Following Orochimaru Was Absolutely the Right Choice

The chaos at Konoha's camp in the Land of Rain had finally come to an end. Unfortunately, it had been ended by an attack from the Iwa Ninja.

Aburame Tetsumaru had sensed that something was off early that morning. He quickly realized it wasn't his intuition, but something his insects had conveyed to him—they had detected abnormal Chakra fluctuations.

Tetsumaru activated Insight and observed the Chakra Grand Circulation within his body. Its fluctuations were regular and dense, forming beautiful fish-scale ripples beneath Insight.

A large number of Chakra radiation sources were approaching. It could only be a large force of ninja.

Having become highly experienced at running away, Tetsumaru immediately found his subordinates and ordered them to stick close to him. Then he searched the entire camp for Orochimaru's whereabouts.

Before long, Tetsumaru made contact with six Kikaichū colonies in the camp. They exchanged information through the secret language of insect dances and swiftly confirmed the situation of several clan members.

All six Aburame ninja had already fled the camp. Two captains had taken their subordinates with them; among the other four members, one had persuaded his captain, while the remaining three had failed and could only run on their own.

Fine. In the end, I was the only one from the entire clan still left in camp. They were all Old Six.

Tetsumaru smiled. The Aburame Clan truly deserved to be the ninja clan that peacefully survived until the end. Their clan members were remarkably good at reading the situation and adapting on the fly.

Naturally inconspicuous, steady in temperament, versatile in methods, cautious in action, and decisive when things happened—the Aburame Clan embodied the true spirit of ninja.

Except for those clan members who had been brainwashed by Root into wooden puppets. They could hardly even be considered human anymore, merely breathing tools.

Still, Tetsumaru wasn't worried. Running fast didn't mean running far. The enemy situation was still unclear, and fleeing blindly could very well lead him into the enemy's main force. He needed to find a correct answer to use as a reference.

Why Orochimaru?

Because throughout the entire camp, Orochimaru was the only person Tetsumaru knew had survived until the end.

And before the story began, that slick man had only stumbled during the Yondaime election. He had suffered no other setbacks, so his judgment and luck were both trustworthy.

More importantly, as a top-tier ninja who had fought his way through the Second and Third Shinobi Wars, Orochimaru had never been known to suffer any severe injuries except when facing Ibuse Hanzo. His luck was even more trustworthy.

Of course, he had to be careful not to stay too far away. Too far was a different matter entirely. For example, Orochimaru's disciple Senju Nawaki had left Orochimaru's protection to carry out a mission one day not long from now, and then died.

Tetsumaru searched the camp intently through Kikaichū and Scout Insects. He firmly believed that Orochimaru had to be in the camp, because he was certain that Orochimaru's purpose in coming to the Land of Rain to replace Jiraiya was an arrangement by the Hokage to undermine the newly appointed commander.

Then an enemy assault on the camp was an opportunity that absolutely could not be missed. The commander would be exposed as incompetent and inactive, allowing the enemy to attack, while Orochimaru stepped forward to turn the tide and drive them back in one stroke. He would surely win the ninja's frenzied support.

At that point, forget undermining a parachuted-in commander—even replacing him outright would be no problem.

Orochimaru wouldn't pass up such a rare opportunity.

Unless it was too dangerous. Unless his own life was at risk.

Tetsumaru found him. He immediately led his two subordinates toward the target section of the defensive line.

By then, Uchiha Kei and Kurama Yun had grown thoroughly impatient. The faint unease in their hearts had been worn into irritation by their captain's elaborate maneuvers. But the intimidation he had built up in such a short time was substantial, and they truly didn't dare act out. That left Tetsumaru quite satisfied.

They soon approached their target: a boy with short brown hair. Well, he was actually a year older than Tetsumaru, but his baby face and signature foolish grin drastically lowered his apparent age.

Fine. He was only twelve this year. He really was a child.

Meanwhile, Tetsumaru was clearly only eleven, yet he used his height advantage and a series of disguises to pass himself off as a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youth, openly giving orders to subordinates aged thirteen or fourteen.

Seeing Nawaki, Tetsumaru finally breathed a sigh of relief. Finding Orochimaru wasn't easy, but finding Senior Nawaki was much easier. Senior Nawaki was not only Orochimaru's first disciple, but also the younger brother of his fellow disciple Tsunade. Their relationship was extraordinary; Orochimaru would never abandon him.

So as long as he stuck close to Senior Nawaki, he was effectively following Orochimaru. The plan worked.

"Senju Nawaki!" Uchiha Kei recognized him at a glance and blurted it out in furious frustration.

