Open Scheme? Uninvited Guests on the Ferry!

In the days that followed, Orochimaru and Lihuo recuperated well in the Land of Iron.

Three days later, the ferry service, which had been suspended due to weather conditions, resumed operations.

It was time for Lihuo and Orochimaru to depart.

They declined Mifune's offer to see them off, choosing instead to board the ship with a low profile.

At the ferry terminal, the crowd was bustling. Just as the two were preparing to board, Orochimaru patted Lihuo on the shoulder without drawing attention.

A hoarse, low voice reached Lihuo's ears.

"Three o'clock and seven o'clock."

Hearing this, Lihuo glanced toward those directions without changing his expression, and sure enough, he spotted two groups of people.

One group consisted of burly men with dark skin, their Cloud Ninja headbands worn ostentatiously on their foreheads.

Leading them was a robust, blonde, dark-skinned man who looked remarkably like a certain basketball player.

Lihuo understood; these were definitely envoys sent by the Cloud to observe the ceremony!

And the leader was none other than the future Fourth Raikage, Ai!

As for the other group, Lihuo could not identify their origins. They were draped in black cloaks, their faces obscured by black masks, giving off an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Just as Lihuo cast his gaze toward these two groups, they simultaneously spotted him!

Clearly, their identities had been exposed.

Lihuo whispered, "They don't come with good intentions."

Orochimaru, however, said indifferently, "When soldiers come, block them; when water comes, earth covers it."

And so, a ferry carrying numerous powerful figures slowly pulled out of the harbor.

Looking at the turbulent sea before him, Lihuo had no idea what he was about to encounter!

On the other side, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen also received the report sent posthaste by Mifune's men.

"Orochimaru and his companion were attacked; the identities of the assailants are unknown..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered the intelligence sent by Mifune in detail.

Suddenly, a thought struck his mind!

"No, it seems everyone in the Shinobi World knows that Orochimaru and his companion are Konoha's envoys! Why?"

The Third Hokage waved his hand.

"Go and summon Danzo!"

Subsequently, in the Hokage Office, a fierce argument erupted between Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo.

"I think you've truly grown senile! My men are right under your nose, and you claim I'm the one attacking people!"

"Then tell me why information classified as confidential by the village is known to the entire Shinobi World!"

"What does that have to do with me!"

Danzo stiffened his neck, offering a weak defense.

After all, they were friends of many years; Sarutobi Hiruzen knew Danzo's petty schemes like the back of his hand.

"I see you still haven't given up! Effective immediately, the Root's budget will be cut by another ten percent, and its personnel reduced by ten percent!"

"Sarutobi, you regret this!"

"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"

With the appearance of their signature ending, the two parted on bad terms once again.

At this very moment in Iwagakure, Onoki sat behind his desk, listening to his subordinate report on the situation of the operation.

"I didn't expect that an entire Anbu squad would be wiped out."

Onoki sighed, seemingly mourning the Iwa ninja who had sacrificed themselves in the mission.

"According to reliable intelligence, the Third Hokage was furious upon learning of this and immediately summoned Danzo."

Hearing this, Onoki's mood instantly improved.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen is truly capable; hasn't the mastermind behind this been found? Konoha's internal traitor is best caught by Konoha's own people."

Indeed, this was Onoki's blatant open conspiracy!

After learning through spies that Lihuo and his companion had diverted their route to the Land of Iron, Onoki had dispatched an Anbu squad in advance to create chaos in the capital, forcing Mifune to intervene personally.

Then, he launched an overt sneak attack on Orochimaru!

Onoki understood that the attackers using no disguise at all was, in fact, the best disguise.

Unable to determine the truth, Mifune would inevitably report the matter to the Third Hokage.

As long as the seeds of suspicion were sown in the Third Hokage's heart, he could effortlessly stir up distrust within Konoha.

A mysterious, violent organization that dared to assassinate even a genius of Konoha would hang over the villagers' heads like a venomous snake.

Once the Iwagakure intelligence department fanned the flames, it would inevitably sway public opinion in Konoha!

The facts played out exactly as Onoki had anticipated.

In the days that followed, the news of the attack on Orochimaru and Uchiha Lihuo spread like wildfire throughout Konoha.

Some rumors even pointed directly at Danzo, claiming he was the one who had instigated and orchestrated the ambush!

While the villagers were unaware of the existence of Root, the many prestigious clans knew of it all too well; they were deeply aware that Danzo had both the capability and the ambition to commit such an act.

