"Outside help"

Land of Rice Fields (formerly Orochimaru's base)

Several powerful lights hung from the dome, illuminating the Training Ground brightly at night.

The Training Ground was converted from one of Orochimaru's Underground Laboratory. The metal buckles that used to hold the test subjects still remain on the surrounding walls, and the metal floor has been covered with non-slip training mats.

Several children dressed in matching training uniforms are engaging in combat drills on this Training Ground.

Supervising them was a pretty red-haired girl, her delicate face, still somewhat childish, full of impatience.

"Too slow! Didn't you eat?!"

Tayuya coldly rebuked the boy opposite her, Kunai flicking her Kunai, causing it to fly out of the boy's hand and fall to the ground with a clatter.

The boy staggered back several steps, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Tayuya instinctively, Tayuya stepped forward and thrust the Kunai in her hand straight into the boy's throat.

Just as the Kunai was about to pierce the boy's throat, her arm suddenly froze in mid-air.

"... cut."

Tayuya remained silent for a while, then clicked her tongue in annoyance.

She abruptly pulled her hand back to her side, then turned around and impatiently addressed the children on the Training Ground:

That's all for now! We'll take a ten-minute break and continue later!

Suppressing his fear, the boy used his still slightly trembling arms to support himself as he stood up and bowed deeply to Tayuya.

"Yes, yes!!"

During the break, Tayuya sat alone on a bench by the Training Ground, coldly observing the children who were gathered in twos and threes, talking quietly.

A boy with a large stomach walked slowly from the other end of the Training Ground and handed her a water bottle.

"Looks like things aren't going too well for you either, Tayuya."

"Hmph, is that even a question? Are you really satisfied with this bunch of mediocre brats, Jirobo?"

Tayuya didn't take the water cup; she just continued watching the children not far away with a look of disgust.

"Compared to the training we received under Lord Orochimaru, the training these brats are getting now is like child's play!"

"We shouldn't call him Lord Orochimaru anymore."

Jirobo said in a low voice, almost as if reminding someone:

"We are now subordinates of that Lord Kou."

"... Of course I know that, I'm just not used to it yet!"

Tayuya scratched her messy hair in frustration, then fell silent and said nothing more.

Jirobo nodded, his small eyes turning back to the group of children who were taking advantage of their break to help each other brush the dust off, and said with some emotion:

Although I'm still getting used to it, life is actually not bad right now...

"Compared to Orochimaru, that Lord Koko is clearly stronger, and also a better person."

At least working under him, we don't have to worry every day about whether we'll become the next test subject to be dragged out, like we used to, right?

"Heh, it seems not only Sakon and Ukon, and Kidomaru, but you too have fallen, Jirobo."

"... I'm just reminding you that you'd better get used to your current life as soon as possible."

Jirobo turned his gaze to Tayuya's profile, which was full of disdain and annoyance, and said meaningfully:

"If you can't adapt to the environment and make changes, you'll be eliminated very quickly."

"I don't need you to lecture me, you fat pig!!"

"Tayuya, it's really strange for a girl like you to say such things..."

"Shut up, you damn fat pig!!"

Tayuya stood up from the bench and roared at the children who were still chatting and laughing:

"Hey kids! Break time's over, get up and keep practicing!"

If you're too slow, I'll slaughter you all!

The children on the Training Ground shuddered at her shout, quickly re-establishing their ranks and resuming their practice...

Meanwhile, inside the base, in Orochimaru's... no, in Kō's Archive Room.

This private Archive Room, which originally belonged to Orochimaru, has already been renovated.

Those manuscripts of human experiments and fragments of forbidden techniques that once graced the most prominent positions on the bookshelves have now been archived one by one.

Apart from materials related to the Impure World Reincarnation, most of the other manuscripts related to human experimentation were placed in the lower layers.

He sat behind a large desk, flipping through a talent reserve file personally compiled by Orochimaru.

