A Bold Plan

"Katsuki- kun, your Lightning Release Technique is really interesting. Not only does it not require Hand Seals, but your Thunderclap Chariot seems to be quite intelligent as well. May I study it?"

Orochimaru licked his lips, his breathing becoming heavier.

This guy got excited.

"······Can."

Katsuki was somewhat surprised by Orochimaru's keen perception. Even Sakumo hadn't noticed the Thunderclap Chariot's agility, simply assuming it was a form change. As for why it could fly, if it wasn't a tradition of the Uzumaki Clan, then it was Katsuki's own innovation. In either case, Sakumo wouldn't bother to ask.

Katsuki did not refuse Orochimaru's seemingly unreasonable and rude request. The Hito Hito no Mi was something completely different from the Chakra system, and he did not believe that Orochimaru could come up with anything from it. In order to avoid Orochimaru's future entanglement, it was better to just give up the idea here and now.

"But this isn't a good place. Let's go outside the oasis to avoid making a scene."

"No problem."

Orochimaru readily agreed. He was still a decent person now, and he knew his request was impolite. He just couldn't suppress his curiosity, so he didn't mind running errands for Katsuki now. Of course, whether he would mind later was uncertain.

Outside the oasis.

In the desert, you can see oases from the sand dunes.

Katsuki lightly stomped her foot.

"Whoosh--!"

Amidst flashes of lightning, a five-meter-long chariot hovered in mid-air, its entire body crackling with silvery-white electricity, shining even brighter under the scorching sunlight.

"This... this is truly an exquisite transformation technique! Even those barbarians from the Cloud Ninja can't match this Lightning Release technique! And..." Orochimaru stared at the Thunderclap Chariot with fervor and took two steps forward. The Thunderclap Chariot, as if sensing his presence, dodged backward.

After being infused with a portion of Katsuki's soul, the Thunderclap Chariot, though incapable of thought, possessed a degree of judgment. Based on its soul's perception, it recognized Orochimaru as not being an enemy, hence its retreat to avoid encountering and harming him.

"Huh?"

The Thunderclap Chariot's incredibly agile movements caught Orochimaru's eye.

As it tried to advance, the Thunderclap Chariot retreated, maintaining a safe distance with each step.

"Transformation Jutsu!"

······

Orochimaru exhausted all his efforts in a series of tests, but apart from confirming that the Thunderclap Chariot possessed a certain degree of sentience, he did not obtain any further results.

"Wonderful, truly wondrous, Katsuki- kun, your Lightning Release Technique is indeed wondrous." Orochimaru used the word "wonderful" three times in a row, his golden pupils filled with a mixture of confusion and longing. The unknown held immense appeal for Orochimaru; as a genius, researching the unknown was his greatest pleasure at the moment.

The idea of immortality has not yet taken shape.

"Katsuki, I am truly grateful for today. If you need any help, please don't hesitate to come to me."

After thanking him sincerely, Orochimaru drifted away, presumably to find a place to continue his research.

"Orochimaru, so polite... tsk tsk, how creepy!"

Katsuki scratched her neck, feeling a chill run through her body.

The memories of his past life had a profound impact on him. He was used to the crazy Orochimaru who conducted human experiments, and now he saw the diligent and reliable model young man. It was really hard to connect the two. They were actually the same person.

I've been at the front lines for three days now, and not a single battle has taken place.

Katsuki had not yet received orders to set off on the hunt, so he stayed in the camp to train in Medical Ninjutsu. For three months, he diligently practiced using the Shadow Clone Technique, and his Medical Ninjutsu had reached its limit. Further progress would not be possible with the Shadow Clone; that would depend on talent.

However, given his current skill level, he's not bad at all. He's nothing compared to medical experts like Tsunade, but he's an expert in treating external injuries. After all, he's dissected five or six hundred animals in the past three months and experimented on himself, so he has quite a bit of experience with the human body.

Therefore, Katsuki's Shadow Clone occupied the wounded soldiers' camp, and they did their best to treat all the injuries, whether bruises, sprains, fractures, or Shadow Clone.

This caused Katsuki's reputation to skyrocket.

However, after three days of inactivity, the order finally arrived.

"Attack Sunagakure--? Old... Lord Sakumo, are you sure you're not joking?" Katsuki swallowed hard.

"Our spies in Sunagakure have information: the Third Kazekage left the village yesterday, along with Chiyo of the Sand and a considerable number of Jonin. Sunagakure is now weaker than ever..." Sakumo's words were chilling. "Katsuki, you're fast enough. You could easily give the Sunagakure a hard time, catch them off guard, and let them know that provoking Konoha comes at a bloody price."

"They can start a war, but how it ends is up to Konoha to decide."

The powerful declaration echoed through the tent, and many of the young Jonin present blushed with excitement. If it weren't for the rule against loud noise during the meeting, they probably would have already started shouting.

Katsuki also felt a rush of heat to her head. She took a deep breath to suppress the agitation in her heart, stood up from her seat, and nodded in agreement.

"Leave it to me! I'll definitely teach the Sand Ninja a lesson they won't forget."

"Oh, and remember to bring our spies back safely. They exposed a lot while trying to deliver this message, so it'll be difficult for them to remain undercover any longer," Sakumo added.

"Lord Sakumo, is this news truly reliable?" Orochimaru's sudden question startled everyone.

Sakumo turned his gaze to Orochimaru, staring at him without saying a word.

"Is it possible that our spies have been exposed and used by the other side to set a trap for Katsuki- kun? After all, the sudden departure of the Sand Village's high-ranking officials, led by the Third Kazekage, is too unusual, isn't it?" Orochimaru said calmly, facing Sakumo's sharp gaze.

However, his words did indeed shake the resolve of many people.

"That's right, it's definitely possible..."

"A trap? Targeting Katsuki- kun who took down the One-Tail Beast, that makes sense."

The Jonin whispered among themselves, discussing the possibilities.

"Alright, quiet down." Sakumo slammed his hand on the table, and the noisy whispers instantly disappeared, leaving an eerily quiet atmosphere.

"The reliability of the intelligence can be guaranteed, but I can't go into details." Sakumo waved his hand, adjourning the meeting and kicking all the Jonin out, leaving only Orochimaru and Katsuki behind.