Taking the Initiative

Chapter 42: Taking the Initiative

Uchiha Sou had finally experienced just how insane Orochimaru could be when he went off the rails.

Although this guy was known for planning ahead, the extent of his foresight was enough to make even someone as "taciturn" and "cautious" as Uchiha Sou click his tongue in disbelief.

He was so convinced that he would inevitably become Hokage that he had already started laying the groundwork within the major clans; such a method could only be described as terrifying.

But you probably never imagined that the teacher you respect the most would end up stabbing you in the back so hard!

Uchiha Sou rubbed his brow. He remembered the affair with Orochimaru very clearly; after all, just when the man felt his position was secure, his teacher had dealt him a stinging slap to the face.

Then, he had earnestly told him: What I give you is yours; if I don't give it to you, you cannot snatch it.

Turning around, the Third Hokage pushed Namikaze Minato into the position of Hokage.

Even though Uchiha Obito had staged a little surprise on the fertile soil of Konoha—a "teacher-student tragedy" that sent both the Namikaze couple to the afterlife—the position of Fifth Hokage still didn't fall to him, because the Third Hokage declared that he wasn't old yet and could continue!

To be honest, if Orochimaru hadn't been facing his own teacher, the Third Hokage, he would have sent anyone else on their way with his venomous snakes long ago.

But facing his teacher, he had hesitated, though that also had something to do with the fact that his teacher still possessed considerable strength at the time.

Yet, he soon discovered that he had been too slow to act, because his teacher had struck first and sent him packing out of Konoha.

It could be said that Orochimaru was a tragedy; at the very least, during his time in Konoha, he was a grand tragedy.

This guy was now approaching him with full confidence. Normally, the best choice for Uchiha Sou would be to ignore him, because this guy was destined to crash and burn!

But the problem is, if I really let the Third Hokage continue, then the fate of the Uchiha is sealed. Do I really have to run?

Uchiha Sou couldn't help but think to himself. Having awakened the Mangekyo, he certainly had the strength to fight.

But the problem was, he wasn't just facing the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō; he was facing the Konoha ruled by these guys, plus the traitors within the Uchiha clan itself!

To say this power disparity was fraught with difficulties would be an understatement; at the very least, the odds of winning were slim.

Moreover, there really wasn't any good place to go if he left Konoha, a fact Uchiha Sou understood well in his heart.

To be honest, if he hadn't been assigned under Orochimaru, he might have considered whether to take the route of supporting Namikaze Minato.

But unfortunately, he had arrived at the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools, and as far as the current situation went, he had nothing to do with Namikaze Minato.

In his past life, there was a saying: "It is easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in snowy weather." But conversely, "It is easy to provide charcoal in snowy weather, but difficult to add flowers to brocade" was also a valid principle.

Besides, the chips Orochimaru is offering are just too tempting, aren't they?

Recalling what Orochimaru had said, Uchiha Sou admitted he was somewhat tempted.

Although Orochimaru wasn't a good person, he had one very distinct characteristic.

That was his ability to adjust his attitude based on the value and strength others brought to the table.

If you had no value and no strength, he might not show you any mercy, but if you had value, he would treat you quite well.

And if you had strength, he would adjust his mindset to speak with you as an equal, and might even turn around and cooperate with you.

To be honest, this kind of smart person was the best candidate for cooperation, but the problem was that this guy also specialized in "betraying the future."

"Lord So, why do you look so distracted?" Just as Uchiha Sou was deep in thought, Nara Rukawa asked curiously.

Ever since he had communicated with Orochimaru, Orochimaru had officially issued an order to the members of those special squads, appointing Uchiha Sou as the commander of the behind-enemy-lines forces.

He had transmitted the appointment letter via summoning jutsu and ordered the members of those special squads to follow Uchiha Sou's commands completely, while simultaneously conveying this to all ninjas behind enemy lines.

To be honest, when the Anko Squad, Shiranui Genma, and Nara Rukawa heard this, they all felt a sense of relief.

The Anko Squad was happy that everything they had done was recognized, which also compensated for the losses from their previous failed mission.

As for Nara Rukawa and Shiranui Genma, they were very happy because they knew the truth of the situation.

Now that they had an official appointment, it meant their actions were sanctioned, so they no longer had to worry about the consequences upon returning to Konoha.

As for the others, they didn't think too much about it, because they had assumed from the start that this was an order issued by Lord Orochimaru, and now it was just being made public.

However, because Uchiha Sou now had an official appointment, Nara Rukawa began to address him as "Lord."

"Actually, you don't need to call me that." Uchiha Sou shook his head, though he couldn't be bothered to say anything more. "By the way, your Nara Clan should also have people around Lord Orochimaru, right?"

"Yes, Luren, my cousin; he is currently in contact with Lord Orochimaru." Nara Rukawa nodded, looking at Uchiha Sou thoughtfully. "Is Lord Orochimaru..."

"Hmm, he hopes I can do something—planning ahead, perhaps." Uchiha Sou laughed. "But your Nara Clan is certainly very proactive."

"Small clans naturally cannot compare to major clans." Nara Rukawa was modest. "To survive in an environment like Konoha, one must inevitably make preparations in advance. Besides, isn't Lord Orochimaru the popular choice?"

Whether Orochimaru was the popular choice, Uchiha Sou didn't know, but he did know that once the war in the Land of Whirlpools ended, rumors about this Lord Orochimaru would likely be flying all over Konoha.

But those were matters for the future, and Uchiha Sou didn't want to dwell on them. If he truly had to make a decision, he would definitely prevent certain things from happening!

"Let's not talk about that. Lord Orochimaru gave me a piece of intelligence."

Uchiha Sou shook his head, his expression turning serious.

"He told me that the other members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have withdrawn from the combat sequence, and if nothing goes wrong..."

"They are coming to hunt us down." Nara Rukawa's expression turned serious at that moment; this news was certainly not good news. "Lord So, what do you intend to do?"

"My intentions?" Uchiha Sou pondered for a moment before he slightly raised his head and spoke. "This time, I intend to take the initiative."

"Take the initiative?" Nara Rukawa couldn't help but freeze for a moment upon hearing this, before asking cautiously: "Wouldn't that be... too risky?"

"It is a bit risky, which is why I intend to bring some people along." Uchiha Sou said calmly: "If we take them out, Kirigakure's subsequent operations will likely become difficult, so we must resolve the issue this time. Besides, I am also securing bargaining chips for myself."

Although he hadn't fully decided on how to proceed, holding the chips in his own hands was the safest bet.

Moreover, Uchiha Sou wanted to see what kind of effect he could achieve against the members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist while in his Mangekyo state!

Every time he leveled up, he would gain corresponding knowledge and techniques, but these things were like a book; you could take the book, but you couldn't guarantee that you would know how to apply the knowledge within it.

To make good use of this "knowledge," Uchiha Sou really needed to grind and gain insights simultaneously...