The Current Orochimaru and the Current Situation

Hyuga Ao lifted the tent flap and found Jiraiya working on some documents.

"Teacher, you called for us?"

"Yo, you're here." Jiraiya set down his pen and rolled his shoulders. "Time's tight, so I'll keep it brief. I'm laying out the arrangements for Team Nine."

Jiraiya stood and walked over to Hyuga Ao and the others. "Two Hyugas in one squad is too much of a luxury. Ao'er, Ying, how far can your Byakugan see now?"

"Ten kilometers."

"Three kilometers."

"Good!" Jiraiya nodded in satisfaction. "Ao, you're the strongest and a Taijutsu specialist. Go find Orochimaru and tell him I sent you. Ying, go to Tsunade and assist her. Minato, you're with me."

"Yes." *3.

The three split up.

Hyuga Ao went alone to find Orochimaru.

At the front lines, there was a regular force of fifteen hundred men.

A thousand had been brought from the village by the Sannin, while the remaining five hundred were scattered survivors from the previous border defense and ninjas who had trickled in with supply convoys.

Among the Sannin, Tsunade handled medical care, Jiraiya managed logistics, and Orochimaru oversaw the overall command.

Hyuga Ao carried Jiraiya's orders to find Orochimaru.

Orochimaru was staring at a map of the Land of Fire's border.

Hyuga Ao pushed open the tent and walked in. "Lord Orochimaru."

"Hm." Orochimaru responded flatly, then summoned a ninja. "Go fetch Nawaki."

Hyuga Ao observed Orochimaru as he was now. Rare sight—Orochimaru before his fall from grace.

He wore a standard Konoha Jonin vest properly, his forehead protector tied neatly across his brow. Yellow snake-like pupils, purple eyeshadow, pale skin that wasn't corpse-white—there was even a hint of color in his cheeks.

So this was Orochimaru with a rosy glow? I love it, I love it.

A version no one had ever seen before, Hyuga Ao mused.

A handsome, almost effeminate face, immense strength, the title of the Third Hokage's disciple—Orochimaru must be wildly popular among the young female ninjas. Some might even be debating who tops and who bottoms between him and Jiraiya.

Speaking of tops and bottoms, Orochimaru had great potential for cross-dressing. Just a change of clothes and some nice makeup, and he could compete with Tsunade for Jiraiya's affections.

If Orochimaru actually cross-dressed to fight Tsunade for Jiraiya, Tsunade might not stand a chance—even if she and Jiraiya were the official couple.

As Hyuga Ao watched, her mind began to wander.

Orochimaru, seated in the main position, stared at the distracted Hyuga Ao with helplessness. What's wrong with this kid?

Just then, Nawaki walked in. "Lord Orochimaru, you called for me?"

"Hm." Orochimaru nodded. His gaze softened as he looked at Nawaki, and he even revealed a gentle smile.

"Holy crap!" Hyuga Ao was shocked. Was this still Orochimaru? I might be seeing a fake Snake Sage.

"From now on, Hyuga Ao will join your squad, Nawaki."

Nawaki looked at Hyuga Ao curiously, then slapped his forehead and extended a hand. "I remember now, Kushina mentioned you. Nice to meet you, I'm Nawaki."

"Nice to meet you, Nawaki. Kushina often talks about you too."

Hyuga Ao shook his hand.

Nawaki asked, "What does Kushina say about me?"

"She says her big brother is a bit reckless, but a good person."

"Haha." Nawaki scratched his head with a silly grin.

"Hehe." Hyuga Ao chuckled. He really was just like Naruto. No wonder Tsunade was moved by Naruto.

On the way to Nawaki's camp, Nawaki detailed their squad's situation.

To put it plainly, it was a connections squad. They handled patrols within the camp—daytime patrols at that, only in the morning, and they mostly followed Orochimaru when going out.

After hearing this, Hyuga Ao's face nearly cracked.

If Sasuke heard about this treatment, he'd cry on the spot.

Later-stage Orochimaru believed in survival of the fittest, raising his subordinates like raising poisonous insects in a jar.

