Grass Village Isn't Big, But the Demon Wind Is Fierce

Orochimaru no longer knew how long he had been searching this area of Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass.

During that time, secret messages from the Hokage had arrived, ordering Orochimaru to head to the front lines and join the battle. He ignored every one of them. At this point, he had completely stopped caring.

I'm going to live forever!

When he was thirsty, he drank dew. When he was hungry, he ate field mice. Fortunately, Hiruko was already dead; otherwise, he would have had to endure these miserable days with Orochimaru too.

Although Ninjas were far beyond ordinary people, they still had to eat and sleep. Even Root Members, the mission machines sent out to perform tasks, needed Ration Pills and sleep.

But Orochimaru was truly ruthless. After going without sleep for so long, he simply replenished himself with mice whenever he got hungry. Even Hiruko, a dead man, felt that Orochimaru was cruel to himself.

He also came to admire Orochimaru from the bottom of his heart. Even without a wise teacher like the Third Hokage, someone like Orochimaru would still become a great man.

Because some people were born unwilling to fall behind anyone else.

Hiruko shifted the target of his jealousy to Jiraiya.

Whenever Jiraiya had money, he loved indulging in wine and women. Even while following Orochimaru, he still found time to sneak off to the Flower District in the Land of Grass.

What a bastard!

Of course, Hiruko could understand Jiraiya. The thing Orochimaru was searching for was too strange. Even when asked, Orochimaru could not explain it clearly. He only said that he was looking for the Mastermind.

They had been searching for several weeks without finding a trace. Where could there possibly be a Mastermind?

He was simply bored!

Konoha was still at war! Orochimaru was cutting off his own path with this behavior!

And he still wanted to run for village office? Dream on!

Hiruko stayed nearby, adapting to Orochimaru's White Snake Cells.

Not long ago, Hiruko had used the Chimera Technique to devour Orochimaru's White Snake Cells. He had gained Orochimaru's snake eyes, and his strength had reached the level of an Elite Jonin.

The White Snake Cells inside Hiruko suddenly sensed a Toad watching them from the bushes. The moment he charged over, the Toad fled.

He looked at Orochimaru and said, "Hey! Orochimaru, are you really going to ignore Jiraiya? He isn't even trying to hide it. He's clearly watching you."

Orochimaru was chewing on a rat caught by the little snakes. After swallowing it, he snorted. "Let him watch if he wants. As fellow Sannin, I can't exactly shake him off."

A cold glint appeared in Hiruko's eyes. "What about killing him?"

Orochimaru hurled a dead rat at him, and Hiruko hurriedly dodged.

"If you want to die, don't drag me into it. If Jiraiya gets serious, even I can't beat him."

Hiruko was unconvinced. "How is that possible? How could that dead-last Jiraiya possibly be stronger than you?"

Back when they were at the Ninja Academy,

Orochimaru had been an outstanding student in every aspect. Whether in practical combat or theory, he had always been at the top of the class.

Liao Wu had been the dead-last in practical combat but ranked first in theory.

Tsunade was first in practical combat, but only mediocre in theory.

Hiruko had been unremarkable in both areas.

Jiraiya had been dead-last in both theory and practical combat. In practical lessons, he could only bully that sickly Liao Wu.

So when Sarutobi Hiruzen accepted Jiraiya as his student, everyone thought the boy had stumbled into incredible luck.

At the time, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not yet the Third Hokage, but he was already a famous young Jonin of Konoha Village and a candidate for the next Hokage alongside Danzo.

Orochimaru glanced behind him, seemingly seeing Jiraiya hidden in the distance.

"Some people build up their strength before suddenly unleashing it. You've only seen his outward playfulness, but deep down, he works harder than anyone."

"Jiraiya has mastered Senjutsu."

"Senjutsu? How could that be?"

Hiruko's eyes nearly bulged out of his head with jealousy.

Orochimaru did not explain further. Jiraiya believed he had hidden it well, but how could he have kept up after Orochimaru shook him off several times?

There was a faint aura of a Sage about him. Orochimaru could not have mistaken that aura. It was the symbol of Natural Energy.

Orochimaru had sensed it in Ryūchi Cave.