Led by the Uchiha Clan, numerous families collectively petitioned the Hokage to thoroughly investigate the matter.

Even the Hatake clan and the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, who had always supported the Hokage, did not stand by him this time.

For a time, all of Konoha was shrouded in a shadow of suspicion and distrust.

In the end, the Third Hokage had no choice but to step forward personally to clarify the situation and announce a thorough investigation into the mole, further weakening the influence of Root to appease public anger. Only then did the matter gradually subside.

Clearly, Onoki's strategy had achieved the desired effect, yet he had no intention of continuing the operation.

He knew that his actions had completely enraged the tiger that was Konoha.

If he were to plot further harm, it would likely bring immense trouble to Iwagakure.

Onoki smiled while processing the files.

"It is best to quit while I am ahead; besides, I have yet to use the methods of the other hidden villages."

The sea was turbulent, and a ferry cut through the waves, sailing toward the Land of Water.

Ugh!

A sound of retching drew everyone's attention. Uchiha Lihuo's face was deathly pale, his steps unsteady and weak; had Orochimaru not been supporting him, he likely would have collapsed directly onto the deck.

Hmph!

A tall, burly man in the Cloud Village camp let out a cold snort, as if mocking Uchiha Lihuo's pathetic state.

"If you have so little ability, why bother going to Kirigakure? Go home and find your mother!"

Hearing this, Orochimaru looked up at the burly man, his eyes narrowing slightly.

A trace of chill flickered in his gaze before he looked back down at Uchiha Lihuo.

At this moment, Uchiha Lihuo was leaning against the railing, staring at the churning sea with an expression devoid of joy or sorrow, as if he hadn't heard the mocking words at all.

"Tinglei, apologize to the two of them."

A rough voice boomed like muffled thunder; it was Ai, the young man wearing the Cloud Village uniform.

Without the slightest hesitation, Tinglei, who had been full of disdain just a moment ago, bowed deeply to Orochimaru and Uchiha Lihuo.

"I apologize for my behavior just now."

Ignoring Tinglei, Uchiha Lihuo and Orochimaru sat on the deck, silently recuperating.

Tinglei, having straightened up, exchanged a glance with Ai. A cunning light flickered in their otherwise fierce eyes.

They had already obtained the information they wanted from the recent incident.

First, the relationship between this master and student was very close, as evidenced by Orochimaru's every action.

Second, Uchiha Lihuo's temperament was far beyond that of his peers!

These two pieces of information were crucial for the plans they would formulate later.

The people of the Cloud Village might appear boorish, but to truly mistake them for simpletons would be a grave mistake!

As the ferry continued its voyage, the group vaguely caught sight of an island.

"Is this the Land of Water?" Uchiha Lihuo asked. "We've only been sailing for a few days, have we arrived already?"

Just as Orochimaru was about to enlighten his disciple, the captain walked out and addressed the group.

"My lords, we need to rest in the Land of Hot Water for three days. During these three days, you may make your own arrangements. We will set sail promptly after three days!"

So, they had reached the Land of Hot Water!

Orochimaru continued, "The word 'Hot' refers to hot springs and bathhouses. As the name suggests, the Land of Hot Water is a land of hot springs!"

"And Yugakure, located within it, is also known as the 'Village That Has Forgotten War' because it adheres to pacifism."

"In short, this is a resort destination for leisure and vacation."

These few words piqued Uchiha Lihuo's growing curiosity. When the ferry slowly docked, Uchiha Lihuo and the others stepped onto the soil of the Land of Hot Water.

As soon as they entered the capital, Uchiha Lihuo felt a rising heat; the climate was completely different from that of the Land of Iron.

After wandering around the capital with Orochimaru and experiencing the distinct local customs, the sky had already begun to darken.

Instead of looking for an inn, Uchiha Lihuo and Orochimaru chose to go to the hot springs first.

Soaking in the hot spring, Lihuo felt as if the exhaustion of the past few days had been swept away.

Orochimaru had specifically chosen a private hot spring to ensure a better experience. Sensing the bustle of the Land of Hot Water's night market, Orochimaru spoke languidly.

"Little Lihuo, do you know what secrets are hidden within the Land of Hot Water?"

Having said that, a flash of sharp light glinted in Orochimaru's eyes!

Meanwhile, in an izakaya, the group of men in black from earlier were discussing something with Ai!