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

Orochimaru had already lost track of how long he had been searching this spot at Shen Wubi Bridge in the Land of Grass.

During that time, secret letters from the Hokage had arrived ordering Orochimaru to go to the front and join the battle, but Orochimaru ignored every single one. Right now, he was Salt No Salt Anymore.

I'm going to live forever, damn it!

When he was thirsty, he drank dew; when he was hungry, he ate Field Mice. Fortunately, Hiruko was already a Dead Person, or he would have had to share these bitter days with Orochimaru too.

Although ninjas far surpassed ordinary people, they still had to eat and sleep. Even the mission-machine Root Members who carried out assignments outside needed Ration Pills for supplies and still needed sleep.

But a ruthless person like Orochimaru could go so long without sleeping, and when he was hungry, he simply supplemented himself with a few little mice. Even a Dead Person like Hiruko felt he was hard on himself just watching.

He also began to admire Orochimaru from the bottom of his heart. Such Person as Orochimaru would have become a Big Shot even without a wise teacher like the Third Hokage.

Because there was a kind of person who was born unwilling to fall behind others.

Hiruko shifted the target of his jealousy to Jiraiya.

Whenever Jiraiya had money, he liked to indulge in wine and women, and even while following behind Orochimaru, he still had time to slip away to the Flower District in the Land of Grass.

What a Bastard!

Of course, Hiruko could also understand Jiraiya, because the thing Orochimaru was looking for was far too strange. When asked about it, even he himself could not explain it clearly, only saying he was looking for the Mastermind.

They had searched for several weeks without a trace. Where was this Mastermind supposed to be?

He was purely too idle!

Konoha was still at war! With behavior like this, Orochimaru was cutting off his own way out!

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

Hiruko was off to the side, 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 pupils, and his strength had also reached the level of an Elite Jonin.

The White Snake Cells inside Hiruko suddenly sensed a Toad in the bushes keeping watch on them. The moment he charged over, the Toad ran off.

He looked at Orochimaru and said, "Hey! Orochimaru, are you really not going to do anything about Jiraiya? He's Salt No Salt Anymore too, clearly Monitored you."

Orochimaru was gnawing on a mouse caught by the Little Snakes. After eating it, he snorted. "Let him watch if he wants! We're both Sannin. It wouldn't be easy for me to shake him off."

A cold gleam appeared in Hiruko's Eyes. "How about killing him?"

Orochimaru smashed a dead mouse over at him, and Hiruko hurriedly dodged.

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

Hiruko found it hard to believe. "How is that possible? How could that Dead Last Jiraiya be stronger than you?"

Back at the Ninja Academy.

Orochimaru had been a top student in every aspect. Whether actual combat or theory, he had been at the front of the class.

Liao Wu had been the Dead Last in actual combat, but first in theory.

Tsunade had been first in actual combat, but only so-so in theory.

Hiruko had been unremarkable in both areas.

Jiraiya had been a double Dead Last in both theory and actual combat. In practical combat class, he could only bully that Sickly Person Liao Wu.

So when Jiraiya was accepted as a Disciple by Sarutobi Hiruzen, everyone thought the Kid had stumbled into Good Luck.

At that time, although Sarutobi Hiruzen was not yet the Third Hokage, he was already a famous Young Jonin of Konoha, and together with Danzo, he was a candidate for the next Hokage.

Orochimaru glanced behind him, as if he had seen Jiraiya hidden in the distance.

"There is a kind of person called Accumulate Strength. You only saw the fooling around on the surface, but deep down, he is more diligent than anyone."

"Jiraiya is someone who has mastered Sage Mode."

"Sage Mode? How is that possible?"

Hiruko was so jealous his eyes nearly popped out.

Orochimaru did not explain further. Jiraiya thought he had hidden himself well, but when Orochimaru had shaken him off several times, he had still been able to follow?

There was faintly a Sage's aura around him. Orochimaru would not mistake that kind of aura. It was the symbol of Natural Energy.

