Night Reconnaissance of Rain Ninja

"Let's set off then!"

Tsunade and Orochimaru exchanged a look, each leading their respective teams out.

"Sister Tsunade, what are we doing on this mission?" Hyuga Ao asked.

"Didn't Kyoko tell you?" Tsunade turned back in surprise, looking at Kyoko.

Kato Kyoko's face flushed. "I thought Ao'er knew."

"Alright, you're unreliable too." Tsunade sighed, resting her forehead. She then darkened. "If only Dan were still here."

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Dan Katō? Hyuga Ao had never met him before.

She later found out that Dan Katō had died early in the war.

It was said that while returning from stealing the Salamander antidote and using the Spirit Transformation Technique, his hidden body was discovered by the enemy, and his soul couldn't return, leading to his death.

After a moment, Tsunade snapped back to attention. "The poison used by the Sand Ninja this time contains some ingredients that require a certain flower."

"We passed by the Land of Rain on a previous mission and saw it. There's a field of these flowers just outside the Rain Ninja camp."

"We're going to collect them. For stealth, it's just the three of us, for mobility."

"For mobility?" Hyuga Ao looked suspiciously at Kato Kyoko.

Kato Kyoko smiled smugly. "Don't underestimate me, I still have the strength of a Jonin."

Under the continuous drizzle of the Land of Rain and the cover of night, coupled with Hyuga Ao's Byakugan reconnaissance, they successfully reached the outskirts of the Rain Ninja camp.

In the flower field, Tsunade was explaining the key points of collection.

"Watch closely, this flower is called the Rain Flower, named for its habitat in the Land of Rain. Its corolla has five petals, red and white, with pale blue stamens."

"We only need the corollas. We need to collect enough for three scrolls. Ao'er, keep watch. Let's begin."

Tsunade, Kato Kyoko, and Hyuga Ao each created two shadow clones and started working.

As one story ends, another begins. Orochimaru led his reconnaissance team, tracking the mysterious unit that appeared that day.

Orochimaru's expression was grim as they followed the trail. No, it couldn't be called tracking; it was more like following.

The intruders hadn't even bothered to conceal their tracks. They had come in full force and left just as brazenly, clearly announcing to Konoha:

I came, and I left.

Orochimaru narrowed his snake-like eyes, his expression icy. "When did Konoha ever get treated with such contempt?"

Following the tracks, Orochimaru's team arrived at the outskirts of the Rain Ninja camp.

After being soaked by the rain, Orochimaru calmed down.

The Rain Ninja camp, shrouded in misty rain, appeared indistinct. The fine rain outlined the camp's silhouette, and from a distance, it looked like a colossal beast, crouched low, ready to bare its fangs at any enemy.

"What are the Rain Ninja trying to convey?" Orochimaru muttered to himself.

Suddenly, Orochimaru thought of something. "Is it about the village?"

After pondering for a while, lacking crucial information, Orochimaru stopped thinking. "Let's go. Let's go see Tsunade."

Orochimaru led his team to rendezvous with Tsunade.

On a small hill beside the flower field, a Salamander emerged from the ground, opening its large mouth to reveal a pair of calm eyes.

After observing for a moment, the Salamander's mouth slowly closed.

"Yo, they're here." Tsunade sealed the collected Rain Flowers into a scroll and called out.

"How is it?"

Tsunade shook the scroll in her hand. "Done, this is enough."

"Mm." Orochimaru nodded, scanning the surroundings. "Let's go!"

Konoha's two teams reunited, preparing to leave.

"Explosive Tag Formation!"

Dense Explosive Tags emerged from the ground, coiling around everyone's feet.

"Careful!"

Hyuga Ao reacted the fastest, unleashing a palm strike that dispersed the Explosive Tag formation.

Everyone jumped back as the scattered Explosive Tags detonated around them, creating sparks of light that illuminated the dark figures behind the flames.

Seeing the figure, Orochimaru's expression turned grave, and he slowly uttered two words: "Hanzō!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Orochimaru gave the order: "Run!"

Several smoke bombs were thrown, and amidst the purple smoke, eighteen figures darted out, heading in different directions.

"Flash!"

The seasoned Hanzō immediately judged which figure was the real body.

A scythe burst forth, and an Inuzuka clan Jonin was killed on the spot.

Hyuga Ao's pupils constricted. An elite taijutsu ninja, and yet he didn't even have time to react?

Hanzō swung his scythe's chain, which accurately hooked an Aburame clan elite ninja. The Aburame elite ninja scattered into a swarm of Kikaichū.

"Water Style: Needle Javelin!"

The dense, swift water needles struck down almost all the Kikaichū.

The swarm dispersed, revealing the pale-faced Aburame elite ninja.

Hanzō swung his scythe mercilessly, killing the Aburame clan elite ninja once more.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Kato Kyoko, and Hyuga Ao had already fled far away.

Hanzō watched their retreating backs, sheathed his weapon, and let out a light laugh, its meaning unclear.

"Lord Hanzō, why didn't you pursue?" Hanzō's confidant asked.

"The Third, Danzo, playing hide-and-seek, blurring the lines between truth and deception. They aren't truly sincere about a ceasefire!"

"My ambush tonight is meant to show them exactly what Konoha means to us Rain Ninja!"

After speaking, Hanzō sighed. If the Land of Rain were powerful, why would he need to say all this?

Hyuga Ao and the other three ran wildly. Though curious why Hanzō didn't pursue, the chilling realization that their intentions had been seen made them uneasy.

The four didn't stop, quickly rushing back to the Konoha camp.

Just as Hyuga Ao and the other three returned, at the original site of the Konoha camp.

A dark figure was observing the traces Hyuga Ao had left that day.

"That's right, that's right, this is Divine Void Strike! But why?"

Originally, White Zetsu was searching for the whereabouts of high-purity Shikotsumyaku, but unexpectedly discovered this.

White Zetsu saw it, and Black Zetsu, who secretly controlled White Zetsu, naturally saw it too.

Black Zetsu pondered deeply. He remembered all the techniques related to Kaguya's abilities, which he had destroyed over countless centuries.

The last Hyuga Tenin had also left and never returned.

Logically, the Hyuga lineage should have been broken.

Why could Hyuga Ao unleash that palm strike?

Black Zetsu carefully sensed the residual spiritual will in the land and felt a familiar scent.

"Like... Mother?" Black Zetsu was suddenly startled, shocked by his own sudden thought.

The sudden thought took root, echoing in Black Zetsu's mind.

Involuntarily, Black Zetsu began to think in that direction.

Her build was similar, her facial features were similar. Could this be Mother's Chakra reincarnated? Black Zetsu thought.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought out of his mind.

Black Zetsu made up his mind.

No matter what, he would focus his attention on her first.