Teacher Orochimaru, Come Out!

The Mist Ninja Base.

The surprise attack failed to achieve the desired effect, leaving the Kirigakure ninjas filled with Mist Ninja. Suikazan Fuguki, the commander, sat in his tent with a grim expression.

"Kisame, what are the Intelligence Department doing? Didn't they say Konoha's reinforcements wouldn't arrive for at least three more days? Damn it, all our efforts have been in vain!"

Suikazan Fuguki slammed his fist on the table in frustration. The tent was almost entirely filled with his trusted men, especially Kisame, who had a shark-like face. Kisame said in a deep voice, "My lord, the Konoha reinforcements must have arrived ahead of schedule due to a forced march. Our scouts have already determined that Konoha has no further reinforcements."

Kisame Hoshigaki is his most trusted confidant, especially in terms of his ability to get things done. He is the one Kisame trusts the most so far. This subordinate is a pure ninja and the most useful tool in his hands.

Seeing Kisame Hoshigaki's reply, Suikazan Fuguki's expression softened slightly, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, nodding and saying in a deep voice, "It seems Konoha doesn't want to escalate the conflict."

The Mist Ninja inside the camp, under the Blood-and-Iron Policy of the Bloody Mist Village, were all skilled killers, but they fell short in the overall direction.

The eyes of the crowd were filled with bloodlust, showing no fear of war whatsoever, only excitement. This sight made Suikazan Fuguki frown and feel a headache coming on.

Suikazan Fuguki shook his head inwardly, realizing he would have to put in even more effort. He explained to the crowd in a deep voice, "Konoha doesn't want the conflict to escalate, and neither does the village. If the conflict escalates, and even escalates into a battle involving thousands of ninjas, it won't be a conflict anymore, it will be war! A direct conflict Kirigakure and Konoha could even become the fuse for the Fourth Great Ninja War."

"Therefore, both the village and Konoha have almost unanimously chosen a game of mutual restraint, which is to conduct a scaled-down version of the war between the two countries here, that is, a small-scale skirmish. So although we and Konoha will have reinforcements, there will definitely not be many."

Suikazan Fuguki is one of the leaders of Kirigakure, and some things are clear. Konoha doesn't want to start a war between the two countries, and neither does Kirigakure, after all, the losses from the Third Shinobi War were too great, and they haven't recovered yet.

"The skirmishes between Konoha and us here will now be kept within a certain range, so we can forget about sending a large number of reinforcements. However, since Konoha has dispatched this elite force, I will also request the Fourth Mizukage of the village to send elite members of the Anbu to assist in the operation."

The Mist Ninja's Anbu? Upon hearing this, everyone showed fear. The Blood-and-Iron Policy of the Blood Mist had made the Kirigakure's Anbu an absolutely terrifying force.

Not to mention that the Anbu gathered the village's elites, the more important thing is that Kirigakure Rogue Ninja. Kirigakure's Anbu even had a dedicated assassination squad, which was to relentlessly hunt down rogue Mist Ninja. It can be said that the number of Mist Ninja who died at the hands of the Anbu is absolutely countless, which is the source of their fear.

Suikazan Fuguki and Kisame Hoshigaki were from the Anbu, and everyone immediately showed a look of fear. Although they hadn't defected, who knew what tomorrow would bring!

Seemingly sensing the villagers' fear of the village's Anbu, Suikazan Fuguki were somewhat intoxicating to him, and also the ones that reassured him the most.

"Hehe, our surprise attack on Konoha Base today caused Konoha a great loss, but many of Konoha are members of the Hyuga Clan, so our people must be on high alert. This place has become a battlefield!"

"Yes!"

With the friction between Konoha and Land of Whirlpools, Mist Ninja strange atmosphere suddenly permeated the huge island of Uzushiogakure.

In the forest and mining area, various battles have already broken out between Konoha and Mist Ninja, with sneak attacks, ambushes, and harassment tactics emerging one after another. It can be said that the air is thick with the smell of gunpowder from war. However, on the other side of this island, which is also the only city here, there is an air of decadent luxury amidst the war.

The war between the ninja of Konoha and the Mist Ninja did not affect them; in fact, it aroused the greed of countless merchants. Although it was not a large-scale war, even small-scale skirmishes were full of endless profits.

As war raged in the Land of Whirlpools, countless survivors lived in fear and unease. Merchants seized the opportunity to inflate prices and reap huge profits, attracting a large number of mercenaries and Rogue Ninja. The gathering of numerous ninjas represented enormous profits, turning the land into a veritable den of iniquity.

