Crimson Fire!

Knowing that Kaminazuki was coming, Orochimaru had intentionally avoided acting with Tsunade and the others over the past few days.

He was well aware that if Kaminazuki and Tsunade were to meet, the two of them would be at each other's throats within a few sentences.

It wasn't just the lingering grudges between their clans; it was primarily a clash of personalities.

The southern border of the Land of Rain.

Where the mud swamps met the parched red earth, the moisture in the air seemed to be drained away, leaving even the clouds thin and sparse.

This was the boundary between the Land of Rain and the Land of Wind, a place with a poetic name: the Rain-Drenched Sand Realm.

On a high ridge, Orochimaru stood by a wind-eroded rock and spoke to the two youths before him: "According to intelligence, a twelve-man squad of Sunagakure ninja crossed the border two days ago and is operating in this area."

"Your mission is to find them and kill them all."

"Do we need to take any alive for interrogation?" Kaminazuki asked.

The corners of Orochimaru's mouth curled up slightly: "That would be ideal if you can manage it, but on the battlefield, killing the enemy always takes priority over capturing them alive."

"It will increase your survival rate."

Shikaku was clever, but facing an enemy ninja squad on his very first mission was still pushing the limits.

He looked at Kaminazuki with a hint of nervousness: "My life is in your hands, you'll protect me, right, Boss?"

Heh, calling me 'Boss' just to stay alive, are we?

"If you die dealing with small fry, then you aren't worth keeping alive anyway."

Orochimaru patted Shikaku on the shoulder and said slowly: "Don't worry too much. I will be watching over you this time, and I won't let you be in any mortal danger."

"Let's go."

Kaminazuki slid down the high ridge, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Shikaku wanted to point out that this wasn't how ninjas were supposed to move, but considering Kaminazuki's headstrong nature, he could only sigh helplessly and follow.

The two walked side by side for a while, with nothing to be heard but the sound of the wind.

After walking a bit further, Shikaku suddenly grabbed Kaminazuki, who was taking long strides.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

Shikaku didn't answer directly; he pointed at the ground not far away and said in a low voice: "Something's wrong!"

Kaminazuki looked where he pointed. There was only red soil, gray stones, and withered shrubs. It looked desolate and natural, nothing special.

Before he could ask, Shikaku whispered.

"That withered dwarf tree—the angle of its tilt is different from the ones we saw earlier."

"Given the wind direction of this terrain, the withered trees should naturally tilt toward the southeast due to the northwest wind. The angle of this tree deviates beyond natural probability."

"There is only one reason for anything unnatural... and that is human interference."

"Kaminazuki, your eyesight is definitely better than mine. Can you see any difference in the color of the soil at the base of that tree?"

Kaminazuki frowned slightly, focusing his attention on his eyes as two tomoe manifested.

The chilling aura made Shikaku shiver, and he exclaimed: "Sharingan! How do you..."

"It's normal for an Uchiha to have the Sharingan. Don't ask; I don't feel like explaining."

Kaminazuki looked at the spot, his Sharingan capturing more details.

"The color isn't any different, but... the soil there is a bit looser than the surrounding area. It's a millimeter-level difference, but it's definitely there."

The two exchanged a glance. Even knowing Kaminazuki wouldn't use genjutsu on him, Shikaku couldn't help but look away.

The psychological pressure of meeting an Uchiha's Sharingan gaze was simply too great.

And these eyes...

As a member of the Nara clan who possessed the Shadow Possession Jutsu, Shikaku could vaguely sense that the concentration of Yin chakra in these Sharingan was a bit excessive.

"That's it. Someone dug the soil there and filled it back in."

Shikaku crouched down, placing his palm against the ground as a thread of shadow extended outward.

"It's likely an Explosive Tag. I'll use my shadow to trigger it; this distance should be safe."

"Considering the possibility of a chain-reaction trap, Kaminazuki, be ready to pull me back the way we came. Your speed is fine."

"After that, we'll find a high vantage point with cover. Perhaps the enemy will come to investigate after we trigger the trap, and then we can target—"

"Wait."

Kaminazuki grabbed Shikaku's hand, his expression turning rather strange.

"What's wrong?"

A familiar dialogue, only the speaker had changed.

Kaminazuki did not answer, instead turning his head to shout at Orochimaru not far away: "Teacher—come here for a moment!"

The voice was not loud, but it carried far in the dry air.

On the high slope, Orochimaru was contemplating the troop movements of Iwagakure on the northern front.

