Lucky Necklace, Life Was Too Fragile to Have Any Meaning

A thin mist shrouded the forest outside Konoha, and the air was filled with damp chill.

Chiyo Uchiha's gaze casually swept over the tall figure ahead.

Orochimaru was staring at the treetops beside him, his golden Vertical Pupils slightly narrowed, as if lost in thought.

What an unpleasant gaze...

Whenever Chiyo met Orochimaru's eyes, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

He could sense the coldness radiating from Orochimaru.

It was not killing intent toward an enemy, but an almost fanatical desire to investigate.

Like the unwavering focus of a venomous snake flicking its tongue at its prey.

"Your presence seems different from yesterday."

Orochimaru suddenly turned to look at Chiyo Uchiha, his hoarse voice carrying over.

Chiyo kept his expression calm.

"From last night until now, I haven't trained at all. It would already be good if I hadn't regressed. You must be joking, Lord Orochimaru."

After speaking, he paused, then showed a puzzled expression as he probed.

"Could it be that you also study changes in one's presence?"

The corner of Orochimaru's mouth curled into a meaningful smile, and he did not continue the topic.

"Tsunade asked me to give this to you!"

Hearing Tsunade's name, Chiyo froze for a moment.

He then accepted a box from Orochimaru and opened it.

Oh, it was a token of affection!

Hm? This necklace?

The "lucky" necklace of the First Hokage?!

Fuck!

Chiyo's heart jolted.

He pulled out the note beneath the necklace.

"I'm giving this to you. I wish you a safe return!"

Chiyo shuddered for no reason.

Th-This... was she afraid he wouldn't die, so she was giving him a "lucky" buff?!

She wasn't planning to let him live at all!

"Chiyo-kun, where do you think the meaning of life lies?"

Orochimaru's question interrupted Chiyo's thoughts. After some consideration, Chiyo put away the necklace and spoke after a brief pause.

"In protection, I suppose!"

Hearing that answer, Orochimaru looked at Chiyo Uchiha with what seemed like a trace of emotion.

"Protection? What a naive and hollow word."

"Lord Orochimaru, where do you think the meaning of life lies?"

Orochimaru lowered his golden eyes.

"Life is too fragile. It has no meaning in itself."

As his words fell, he turned toward Konoha.

"It's about time. Prepare to depart!"

Orochimaru swept his gaze over everyone, his face growing even colder.

"Yes!"

Chiyo and the others answered.

At the final moment before leaving the village, Chiyo could not help turning back.

At the village entrance shrouded in morning mist, a flash of gold appeared and disappeared.

Tsunade stood there with her arms folded, her bright brown eyes meeting his through the thin fog from afar.

She suddenly raised a fist and made a gesture that said, "You'd better come back."

A smile appeared on Chiyo's face.

He waved back as well, indicating that he understood.

Tsunade, don't worry!

I'm the man who'll win over the Fifth Hokage. I'll definitely come back safely!

Chiyo turned around and followed the group as they swiftly headed toward Amegakure.

"Chiyo-kun."

While running, Orochimaru's gaze suddenly fell on Chiyo, his hoarse voice carrying an eerie warmth.

"Just follow me this time!"

"Yes!"

Chiyo wore a respectful expression. Follow him?

Just don't sell me out when the time comes!

Chiyo became extremely vigilant.

After running for roughly half a day, the weather began to turn unpredictable.

After leaving Konoha, Orochimaru's team traveled swiftly through the dense forest.

Chiyo remained alert the entire time. He could feel Orochimaru's inquisitive gaze falling upon him from time to time.

That look was not how one looked at a companion, but more like the scrutiny reserved for an interesting test subject.

It seemed that Orochimaru had already undergone his "rational" transformation.

"Chiyo-kun seems nervous?"

Orochimaru suddenly spoke, his hoarse voice tinged with amusement.

Chiyo's expression did not change.

"It's my first time carrying out such an important mission. There's nothing wrong with being cautious."

Orochimaru smiled meaningfully and said nothing more.

The team continued onward in silence, with only footsteps and rustling leaves echoing through the forest.

As the elevation gradually increased, the surrounding vegetation began to change.