Orochimaru had no talent for Senjutsu at all, and he was also extremely jealous of Jiraiya's talent in it.

But such matters could not be forced, nor could they be obtained through sheer effort.

Senjutsu was an existence beyond the level of Forbidden Techniques.

If Orochimaru wanted to catch up to Jiraiya, he would have to learn more and more Forbidden Techniques. First, he needed a long lifespan.

"Hiruko, hide yourself. Don't let Jiraiya discover you. I don't want him finding out about the Forbidden Technique, Impure World Reincarnation."

To prevent Jiraiya from discovering him, Orochimaru had ordered Hiruko to use the Transformation Technique to change his appearance, but Orochimaru still felt uneasy.

A person's Chakra was their most conspicuous characteristic.

Hiruko sneered. "Don't underestimate me, Orochimaru. I've fused with your White Snake Cells. Jiraiya definitely won't recognize me."

In Jiraiya's sensory Ninjutsu, Hiruko might as well have been Orochimaru's Summoning Snake.

Orochimaru stopped wasting words. "Hiruko, keep searching. From beginning to end, I refuse to believe that that kid Liao Wu died so easily. He must have defected to some hidden power."

Hiruko helplessly rose to his feet. "Orochimaru, enough already. What power could possibly exist in the current Ninja World that can hide from the Sannin and the Yellow Flash?"

"You've gone crazy!"

Orochimaru shouted at Hiruko. "Stop whining. Liao Wu dismembered you and threw you into a toilet. Don't you want to kill him?"

"Ahhh—"

The moment Orochimaru brought it up, Hiruko collapsed. He had never expected Liao Wu to do something so inhuman. After working together for so long, couldn't he have at least dug a pit and buried him?

Did he really have to bury him in a toilet?!

"Liao Wu, you damned bastard! Don't you dare die so easily. I'll capture you, chop you into pieces, and throw you into a toilet to marinate!"

Seeing Hiruko's fighting spirit soar even higher than his own, Orochimaru gave an evil grin before glancing toward the dense forest.

Ignoring Jiraiya's surveillance, he rose and continued searching for traces of Liao Wu.

At last, Orochimaru and Hiruko found a trace: Ninjas from Kusagakure who were searching for someone outside the village.

There were two Jonin and two Chunin.

Orochimaru and Hiruko easily intercepted the four of them.

Orochimaru coldly questioned one of the pale-skinned Grass Village Jonin. "What are you looking for?"

"Orochimaru! What are you doing here?"

The pale-skinned Grass Village Jonin stared at Orochimaru with a grave expression.

"Cut the nonsense. Answer me, or I'll kill you all."

Although Kusagakure was an ally of Konoha, Konoha had plenty of allies like that, all of them fit to be sold off.

Besides, Konoha had yet to settle accounts with Kusagakure for sitting by while Iwagakure used Kannabi Bridge to invade the Land of Fire!

Once the Mist Village was dealt with and the Ninja World War ended, Kusagakure would certainly pay the price.

The Grass Village Jonin was helpless. He could have dealt with an ordinary Konoha Jonin, but this was Orochimaru of the Sannin, a great figure whom even the Grass Village Leader had to treat with utmost respect.

The Grass Village Jonin glanced at the female Jonin beside him. When he saw her shake her head, indicating that she would submit to Orochimaru, he had no choice.

The Grass Village Jonin explained the origins of their group.

His name was Wu Wei, and he was a Jonin of Kusagakure.

Wu Wei was an odd one among the group. He belonged to the "Grass Fruit" faction, while everyone else who had come here was a Ninja of "Kusano Hana."

This minor Ninja village of Kusagakure had a small village but a powerful Demon Wind.

The village's Ninjas were divided into two factions.

One was the Dove Faction—"Kusano Hana." They advocated maneuvering among the Five Great Nations and surviving through a "swaying grass" strategy. They opposed expansion and prioritized attaching themselves to powerful nations to obtain resources.

The other was the Hawk Faction—"Grass Fruit." Dissatisfied with their status as a Small Nation, they advocated using force to break free from the control of the great nations, such as by seizing Tailed Beasts or researching Forbidden Techniques to rise to power.