Countless illicit goods are traded here.

The trees in this world grow exceptionally tall, as if from an ancient world, and endless dangers lurk within the dense jungle.

Shasha~

Amidst the rustling leaves, a figure concealed among the trees calmly gazed at the mining lands occupied by the Kirigakure in the distance.

"Lord Yoru, there are ten watchtowers ahead. All of these watchtowers are built one kilometer away from the mine. If we go any further, we'll probably be detected by the Mist Ninja's sensory ninja."

A Hyuga ninja spoke solemnly, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Uchiha Yoru. Ninjas admire the strong, especially those in the Shinobi World (Xiao Rizi), and this admiration is ingrained in their very bones.

"It seems the Kirigakure ninjas are very experienced; judging from their deployment, it's entirely to guard against our village's Byakugan."

Upon hearing the Hyuga ninja's reply, Uchiha Yoru calmly nodded. The Hyuga Clan's reconnaissance abilities were well-known throughout the Shinobi World; once the Byakugan was activated, they could observe things within a one-kilometer radius.

Therefore, each of the major ninja villages has its own methods for guarding against the Byakugan of the Konoha Hyuga Clan Konoha. The simplest and most effective method is to build enough watchtowers one kilometer away from the Camp.

Since your Byakugan can't observe the scene within a kilometer, I will build a watchtower a kilometer away. Your Byakugan can only observe the situation of the watchtower, but cannot detect the camp protected by the watchtower.

Although it's a clumsy method, it's also the most effective. Otherwise, you'd be completely under Byakugan Hyuga.

Moreover, the Byakugan's abilities in war go far beyond these. Ninjas habitually set up various traps in battle, and almost nothing can escape the Byakugan's detection.

"Note the locations of these ten watchtowers and the number of ninjas there; scout them at least once a day."

Under Uchiha Yoru's instructions, the Hyuga Chunin naturally understood what he meant and immediately nodded respectfully, saying in a deep voice, "Rest assured, sir, the Mist Ninja will have absolutely nowhere to hide under the Byakugan of the Hyuga."

"Alright, remember to report any changes to the Mist Ninja's watchtowers promptly."

"Yes!"

The moment the voice faded, the two figures on the towering tree had vanished.

He swiftly traversed the Uchiha Yoru until he was far away from the area, then stopped on a large tree. After secretly checking that no one was around, he began to Hand Seals.

Hai-Xu-You-Shen-Wei, the Summoning Jutsu!

After the white smoke from the Summoning Jutsu dissipated, a brown eagle with flapping wings appeared. Upon being summoned, the eagle respectfully said, "Lord Yoru."

Some of the weaker Summoning Beast were quite polite. Faced with the respectful tone of the Summoning Beast, Uchiha Yoru smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your hard work. I need you to take my Shadow Clone to scout out the enemy."

With his index and middle fingers together and his hands crossed in a cross shape, Uchiha Yoru circulated his Chakra. Instantly, with a bang, a puff of white smoke dissipated, revealing a Shadow Clone that looked exactly like him.

The two identical Uchiha Yoru exchanged a glance and then smiled. Even after so many years in this world, the wonder of Ninjutsu still filled him with a sense of novelty.

"Lord Yoru."

The eagle lowered its body very respectfully to let the Shadow Clone ride on its back before respectfully flapping its wings and taking off.

Uchiha Yoru narrowed his eyes as he watched the Shadow Clone fly into the sky. Flying ninja beasts were quite rare. Although their combat power was not high, their ability to fly was already very unique.

The Shadow Clone stood firmly on the eagle's back, its clothes fluttering in the strong wind. The Chakra beneath its feet allowed it to stand firmly on the eagle's back as if rooted to the ground. As it flew into the air, the Three Tomoe in its eyes spun wildly, until the Three Tomoe in one eye merged into one.

Mangekyo!

With Kekkei Genkai surpassing the Three Tomoe level, he stared intently down from thousands of meters in the air, watching the eagles soar past, seemingly taking in everything below.

"As expected, although the Mangekyo is on par with the Three Tomoe, its enhancement in normal state is mainly in Eye Power. My observation skills have been greatly improved, and I can barely see the general outline."

A Mangekyo swept across the sky, its powerful perception revealing, while not everything was crystal clear, some things it wanted to see.

The Mist Ninja below, especially those who had reached the Jōnin level, had all come from blood and fire, and their five senses were extremely powerful. Under a strange sense of being watched, some of the sensitive Kirigakure instantly raised their heads nervously.