The lush broadleaf forests around Konoha were gradually replaced by coniferous woods, and the air was saturated with damp moisture.

A muffled thunderous rumble came from afar, while flashes of lightning flickered overhead.

"The border of the Land of Rain is ahead."

Orochimaru stopped and signaled for everyone to stay alert.

Chiyo raised his eyes and saw a gray curtain of rain covering the distant horizon.

Just like its name, the Land of Rain was shrouded by dark clouds year-round, and the rain almost never stopped.

It was said that Hanzō deliberately maintained this weather to strengthen his nation's defenses. The endless rain could greatly weaken the power of Fire Style Ninjutsu.

After crossing the border, the atmosphere abruptly became oppressive.

Rusty barbed wire lined both sides of the muddy road, and from time to time, they could see ninja corpses bleached white by the rain.

Towering steel buildings appeared faintly in the distance. They were Amegakure's iconic structures.

They were defensive fortifications personally designed by Hanzō, said to be capable of withstanding any ninjutsu attack.

"Put on your raincoats!"

Orochimaru's hoarse voice rang out. Everyone stopped and took raincoats from their packs, beginning to put them on.

Orochimaru glanced over the group once they were all dressed.

"Continue!"

The moment he spoke, he bent his knees and dashed forward.

Everyone followed.

Before long, a light drizzle began falling, pattering against their raincoats.

After running for a while, Orochimaru slowed his pace.

"Watch your step."

Orochimaru suddenly warned them.

"The underground of the Land of Rain is filled with Explosive Tags and traps."

Chiyo secretly activated his Sharingan and, sure enough, saw Chakra Threads faintly visible beneath the muddy water.

He carefully avoided those deadly traps while noticing some strange marks along the roadside.

They looked as though they had been left by some large crawling creature.

"We're here."

Orochimaru stopped before a dilapidated outpost.

This should have been Konoha's frontline stronghold, but it was now terrifyingly silent.

The outpost's wooden door hung half-open, creaking in the wind and rain.

Chiyo sharply caught a flash of metal reflected through the gap in the door.

"Something's wrong."

Chiyo lowered his voice.

"There are mechanisms inside."

Orochimaru seemed to have noticed the anomaly as well. He signaled for everyone to retreat.

With a sharp flick of his arm, several small snakes shot from his sleeve and silently slithered toward the outpost.

Just then, a sudden change occurred!

"Enemy attack!"

With a fierce shout, countless Kunai tied with Explosive Tags flew in from every direction.

Orochimaru instantly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release, Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

An earthen wall surged from the ground, but the blast wave still sent everyone flying.

Amid the smoke, dozens of Amegakure ninja emerged from the curtain of rain.

They wore specially made Gas Masks and moved in perfect formation. They were clearly an elite force that had received specialized training.

"Retreat!"

Orochimaru gave the order coldly, but he himself remained where he stood.

Just as Chiyo was about to move, he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet sink.

At some point, the muddy ground had become a quicksand-like trap.

Chiyo quickly used the Body Flicker Technique to escape, while the Rain Ninja closed in around them.

"Looks like we've been ambushed."

Orochimaru licked his lips, and intense killing intent flashed in his eyes.

The rain grew heavier, with bean-sized droplets striking their faces painfully.

Chiyo wiped the rain from his face, his Sharingan searching through the downpour for a gap to break through.

Just then, he noticed a figure flash atop a distant building.

"That's... Hanzō?"

That familiar silhouette made everyone's hearts tremble.

The legendary "Demi-God" looked down upon the battlefield from above, with several elite ninja in Gas Masks standing beside him.

Chiyo lowered his gaze.

Damn, my luck is terrible.

They had barely arrived, and they had already run into the man in charge of Amegakure?!

Chiyo thought of that Lucky Necklace...

No, I'm a materialist. How can I let something so subjective influence me!

It must be that old bastard Danzo's doing!

In the world of Hokage, whenever something doesn't make sense or you can't find the culprit, blaming Danzo can't go wrong!

"This isn't an ordinary ambush! They've been waiting for Konoha's group all along..."

Chiyo looked toward Orochimaru, but before he could finish speaking, a water dragon suddenly burst from the ground and lunged straight at him.