Chapter #13: Setting a Trap

Late at night sitting in a room alone, in an old orphanage, a boy could be seen muttering to himself, 'I remember it now, when the Fourth Hokage was appointed, the other candidate Orochimaru soon left the village. Now that I remember the scene, Orochimaru was responsible for some kidnappings around the village in order to search for the Immortality Jutsu as he called it'.

Remembering Orochimaru's snake form, he was easily disgusted, "Some Immortality Jutsu, you couldn't even keep your normal body and had to transform into a gobbly goo of snakes." He shuddered just imagining the thing.

 'But it was dangerous last night, I can't believe he or one of his men came here to kidnap some kids. It could just have easily have been me last night', he got goosebumps all over his body. 

After cursing his luck for a few minutes, He completed his meditation once again. He could feel that he was close to the breakthrough. As he each time he focused, he could feel that the overflow of Spiritual Energy lessened day by day. 

"I am still not sure if my feeling of spiritual energy to be decreasing is a good or bad thing. Maybe, the more physical energy my body produces, the more it starts to mix with the Spiritual energy. In turn, it excites my cells even more out of static and thus finally I will have chakra." He theorized and mused "I wonder if anyone else had a case similar to me before."

During the past couple of days, he had observed a gradual increase in his ability to tolerate meditation. He could now meditate for half an hour continuously without taking breaks. 

A surprise awaited the orphanage the next morning while everyone was having lunch. A team of ninjas wearing kitsune masks stood outside, their presence drawing curious glances from the orphanage residents. The spiky white-haired leader stepped forward, exuding an air of authority, and called for Dai, who immediately went over to him.

"Are you the caretaker?" the ninja spoke in a mild but firm tone.

"No, I'm under the caretaker. Do you need me for anything?" Dai asked, feeling a tinge of nervousness.

"We are here to inspect the kidnapping case. I would like you to lead us to the location where the two kids were last seen," the leader with the cat mask requested.

"Oh, sure, no problem. But the Leaf Police already performed an inspection yesterday," Dai informed them, trying to be helpful.

"As of now, this case has been put under the personal supervision of the Anbu, and we would like to investigate on our own. Now, stop wasting my time," replied the leader in a harsher tone, his impatience evident.

"Yes, sir. Come with me," Dai responded, his nerves growing as he sensed the leader's sternness.

As the team of ninjas passed the dining hall, Shin glanced over, his curiosity piqued.

"Spiky hair, white color, cat mask, and that Leaf Village red insignia on his right hand. It must be Kakashi," Shin thought to himself, recognizing the leader. "Those other two ninjas also look familiar. Purple hair, a gorgeous figure, and a sword on her back—that's Yugao Uzuki. And finally, that funny-looking cat mask. It's somewhat familiar, but I can't quite remember it for now."

Shin quickly scarfed down the last remnants of his breakfast and rushed towards where the ninjas were gathered. However, his excitement was short-lived as he was promptly halted by the Funny Mask Anbu, who blocked his path.

Summoning his best attempt at a childish voice, Shin pleaded, "Oh please, I really, really, really want to see the cool white-haired ninja! He looks so awesome!"

The Anbu stared at him with a deadpan expression, unmoved by Shin's attempt to sway him. Shin, determined to hold his ground, engaged in a staring contest with the Anbu, hoping to outlast him. But after a few minutes, his eyes began to dry, and he couldn't help but admit defeat. "Dang, that ninja can stare for ages. Do they have a separate training regimen just for that?" he mused with a hint of humor.

With a defeated sigh, Shin retreated back to his room, contemplating his next move. "Alright, in the story, Orochimaru's kidnappings do get discovered eventually, and he escapes. But who knows how long that's going to take? If Orochimaru decides to come back here for more specimens, I'll be a sitting duck. In the lore, Kakashi does uncover some clues and reports to Hiruzen, but who knows when that will happen?"

His mind racing, Shin pondered how he could convince the ninja team to focus their attention on Orochimaru. "I don't have any evidence. I can't just blurt out my meditation horror story, can I?" he wondered aloud, realizing the absurdity of his situation.

After some careful consideration, he concluded that, for the sake of his immediate safety, remaining silent was not an option. 

Shin eagerly rushed back to the room, determined to catch the attention of the white-haired ninja. As he approached, he found the Funny Mask Anbu once again blocking his way. Summoning his best crying tone, Shin pleaded, "Hello.....Sir Please, I really need to tell you something important about the night of the kidnapping. I think I heard something and felt something dangerous like a snake hissing!"