Especially Zabuza Momochi, known as the Demon among the Mist Ninja, immediately frowned and said in a deep voice the moment he looked up and spotted the eagle soaring across the sky, "Something's not right. This eagle seems to be a summoning beast. Tell our people to keep an eye on the sky."

"Yes."

Uchiha Yoru was unaware that his sudden urge to see the terrain of Kirigakure's base had caused the Mist Ninja to be on high alert for several days.

Konoha Base

Surrounded by towering watchtowers, the base built against the mountain was more like a camp, filled with countless laborers recruited from the local area, since mining and refining both required miners.

After the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools, this place became a chaotic, Land of Chaos where the local people lived a precarious existence, willing to do anything for a bite to eat.

Slavery?

Uchiha Yoru was already numb to this scene, his eyes showing only indifference. Relatively speaking, if it weren't for them, the common people here wouldn't even receive meager wages. At least they could support their families by working as miners here.

The towering forest rushed past, and Uchiha Yoru, who was flying through the trees, suddenly stopped on a large tree.

The dense trees blocked out the sunlight, and the dark jungle was damp and stuffy. The sounds of countless snakes, insects, and rodents gnawing and chirping echoed in the silent air. For ordinary people, this place was fraught with danger, and it was no exaggeration to call it Forest of Death.

"Come out."

Standing atop a thick tree trunk, Uchiha Yoru spoke calmly to the empty forest, but no one responded, only the sounds of snakes, insects, and rodents could be heard. At that moment, a slow smile crept onto his lips.

"Teacher Orochimaru, since you're here, come out."

After Uchiha Yoru spoke again, a White Snake emerged from the bushes and suddenly opened its mouth wide when it reached the opposite side of the thick tree trunk.

Ugh~

Amidst the sounds of rumination and gagging, accompanied by a sticky noise, White Snake, no bigger than a fingertip, suddenly spat out an arm. Then, the arm, supporting itself on the ground, produced a head of sticky, wet, black hair, followed by a pale-faced figure emerging from the ground.

Long black hair, long golden pupils, purple eyeshadow extending to the sides of her nose, pale skin, and blue Tomoe -shaped earrings. Her former Konoha Jōnin vest has been abandoned in favor of a beige outfit, along with the iconic purple thick hemp rope (shimenawa) around her waist.

The shimenawa (sacred rope) represents the boundary of sacred objects. When it was tied to Orochimaru, it signified his status. The Sannin are now considered top-tier ninjas in the Shinobi World, so they naturally deserved it.

When they met again after parting ways with Konoha, Orochimaru's former cold demeanor had taken on a sinister edge, as if he had completely severed his ties with Konoha.

"Hehe, Lord Yoru's strength is indeed something that even the teacher marvels at. It seems you are now qualified to show your ambition for that position."

A unique, husky laugh echoed through the dark forest. It was the sound of the two, master and disciple, meeting. If it were an unfamiliar ninja, they would probably have been terrified and shown a fearful expression. After all, Orochimaru's entrance and smile could easily cause misunderstandings.

"Teacher Orochimaru, you flatter me. I am aware of the gap between myself and a Kage."

Faced with Orochimaru's praise, Uchiha Yoru did not become arrogant. Instead, he smiled knowingly. Without considering the Mangekyo Sharingan, his current strength was only at the Elite Jonin, at most a Semi-Kage.

His overall strength is similar to that of Hawk Sasuke). For example, when Sasuke Uchiha was beaten to a pulp by Killer B and questioned his existence, his Elite Jonin, could easily give rise to a strange sense of confidence, making people think that only they were at the Kage Level.

However, when they truly encounter Kage Level powerhouse, such as Killer B Hawk Sasuke who was soundly beaten by Killer Bee, the gap is still significant. This stage can be considered Semi-Kage.

Moreover, the Mangekyo he activated in one eye is very powerful, but it's also contradictory. It's a Dōjutsu with unlimited potential that he's quite satisfied with, and its power increases the stronger he becomes.

However, at this stage, this Mangekyo -like Dōjutsu can at most enhance him, but it is not some kind of Ultimate Technique killing technique.

Therefore, he was still self-aware enough to know that he was still not as strong as a true Kage Level expert.

"Hehe, it seems you're still as level-headed as ever, Night. You know, even I, your teacher, had a blind confidence at this stage back then, only to be awakened by the battlefield in the Land of Rain."

Orochimaru's hoarse laughter echoed through the dark forest, and as he looked at Uchiha Yoru's calm mind, his eyes revealed admiration.

It's safe to say that very few ninjas can earn Snake Uncle's praise, and those who do must possess extraordinary abilities.

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