Hmph...
In the end, he still could not help himself. Then what was the point of all those twists and turns before? Hearing Orochimaru call out to him from behind, Hada Ichiba halted, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile.
That thought flashed through his mind.
But for him, since he had already caught Orochimaru's attention, this step could be considered a success.
Besides, at this point, it made no difference whether Orochimaru called him back or not.
He had already planned what to do if Orochimaru stopped him, and what to do if he did not, all to achieve his goal.
This move was guaranteed to succeed.
It was just that if Orochimaru called him back, the results would be a little better.
"What is it?"
Thinking this, Hada Ichiba turned around and looked at the Sound Village Jonin instructor as he spoke.
Was this brat waiting for me to call him back?
Hearing that, the Sound Village Jonin instructor said nothing, but that thought surfaced in his mind.
At that moment, his attention was undoubtedly fixed on the corner of Hada Ichiba's mouth.
That smile, as though he had seen through everything—or rather, as though what he had done was exactly what Hada Ichiba had expected.
For some reason, even he, who had always kept his emotions hidden, suddenly felt a trace of anger rise within him. His expression stiffened slightly as well.
No wonder...
Then, the next second, he seemed to understand something.
Although that fellow's teammates relied heavily on him, their attitude toward him was exceptionally poor.
No wonder no one thought he was Taki Chiba, even though they looked exactly alike.
At the same time, malicious thoughts surfaced in his mind.
*So had he disguised himself too well, or was he merely