The Anbu, wearing a smirk, stared down at Shin and issued a warning, "Kid, this better be true, or you'll face dire consequences. I won't save you from punishment if this turns out to be a trick to meet our leader."

"Yes, sir!" Shin replied hastily, slightly intimidated by the Anbu's deadpan manner.

After a few nerve-wracking minutes, the Anbu finally granted Shin permission to enter the room. Shin stepped inside, and before him stood the leader of the team, Kakashi, who removed his face mask—revealing yet another mask underneath. "Come, sit over here," Kakashi gestured to a wooden mat in front of him.

Shin couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at the realization of the mask under the mask, reminiscent of the anime. Nevertheless, he composed himself and began sharing his account. "Yes, sir. During the night, I have a routine where I wake up late for some extra exercise due to my condition. But suddenly, I heard a..."

Kakashi interrupted, curiosity piqued. "What condition?"

"Oh, well, I was actually hospitalized a week ago. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with me, but after the attack, I lost all ability to move for two days. It was only slowly that I started regaining mobility," Shin explained quickly.

"Interesting," Kakashi remarked, his visible eye narrowing slightly. "Now, tell me about the sound you heard."

Shin continued, "Yes, it was the sound of a hissing snake, but the snake somehow spoke words, like a human. It was strange, and I was scared at first, so I didn't leave the room. But then I heard words like 'Immo...' before the sound abruptly ended."

The mention of Shin's account seemed to catch Kakashi's attention. "Hmm. That's interesting. But if the police force came yesterday, why didn't you tell them or anyone else at the orphanage?"

Shin's face fell, and he forced out a few tears from the corner of his eye. "I was too scared at first. I thought it was all just a dream or someone trying to scare me. Besides, everyone was fast asleep at that time."

Kakashi stood up, performed a series of hand signs, and placed his hands on the ground. "Summoning Jutsu!"

From the smoke that followed, a tiny pug wearing a leaf headband emerged. "Pakkun, search this room for a snake scent," Kakashi commanded the ninja dog.

Pakkun sniffed around, but to Shin's dismay, the dog seemed unable to detect any distinct snake scent. Shin's hope began to dwindle as he watched the unsuccessful search.

"Sorry, kiddo. There's no snake smell here. However..." Pakkun closed his eyes and sniffed again. "I do detect a hint of poison. There's a faint scent in the air, like something used to make people sleep."

Kakashi, unable to detect the smell himself, furrowed his brow in thought. "Hmm. This is intriguing. Thanks, Pakkun. You can go now."

The pug disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Kakashi turned his attention back to Shin. "Be careful, kid. Don't discuss what you've told me with anyone. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Shin replied, a mixture of relief and nervousness washing over him.

Kakashi continued, "If you remember anything else, write it down in a letter and hand it to the librarian in the Leaf Library. You know, the one with the mustache? His name is Ikkaku Umino."

"Oh, I've met him before," Shin acknowledged.

"Good, that makes it easier. Who knows, if we capture the criminal with this information, you might be rewarded for your bravery," Kakashi hinted.

Confused, Shin asked, "Bravery? What bravery?"

Kakashi with his eyes sharper than earlier, lowered himself slightly "Well, your name might become famous when this is all over, if we succeed."

"No, no, sir! I don't want my name to be known by anyone. What if the criminal finds out and sends someone after me? Please!" Shin pleaded with a wide-eyed expression.

Kakashi furrowed his brow, contemplating Shin's words. "He seems to be a bit smarter than other kids. If it were any other child, they'd be asking about the reward instead of worrying about the danger,"

He looked over the kid again. 'Seems to be a normal kid'

Kakashi placed his hands on his headband and pulled it up, showing the crimson red eye.

Sharingan.

Shin gulped upon seeing the spectacle. He moved two to three steps backward. Although, he was a big fan of the Uchiha from the anime, mostly because they were the driving force behind the plot. He never imagined how sinister a real Sharingan looked. Kakashi`s Sharingan was already matured with its three-tomoe pattern. 

Kakashi tried to assess the chakra level in the boy`s system but found that there was none. The boy had no chakra whatsoever. 

'Hmm, I thought there was something more to him. But why do I feel as though the boy has some secret? I can ask him again later. I better report to Lord Hokage soon'.

"Okay, Shin, I'm leaving. Remember my instructions," Kakashi said as he prepared to depart with his team.

Shin watched as Kakashi and his team left the orphanage, feeling a mix of relief and excitement. "That went smoother than I expected," he muttered to himself.

Realizing he was running late for his exercise routine, Shin snapped out of his thoughts. "I better hurry and get to my exercise. No time to waste!" he exclaimed, determined to catch up on lost time.