Orochimaru had sensed it in Ryūchi Cave.

Orochimaru had no talent whatsoever in Sage Mode, and he was also very jealous of Jiraiya's talent in Sage Mode.

But this kind of thing could not be forced. There was No Choice and no forcing it.

Sage Mode was an existence beyond the level of Forbidden Techniques.

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

"Hiruko, hide. Don't let Jiraiya discover you. I don't want Jiraiya to find out about the Forbidden Technique of Impure World Reincarnation."

In order to keep Jiraiya from discovering him, Hiruko had been required by Orochimaru to use the Transformation Technique to change his appearance, but Orochimaru still did not feel reassured.

A person's Chakra was their most obvious trait.

Hiruko gave a Cold Laugh. "Don't underestimate me, Orochimaru. I fused with your White Snake Cells. Jiraiya definitely won't recognize me."

In Jiraiya's reconnaissance ninjutsu Eyes, perhaps Hiruko was just Orochimaru's Summoning Snake.

Orochimaru wasted no more words. "Hiruko, keep looking. From beginning to end, I've never believed that kid Ryobu died that easily. He must have defected to some force hidden in the shadows."

Hiruko rose helplessly. "Orochimaru, that's enough. In today's ninja world, what power could still hide from the Sannin and the Yellow Flash?"

"You must be obsessed!"

Orochimaru roared at Hiruko, "Quit your whining. Ryobu chopped you up and threw you into a toilet. Don't you want to kill him?"

"Aaaah—"

The moment Orochimaru brought it up, Hiruko broke down. He hadn't imagined that what Ryobu did would be so beastly. After working together for so long, couldn't he at least have dug a pit and buried him?

Did he have to bury him in a toilet?!

"Ryobu, you damned guy, you'd better not have died that easily. I'm definitely going to catch you, hack you into pieces, and throw you into a toilet to pickle you through."

Seeing that Hiruko's fighting spirit had already soared even higher than his own, Orochimaru gave an evil smile, then glanced toward the dense forest.

Ignoring Jiraiya's surveillance, he got up and continued searching for traces of Ryobu.

At last, Orochimaru and Hiruko finally found the faintest clue: ninja from Kusagakure searching for someone outside the village.

There were two jonin and two chunin.

Orochimaru and Hiruko easily stopped the four of them.

Orochimaru coldly asked one of them, a somewhat pale-skinned Kusagakure jonin, "What are you looking for?"

"Orochimaru! Why are you here?"

The pale-skinned Kusagakure jonin looked at Orochimaru with a grave expression.

"Cut the crap and answer me, or I'll kill you all."

Although Kusagakure was an ally of the Leaf Village, the Leaf had plenty of allies like that, all of them meant to be sold out.

Besides, Kusagakure had sat back and watched the Stone Village borrow the Shen Wubi Bridge route to invade the Land of Fire, and the Leaf Village hadn't settled that score with them yet!

Once they dealt with the Mist Village and ended the Ninja World War, Kusagakure was definitely going to have good fruit to eat.

The Kusagakure jonin was helpless. If it were an ordinary Leaf jonin, he could still handle him, but this was Orochimaru of the Sannin, a big shot even the Grass Village Leader had to treat with utmost respect.

The Kusagakure jonin glanced at the woman beside him, who was also a jonin. Seeing her shake her head, he knew she meant they should yield to Orochimaru.

With no choice, the Kusagakure jonin explained where his group had come from.

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

Among this group, Wu Wei was an outlier. He belonged to the "Grass Fruit" faction, while everyone who had come here was a ninja of the "Kusano Hana."

Kusagakure was a small ninja village; the village was not large, but the demon wind was not small.

The ninja of one village had split into two factions.

One was the Dove Faction—"Kusano Hana." They advocated maneuvering among the Five Great Nations, surviving through a "wall grass" strategy, not expanding proactively, and prioritizing attachment to powerful nations to obtain resources.

