In the days that followed, Orochimaru and Lihuo took the opportunity to recuperate in the Land of Iron.
Three days later, the ferry service, which had been suspended due to the weather, resumed.
It was time for Lihuo and Orochimaru to leave.
They declined Mifune's offer to see them off and chose to board quietly as before.
The dock was bustling with people. Just as the two were about to board, Orochimaru casually patted Lihuo on the shoulder.
His hoarse, low voice reached Lihuo's ear.
"Three o'clock and seven o'clock."
At that, Lihuo discreetly looked in those directions and spotted two groups of people.
One group consisted of burly men with dark skin, their Cloud Ninja Forehead Protectors conspicuously displayed on their foreheads.
At their head was a muscular, blond, dark-skinned man who looked remarkably like a certain basketball player.
Lihuo understood. These had to be envoys sent by Kumogakure to observe the ceremony!
And their leader was Ai, the future Fourth Raikage!
Lihuo couldn't identify the other group. They wore black cloaks and masks that hid their faces, giving off an unapproachable air.
As Lihuo turned his gaze toward the two groups, they noticed him at the same time!
Clearly, their identities had already been discovered!
Lihuo murmured,
"They don't look friendly."
Orochimaru merely said,
"We'll deal with whatever comes our way."
And so, a ferry carrying numerous powerful figures slowly sailed out of the harbor.
As he watched the waves churn across the sea, Lihuo had no idea what awaited him!
Meanwhile, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had received a report from Mifune, who had dispatched a messenger at full speed.
"Orochimaru and his companion were attacked. The attackers' identities are unknown..."
Hiruzen carefully considered the intelligence Mifune had sent.
Suddenly, an idea came to him!
"Wait. Everyone in the Shinobi World knows Orochimaru and the others are Konoha's envoys! Why?"
The Third Hokage waved his hand.
"Go get Danzo!"
Soon after, Hiruzen and Danzo erupted into a fierce argument in the Hokage Office.
"You really have gone senile! My men have been right under your nose, and you're accusing me of attacking people!"
"Then tell me why information the village classified as secret became known throughout the entire Shinobi World!"
"What does that have to do with me!"
Danzo argued feebly, his neck stiff with defiance.
They had been friends for years, and Hiruzen knew Danzo's little tricks all too well.
"You still haven't given up! Effective immediately, I'm cutting Root's budget by another ten percent and laying off ten percent of its personnel!"
"Ape Regret!"
"Tuanwo Fire!"
With their trademark exchange of words, the two parted on bad terms once again.
At that very moment, in Iwagakure, Ōnoki sat behind his desk, listening to a subordinate report on the operation.
"I didn't expect an entire Anbu squad to be wiped out."
Ōnoki sighed, seemingly mourning the Stone Ninja who had died on the mission.
"According to reliable intelligence, the Third Hokage flew into a rage when he learned what happened and immediately summoned Danzo."
At that, Ōnoki's mood brightened at once.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi really is something. We've found the mastermind, haven't we? Konoha's own people are the best at catching Konoha's spies."
That's right. This was Ōnoki's brazenly clever scheme!
After learning through his spies that Lihuo and his companion had changed course for the Land of Iron,
Ōnoki had sent an Anbu squad ahead of time to stir up trouble in the capital, forcing Mifune to get involved personally.
Then, they openly attacked Orochimaru!
Ōnoki understood that making no attempt to disguise the attackers was, ironically, the best disguise.
Unable to determine the truth, Mifune would inevitably report the incident to the Third Hokage.
And once a seed of doubt had been planted in the Third Hokage's mind, Ōnoki could sow suspicion within Konoha without lifting a finger.
A mysterious, violent organization willing to assassinate even Konoha's prodigies would hang over the villagers' hearts like a venomous snake.
Then Iwa's intelligence department could fan the flames and surely influence public opinion in Konoha!
As Ōnoki had expected, events unfolded just as he predicted.
Over the following days, news of the attack on Orochimaru and Lihuo spread like wildfire through Konoha.
Some rumors even pointed directly at Danzo, claiming he had ordered and planned the attack!
