Two weeks later.
Kamizuki was tinkering with something in Orochimaru's laboratory when a faint rustling made him stop.
A slender white snake crawled onto the table and opened its mouth, spitting out a scroll.
Kamizuki carefully wiped the wet liquid off the scroll with a towel before opening it.
"Kamizuki, my saliva is clean and odorless. Lord Orochimaru never minds it."
The little white snake did not leave. In a childlike voice whose gender was hard to distinguish, it said, "Even if he doesn't mind, could you at least not show it in front of me...?"
Kamizuki glanced at it. "You still haven't left?"
The white snake sighed in a very humanlike manner. "Since you can't use the Summoning Technique, I spent an entire week crossing the war zone to deliver this valuable intelligence to you."
"By the rules, you should give me at least two chickens."
One of the conditions for Ryūchi Cave's snakes to accept a summon was that they had to receive offerings every time they helped.
For snakes like Manda, which required human flesh and blood, Orochimaru would only summon him on the battlefield. The other snakes generally wanted animals.
But normally...
Kamizuki frowned slightly. "Why not just ask Teacher Orochimaru about that?"
The white snake shook its head. "Starting today, Lord Orochimaru has told me to follow you. You will be responsible for my offerings from now on."
Orochimaru only had two white snakes like this. They were special ninja snakes he had raised from the moment they hatched.
Anything one of them swallowed could be transmitted through space into the other white snake's stomach.
Following me...
No way. Has Teacher Orochimaru become so poor that he can't even afford to feed a snake?
Could it possibly eat more than I do?
The white snake clearly understood the meaning in Kamizuki's gaze and said in a muffled voice, "It's not what you're thinking..."
"Lord Orochimaru said that after you read the scroll, you would need me."
Kamizuki turned his attention back to the scroll.
They had only just returned to the village when Sakumo received a battlefield summons. Kamizuki had asked him to bring Earth Grudge Fear to Orochimaru for study.
It was not because he wanted to present something good to his teacher, but because...
He did not know how to recharge the thing. Without Chakra for too long, he would end up starving this mass of Earth Grudge Fear to death.
He could not squeeze out any of his own Chakra, and even Sakumo's had not worked.
When Sakumo's Chakra came into contact with Earth Grudge Fear, the already weakly active Earth Grudge Fear twitched a few times and nearly kicked the bucket.
He could not exactly go looking for Kakuzu again. If he asked for after-sales service, Kakuzu would definitely fight him to the death.
Orochimaru had not disappointed him. Even from the battlefield, he had solved Kamizuki's problem.
"According to my analysis, the essence of Earth Grudge Fear is an aberrant fusion of Chakra and flesh, a product of biological modification and life-stealing techniques.
"It differs from ordinary lifeforms. Even ninjas with a single affinity possess trace amounts of other Chakra natures within them, such as Yang Style, which maintains bodily vitality, and Yin Release, which originates from spiritual energy.
"This heart has been modified by Earth Grudge Fear and can only contain Fire Style Chakra through a specific method. You need to have a Fire Style ninja learn this formula..."
"I have already replenished Earth Grudge Fear's Chakra and sealed it within the scroll.
"You can have Xiaobai release it for you. Next time, you will also need to find a trustworthy ninja to replenish its Chakra.
"Kamizuki, this technique does indeed have the potential for eternal vitality, but it is too wicked. The heart serving as the reserve core will need to be replaced.
"If it were not for your unusual constitution, I would not want you to use such a forbidden technique. I hope you can remain true to yourself and not be led astray by..."
I know you're worried about me, afraid I'll walk the path of evil.
But hearing those words from you somehow feels out of character...
It could not be helped. Nawaki was still alive.
Teacher Orochimaru, who had not become excessively obsessed with ninjutsu, was still the Third's most obedient student and the unquestioned choice for the Fourth.
--
--
--
"That kid's reply?"
In a cave within the Land of Rain.
Tsunade stood with her hands on her hips and snorted. "Doesn't he know you're carrying out an important mission? He still found work for you to do. He really doesn't know how to be considerate of his teacher at all!"
By the campfire, Orochimaru took a scroll from the white snake's mouth and smiled faintly. "Relying on one's teacher is a good thing. Teacher Sarutobi said the same, didn't he?"
"That old man... Tch!"
Whenever Tsunade thought about how Sarutobi Hiruzen had rejected her proposal to assign a medical ninja to every ninja squad, she became a little angry.
She had not realized at all that she too had failed to consider Sarutobi Hiruzen's difficulties.
She spat and continued.
"You warned him that he needs to be careful with that thing, right?"
The three of them were operating together. Orochimaru had even asked Tsunade for help with his research. Without her, they could not have solved the problem so quickly.
Compared to the Yin Seal Granny Mito had taught her, Earth Grudge Fear's Chakra storage technology was still somewhat inferior.
"Yeah. That thing needed far too much Chakra. I still haven't recovered." On the other side, Jiraiya, whose face was slightly pale, was grilling fish.
He was the one who had recharged Earth Grudge Fear.
Jiraiya's Chakra had far surpassed that of his peers even as a child. Excluding people with special bloodlines or jinchūriki and the like, it could be considered top-tier.
It was also thanks to that advantage that the Third had accepted him as a disciple.
"Kamizuki is a good kid. He won't do anything extreme because of this technique."
Orochimaru looked at the scroll, where Kamizuki had asked for his approval to graduate early.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Perhaps before long, he will be able to carry out missions alongside us."
"You like disciples so much, why don't you go back and take Nawaki as your disciple too? He drives me crazy with his noise every day!"
Tsunade said helplessly, "He actually doesn't want a teacher as outstanding as me and insists on choosing you. That brat really has no taste!"
"Isn't it because you're too fierce... Hahaha, stop talking. Eat some fish!"
Jiraiya handed over the grilled fish. Tsunade's expression changed, and Jiraiya's changed at the same time.
Is she about to hit me? Isn't she way too violent?
It was not because of Jiraiya.
A Katsuyu crawled out from behind Tsunade, her gentle voice heavy. "Lady Tsunade... something has happened."
--
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Konoha.
Kamizuki casually tossed the Earth Grudge Fear mask in his hand as he walked along the streets of the clan compound.
The fully charged Earth Grudge Fear can only use its ultimate move three times. I should develop some less costly ways to use it...
If the heart has an expiration date... once this one wears out, whose Fire Style heart would be suitable?
Besides the Uchiha, the most famous Fire Style clan seems to be the Sarutobi clan...
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart would definitely be high quality!
Hmm... no, that won't do. It's still too early to make a move against the Sarutobi clan. That guy's strength isn't something Kakuzu can compare to.
We'll see. Maybe I'll gain something on the battlefield.
Graduating early required the guarantee of a jōnin. Orochimaru had mentioned it to him long ago, but Kamizuki had not wanted to graduate before.
That was because he would be required to do missions like catching cats and dogs or escorting nobles, and he did not want to do them.
Now that war was about to break out, graduation meant heading straight to the battlefield. There would be none of those annoying chores.
As he was thinking, countless members rushed out of the Uchiha Police Force building not far from Kamizuki.
What happened?
Kamizuki spotted someone and leaped over, grabbing him.
"Hey—"
After seeing who had grabbed him, Fugaku shouted, "There's no time to stop. If you want to know, follow me!"
Kamizuki immediately let go.
As they moved, Fugaku's face was grim.
"The Land of Whirlpools... has been destroyed!"
Before you continue