The rain was cold and relentless.
Perched in a tree, Hiroki was studying the files for the various newly copied techniques.
Below him was a cave cleverly concealed by vines and moss. A small campfire burned at its entrance, where Kushina and Nawaki sat receiving a temporary lesson from Orochimaru.
They could no longer stay at the outpost.
It had been destroyed, and Kitagawa, the ninja who had been stationed there, had turned into Orochimaru and gone off somewhere. No one knew when he might return, or whether he would return at all.
The information Hiroki had obtained only strengthened Orochimaru's conviction that the Land of Rain was ready to start a war. The Land of Rain was definitely preparing to provoke one.
Under these circumstances, the enemy was certain to notice the battle that had broken out at the outpost and come to investigate.
The place had become a trap, exposed to the enemy's view.
Orochimaru had quickly decided that they needed to relocate at once, and brought them here. He had also laid several warning traps and sensory barriers in the surrounding area.
As for Hiroki, he had chosen this elevated spot where he could be alone, to digest the scorching "spoils" he had just obtained.
"Poof."
A cloud of white smoke burst on the branch beside him, and four identical Shadow Clones appeared. They made no unnecessary movements, simply sitting cross-legged as their eyes instantly turned vacant and lifeless, like soulless puppets.
By now, Hiroki's consciousness had already sunk into that familiar deep-blue space. Nine newly copied files were neatly arranged on the Memory Disk.
"Let's start with something simple." Hiroki opened the first file.
```
[Lightning Release: Earth Flow.ee-7.8MB]
The file structure unfolded in Hiroki's mind:
- Execution Core (1.2MB)
Lightning Attribute Conversion.bat
Ground Conduction Control.bat