The villagers didn't know Root existed, but the many powerful clans knew all about it. They understood that Danzo had the ability and the ambition to do such a thing.
Led by the Uchiha Clan, numerous clans jointly petitioned the Hokage to investigate the matter thoroughly.
Even the Hatake Clan, which had always supported the Hokage, and the three Ino-Shika-Cho clans refused to stand firmly behind him this time.
For a while, all of Konoha was shrouded in suspicion and distrust.
In the end, the Third Hokage had no choice but to come forward in person, clarify the matter, and announce a full investigation into the traitor. He weakened Root once again to appease the public, and only then did the matter gradually die down.
Clearly, Ōnoki's scheme had worked as intended, but he had no intention of taking further action.
He knew his actions had thoroughly enraged Konoha, the old tiger.
If he plotted another attack, he might bring great trouble upon Iwagakure.
Ōnoki chuckled as he sorted through the documents.
"Best to quit while I'm ahead. Besides, the other hidden villages haven't made their moves yet."
The waves churned across the sea as a ferry cut through them, sailing toward the Land of Water.
"Ugh!"
A bout of retching drew everyone's attention. Lihuo's face was deathly pale, and his legs wobbled beneath him. Without Orochimaru supporting him, he would likely have collapsed right there on the deck.
"Hmph!"
A towering brute in the Kumogakure group snorted, seemingly mocking Lihuo's miserable state.
"With skills like that, you're still going to Kirigakure? Go home to your mother!"
Hearing that, Orochimaru looked up at the brute, his eyes narrowing.
A faint chill glinted in his gaze. Then he looked down at Lihuo.
Lihuo had one hand on the railing, gazing out at the churning sea. His expression was calm, as if he hadn't heard the taunt at all.
"Tinglei, apologize to them."
The rough voice boomed like thunder. It belonged to the young man in the Kumogakure uniform, Ai.
Without the slightest hesitation, Tinglei, who had just been sneering, bowed deeply to Orochimaru and Lihuo.
"I apologize for my behavior just now."
Ignoring Tinglei, Lihuo and Orochimaru sat down on the deck and quietly rested.
When Tinglei straightened up, he exchanged a glance with Ai. Their eyes, fierce only moments ago, now gleamed with cunning.
They had already gotten the information they wanted from what had just happened.
First, the bond between master and student was strong. Orochimaru's behavior had made that clear.
Second, Uchiha Lihuo was far more mature than others his age!
Both pieces of information would be vital in planning their next move.
The people of Kumogakure might look like rough, dim-witted brutes, but anyone who mistook them for fools would pay dearly!
As the ferry continued on, the passengers gradually made out an island in the distance.
"Could that be the Land of Water?" Lihuo asked. "Did we get there after just a few days?"
Orochimaru was about to explain when the captain stepped out and addressed everyone.
"Honored guests, we need to stop in the Land of Hot Water for three days to rest. You're free to make your own arrangements during that time. We'll set off again on schedule in three days!"
So they had arrived in the Land of Hot Water!
Orochimaru continued,
"'Hot water' means hot springs and baths. As the name suggests, the Land of Hot Water is a country of hot springs!"
"Yugakure, located here, follows a policy of pacifism and is also known as 'the village that forgot war.'"
"In short, it's a popular destination for relaxation and vacation."
Those few words stirred Lihuo's curiosity. Once the ferry slowly pulled ashore, he and the others set foot in the Land of Hot Water.
As soon as they entered the capital, Lihuo felt waves of heat in the air. The climate was completely different from that of the Land of Iron.
After strolling through the capital with Orochimaru and taking in the unfamiliar local customs, evening had already fallen.
They didn't look for an inn. Instead, Lihuo and Orochimaru decided to head straight for the hot springs.
As he soaked in the water, Lihuo felt the exhaustion of the past few days melt away.
Orochimaru had specifically chosen a private hot spring for a better experience. Listening to the bustle of the Land of Hot Water's night market, he spoke languidly.
"Little Lihuo, do you know what secret the Land of Hot Water is hiding?"
As he spoke, a sharp glint flashed through Orochimaru's eyes!
At the same time, in an izakaya, the group of black-cloaked men from earlier were discussing something with Ai!
Before you continue