Land of Fire – Konoha Village Entrance
The villagers eyed the pair—master and apprentice—with a mixture of wariness and disbelief.
Orochimaru, a notorious traitor, standing so brazenly near the village's gates, was a sight that unsettled many. His presence alone was a blatant disregard for the Hokage's authority, yet he showed surprising restraint. He remained just outside the village, calm and composed, as if respecting an invisible boundary.
Of course, he wasn't doing this out of deference to Konoha.
This was purely out of consideration for Bai Ye.
As a rogue ninja, stepping foot inside Konoha would be a direct provocation, something the Uchiha Guard would not ignore. Even in business dealings, Orochimaru tread carefully, knowing better than to challenge Bai Ye's authority—at least for now.
But Orochimaru was a man of ambition.
No matter how obedient he seemed at the moment, it would be a mistake to think he had accepted a subordinate role. He was simply biding his time, waiting for the right moment to shift the balance of power.
For now, however, there was no resistance, only cooperation.
---
Vroom!
The distinct hum of a motorcycle echoed from the distance, growing louder as it approached.
Bai Ye twisted the accelerator leisurely, his expression relaxed, while behind him, members of the Uchiha Guard followed on foot, keeping pace with their captain's unorthodox mode of transportation.
Upon reaching the village gates, Bai Ye's gaze flicked first to the Third Hokage, who had arrived ahead of him. His brows lifted slightly in surprise.
Without so much as a greeting to Hiruzen, he turned his attention directly to Orochimaru.
"Did you bring it?"
He already knew why Orochimaru was here.
The past few days had seen a flurry of activity in Konoha, with roads being repaired in anticipation of the Uchiha Guard's new police motorcycles. Soon, they would be a common sight patrolling the village, which made training a necessity. The Guard's training grounds at headquarters were the perfect place for such drills.
"Of course," Orochimaru responded smoothly, withdrawing a large scroll from his robe and handing it over.
"Good work."
Bai Ye nodded approvingly and tossed a thick stack of ryo at him, completing the exchange.
It was nothing more than a simple business transaction—no hidden schemes, no betrayals.
Of course, not everyone saw it that way.
The Third Hokage's eyes remained fixed on the scroll, his expression dark.
To him, any transaction involving Orochimaru reeked of forbidden jutsu and corruption.
"You seem interested, Lord Hokage," Bai Ye remarked, a smirk playing on his lips. "Would you like a police motorcycle of your own?"
Sarutobi's frown deepened.
Before he could respond, Bai Ye let out an exaggerated sigh and shook his head.
"My apologies, I forgot… given your height and, well, the length of your three legs, you might have trouble handling one."
His words dripped with sarcasm.
Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely, playing along. "Bai Ye-kun is right. If sensei were to ride one, he might not even reach the brakes."
While exaggerated, the dig was clear.
Sarutobi wasn't short per se—at roughly 1.6 meters, he was still of average stature for an older shinobi. But compared to Bai Ye's 1.8-meter frame, the contrast was apparent.
Still, was that scroll really just about motorcycles?
Sarutobi's expression remained stormy. He wanted to object, to accuse Bai Ye of undermining Konoha's interests—but technically, Orochimaru had done nothing to harm the village. In fact, designing the motorcycles had actually benefited them.
The real issue was the absurdity of the situation: the Hokage and the captain of the Uchiha Guard casually interacting with a missing-nin.
Hiruzen clenched his fists. He wanted to strike back, to remind Bai Ye who truly held authority in Konoha.
But experience had taught him something—every confrontation so far had only resulted in his loss.
For now, he swallowed his pride.
But he would wait. His chance would come.
Just as Sarutobi was attempting to suppress his anger, Orochimaru spoke again, a knowing smirk on his face.
"I heard your two sons were expelled from Konoha, sensei?"
Sarutobi's face darkened further. He remained silent.
Everyone knew of this—the disgrace that haunted his reputation.
"But sensei, you truly are impressive," Orochimaru continued. "Even after being expelled, your son still managed to secure a rather high position."
His voice was playful, but his words were venomous.
"Fire Nation Border Guard?" Orochimaru scoffed. "Do you honestly believe Shinnosuke can hold such a title?"
Sarutobi's jaw tightened.
Orochimaru's intelligence network was as sharp as ever—he knew far more than he should.
"Are you threatening me?" Hiruzen asked coldly.
"Tch." Orochimaru tilted his head. "If I were, would you call the police?"
He glanced at Bai Ye.
The meaning was clear—he was mocking Sarutobi for expecting protection from the very person who had been undermining him at every turn.
Yet, Bai Ye had already lost interest. He waved lazily at the Guard.
"Alright, we're done here. Let's head back."
The transaction was complete. There was no need to linger.
With that, Bai Ye and his men departed, leaving behind only one parting remark:
"I'll send you the revised blueprints for the next-generation police motorcycles."
Orochimaru watched him go, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.
Bai Ye truly was an enigma—his mind a vault of complex and innovative ideas.
Still, there were more pressing matters.
"Sensei," Orochimaru murmured, stepping closer. His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I hear your sons are aggressively gathering intelligence on enemy ninjas. Even those with bounties… they've made it their mission to hunt them down."
Sarutobi's brows furrowed. "What of it?"
Orochimaru chuckled. "Ah, sensei… you should know better than anyone."
His voice turned eerily amused.
"If they keep disrupting certain interests, certain people will not be pleased. And when those people become angry…"
He let the sentence trail off.
Then, without another word, he turned and left, leaving Sarutobi to stew in his own thoughts.
---
Konoha Gate
Izumo and Kotetsu let out sighs of relief once Orochimaru was gone.
The pressure he exuded was suffocating.
Yet, what baffled them most was his behavior—he had been utterly compliant before Bai Ye.
A rogue ninja, voluntarily handing over supplies to the Uchiha Guard?
Unbelievable.
Still, as gatekeepers, this wasn't their problem.
And since Orochimaru hadn't technically stepped inside the village, there was no violation of protocol.
Half a foot over the threshold didn't count.
---
Uchiha Guard Headquarters
Afternoon had settled over the compound.
Bai Ye lounged in Tsunade's arms, watching as his subordinates excitedly test-drove their new motorcycles. He smirked as they sped around, some overconfidently skidding their tires.
Tsunade glanced down at him. "What's with that look?"
Bai Ye rubbed his chin. "I feel like I forgot something."
She scoffed. "You? Forget something? Unlikely."
Just then—
"Captain Bai Ye!"
An Uchiha clansman burst into the office, breathless.
Bai Ye's eyes widened.
Oh… right.
The Uchiha Clan Meeting.
He had completely forgotten.
Without hesitation, Bai Ye grabbed Tsunade's hand, hopped onto his motorcycle, and tore off toward the Uchiha compound.
The stunned messenger was left choking on a cloud of dust.
He's literally walking the dog with me!
Tonight's meeting was going to be interesting.
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