The movie Blood Prison was about the Martial Faction Ninjas of "Grass Fruit" attempting to open the Box of Paradise left behind by the Sage of Six Paths and rule the Ninja World.

Why had the Ninjas of Kusagakure appeared here?

The matter was as follows...

A Kekkei Genkai user from "Kusano Hana," Ryūsetsu, had been captured more than ten days ago. Her teacher was the female Jonin among this group—Hagi Chiho.

Hagi Chiho had brought the Ninjas of "Kusano Hana" to search for her.

As for Wu Wei of the "Grass Fruit" faction,

his son, Wu Gou, had been good friends with Ryūsetsu. Wu Gou had asked Wu Wei to search for his friend.

After learning what had happened, Orochimaru asked about the kidnappers' methods.

Wu Wei and the others described them as mysterious, secretive, and impossible to guard against. No one in the village had any impression of them at all. They had been like ghosts.

"Heh heh! Like ghosts. I've finally found you!"

Orochimaru's heart surged with joy. At last, he had found a clue to the person behind Liao Wu.

Hiruko could not help being shocked. So there really was a Great Hand in the Dark!

Who was this person? They had actually managed to hide from the Sannin and the Yellow Flash!

They could not be underestimated!

Orochimaru stared at the Grass Village Jonin Hagi Chiho and asked, "What Kekkei Genkai does that Ryūsetsu possess?"

Hagi Chiho glanced at Wu Wei, who nodded.

Hagi Chiho helplessly told Orochimaru, "Ryūsetsu's Kekkei Genkai allows her to use a Forbidden Technique that can revive someone on the verge of death, but she has to pay for it with her life."

"Revive someone on the verge of death?!"

Orochimaru was startled. Such a technique was undoubtedly extremely valuable. Just imagine: if a Ninja whose survival could determine the outcome of a war could be revived, how great an impact would that have?

But this was too much of a coincidence.

Liao Wu's Technique was a Life Forbidden Technique, and Ryūsetsu's Technique was also a Life Forbidden Technique. That proved the Mastermind behind the scenes needed Life Secret Arts to recover his health.

Orochimaru felt that he was getting closer and closer to the truth.

He had a feeling that the person behind Liao Wu would definitely make him—or everyone—drop their jaws in shock.

Orochimaru asked the Grass Village Group again, "After so much time, that Ryūsetsu was probably already disposed of. Why are you still tracking her?"

"..."

The Grass Village Group remained silent.

Orochimaru roared, "Speak, or I'll capture every villager in Kusagakure and feed them to the snakes."

Orochimaru's overwhelming killing intent made it difficult even for the two Jonin, Wu Wei and Hagi Chiho, to remain composed.

Wu Wei hurriedly said, "It's like this, Lord Orochimaru! Not long after Ryūsetsu was kidnapped, several advanced Fire Release Ninjutsu were stolen from the village."

"They were all stolen from my house. At the time, I used Fire Style: Heavenly Prison on that White Monster, but he escaped!"

"My Fire Style: Heavenly Prison can seal another person's Chakra. If the imprisoned person forcibly gathers Chakra, his entire body will burn. He will also burn if he moves too far away from the caster."

"I never expected that White Monster to withstand my Ninjutsu and flee so far. We have been tracking him through my connection to the technique."

Orochimaru pressed further. "Any clues?"

Wu Wei gestured to a Grass Village Chunin behind him. The Chunin immediately took out a piece of white, bark-like material bearing the incantation for Fire Style: Heavenly Prison.

"We tracked him to this area. I suspect that after the White Monster was struck by my technique, he ruthlessly scraped away the part of his body where the technique had taken hold."

The moment Orochimaru saw the piece of skin the Grass Village Chunin had taken out, he was overjoyed. "That's right, it's this thing! Wonderful, wonderful! He's in this area. I've finally found you."

Orochimaru formed hand seals, and tens of thousands of snakes suddenly poured from his mouth.

The Grass Village Group fled in terror. Looking at the venomous snakes covering the mountains, every one of them felt their scalp go numb.

"Children, help me find him!"

"Hiss hiss—"