His underlings were either test subjects, test subjects with some value, or containers and backup containers.

Hyuga Ao couldn't help but sigh. No wonder Orochimaru's fall started with Nawaki.

"Yo, Nawaki, you're back." A blond buzz-cut youth stood up to greet him.

"Is Shikaku still handling documents?"

"Mmm mmm." A chubby guy nearby was eating and responded with muffled sounds.

This setup...

Hyuga Ao couldn't help but wonder. In her memory, those close to the Ino-Shika-Cho formation were almost always candidates for the next Hokage.

And every generation of Ino-Shika-Cho had a good relationship with the Hokage.

Hyuga Ao lowered her gaze. No wonder Nawaki had died just like that.

Thinking of Danzo, Hyuga Ao recalled all the fan works she'd read in her past life and their portrayals of him, and she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for his story.

On the battlefield of the First Shinobi World War, Hiruzen Sarutobi had taken command in a time of crisis and become the Third Hokage.

In Danzo's eyes, he'd been just one step away. But although he was only one step short, back then he'd thought, It doesn't matter—my brother becoming Hokage is almost the same as me doing it. I'll just work in the shadows and silently contribute.

However, after the First, Second, and Third Wars, Danzo realized that while he dwelled in darkness, Hiruzen's restrictions on him were minimal, almost nonexistent.

So he tested the boundaries bit by bit, stepped out of line little by little, and by the end of the Third War, no one could control him anymore.

Because Danzo had already become that way. From any angle, he deserved to die. Every time he woke in the dead of night, recalling that one step he'd missed, it slowly became the catalyst for his darkness.

But Danzo's sins were inseparable from the Third Hokage's. You could say the Third had to shoulder most of the blame for them.

Hyuga Ao smiled and greeted the current Ino-Shika-Cho. She didn't plan to get too close to them—after all, Shikaku was far too dangerous for someone like her. In front of them, she'd just maintain the facade of a proper lady, and they could all fool each other.

"And who's this?" A boy with a pineapple-shaped head stepped out of the neighboring tent, his face perpetually carrying an air of weariness.

Shikaku stretched his body, sizing up Hyuga Ao.

A white robe—the attire of the Hyuga clan.

Though she wore a forehead protector, the bandages peeking out from her temples marked her as a branch family member.

Her fair, delicate face held a faint, almost imperceptible smile, but it was so thin it felt like it could shift into coldness at any moment.

Hidden beneath that gentle exterior might be edges no one could imagine.

This woman was beautiful, and dangerous. Shikaku reached his conclusion.

"Hello, Shikaku." Hyuga Ao greeted him.

At this point, her identity came into play. Among those present was Nawaki, the First Hokage's grandson, along with Konoha's backbone—the heirs of Ino-Shika-Cho.

As someone from the Hyuga clan, a family that valued strict propriety, Hyuga Ao naturally couldn't breach etiquette. This layer of formality became her shield.

Hyuga Ao really didn't want to get anywhere near Shikaku. He had a sharp mind, a dirty heart, and friends who could control minds. For someone with secrets like her, keeping her distance was best.

Hyuga Ao maintained her proper-lady act, and the four boys nearby found it hard to push closer.

They shifted to discussing the current situation.

Right now, although Amegakure had pushed into the Land of Fire in one stroke, they didn't want to advance further. Hanzō's poison was incurable, but if Konoha really wanted to take him down, they could still manage it.

So Hanzō didn't want to throw his Rain Ninja into a death match with Konoha. The Rain Ninja couldn't afford it—they lacked the resources.

The Rain Ninja, sustained by supplies from the Sand and Iwa ninja, engaged in low-intensity skirmishes with Konoha to train their troops, waiting for the promised Sand and Iwa reinforcements to arrive.

Konoha also had its concerns. Hanzō's poison was truly incurable, and they didn't want to waste their forces on it.

Until they found a way to counter Hanzō of the Salamander's poison, Konoha couldn't launch a full-scale counteroffensive.

Both sides were stalling for time, waiting for some kind of turning point.