Iwagakure seemed to be preparing for a major operation; if they pressed down from the north, the current Konoha forces deployed in the Land of Rain would be far from sufficient...

"Orochimaru! Can you hear me!"

Kaminazuki's voice interrupted his thoughts.

He frowned; in truth, he had long known the location of that team of Sunagakure ninja, roughly three miles to the south, which was why he was in no hurry to tail the two of them closely.

Swish—

Orochimaru arrived via Body Flicker, his voice tinged with displeasure: "Why have you stopped? Instead of searching for the enemy, why are you dawdling?"

Kaminazuki snapped his fingers: "Proceed."

Shikaku knew what he meant; he manipulated his shadow to grab the withered tree and pulled it out with a violent jerk.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—

The subtle sound and the sudden smell of gunpowder made Orochimaru's pupils constrict.

Immediately following...

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!!!!!

A violent explosion surged in the dried-up riverbed, flames shooting into the sky!

The firelight reflected in Orochimaru's pupils, revealing a rare emotion.

This is...

He reacted instantly, his hands weaving seals at high speed.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Four earthen walls rose in an instant, shielding the three of them within.

As the smoke cleared...

Orochimaru looked at the terrain around them, now blown into a unrecognizable state, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Such a large-scale array of Explosive Tags... I actually failed to detect it in advance!!

"With an explosion of this magnitude, I wouldn't have been harmed, but if Shikaku had been unlucky, he would have been done for."

Kaminazuki stood with one hand on his hip, the corner of his mouth curling up: "Oh my~ who was it just now that swore so confidently that he wouldn't be in any life-threatening danger?"

Orochimaru's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, his voice sounding somewhat bitter.

"My apologies... it was my failure to detect it..."

"This is not Lord Orochimaru's responsibility, and besides, nothing actually happened!" Shikaku said hurriedly, turning to look at Kaminazuki with a reproachful gaze.

Why must he make Lord Orochimaru feel embarrassed? It's not like anything went wrong!

Orochimaru ignored Shikaku, his tightly clenched fists trembling slightly.

How could this be...

I actually didn't notice...

If...

Kaminazuki wouldn't be harmed this time, but what about the next?

Will he die... just like them...

Can I truly protect the people who are important to me...

Because he feared such a future, he emphasized the dangers of war time and time again, subconsciously hoping Kaminazuki would not come to the battlefield.

Having seen the miserable experiences of too many war orphans, if the child he regarded as hope were to also...

"You've realized it now, haven't you? Life is fragile and impermanent."

Kaminazuki looked at Orochimaru indifferently, speaking word by word.

"You are always trying to teach me something, but in my eyes, you are the ones who are lost and unaware of it."

"The flowers you placed before my parents' gravestones—did they remind you of the white snake slough you saw before your own parents' graves?"

The death of Nawaki, the wailing of Tsunade, the experiments in the Root... these were all factors that led to Orochimaru's transformation, but the most fundamental one...

It was that same layer of snakeskin.

His loneliness had begun from that very moment.

Everything that followed was inevitable.

"You think you and I are alike? No, we are completely different."

Kaminazuki turned, facing the enemies who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, the arc of his lips deepening.

"Not being bound by the dead, doing what you want to do, and not doing what you don't—isn't that a simple enough thing..."

He stretched his arms out to draw an arc before his chest, then pressed his palms together, fingertips touching.

Facing the Sunagakure ninjas charging toward him, he spoke slowly.

"Ten Fingers—Ten Threads—Branding Fate—No Salvation"

"Fire Style: Crimson Fire Manipulation"

As the incantation was whispered, ten crimson threads of fire erupted from his fingertips, tearing off the fingernails and shooting out with a sharp whistle that rent the air!

Before the approaching Sunagakure ninjas could even realize what was happening...

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—!!!

Ten lines of fire precisely pierced their vital points, leaving behind charred, bloody holes.

Not a single one was spared.

Thud... thud...

Corpse after corpse fell, the high temperature leaving ten pale red trails in the air, looking just like a crimson snakeskin.

Kaminazuki turned around, his fingernails carbonized and peeling away, his hands trembling slightly.

He revealed an exceptionally gentle smile.

Orochimaru had rarely seen Kaminazuki smile like this... no, this was likely the first time.

He had also never looked so intently at the intense emotions hidden within those scarlet pupils.

"Hey, Orochimaru!"

"I will not die; a thing like death is no match for me at all!"

"Do you understand now!!"