto must have secrets he wasn't willing to share.
If she wanted answers, she would have to find them herself.
"Anko, is something bothering you?" Kurenai asked with concern.
"No... I'm heading back."
The setting sun dipped lower, and the dusk seemed like sediment suspended in murky water, gradually settling as everything stilled.
The once-empty Hokage Rock had been renovated.
The remnants of the four stone faces were completely gone, leaving only a smooth rock wall.
Anko walked alone back to her house.
Standing before the tightly locked door, her outstretched hand froze mid-air.
As a Crown Guard, she held a high rank in the village.
Many treated her with respect, and she was never stopped from going anywhere.
This was all because of Makoto's tolerance.
While Hakumen and Kakashi were busy every day, she remained idle as if the position of Crown Guard was nothing but an honorary title.
She made her way to the Hokage's office, pushing the door open without knocking.
What she walked in on was an awkward scene—Samui was sitting on Makoto's lap, held in his arms, his hand slipping inside the neckline of her clothes.
A brief silence hung in the air.
Samui quickly stood up, tidying her appearance.
Makoto exhaled heavily, displeased. "Don't you know how to knock?"
Anko scoffed with a smirk. "Did I ruin your fun?"
Makoto waved for Samui to leave.
As she passed by Anko, she clearly heard her sneer in disdain.
Samui said nothing, keeping her head down as she walked out.
Now alone with Makoto, he finally spoke, "What is it?"
Looking at him, Anko swallowed the snarky remarks she had initially wanted to throw at him.
"I want to change my place of residence," Anko demanded.
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "The place I've arranged for you is already quite decent. Where do you want to move to?"
"I want to go back to where I lived before," Anko replied.
That was the former Hokage residence, where she used to live with Orochimaru.
After Orochimaru's death, the place had been sealed off by the Anbu, and Makoto had assigned her a new home.
Makoto said calmly, "Everything there has been cleared out. It's just a few empty rooms now."
"Why?" Anko questioned angrily.
Makoto responded indifferently, "No one's living there anymore. It's just wasting village resources. Isn't it normal to deal with that? I'm planning to demolish it next month and build ordinary housing there to accommodate war orphans graduating from the ninja academy."
"You—!" Anko fumed, storming up to the desk, her rage burning in her eyes.
"If there's nothing else, just go back," Makoto said dismissively.
Anko's eyes flickered with determination. Suddenly, she threatened, "If you don't let me move back, I'll shout right now that you harassed me."
Makoto chuckled, amused. "False accusations are boring. How about I really harass you first, and then you can shout?"
Anko was stunned, taking a few steps back with alarm, glaring at him defensively.
"You bastard, Hyuga Makoto!" she cursed furiously.
Makoto's expression turned cold. "It's this bastard who's protecting you. Have you never thought about what would happen to you, a disciple of a traitor, if certain things came to light?"
Anko sneered, "I'd just die, that's all."
Makoto laughed mockingly. "Don't talk about death so lightly. When the day comes that you truly face it, you'll realize just how terrifying it is. I don't need your gratitude—just don't cause me any trouble."
Left with no choice, Anko stormed out of the Hokage building in frustration.
Her mind churned with thoughts of how to get back at Makoto.
Like telling his wife about what he'd just been doing with Samui... No, that would be too low!
Nightfall.
Anko stood in front of the Hokage building, gazing at the distant homes illuminated by warm lights.
A sudden wave of melancholy swept through her heart.
At this time of day, she would usually be bringing dinner to Lord Orochimaru.
He was always so engrossed in his research that he often forgot to eat, and she had to remind and supervise him.
Lord Orochimaru liked nutritious food and disliked anything cold.
Every day, she would go to the market to buy fresh ingredients and carefully prepare meals for him...
The more Anko thought about it, the sadder she felt.
She hurried away from there.
Instead of going home, she went to the former Hokage residence.
The gate was tightly shut, and the nameplate had been removed.
The place was cold and deserted, with no sign of life—just as Lord Orochimaru had always preferred a quiet environment.
After standing in place for a moment, she pushed the door open.
Creaaak—
The door let out a slightly grating sound, having not been opened for some time.
The living room was vast and empty.
The air was cold, carrying the distinct chill of an uninhabited space.
As Makoto had said, everything inside had been cleared out.
Standing in the middle of the living room, countless memories flooded her mind.
She recalled the first time she brought Makoto to meet Lord Orochimaru.
From that point on, Makoto became one of Lord Orochimaru's most trusted subordinates.
At that time, she had been smugly proud of bringing Lord Orochimaru such an excellent subordinate.
Back then, she had also considered Makoto a very good friend, imagining that things would continue like that forever.
Makoto... Why was he so cold?
Did he truly have no feelings for Lord Orochimaru at all?
Anko was immersed in her thoughts when she suddenly heard a faint rustling sound.
Her perception was now incredibly sharp.
At first, she assumed it was just a rat or some small creature.
But out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a figure standing by the doorway of an empty room.
It was that Ame ninja she had encountered earlier during the day.
Anko froze for a moment, her mind going completely blank with a loud boom.
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