Orochimaru's Secret Chamber

"So, based on where these missing people had been concentrated, this should be the place. Google Search Reading."

Itachi and the others darted through the trees and arrived before a tree stump on Konoha's outskirts. They formed an encirclement around the area, and the traps laid nearby were faintly visible. They watched everything carefully, but for Anbu members, even assassinating an enemy nation's leader was no problem.

Naturally, they wouldn't spare a second glance for such crude mechanisms.

And all the evidence pointed here.

Members of the major Lineages had gone missing.

Ninja graves had been robbed.

Various experimental equipment had been secretly purchased throughout Konoha.

Putting all the clues together and following the plot from the original TV series, it was more or less the eve of Orochimaru's defection from Konoha.

Losing one of Konoha's Three Ninja, an absolute elite, would undoubtedly be a massive loss for Konoha.

He didn't mind giving things a push. Even though most of the circumstances were highly suspicious, logically speaking, Orochimaru couldn't possibly need so many human test subjects in such a short time. Besides, rabbits didn't eat grass near their own burrows. With his strength, he could have gone to places like the nearby Grass Ninja Village or Rain Ninja Village and captured plenty of test subjects.

But that didn't matter.

What happened to the missing people? So what?

What if a Konoha expert was running shameful businesses and experiments behind the scenes?

He only needed to connect all those things together.

In other words, Konoha's mission wasn't important to him, and neither was Orochimaru.

What mattered to him was that Konoha would no longer have an expert like Orochimaru holding the fort!!!

"Are we sure this is the place?"

"I can sense it too. It can't be wrong."

The sensory-type ninja beside them nodded as well. He could indeed sense that a large number of life signatures had once lingered in this place, yet they hadn't been completely concealed. That meant there was a secret chamber here that no one knew about.

Even with their high-level Anbu clearance, they hadn't found anything in the archives that required secrecy.

That could only mean one thing.

The enemy was lurking around them.

"Just the few of us probably aren't enough, right? Isn't this a little unsafe?"

Itachi asked hesitantly. Konoha's Three Ninja were legendary figures. Those freaks had remained firmly above the Kage level for years, and during the Second Shinobi World War, they had fought Hanzo the Salamander, known as the Demigod, without being defeated.

Their terrifying strength was obvious.

Besides, the Anbu handled the most troublesome matters. Unlike ordinary missions, there wasn't much money involved; they were basically working for free out of a sense of honor. Why risk their lives like this?

Did they really treat Konoha as their Household? They could spare him Naruto's brainwashing routine. Naruto had been bullied for no reason since childhood, even though his parents had sacrificed themselves for Konoha and had been elite jonin.

And in the end, it was all forcibly whitewashed by the Will of Fire in the name of love.

Itachi sighed helplessly.

If he really started criticizing Konoha, it was nothing but trash left over from an old era, something that should have been thrown into a garbage dump long ago.

Who knew whether it had survived among all the ninja villages by lying flat, with no rock bottom because it could always get worse.

"After all, we're a fully staffed Anbu squad. Ordinary people can't contend with us. Don't worry so much."

Chi, a burly, muscular man beside Itachi, comforted him. Every Anbu member had a personal codename, and for an elite squad like theirs, even assassinating a Kage-level expert gave them a fighting chance.

But everyone in this squad had at least a few thousand tricks up their sleeves.

"Found it! There's a hidden passage here!"

Someone suddenly cried out. Itachi and the others hurried over. Beneath a large tree stump, a cellar door slowly opened before them, revealing stone steps leading down into a bottomless hole.

A snake emblem suddenly appeared nearby.

This was Orochimaru's secret chamber!!!

It was a special place that had never appeared in the archives. The group exchanged looks, then raised their ninja fire-starters and shone them downward. Countless little snakes writhed around them.

It was like a snake den.

They protected themselves with chakra and drove off the snakes. Their feet practically stepped over the little serpents as they passed. This was simply an ocean of snakes.

What exactly was Orochimaru planning to do here?

"We've already been discovered. As expected of the most tactically versatile of Konoha's Three Ninja. His senses are incredibly sharp."

Itachi spoke softly. Since Orochimaru could summon these venomous snakes, they were undoubtedly ninja pets under his control.

"What, do you know this senior?"

Kakashi also felt lingering fear. He couldn't help but become more wary of Itachi. He hadn't forgotten the Hokage's instructions.

They had to prepare for the worst.

"I wouldn't say I know him. He's a legendary senior, after all, naturally someone worthy of respect and study."

Itachi answered vaguely. He could let Kakashi guess whatever the hell he wanted.

[The system kindly reminds you]

[You have currently entered one of Orochimaru's secret realms.]

[Story Mission: Gain Orochimaru's favor and goodwill.]

[Orochimaru's current favor toward you: 3%]

[Mission Reward: You have a certain chance of obtaining a key to enter one of the Three Great Sage Regions—Dragon Cave—and learn sage arts.]

[There is a certain chance of gaining Dragon Cave's recognition and relocating an entire Lineage into it.]

After hearing the series of system notifications, Itachi was shaken. He almost suspected that he had heard wrong.

Relocate an entire Lineage???

These blessed lands had spring-like weather all year round and abundant natural energy, making them suitable for chakra refinement and cultivation. Yet they were occupied year-round by those sage animals.

Being recognized and allowed to enter one was already something to thank the heavens for.

But if an entire Lineage could truly relocate there and be nourished by it, the benefits would be endless. They might even all learn sage arts, allowing jonin-level experts to step across the threshold into the Kage level.

How many people spent their entire lives dreaming of a realm they could never reach?

At that thought, Itachi became incomparably excited.

He immediately clenched his fists. This time, he absolutely had to seize the opportunity.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed continuously through the long, narrow underground passage. They saw many cylindrical containers lined up in rows like an exhibition hall.

Countless cans and IV tubes were scattered carelessly around them. Inside every nutrient solution or formalin solution, the strange creatures wore terrifyingly grotesque expressions.

That guy was actually conducting such horrifying biological experiments!!

There were still bloodstains on the medical beds that hadn't fully coagulated and hadn't been cleaned away. Bits of flesh and unknown organs had been carelessly discarded nearby. Surgical instruments were displayed all around like torture devices, while bubbles occasionally rose from the containers, proving that those people who had been tortured beyond recognition were still breathing.