For More Seeds, We Depart

The next day.

As the first rays of dawn spilled across the land, a twenty-man squad had already assembled at the gates of Konoha.

Sen Chisato sat under a nearby tree, eating as he sized up the squad's composition.

Aside from himself, there were two jonin, twelve chunin, one genin, and the remaining five were all medical ninja.

These people were the reinforcements who would soon follow Orochimaru to the front lines.

The two jonin went without saying; one from the Sarutobi clan and one from the Hyuga clan, both possessing formidable combat strength.

Yet, if they truly encountered danger, even these two jonin from prominent clans were merely pawns that could be discarded at any moment, let alone the twelve chunin who were also combat units.

After all, aside from Orochimaru, the true support of this squad was those five medical ninja.

As for that last genin...

An old man with a hunched back and a black pot strapped to his shoulders, whose age was roughly on par with the Third Hokage, seemed to sense something. He turned his head toward Sen Chisato and offered a kind smile.

Sen Chisato nodded back with a smile of his own.

Don't let the fact that this old man was only a genin fool you; excluding himself and Orochimaru, he was likely the strongest person in this squad.

After all, this was the legendary "Eternal Genin" of Konoha—Maruboshi Kosuke!

Back in the day, this old gentleman had received guidance from the Second Hokage. In terms of strength, he was absolutely an elite among jonin, though very few people in the village knew it.

I wonder how much of a reward I'd get if I buried this guy? Sen Chisato thought to himself.

Talents like Maruboshi Kosuke had always been "prime stock" in his mind.

Then again, would it be inappropriate to walk up to the old man now and say, "Don't worry, if you die, I'll make sure to give you a proper burial"? Sen Chisato hesitated.

After all, words like that sounded just like a curse.

At that moment, a dark shadow approached.

Sen Chisato looked up to see the Sarutobi clan jonin squatting down in front of him, asking with a smile, "You're Sen Chisato, right?"

"You know me, Uncle?" Sen Chisato asked curiously, nodding.

The Sarutobi jonin scratched his head and said, "My name is Sarutobi Hakuba. Last night, the Hokage specifically instructed me to take extra care of you along the way."

Subtle gazes swept over them, and the others all pricked up their ears.

"Oh?"

Sen Chisato blinked, saying with a touch of shyness, "You... this makes me feel so embarrassed."

Sarutobi Hakuba laughed heartily and patted Sen Chisato on the shoulder. "No need to be ashamed. The Hokage told me a little about you—you're a good kid!"

He gave Sen Chisato a thumbs-up.

Maruboshi Kosuke also walked over, chuckling as he said, "The Hokage gave me instructions, too. Chisato, is it? Don't be afraid, just stay by my side. Even though I'm old, I'll still protect you well."

The other ninja looked on with indifferent expressions. As for the Hyuga jonin, he frowned even more deeply.

Sen Chisato felt even more bashful.

It wasn't because he had been caught pulling strings or having connections, but rather... he had just been planning how to bury these people.

Of course, he wouldn't harm anyone proactively; after all, he was a good person.

The goodwill of these people really made him feel warm inside.

"Don't worry," Sen Chisato took a deep breath and said solemnly, "If we really run into danger... I'll handle your funeral arrangements!"

He, Sen Chisato, always repaid kindness!

Maruboshi Kosuke and Sarutobi Hakuba stiffened, exchanging bewildered glances.

Why did that sound so wrong?

Never mind, the kid didn't know how to talk, but he was young after all... it was meant to be a kind gesture.

As they were chatting, Orochimaru appeared via Body Flicker.

Sen Chisato, who had been sitting casually on the ground, sprang up immediately and greeted him respectfully: "Lord Orochimaru!"

The others did the same, their eyes filled with reverence as they looked at Orochimaru.

With his convincing, formidable strength and unique, exceptional charisma, Orochimaru's prestige in Konoha during this era was second only to the Third Hokage.

Even Jiraiya, one of the Sannin, couldn't compare; only Lady Tsunade, who had saved countless lives, could barely rival him.

Orochimaru nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group as he said, "Per orders, we are to reach the front lines within three days to provide reinforcements. Hyuga Hihi will take the lead, Maruboshi Kosuke and Sarutobi Hakuba will guard the flanks, and I will bring up the rear. The priority is to protect the medical ninja."

"Move out!"

"Yes!"

At the command, the group instantly darted out of the Konoha gates, speeding toward the Land of Wind.

Ninja traveled quickly, so it didn't actually take three days to reach the battlefield.

However, everyone knew that the journey would be anything but peaceful.

Ever since Orochimaru accepted the mission, the information had already been leaked; there had been no strict confidentiality.

A powerhouse like Orochimaru was absolutely capable of turning the tide of battle.

The Sand Ninja would never want to see Orochimaru appear on the battlefield, so they would certainly dispatch ninjas to ambush and kill him.

Therefore, their small squad served as both reinforcements and bait, intended to disrupt the Sand Ninja's layout, buy breathing room for the front lines, and ideally, throw the Sand Ninja's morale into chaos.

At full speed, the group reached the border of the Land of Fire in just over half a day; moving any further would put them in the Land of Rivers.

The Land of Rivers bordered the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and the Land of Rain. Much like the Land of Rain, it survived in the cracks between great nations, serving as a buffer zone and a battlefield for the major powers.

After all, no great nation was willing to see the flames of war burn in its own backyard.

The Land of Rivers was not willing either, but they were far too weak to offer any resistance.

The current war between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire was primarily being fought in the territories of the Land of Rivers and the Land of Rain.

Using the towering trees for cover, the group leaped and traversed through the forest.

Suddenly, Orochimaru spoke up.

"Halt!"

The group stopped instantly, shifting into a defensive stance.

Orochimaru stood upon a massive tree branch, a faint smile playing on his lips.

This forest was far too quiet. With his countless battles and keen senses, he had detected a hidden murderous intent lurking within.

"Hihi."

"Yes!"

Without needing further instruction, Hyuga Hihi instantly activated his Byakugan.

The Byakugan, the bloodline limit of the Hyuga clan. Beneath these eyes, no concealment could remain hidden.

In Hyuga Hihi's vision, the world had turned into shades of black and white. A large group of ninjas was hiding all around them, and even their path of retreat had been cut off.

"Fifty enemies. Twelve of them have massive chakra levels—they must be jonin. We're surrounded!" A bead of cold sweat trickled down Hyuga Hihi's cheek.

Everyone's heart sank.

The enemy outnumbered them more than two to one, and they were all combat ninjas. On their side, they had five medical ninjas and two genin... the situation was dire.

"Lord Orochimaru..." The group looked toward Orochimaru, waiting for his orders.

But before Orochimaru could speak, Hyuga Hihi's expression shifted. "They're attacking!"

Through the Byakugan, he saw the Sand Ninja lurking in the surroundings realize they had been exposed by their target's sudden halt, and they moved to strike without hesitation.

Whoosh!

A kunai tore through the leaves, flying toward one of the Konoha medical ninjas.

Clang!

Someone drew their blade and deflected the kunai.

But the next second, countless kunai and shuriken flew in from every direction.

The hidden murderous intent erupted in an instant!

"Everyone, protect the medical ninjas!"

Leaving those words behind, Orochimaru did not retreat but instead surged forward, charging headlong toward the enemy.