Tetsumaru and Kurama Yun both glanced at him. Tetsumaru immediately recalled that this guy had graduated in the same year as Nawaki. That year, Uchiha Fūka and Hyuga Tokuma from his own class had also graduated early.

The reason was that none of that year's graduates could compare to Nawaki, prompting the Hyuga Clan and Uchiha Clan to mobilize younger students to graduate early and salvage their pride.

If Uchiha Kei was the Uchiha who had been crushed by Nawaki's grades, no wonder he remembered it so vividly and couldn't let it go.

"Captain, if you have business with Nawaki," Uchiha Kei asked quietly, "can I avoid him?"

"No. I'm looking for Senior Nawaki to save my life. If you want to die, do whatever you like," Tetsumaru replied flatly.

Six minutes had passed since Tetsumaru sensed the danger. More and more ninja had noticed that something was wrong, and noisy turmoil had begun spreading through the camp.

Both subordinates excelled at Genjutsu and possessed keen senses. They had both noticed signs of danger, but their irritation over being dragged around by their captain had suppressed those feelings.

Tetsumaru's words immediately jolted them awake. They understood that danger was already imminent.

Kurama Yun asked in confusion, "Finding Nawaki will help us escape the danger?"

Uchiha Kei shared the same doubt and looked over as well.

There had indeed been a considerable gap between them at graduation, but after two years of real combat, both had improved rapidly. Uchiha Kei in particular had even awakened two Magatama, and he believed he was no worse than Nawaki, who had been under strict protection.

The key was that neither of them could gauge their captain's true capabilities. They only knew he was extremely strong—he could subdue Uchiha Kei, the second strongest in the squad, barehanded, and their Genjutsu had been completely useless against him.

Their captain was clearly stronger than Nawaki. Why did he need Nawaki to save his life?

It didn't make sense.

After hesitating briefly, Tetsumaru told them the truth. "This danger is too great. I don't think I'm strong enough to withstand it, so I need Senior Nawaki's help. Remember, Senior Nawaki's strength isn't the key to surviving. His teacher, Lord Orochimaru, is the key."

"Oh? You have that much confidence in me?"

Orochimaru was standing directly behind Tetsumaru, watching the tall boy in the trench coat with great interest.

Uchiha Kei and Kurama Yun: So that was it. A guy like Captain, who insulted people every time he opened his mouth, would never praise anyone. He had noticed Lord Orochimaru had arrived.

"Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru nodded elegantly, then looked at Nawaki, who still hadn't noticed he was being followed. A trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes.

He turned to Tetsumaru and said, "I remember you, little ninja of the Aburame Clan. Did you still have that strange insect you brought to the entrance exam?"

"That one died that same day. The insects I carry have already been updated through four generations. You probably wouldn't recognize them, my lord."

"Oh? Is that so?" Orochimaru's eyes lit up, and he smiled. "They've changed so quickly. Very good."

"By the way, why did you come looking for me?"

Without any hesitation, Tetsumaru answered directly, "A large number of enemies have gathered outside the camp. They should be Iwa Ninja and Rain Ninja. I didn't know how to deal with them, so I came to find you, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru blinked and continued asking, "Why?"

"Your strength, Wisdom, and luck are the strongest."

Hahahahaha!

At those words, Orochimaru's eyes immediately curved into crescents, and he burst out laughing.

He did not continue speaking with Tetsumaru. Instead, he smiled as he used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Senju Nawaki and asked his disciple, "Nawaki, why aren't you sleeping?"

"Ah! L-Lord—no, Teacher." The moment Nawaki saw Orochimaru, he was overjoyed, and the panic on his face vanished. He exclaimed noisily, "Tonight is too strange. Just now, my chest felt tight and my heart was racing, like an enemy was holding a Kunai against my stomach. I couldn't sleep at all."

A sharp light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, and his brow relaxed considerably. This disciple might be foolish, but his talent was genuinely excellent. He had abundant Chakra and powerful Taijutsu. Now he had suddenly displayed such strong danger intuition as well. That kind of talent could ensure a ninja survived the war safely.

The three hidden in the darkness were all startled. Tetsumaru relied on the amplified senses of thousands of Scout Insects, while Kurama Yun and Uchiha Kei could only faintly sense something. At most, they felt somewhat uncomfortable—not even enough to wake them from sleep.

"There will be enemies tonight. Once the battle begins, stay behind me. Go prepare for battle."

"Yes!" Hearing that there would be a battle and that he could fight alongside his teacher, Nawaki answered excitedly, then darted into his tent in a flash.

Orochimaru watched his disciple's dancing, exuberant back and smiled with indulgent helplessness. Once Nawaki had entered the tent, he tilted his head slightly to the right and looked toward the ground on his right.

