"Haah~"
Several Leaf Ninjas stood at the city gate, stamping their feet and blowing warm air into their hands, rubbing them together like flies to keep warm.
"Just think about it. We risked our lives patrolling, and when we came back, there wasn't even any hot water. But now they're making us stand around as punishment? What kind of sense does that make?!"
One of them couldn't help complaining.
"Forget it. Things are unstable right now. It's only natural for Lord Zhen Hong to be cautious."
The ninja beside him had buried the lower half of his face in his collar and spoke in a muffled voice.
Suddenly, the group's chatter stopped all at once. The guards on the wall drew their kunai and stared toward the woods.
"L-Lord Orochimaru?!"
Recognizing the newcomer, the Leaf Ninjas finally relaxed.
"Open the gate!"
No one knew when Yūhi Kurenai had arrived at the city gate.
"Orochimaru."
Yūhi Kurenai nodded to him.
Zhen Hong was seven years older than Orochimaru. Although they had both grown up in the village, they weren't close.
Their personalities had little in common: one was serious and old-fashioned, the other aloof and solitary.
"Lord Zhen Hong."
Though Orochimaru addressed him as "Lord," there wasn't a trace of respect in his expression.
Zhen Hong wasn't offended. Orochimaru's pride was common knowledge in Konoha. His manners were impeccable, yet somehow you never felt any respect from him. That impression had only grown stronger since he'd become absorbed in his research.
As Hoshino Maki would have put it, it was like a player interacting with an NPC.
Zhen Hong's gaze shifted to the masked ninja behind Orochimaru.
Orochimaru glanced to the side. "They're all members of Root. They just returned from the east."
Zhen Hong nodded.
He'd only noticed that the