Beside the desk, Orochimaru stood quietly, his golden snake eyes appearing particularly empty in the dim light, silently awaiting Koko's next command.

Kou flipped through the file in his hand from beginning to end, then slowly placed it on the table, rubbed his slightly throbbing temples, and let out a long sigh.

"Although I knew long ago that there weren't many truly useful talents here, I was still somewhat disappointed after confirming it."

Staring at the ceiling, he complained helplessly while his mind raced, trying to figure out which people he could actually "use".

Although they incorporated Orochimaru's old subordinates, at this point in time, Orochimaru's Sound Village was just a fledgling organization that had barely begun to take shape and had not yet accumulated any real strength.

In the original timeline Kabuto and Kimimaro were Orochimaru's two pillars of both literature and martial arts, but now, for various reasons, they have embarked on completely different paths from those in the original story.

Among Orochimaru's former subordinates, the only ones with the most potential for development are the future Sound Four and Jugo, who is the origin of the Cursed Seal.

If we were to go back further, we could also add a child that Karin and her Shadow Clone found in a nearby village—Guren, who possesses the Crystal Release Kekkei Genkai Guren.

Even if you add all these people together, and then carefully train them over the next few years, apart from Karin and Jugo, the others will at most be at the level of elite Jonin.

Let alone serving as combat power in future high-level battles, even compared to Sand Village, currently the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, they are completely inadequate!

And this is without taking into account the gap in low-to-mid-level combat capabilities between the two sides.

"It seems that following the conventional approach will not yield any ideal results."

He muttered to himself in a calm tone, clearly not surprised by the conclusion.

He then turned his gaze to the document that had been prepared beforehand on the table. It was a development plan that he had tailored specifically for this new force that belonged only to him.

Kou picked up the plan document filled with dense handwriting, leaned back in his chair, and searched for loopholes page by page, his eyes growing increasingly deep and intense.

The Land of Land of Rice Fields is located on a plain and possesses vast and fertile farmland, making it an important food-producing area in the Ninja World.

The reason it has fallen into such a barren and backward state is purely due to the corruption, incompetence, and massive wealth accumulation of the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields and those insect-like noble groups.

The daimyo and nobles who once held power in the Land of Rice Fields had long been purged when Orochimaru took control of the Land of Rice Fields.

The real power of the entire country has now completely fallen into the control of Kou himself.

Under his leadership as a seasoned politician, the Land of Rice Fields possessed the economic foundation necessary to establish a large ninja village.

The real obstacle to development lies in the severe lack of combat power.

Even with the support of a super- Kage Level combatant, the foundation of the Land of Rice Fields was ultimately too weak.

Even if you're very capable, you can't do everything; otherwise, you'd become a slave.

Even that arrogant idiot Prisoner Madara knows how to fool a fool into working for him!

To establish a force capable of rapid rise in a short period and to support their future "Ninja World Reform Plan," they must rely on some "external forces."

He turned to the last page of the plan in his hand.

Among these densely packed development plans, besides the usual schemes such as recruiting small and medium-sized ninja clans from the Land of Land of Rice Fields like the Fuma Clan, and establishing "friendly" Alliance with neighboring countries,

There were also four crucial strategic objectives, which he highlighted in striking red and listed separately at the very end of the plan.

The secret technique passed down in the Hidden Star Village of the Land of Bears — the Mysterious Peacock Method!

The Mount Katsuragi clan, an independent ninja Tsuchigumo Clan in the Land of Fire, possesses the unique Senjutsu Art— Rage Hair Heaven!

The only Tailed Beast not belonging to one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Fu, the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki from Takigakure!

And this forbidden technique, created by the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju, underwent initial improvements by Orochimaru, and is now being finalized and perfected by him.

Kou raised his eyes and slowly turned his gaze to the stack of scrolls that were stored separately in the most conspicuous place on the bookshelf, a cold and sharp light flashing in his eyes.

The most sinister technique in the Ninja World: Impure World Reincarnation!!