Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

【cold】

A bone-chilling cold, unlike anything they had ever experienced before, swept over them, from the tops of their heads to their heels.

Overwhelmed by intense fear, they lost the instinct to scream, staring blankly at a strange figure standing behind the fountain of blood.

His deathly pale skin, devoid of any color, shimmered with a hazy glow under the bright moonlight. His jet-black hair swayed in the wind, and a mysterious smile played on his handsome, androgynous face.

Its golden eyes, resembling those of a snake, gave the two children the feeling of being watched by a venomous snake.
Pfft!
"You...you."

Only when the headless corpse fell backward did Yahiko slowly recover from his shock. Looking up at the stranger who had killed the Rain Ninja, his voice trembled.
"You didn't faint? You guys have the potential to be ninjas!"

Orochimaru, having shed his women's clothing, nodded with interest, raised his hand, and gently sniffed the drop of blood from his fingertip. A nauseating, earthy smell assaulted his nostrils.
He once conducted a survey and found that 99% of the Rain Ninja were born with water-style attributes. Even Jonin who developed a second attribute usually did not choose to train in earth-style.
No mistake, he killed an Iwa ninja.

Orochimaru's gaze shifted to the headless corpse still convulsing at his feet, his eyes sweeping over the sharp kunai hidden behind the corpse's back.

He had been following a group of children at a distance, and was about to approach when he noticed the sudden appearance of the "Rain Ninja." To avoid revealing his identity, he chose to hide to the side and observe from the shadows.
It turned out that the "Rain Ninja" who was talking to the children was emanating a strange murderous intent.
So, taking advantage of the fact that the other person's attention was entirely focused on the two children, Orochimaru decisively made his move and silently eliminated the strange "Rain Ninja".
Based on the residual chakra properties in the blood, he accurately deduced that the person's true identity was an infiltrated Iwa ninja.
How they managed to sneak in remains a mystery.
"You actually killed him."

Sweating profusely, Yahiko was unaware that the unfamiliar man with long, straight black hair before him was his savior. He stared blankly at the head on the ground, which wore the Rain Village headband. Visible hatred quickly overwhelmed his fear.
He was a native of Amegakure, and like other children his age, he admired Hanzo and dreamed of becoming an excellent Amegakure ninja.
Now that a Rain Ninja whom he regarded as a future comrade has died tragically before his eyes, how could Yahiko not be furious?
"Calm down, Yahiko! He's not him."

Just then, Nagato suddenly grabbed his arm, turning to look at his childhood friend with a furrowed brow. Yahiko, who had cooled down slightly, looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Bad guy?"

Nagato was also completely confused.
The incident happened so suddenly; before the Rain Ninja's tragic death, he did indeed sense an extremely cold malice.

He initially thought the source of this malice was Orochimaru, who was standing there at the end, but the disappearance of the malice made him question this reality that was out in the open.
"He killed the Rain Ninja, how could he not be a bad person?"

Yahiko, suppressing his nausea, pointed at the lifeless head lying on the ground.
But I

Nagato, who had awakened the Uzumaki clan's sensory abilities on the brink of death, frowned, unsure how to explain this strange feeling to Yahiko.

Perceptual abilities?
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, looking at Nagato's conflicted face as if he were looking at a rough gem. At such a young age, he had awakened his bloodline talent; this child was destined for greatness.

"It's late, time to send you two on your way."

But now was not the time for sentimentality. Orochimaru remembered Jiraiya's instructions: these children, especially the stubborn Yahiko, absolutely could not be allowed to suffer any mishaps.
"Don't come any closer!"

Seeing Orochimaru approaching step by step, Yahiko was so frightened that he quickly grabbed Nagato and retreated.

"Quiet."

A clear, childlike voice pierced the lonely night sky, causing Orochimaru to frown, raise a finger to his lips, and make a shushing gesture.
But it was too late. A team of two men who had been lying in wait nearby arrived after hearing the commotion.
"Help! Help!"

Upon seeing the familiar headband, Yahiko felt as if he had seen a savior, and he grabbed Nagato, trying to run towards the Rain Ninja who had suddenly appeared.

"No! Don't go!"

Two blatant acts of malice were particularly glaring to Nagato, but his small arms and legs were no match for Yahiko, who was bigger and ate meat every day. In the end, he could only be dragged along.
"Tsuchihara is dead?"

Two Iwa ninja dressed in Amegakure uniforms, who had arrived after hearing the news, erupted in chaos the moment they saw the head on the ground—it was their teammate who had gone missing.

