Displaying Corpses

A medium-sized oasis in the desert, covering an area of 300 square miles.

The oasis was now occupied by Konoha ninjas, with a total of four thousand ninja soldiers stationed there, their intense killing intent palpable even from afar.

On the edge of the oasis, shriveled and dehydrated corpses hung from wooden stakes.

The Konoha Ninja don't have a penchant for desecrating corpses; these are just reckless thieves. The desert is rife with bandits, and they're even bolder than the mountain bandits in the Land of Fire. They actually dared to try and rob Konoha's transport corps. Among the bandits were wandering ninjas, and as a result, a young guy who had just graduated and become Genin was unfortunately killed.

"Lord Sakumo hung up this trash in a fit of anger, warning those fools in the desert that this is what happens when they provoke Konoha." The middle-aged ninja mimicked Sakumo's tone smugly, although Katsuki thought Sakumo would never speak like that.

"I see! Thank you very much." Katsuki smiled and waved goodbye to the vigilant middle-aged ninja.

The other person hurriedly bowed to Katsuki; even though he was just a child, he was still Jonin.

They entered the camp without any obstacles. Many of the people who came to conquer the Sand Village were old-timers from the Land of Rain. Almost all of them knew Katsuki and had great respect for this powerful figure who could take down the One-Tail Beast single-handedly.

The strong are always respected.

The news that Katsuki single-handedly defeated the One-Tail Beast has been thoroughly publicized thanks to the Third Hokage's deliberate actions. The previous concealment and suppression were to protect Katsuki, fearing that if Katsuki participated in continuous battles, she might lose her mind and become addicted to killing, which would be a greater loss than gain. However, now that Katsuki is going to the battlefield, there is no longer any need to hide it.

On the contrary, this news can be used to establish Katsuki as a symbol of Konoha, a hero similar to White Fang, which can greatly boost morale.

Katsuki didn't care about that. He had no interest in heroes. What he wanted to do now was to become stronger so he could deal with the enemy lurking in the shadows.

Commander's tent.

Sakumo has already received news of Katsuki's arrival.

"They're here." Sakumo looked at Katsuki as he walked in, and pointed to the bench next to him.

"Teacher, I'm here."

Katsuki sat down.

"Where are your subordinates? Didn't you say you recruited several? Why did you come alone?" Sakumo asked.

"They're still behind. I caught up first. Anyway, there haven't been any experts who could threaten them along the way."

Sakumo rolled his eyes upon hearing this. Was this something a captain should say? As the captain, not acting with the squad was tantamount to dereliction of duty.

"By the way, teacher, have you been very irritable lately? You actually left a corpse exposed by the oasis, that's too cruel, isn't it?" Katsuki asked, looking up. He still didn't think Sakumo was the kind of person who could do such a thing.

He knew very well that Konoha's White Fang was a ruthless killer who could kill anyone, regardless of age or gender, but he had never heard of the practice of leaving a corpse exposed after death.

"It wasn't my idea, it was Orochimaru's order." Sakumo sighed helplessly.

Katsuki suddenly realized that if it was Orochimaru, it wouldn't be surprising at all that he did such a thing, after all, he was a madman who could even dissect himself. However, he still looked at Sakumo with confusion, since Sakumo was the commander and Orochimaru's human body exhibition could not be set up without his permission.

"I previously put Orochimaru in charge of the camp's defenses, and he was the one who defeated the invading bandits. I couldn't very well refuse him." Sakumo's tone was quite helpless.

Orochimaru was very strong and reliable. Compared to the easily angered Tsunade and the irresponsible Jiraiya, Orochimaru was a much easier subordinate to manage. More importantly, Orochimaru was the Third Hokage's preferred candidate for future Hokage, and his authority couldn't be undermined here. So... Sakumo turned a blind eye to this matter and pretended it didn't exist.

"······"

Katsuki was also helpless. Orochimaru probably hadn't started his self-destructive path yet, since Nawaki and Teacher Dan were both alive and well. In the eyes of the Third Hokage, such an outstanding disciple as Orochimaru was a shoo-in for the Fourth Hokage. Even the Elder Council didn't have much objection to this. Orochimaru was currently the brightest star in Konoha.

"Teacher, is there anything I can do for you?"

Katsuki quickly put the matter out of his mind; it was just a minor incident. Let Orochimaru do whatever he wants. In any case, Orochimaru is a model young man now and would never harm Konoha's interests.

"I want you to attack the Sand Village."

Sakumo said bluntly.

"I don't know what you're up to, but your Lightning Release Technique is really strange. You can fly in the sky, and you're incredibly fast. Plus, your sensory abilities are top-notch. You'd be perfect as a spearhead to destroy the enemy's rear."

"Teacher, you think so highly of me, aren't you afraid I'll run into the Third Kazekage and not come back?" Katsuki chuckled and joked.

"Even if you ran into the Third Kazekage, you would still come back alive. Your current strength is no less than that Iron Sand bastard." Sakumo's answer made Katsuki's mouth drop open. It sounded like he had already faced off against the Third Kazekage head-on.

Seeing the surprised Katsuki, Sakumo could guess what his apprentice was thinking.

"It's not as powerful as you think. I fought the Third Kazekage with Orochimaru's help. As expected of the Kazekage who is known as the strongest in history, that guy's Iron Sand is very troublesome. Most importantly, that guy can also fly..." At this point, Sakumo was a little frustrated. No matter how skilled he was, he was still helpless against an enemy who could fly.

The other side could fight whenever they wanted and leave whenever they didn't. We never gained the upper hand in that battle, which was incredibly frustrating.

However, Katsuki can also fly, and the Thunderclap Chariot is extremely fast. According to his estimation, even if he really encountered the Third Kazekage, he could escape even if he couldn't win!

"Then I'll have to trouble you to take care of my subordinates, teacher." Katsuki readily agreed.

"Don't worry," Sakumo said.

Katsuki didn't linger any longer. Sakumo was very busy; he left the main tent, intending to go to the edge of the oasis to greet Otome and the others who were almost there. Otherwise, this captain was truly rather incompetent...

"Katsuki, it's been a long time."

A figure blocked the way, with a pale face, golden vertical pupils, long black hair, and a sinister voice that instantly sent chills down one's spine.

"Isn't this Lord Orochimaru? Hello!" Katsuki greeted him with a forced smile. To be honest, he wasn't afraid to confront Orochimaru head-on now, but he instinctively didn't want to deal with this troublesome snake.

Throughout the entire Hokage, Orochimaru may not be the strongest, but he is definitely the most troublesome. He died amidst a flurry of rumors, only to return alive and well, roaming around. One after another, stronger characters than him died, but this guy remained alive, easily clearing his name as a villain and even growing younger with each passing year.

This is the real monster!