The other was the Hawk Faction—"Grass Fruit." Dissatisfied with their small-nation status, they advocated breaking free from the great nations' control by force, such as seizing tailed beasts, researching forbidden techniques to rise up, and so on.

The theatrical version of Blood Prison was about the Martial Faction, the "Grass Fruit" ninja, wanting to open the Box of Paradise left behind by the Six Paths Sage and rule the ninja world.

Why had Kusagakure ninja appeared here?

Here was what happened...

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

So Hagi Chiho had brought the "Kusano Hana" ninja to search for her.

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

Because his son Wu Gou and Ryūsetsu were very good playmates, Wu Gou had asked Wu Wei to come find his comrade.

After understanding what had happened, Orochimaru asked one by one about the kidnapper's methods.

The answers from Wu Wei and the others were: mysterious, covert, impossible to guard against. No one in the village had any impression at all, as if it had been done by a ghost.

"Hmph, hmph! Like a ghost. I've finally found you!"

Orochimaru was wild with joy inside. At last, he had a clue to the person behind Ryobu.

Hiruko could not help being shocked as well. There really was a great hand in the dark!

Who was this person? To think they had hidden from the Sannin and the Yellow Flash!

They were not to be underestimated!

Orochimaru stared at the Kusagakure jonin Hagi Chiho and asked, "What Kekkei Genkai does that one called Ryūsetsu have?"

Hagi Chiho glanced at Wu Wei, and Wu Wei nodded.

Helplessly, Hagi Chiho told Orochimaru, "Ryūsetsu's Kekkei Genkai allows her to use a forbidden technique. When someone is on the verge of death, she can bring that person back to life, but she must pay the price with her own life."

"Bring someone on the verge of death back to life?!"

Orochimaru was startled. A technique like that was undoubtedly very valuable. Just imagine: if she could revive a ninja who played a decisive role in a war, how great an effect would that have?

But this was far too unexpected.

Liao Wu's Technique was a Life Forbidden Technique, and this Ryūsetsu's technique was also a Life Forbidden Technique. That proved the mastermind behind the scenes needed Life Secret Arts to restore their health.

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

He had a feeling that the person behind Liao Wu would definitely make his jaw drop—or everyone's.

Orochimaru asked the Grass Village Group again, "After so much time, that Ryūsetsu was probably dealt with already, so why are you still tracking them?"

"..."

The Grass Village People said nothing.

Orochimaru roared, "Talk, or I'll drag every Villager in Grass Village here and feed them to my snakes."

Orochimaru's overwhelming killing intent made it hard for even Wu Wei and Hagi Chiho, two Jonin, to stay steady.

Wu Wei quickly said, "It's like this, Lord Orochimaru! Not long after Ryūsetsu was abducted, several advanced Fire Style ninjutsu went missing from the village too."

"They were all stolen from my home. At the time, I hit that White Monster with Fire Style: Heavenly Prison, and he ran!"

"My Fire Style: Heavenly Prison can seal another person's Chakra. If the imprisoned target forcibly gathers Chakra, their whole body will burn, and if they get too far from the Caster, they'll burn too."

"I never expected that White Monster to endure my ninjutsu and escape so far. These past days, we've been tracking him by Leaning On my sense of the technique."

Orochimaru pressed further, "Any leads?"

Wu Wei signaled to a Grass Village Chunin behind him, and that Chunin immediately took out a white, withered-wood-like piece of skin. On it was the Curse Mark of Fire Style: Heavenly Prison.

"We tracked it to here. I suspect that after the White Monster was hit by my technique, he ruthlessly scraped off the part of his body affected by it."

The moment Orochimaru saw the piece of skin the Grass Village Chunin took out, he was wild with joy. "That's right, this is it. Good, good. He's around this area. I've finally found you."

Orochimaru formed Hand Seals with both hands, and tens of thousands of snakes instantly poured out of his mouth.

The Grass Village Group fearfully dodged aside, and looking at the Poisonous Snakes covering the mountains and fields, every one of them felt their scalps go numb.

"Children, help me find him!"

"Hiss, hiss—"