Two of the three hidden figures froze, while Captain Tetsumaru used the Body Flicker Technique without hesitation. In the next instant, he stood exactly where Orochimaru was looking.

Orochimaru nodded in satisfaction and ordered, "Come east with me shortly. Let's see what level the approaching enemies are."

"Yes." Tetsumaru accepted the order, then took a step back and stood behind Orochimaru to his right.

Kurama Yun and Uchiha Kei then emerged from hiding and stood behind Tetsumaru. The corner of Tetsumaru's mouth lifted. His two subordinates' reaction speed wasn't bad. They were becoming increasingly satisfying.

Senju Nawaki emerged from his tent after gathering his equipment and made a great fuss over the sudden appearance of three ninja. Then he noisily woke his two teammates.

Fortunately, Nawaki's two teammates were seasoned ninja. They had prepared for battle before sleeping, and before long, the group of seven headed east.

Halfway there, fighting broke out first in the south, followed by fighting in the north.

Through more than seventy Ghost-faced Moths scattered throughout the camp, Tetsumaru saw the battle scenes and quickly determined that the Iwa Ninja were the main force in the south, while the Rain Ninja were the main force in the north.

Then who was on the eastern side they were about to reach?

The east was the open side in the encirclement that left one direction open. There were no enemies at all in the east. Orochimaru arranged for six people to stand at the eastern gate and organize the orderly retreat of the Konoha Ninja. Intact squads were organized to participate in layered defensive resistance, while stragglers had their names recorded and were sent directly to gather at the next rally point.

As Orochimaru discussed matters with several Jonin amid fierce arguments, unable to spare attention for this side, Uchiha Kei finally couldn't hold back any longer. "Why are we retreating? Konoha is the strongest ninja village in the Shinobi World."

Kurama Yun giggled endlessly at that, offering no answer at all.

Uchiha Kei's mouth twitched, but he didn't dare press further.

Because Kurama Yun had been assigned to record the stragglers' names, the shy little girl with a touch of social anxiety had gone offline. The one currently online was a bold big sister suffering from excessive social confidence.

Talking to this big sister would give anyone a profound understanding of the saying, "When a woman starts acting like a rogue, no man has a chance." Three sentences in, she'd drag him into something, and then he wouldn't know where he was being taken. Dirty jokes would rain down upon him from all directions.

Uchiha Kei was afraid of that. The awkwardness of being teased by a female hooligan was too terrifying. He preferred talking to decisive girls. Even arguing with them didn't feel out of place; at worst, they would fight. He wouldn't lose to Kurama Yun anyway.

Uchiha Kei turned his gaze toward his captain. Tetsumaru sighed. In this short time, he had told more than ninety people where to gather—more than he had spoken in the past two months. His mouth was dry, and he didn't want to talk.

Who would have thought that the oblivious Uchiha Kei would continue asking, "Captain, you insisted on finding Lord Orochimaru. It wasn't just to do this, was it?"

If there hadn't been so many people around, including several Jonin, Tetsumaru felt his hand would already have been planted on this Uchiha's face.

Suddenly, a Ghost-faced Moth sent back an image. To the north, a ninja walked unhurriedly through the damaged camp wall, surrounded by a large number of Rain Ninja.

That ninja held a strange chained sickle weapon and wore a full-coverage Breathing Mask. After crossing the wall, he reached up, removed the mask, took a deep breath, and exhaled a huge cloud of murky purple poisonous mist.

Salamander Hanzo.

No, Ibuse Hanzo.

Ever since entering the Land of Rain, this was the scene Tetsumaru had feared most deeply: Hanzo's battle after being named the Demigod would draw him into its range.

The strongest ninja alive had entered his strongest battle mode less than two kilometers away from him. This was truly deadly.

"You'll know the answer soon enough." Without even looking at Uchiha Kei, Tetsumaru ordered Kurama Yun, "Switch!"

Receiving her captain's command, Kurama Yun didn't dare delay. She wiped a hand across her face and switched into a valiant, battle-ready girl. With a casual motion, she tied her loose hair into a short ponytail and straightened the forehead protector that had been hanging crookedly around her neck.

Then, with a thunderous boom, a gigantic salamander appeared in a cloud of white smoke. Before the smoke had even dispersed, dense purple mist surged outward, instantly engulfing a quarter of the camp.

Less than a second after the insects' vision was swallowed by the poisonous mist, their transmissions were cut off. In the final images they sent, Tetsumaru could almost see the shells of other insects within view dissolving in the toxic fog.

Tetsumaru knew that all the insects had been poisoned to death.