"Anko-neesan, you've scared her half to death."
Seeing Isaribi so frightened by Anko that her consciousness was already a bit hazy, Aoba pulled her a few steps away.
"?", Anko, completely baffled, pointed at herself.
Aoba shook Isaribi gently, bringing her back to her senses, "Don't worry. We ca here to help you."
"Help ?", Isaribi, only just regaining her senses, still had a sowhat dazed mind.
Aoba nodded with a warm smile, pointing at Anko as he introduced, "She's Mitarashi Anko. Sa as you, she was also one of Orochimaru's experintal subjects here on this island."
Though he left out part of the truth, it was still indeed fact.
Anko was considered the first person to survive the Curse Mark experints.
"Wha… what?"
Isaribi's eyes widened, but suspicion still lingered in her heart, "Then why… why doesn't she have any traces of the experints on her body?"
Even though she had returned to her original form, her body was still covered with fish-like scales. That was why she kept herself wrapped in bandages, as a disguise.
"I used to have them, but this guy removed them."
Anko saw Isaribi's emotions gradually settling and followed Aoba's words with an explanation, "This ti, we ca specifically to rescue you. At the sa ti, we'll be putting an end to Amachi's experints."
Amachi was one of the researchers who had once conducted experints here with Orochimaru. But just like her, he had been abandoned on this island.
And he was still continuing the experints.
"Really?", Isaribi's pitch-black eyes lit up, staring straight at Aoba.
There was expectation in her gaze.
She was just an ordinary, even flawed, experint. She didn't possess anything of value to others.
If they wanted to kill her, they wouldn't need to waste words or tricks.
And her greatest wish was to return to being a normal human.
That was also the leverage Amachi used to control her.
As long as she gathered information about passing ships and reported it to Amachi, he promised to restore her to normal.
But after so long, there had never been a response.
The real reason Amachi needed that ship information was to make raids easier, in order to fund his research.
"Of course it's true."
Aoba said, "That's why I told you, we're here to help."
"Then… then what do I have to do?"
Isaribi suddenly grew nervous again. She knew no one in this world would be kind to her for no reason. She worried they would demand sothing impossible of her.
Aoba thought for a mont, then smiled, "Just help us find that Amachi."
"Eh?", Isaribi froze, disbelief in her voice, "That simple?"
"That simple."
Anko also reached out and patted Isaribi's shoulder, then patted Aoba's shoulder, "I'll stake his honor on it. It's absolutely true."
Aoba shot her a look, "Why not stake your own honor?"
"Yours is worth more than mine."
Anko smiled with narrowed eyes.
Isaribi, watching their banter, felt more and more like they really weren't bad people.
"Alright then, let's go find that Amachi right now!"
Anko waved her hand grandly, making the decision.
The shorter the mission, the more ti there would be for fun.
Hearing this, Isaribi quickly responded, "I'll lead the way!"
"Wait a second," Aoba stopped the two of them again.
"What is it?", Anko looked at him in confusion.
Aoba turned his eyes toward a distant forest and called out loudly, "You've been listening for quite a while. Not planning to co out yet?"
"Huh? Soone else is here?"
Anko was stunned. She was a tokubetsu jonin, after all. Missing Isaribi was one thing, but another presence too?
A figure leapt out from the forest, landing in front of the three.
The newcor wore a black hat, with bandages wrapped around their forehead. Under the bandages, red hair hung down to their shoulders.
Around the waist was tied a thick purple rope, and the lower clothing bore a white trigram pattern.
At these obvious features, Aoba imdiately recognized the person.
"Tayuya? Orochimaru's subordinate? Could it be Orochimaru hasn't abandoned this research base?"
"Orochimaru's subordinate?"
Anko instantly drew her kunai, ready to strike without a word, but Aoba raised his hand to stop her.
The mont Isaribi heard the na "Orochimaru," she began trembling all over.
Aoba simply grabbed her hand too, pulling her behind him.
Isaribi froze, staring at the not-so-broad back now shielding her. A strange, indescribable feeling welled up in her chest.
"Aoba-sama, I ca under Lord Orochimaru's orders."
Though Tayuya was a little surprised at how quickly she was recognized, she adjusted imdiately, lowering her stance drastically.
Normally, with her sharp tongue, she would never show this kind of respect to soone younger than herself.
But this was Orochimaru's explicit instruction. She dared not disobey.
Aoba asked, "What did Orochimaru send you here for?"
Tayuya took out a vial of dicine, "This is a drug that can restore the bandaged girl to normal. Lord Orochimaru specifically ordered to deliver it."
"Wha… what?"
Isaribi's eyes blazed with longing as she stared at the vial in Tayuya's hand.
With that, could the problem that had plagued her for so many years really be solved?
Anko, however, grew even more wary. Since when was Orochimaru this considerate?
Then she suddenly glanced at Aoba, recalling what had happened in the Forest of Death, "Aoba, is there so special relationship between you and Orochimaru?"
Aoba laughed and explained, "During the Forest of Death, I gave Orochimaru a thrashing. And I know so of her more important trump cards. Maybe that's why she's a bit scared of ."
"She?", Anko's train of thought was always different from others'.
Even in such a tense situation, she fixated on details no one else would.
"You didn't know?", Aoba explained, "Orochimaru is female now. So calling her 'she' fits better."
Though Aoba felt calling Orochimaru "it" was more accurate. After all, Orochimaru had long since stopped being human.
Flesh is weak, the soul ascends.
But Orochimaru was ruthless, gave up even his manhood for immortality.
What Voldemort of the ninja world? That thing between the legs was nothing but a hindrance to eternity, just a couple ounces of rotting at.
Anko imagined Orochimaru as a woman and felt an inexplicable shiver of disgust.
"I feel kind of grossed out."
"A little, yeah," Aoba agreed.
Listening nearby, Tayuya dared not speak a word despite hearing them slander Orochimaru so brazenly.
Aoba's eyes sharpened. The vial in Tayuya's hand suddenly flew into his.
He was, after all, the strongest dical ninja in Konoha besides Tsunade.
Opening the vial, he carefully examined it. After confirming there was no problem, he looked at Isaribi.
"Do you want it?"
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