It Looks Like My Skills Are Superior After All

This was a dark underground passage, a naturally formed fissure in the rock layers. The sound of underground water echoed in his ears, and it lay deep within a mountain somewhere near Konoha.

The dim glow of an oil lamp illuminated the surroundings. Chilling mist filled the passage, while cold wind formed by the difference in temperature howled past. Holding the light, Orochimaru made his way toward the depths of the passage.

The mountains and natural underground caverns within Konoha had basically all been excavated by Nami, forming an extremely complex and enormous underground maze. Some places were nests for the Insects, while others were not used by them.

The reason was simple. Excavating the rock layers was difficult, and unless necessary, Nami would not go to such lengths.

The surrounding environment was oppressive and gloomy. Holding the oil lamp, Orochimaru continued forward. The path was narrow, rugged, and winding, with some sections so narrow that a person could barely pass through. Thanks to Soft Body Modification, squeezing through the narrow gaps in the rock layers was no trouble for Orochimaru.

Before long, he reached the end of the passage: a clear, azure pool.

After working together for many years, Orochimaru knew Nami well.

Extremely well.

"So."

After blowing out the oil lamp, Orochimaru rose and jumped into the pool. The freezing underground water submerged his entire body. He continued diving through the pool, and a narrow fissure appeared in the rock layer before him.

It was only as large as two palms, and water flowed out from this spring.

Orochimaru stretched his body, slightly deforming his head. Like a snake, he squeezed and drilled into the spring, rapidly advancing against the underground current.

Soft Body Modification was best suited for infiltration.

Ordinary Earth Release could not be used in