A thin mist covered the forest outside Konoha.
A damp chill lingered in the air.
Uchiha Chiya’s gaze casually swept over the tall figure ahead of him.
Orochimaru was staring at the treetops.
His golden slit pupils narrowed slightly, as though he were deep in thought.
What an unpleasant gaze…
Every time Chiya came into contact with Orochimaru’s eyes, he felt uncomfortable.
He could sense the coldness radiating from Orochimaru.
It wasn’t the killing intent of an enemy.
It was something closer to an obsessive desire to understand and investigate.
Like a venomous snake focusing intently on its prey.
“Your presence seems a little different from yesterday.”
Orochimaru suddenly turned toward Chiya.
His hoarse voice broke the silence.
Chiya’s expression didn’t change.
“I haven’t trained since last night.”
“So the fact that I haven’t gotten weaker is already an achievement.”
“Lord Orochimaru must be joking.”
He paused before putting on a puzzled expression.
“Does Lord Orochimaru also study changes in a person’s presence?”
The corners of Orochimaru’s mouth curled into a meaningful smile.
But he didn’t continue the subject.
“Tsunade asked me to give you this.”
At the mention of Tsunade, Chiya froze.
Orochimaru handed him a small box.
Chiya opened it.
His eyes widened.
Oh.
A token of affection?
Then he saw the necklace inside.
His expression changed.
Wait.
Isn’t this the First Hokage’s so-called lucky necklace?!
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Chiya’s heart shook.
He pulled out the note beneath the necklace.
I’m giving this to you.
Come back safely.
Chiya shuddered for no apparent reason.
This…
Is she trying to give me a “luck” buff because she’s afraid I won’t survive?
Are you actually trying to get me killed?!
“Chiya-kun.”
Orochimaru’s question interrupted his thoughts.
“What do you believe is the meaning of life?”
Chiya looked at the necklace.
After thinking for a moment, he carefully put it away.
“Perhaps…”
“It lies in protecting others.”
Hearing his answer, Orochimaru looked at Chiya.
There seemed to be a trace of emotion in his eyes.
“Protection?”
“What a naïve and hollow concept.”
“Then what do you believe the meaning of life is, Lord Orochimaru?”
Orochimaru lowered his golden eyes.
“Life is too fragile.”
“It has no meaning in itself.”
After saying this, he turned toward Konoha.
“We’ve spent enough time here.”
“Prepare to move.”
Orochimaru glanced at everyone.
His expression became even colder.
“Yes!”
Chiya and the others responded.
At the final moment before leaving the village, Chiya couldn’t help looking back.
Through the morning mist at the village entrance, a flash of golden hair appeared.
Tsunade stood there with her arms crossed.
Her light-brown eyes met his through the thin fog.
Then she suddenly raised a fist.
A simple gesture.
You’d better come back.
A smile appeared on Chiya’s face.
He waved back.
Don’t worry, Tsunade.
I’m the man who is going to win over the Fifth Hokage.
I’ll definitely come back safely!
Chiya turned around and followed the squad as they rapidly headed toward the Land of Rain.
“Chiya-kun.”
While running, Orochimaru’s gaze suddenly settled on him.
His hoarse voice carried an oddly intimate quality.
“Just stay with me this time.”
“Yes, Lord Orochimaru.”
Chiya maintained a respectful expression.
Stay with you?
Just don’t sell me out when the time comes.
He remained extremely vigilant.
After approximately half a day’s travel, the weather began changing unpredictably.
Once they left Konoha, Orochimaru led the squad rapidly through the dense forest.
Chiya remained alert the entire time.
He could feel Orochimaru’s probing gaze periodically falling upon him.
It wasn’t the way someone looked at a companion.
It was more like the way a scientist examined an interesting specimen.
Looks like Orochimaru has already begun his transformation toward what he considers “rationality.”
“Chiya-kun…”
Orochimaru suddenly spoke.
“You seem rather nervous.”
His hoarse voice carried a hint of amusement.
Chiya’s expression remained unchanged.
“This is my first time carrying out such an important mission.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being cautious.”
Orochimaru smiled meaningfully.
He said nothing more.
The squad continued forward in silence.
Only the sound of footsteps and rustling leaves echoed through the forest.
As the altitude gradually increased, the surrounding vegetation began to change.
The lush broadleaf forests around Konoha gradually gave way to coniferous forests.
Moisture filled the air.
