It All Started When I Met Your Disciple

While Kirigakure was playing a game of "guess what I'm thinking," Uchiha Sou was nursing a headache back at his own camp.

He wasn't troubled by the tactical situation; on the contrary, the current state of the war was so favorable that it left him somewhat stunned.

Since this all-out operation began, the destruction suffered by Kirigakure had been unimaginable.

But destruction was, after all, just destruction; they were facing ninjas, and any kind of damage could be repaired through ninjutsu.

The problem, however, was that Kirigakure simply didn't have enough manpower to handle all these issues, which meant their operational space had been compressed to the absolute limit!

If this continued, Uchiha Sou felt that Kirigakure might eventually look for an opportunity to secretly communicate with him.

For instance, they might suggest a careful review of the current situation, arguing that while a Kirigakure counterattack was unlikely, it was equally unlikely that his scattered troops could wipe them out while they remained holed up in major cities.

Furthermore, while his regular army could indeed destroy them, doing so wouldn't actually benefit him in any way.

They might point out that he would lose his current authority, and that what he was doing now probably wasn't even a mission assigned by Konoha, right?

So, why not cooperate?

Of course, this was just something Uchiha Sou was thinking to himself; the possibility of him engaging in direct combat the moment he encountered Kirigakure ninjas was much higher.

After all, the havoc he had wreaked in their rear had caused an unimaginable amount of trouble for the Kirigakure front line!

What was giving him a headache now was that people from other "war zones" had informed them via summoning jutsu that Orochimaru had dispatched a special squad, and their sole objective was to find him!

Could they be here to hold me accountable?

Uchiha Sou felt a mix of hesitation and wariness; he knew very well that this operation had absolutely nothing to do with Konoha or Orochimaru!

If they were truly here to hold him accountable, that wouldn't be a good thing for Uchiha Sou at all.

However, having been through so many trials, he was ruthless enough at his core that if they really pushed him, he would simply make these people go missing collectively!

After all, it was wartime and they were in territory controlled by Kirigakure; wouldn't it be perfectly normal for a few people to go missing?

"Captain, they've arrived." Just as Uchiha Sou was struggling with his headache, Shiranui Genma walked into the room and spoke in a low voice.

It was clear, however, that this guy was also slightly worried, as he knew exactly how this mission had evolved into its current state.

Therefore, after a moment of thought, he asked in a low voice: "Is it going to be a problem, Captain?"

"It's fine, don't worry." Uchiha Sou nodded slightly, though he thought to himself that if there was going to be trouble, they would be the ones to suffer first!

"In that case, shall I let their captain in?" Shiranui Genma asked.

"Let him in. I'm curious to see what they want anyway." Uchiha Sou nodded.

Shiranui Genma received the order and turned to leave. Not long after, a young man walked in, and he couldn't help but frown slightly upon seeing Uchiha Sou.

However, he quickly regained his composure and nodded slightly toward Uchiha Sou: "Greetings. I am Hirame Ryogen. I truly didn't expect the commander here to be so young."

"Greetings, Hirame-san." Uchiha Sou also nodded: "My name is Uchiha Sou. I don't think age is the point; the point is how much value we can create, don't you think?"

"That is indeed true. My apologies for the slip of the tongue."

Hirame Ryogen smiled slightly, but his expression quickly turned serious.

"Sir, we have come here under the orders of Lord Orochimaru, and Lord Orochimaru wishes to have a word with you.

After all, we are neither in a position nor qualified to judge the things you have done, so it is best to leave all of this to Lord Orochimaru."

"Leave it to Lord Orochimaru?" Uchiha Sou was a bit confused by this statement. Could Orochimaru actually be coming here himself?

However, when Hirame Ryogen suddenly produced a scroll and, after breaking the seal, a snake appeared before him, he suddenly recalled a jutsu used by Jiraiya.

The Toad Stealth Jutsu, where Jiraiya hid himself inside a toad to infiltrate Amegakure in the original story.

Given that Orochimaru was someone who frequently spat himself out, he was likely even more proficient with techniques of this nature, right?

Yet, to Uchiha Sou's surprise, the snake flicked its tongue at him and then actually began to speak!

"Gen-san, you may withdraw." The snake emitted Orochimaru's voice, and Hirame Ryogen immediately bowed respectfully before leaving the room.

Uchiha Sou stared at the scene, stunned. He remembered Orochimaru having a similar jutsu, but wasn't that something from the Boruto era?

"So-kun, you have truly given me a massive surprise."

Just as he was stunned, the snake fixed its gaze on him, and the hoarse voice rang out once more.

"I once thought you had failed your mission and died, but I never expected you to give me such a massive surprise."

Back at the Konoha camp, a look of genuine surprise was etched on Orochimaru's face. He had been keeping a close eye on Kirigakure's performance during this period.

The repeated retreats and the somewhat low morale of the frontline ninjas were undeniable proof that a major problem had indeed emerged in the rear of Kirigakure!

The strange thing was that reports from Anbu agents planted by Konoha in the rear of the Land of Whirlpools indicated that those vital Kirigakure facilities had not been destroyed.

The root cause of all this turmoil was the members of the resistance organizations in the Land of Whirlpools, and there was a high probability that Konoha ninjas were involved.

Combining these pieces of information made Orochimaru increasingly curious about who was bold enough to pull off such a feat behind enemy lines.

He was also increasingly eager for the people he had sent out to find the leader of those Konoha ninjas as soon as possible, so he could at least understand what was going on.

And now, he discovered that the person who had pulled off these incredible feats was none other than Uchiha Sou, whom he had sent out!

He naturally had a deep memory of Uchiha Sou, as he had assigned a mission related to this kid.

Furthermore, he had his own thoughts regarding Uchiha Sou, which was why he had felt a sense of disappointment when he concluded that the boy might have met his end.

But looking at it now, it seems he had truly underestimated this kid!

"Lord Orochimaru is too kind with his praise."

Uchiha Sou had no idea what Orochimaru was thinking. After all, he was facing a snake and had no chance to meet Orochimaru face-to-face, so naturally, he couldn't guess anything from the man's expression.

Of course, even if they were face-to-face, it probably wouldn't be of much use; after all, it is truly difficult to fathom what someone like Orochimaru is thinking.

"Whether it is praise or not, I know it in my heart, So-kun."

Orochimaru licked his tongue slightly, then tapped his fingers against the table before finally speaking with a smile through that snake.

"Tell me about this matter in detail. I need to know more specifics and understand more about your affairs. Only then can I make the most accurate judgment."

"I understand, Lord Orochimaru."

Uchiha Sou nodded slightly. He did have records, but those were meant for the Hokage and could be altered.

If he could coordinate with Orochimaru in advance, then modifying those documents would be much easier and more convenient.

However, the moment Uchiha Sou opened his mouth, Orochimaru couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"All of this must start from when we entered the Kirigakure controlled zone and encountered your disciple, Anko."

New author, new book, please add to your library and follow for updates~