The Three-Year Term Has Arrived, Initiation
"Ten thousand troops pass by the Two-Plank Bridge, the copper and iron on both sides are equally matched, the Kirigakure is built in the Northern Lands, but this bridge is for outsiders!"
In the temple in the Northern Lands, Zabuza knelt on one knee in front of the incense hall, his body trembling slightly.
It's not that he made a mistake and was punished; on the contrary, it's a good thing for him!
Today is the day he officially takes office; he has been waiting for this moment for a long time, and now his wish has finally come true!
Orochimaru kept his word. After unifying the Land of Gold, he returned and Zabuza and giving him a raise.
From this moment on, he could truly be considered a core member of the Northern Lands.
Zabuza stared intently at the white robe that Anko was holding.
After two and a half years of training, the three-year period has come to an end, Zabuza has finally made it through!
Thinking of this Zabuza seemed to be possessed by the Dragon King, and his mouth under the bandages involuntarily twitched slightly!
"I want to remind you one more time: once you put on this outfit, you will no longer be an ordinary member of the Northern Lands!"
"The Kirigakure has nothing to do with you anymore. If you do anything that harms the Northern Lands, I will personally take action to eliminate your treachery!"
Orochimaru, sitting next to the incense hall, looked coldly at his little brother below, and his words sent Zabuza down Zabuza's spine.
Konoha uses bonds to bind its ninjas, and although the Rogue Ninja that emerge from Kirigakure, they are all formidable characters.
Uchiha Madara, Obito, Hiruko, Orochimaru, Itachi, Kabuto, and even Mizuki who's just a minor character—any one of these people could give Konoha a headache.
He naturally didn't want the Northern Lands to become like Konoha. The Kumogakure's mafia system was good, but it was too powerful.
Orochimaru planned to find a balance, believing that the key was to combine rules with absolute power to suppress the enemy.
He didn't want some Kirigakure ninja to Talk no Jutsu out and use their persuasive skills to turn his hard-won trusted lieutenant against him.
Such examples are common in the Fourth Great Ninja War in the Original Work, where the Dream Master Dou played a good hand badly!
"Before you put on this outfit, is there anything else you'd like to say?"
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Zabuza slightly raised his head, and when he met Orochimaru's ambiguous smile, he couldn't help but shiver!
"I once had a chance to prove my loyalty, but I didn't cherish it! I only regretted it when I lost it! There is nothing more painful in this world!"
After a brief silence, Zabuza spoke his mind.
Kisame, Kakuzu, Pakura, Hozuki Mangetsu, Ringo Ameyuri, and the others standing on either side of him seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing these words.
Recalling the scene when they first encountered Orochimaru, apart from Kakuzu, none of them took the initiative to attack Orochimaru.
Kakuzu was practically offering himself up, and after being defeated by Orochimaru, he was given control of the finances of the Northern Lands. Naturally, he was completely convinced.
But Zabuza was a bit too arrogant; he dared to attack Orochimaru immediately after they met.
Even after being beaten up, he still looked unwilling, which shows that his rebellious nature is ingrained in his genes.
If he hadn't come to terms with reality and decided to work hard for Orochimaru wouldn't have minded killing him off early.
"My lord has given me another chance. Zabuza is willing to die for the Northern Lands! If I disobey, Manda devour my heart!"
These words weren't spoken lightly; if it's said that Manda the heart, then it really is.
The Northern Lands didn't just enshrine the White Snake Sage for nothing, allowing him to enjoy the incense offerings of thousands.
Orochimaru has reached an agreement with Ryūchi Cave: if Rogue Ninja emerges from the Northern Lands, not only will they be hunted down by the Net, but Ryūchi Cave will also lend a hand.
At that time, he could mobilize Manda in the world, and they would be found no matter where they were hiding.
Zabuza respectfully accepted the white robe, while Anko's eyes held a hint of envy.
Not only her, but also Guren, Kimimaro, Haku, Zabuza and others felt envious.
He secretly vowed to cultivate diligently so that he could wear this outfit as soon as possible.
Orochimaru naturally noticed the burning desire in the eyes of the little ones, and it was worth all the grand gesture he had put on for Zabuza.
This ceremony has a similar feel to a club's inauguration ceremony, and it seems to be working quite well.
As for those slogans like "Love gold? Love brothers?", let them be. What era are we living in? Everything is about profit.
He's not called the Land of Gold for nothing, and Kakuzu knew about this rule, he'd definitely be the first to flip the table.
"I joined you guys to make money. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were a charity."
Zabuza put on the white robe on the spot after receiving it.
Clothes make the man, and a handsome guy in a stylish outfit certainly has the air of a strong man.
There is also an Arabic numeral 6 on the chest of the robe, making him the sixth member in white after Kisame.
The back of the robe also has the words "Northern Lands" and below it are the corresponding numbers one, two, three, and four.
This was determined based on the order in which they joined the Northern Lands and became core members.
It's not based on strength; no matter how strong someone is, they can't compare to Orochimaru.
After Zabuza dressing, he took three sticks of incense from Pakura and bowed to the huge White Snake Sage statue above.
At that moment, the statue seemed to come alive, its massive body suddenly twisting and turning as it circled and moved around the altar.
An immense pressure enveloped the entire temple, causing the Northern Lands ninjas standing outside to tremble in fear.
Not only them, but even Kisame and the Kakuzu looked somewhat solemn.
If they hadn't known that this was the guardian spirit of the Northern Lands, they might have already drawn their swords.
Even a mere Kamui of divine power emanating from the White Snake Sage was irresistible.
Fortunately, the oppressive force came and went quickly, and the statue soon returned to its original state.
The people in the hall were also incredibly amazed by this miraculous scene.
"That old guy got another show-off!"
Orochimaru also grumbled to himself, even though the public display of divine power had been pre-arranged.
But every time I see these immortal techniques, I feel like I'm under Genjutsu.
He wasn't the only one with this thought; everyone else felt the same way, wondering if they had just imagined it.
"Alright! Everyone, go and get back to work!"
The sound that came from beside them interrupted their surprised and uncertain thoughts, and they instantly came back to their senses.
Then we looked at each other, our eyes filled with disbelief.
Let them get acquainted with Ryūchi Cave first, and see if we can send them there to train sometime in the future.
Kakuzu and the others are too old to have a chance, but Anko, Guren, Kimimaro and the other kids are worth a try.
What if he really is a promising talent with extraordinary potential?
Leaving those words aside for now, we watched as the group gradually withdrew.
Orochimaru glanced thoughtfully at Zabuza's empty back.
"The Kubikiribōchō is still in the hands of Jūzō Biwa. We must seize it when we get the chance. What kind of demon Zabuza someone without the Kubikiribōchō?!"
Just as he was deep in thought, a small hand tugged at the hem of his clothes.