Distant thunder rumbled.
Lightning flashed high in the sky.
“We’re approaching the border of the Land of Rain.”
Orochimaru stopped and signaled everyone to remain alert.
Chiya looked into the distance.
A gray curtain of rain covered the horizon.
The Land of Rain was exactly as its name suggested.
Dark clouds covered the country almost year-round, and rain seemed almost endless.
Rumor had it that Hanzō deliberately maintained the country’s harsh weather to strengthen its defenses.
The constant rainfall greatly weakened the effectiveness of Fire Release techniques.
Once they crossed the border, the atmosphere suddenly became oppressive.
On either side of the muddy road were rust-covered barbed-wire fences.
Occasionally, they could see the pale corpses of shinobi that had been washed by the rain.
Far in the distance, towering steel structures appeared and disappeared behind the rain.
They were one of Amegakure’s defining landmarks.
Defensive structures personally designed by Hanzō.
According to rumors, they could withstand almost any ninjutsu attack.
“Put on your rain gear.”
Orochimaru’s hoarse voice sounded.
Everyone stopped and pulled raincoats from their packs.
Once Orochimaru confirmed everyone was properly equipped, he gave the order.
“Continue.”
He bent his knees and immediately sprinted forward.
The others followed.
Before long, scattered raindrops began falling.
They struck the raincoats with a steady pattering sound.
After running for a while, Orochimaru slowed down.
“Watch your step.”
His sudden warning made everyone cautious.
“The underground areas of the Land of Rain are filled with explosive tags and traps.”
Chiya quietly activated his Sharingan.
Sure enough—
He could see faint chakra threads hidden beneath the muddy water.
He carefully avoided the deadly traps.
At the same time, he noticed some strange marks beside the road.
They looked like the tracks of some enormous creature.
“We’re here.”
Orochimaru stopped in front of a dilapidated outpost.
This place should have been one of Konoha’s forward bases.
Now it was terrifyingly silent.
The wooden door of the outpost hung half-open, creaking in the wind and rain.
Chiya’s sharp eyes caught a brief flash of metal through the crack.
Something was wrong.
“There are traps inside.”
Chiya lowered his voice.
Orochimaru seemed to notice the abnormality as well.
He motioned for everyone to retreat.
With a flick of his arm, several small snakes emerged from his sleeve.
They silently slithered toward the outpost.
Then—
Everything changed.
“Enemy attack!”
A sharp shout rang out.
Countless kunai attached to explosive tags flew toward them from every direction.
Orochimaru instantly formed hand seals.
“Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!”
A massive earthen wall erupted from the ground.
But the shockwaves from the explosions still sent everyone tumbling backward.
Through the smoke, dozens of Amegakure shinobi emerged from the curtain of rain.
They wore specially designed gas masks.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized.
Clearly, they were an elite unit that had undergone specialized training.
“Fall back!”
Orochimaru issued the order coldly.
Yet he himself remained where he was.
Chiya was just about to move when he suddenly felt the ground beneath his feet sink.
At some point, the muddy earth had transformed into a quicksand-like trap.
Chiya immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to escape.
Meanwhile, the Rain shinobi began surrounding them.
“Looks like we’ve been ambushed.”
Orochimaru licked his lips.
A thick killing intent flashed through his eyes.
The rain grew heavier.
Large drops struck Chiya’s face hard.
He wiped away the water and searched for a way through the encirclement with his Sharingan.
Then—
A figure flashed across the top of a distant building.
Chiya’s pupils contracted.
That is…
Hanzō?
The familiar silhouette made everyone’s hearts tighten.
The legendary Hanzō of the Salamander stood high above the battlefield, looking down upon them.
Several elite shinobi wearing gas masks stood beside him.
Chiya lowered his gaze.
Damn.
How unlucky can I get?
We just arrived and we’ve already encountered the actual leader of Amegakure?!
His thoughts immediately returned to the necklace Tsunade had given him.
Wait.
No.
I’m a materialist.
How can I let something like this affect my thinking?
This has to be Danzō’s doing!
In the Naruto world, whenever something makes absolutely no sense or I can’t find the real culprit, blaming Danzō is always a safe bet!
This wasn’t an ordinary ambush.
They had been waiting for Konoha’s squad.
Chiya turned toward Orochimaru.
But before he could speak—
A massive water dragon suddenly burst from the ground and charged directly toward him.