As for the murderer
There were only three people at the scene: two tiny kids and a guy with long, straight black hair who looked like someone you didn't want to mess with. It was obvious who the murderer was.
“Take care of them.”

The leader, the Iwa ninja captain, waved his hand, and countless shuriken shot out.

"Help me!"

Thinking he had escaped, Yahiko stood frozen in place, staring at the overwhelming barrage of hidden weapons, his mind already conjuring up a comical image of himself cosplaying as a hedgehog.
Just as the rapidly spinning shuriken was about to take the innocent lives of the two children, a slightly mocking, chilling voice rang out behind them.
"Go to sleep first, and I hope you have a nightmare."

Before Yahiko and Nagato could even turn their heads, they felt a sudden, inexplicable dizziness just from hearing the voice.
"Pfft!"

Under Orochimaru's simple hypnotic techniques, the two quickly fell into endless darkness.
"Bang! Bang! Pfft!"

The rapidly spinning projectiles were all deflected by Orochimaru, who stood in front of the two children.

"If you're not a Rain Ninja, then who are you?"

The Iwa ninja captain and his teammate exchanged a glance, then simultaneously drew their kunai and held them to their chests, watching the elegant Orochimaru with wary eyes.

Who I am is not important.

Orochimaru sized up the Iwa ninja before him. His eyes were sharp, his muscles were bulging, and his skill level was among the best of the Jonin.
How could they let such a dangerous enemy in? Are the Rain Ninja really any good?
"All you need to know is that you're going to die."

Unsure of the enemy's exact numbers, Orochimaru decided to finish the battle quickly without causing too much of a commotion.

"Whoosh!"

He bent down, his whole body turning into a black shadow, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the shadows of the houses on the street.

"Be careful, he's tough."

The Iwa ninja captain's unease grew stronger. He turned sideways, back to back with his only remaining teammate, their four eyes searching for the vanished Orochimaru from every angle.

But apart from the chilling, slightly fishy wind that made their necks feel cold, they found nothing.

"Damn it, where did they go? Captain, should we inform Lord Zi?"

Another Iwa ninja twisted his neck as if stung by some small insect, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of a lifeless head in the distance, its face filled with hatred.
That was his childhood friend; the two had just made a pact to go back to their hometown for barbecue after this battle. Little did they know that just minutes later, they would be separated forever.
"Captain, Captain?"

However, after he whispered something to himself, the captain, who was standing back-to-back with him, showed no sign of responding.
Puzzled, the Iwa ninja turned his head slightly and noticed that his captain behind him was looking down, as if deep in thought.
So he gently nudged the other person as a reminder.

"Pfft!"

The captain's sudden collapse plunged his spirits into despair.
"team leader!"

Seeing the black blood flowing from his opponent's seven orifices, the terrified Iwa ninja dared not approach to examine him. His ninja discipline told him he absolutely could not panic; if he revealed any weakness, he would be the next to die.

The surroundings were completely silent, with only a barely perceptible rustling sound.

With the enemy in the shadows and them in the open, the Iwa ninja, unwilling to sit and wait for their doom, moved cautiously.

"help me……"

Just then, a hoarse cry for help rang out. He turned around in the direction of the sound and was astonished to find that the captain, bleeding from all seven orifices, was still alive, though in very poor condition, slumped on the ground like a lump of mud.
"team leader?"

Although Iwagakure was afraid, the thought that the person before him was not only his superior but also his teacher who had imparted knowledge and skills to him ultimately made him abandon the idea of ​​retreating alone.
"Teacher, I'm coming to save you."

He bent down, cautiously surveying his surroundings, then darted to the captain, who was groaning in pain, and reached out to check his injuries.
"Snapped."

Unexpectedly, the captain's seemingly limp arm was surprisingly agile; before the Iwa ninja could react, his wrist was grabbed.
"teacher?"

Sensing something was wrong, the Iwa ninja struggled to free his arm, trying to break free of the grip, but the captain's hand seemed to have suction cups, clinging tightly to his wrist.
"Help...help..."

The Iwa ninja captain spoke haltingly, slowly raising his head. His stiff mouth widened in the horrified gaze of the Iwa ninja, and a stench so strong it seemed to hit the very top of his head assaulted his senses.

"Damn it! Let me go!"

Witnessing such a bizarre scene, the Iwa ninja, who had maintained her composure until then, finally broke down, and the inexplicable bloodlust within her was instantly activated.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!..."

He raised the kunai in his hand and stabbed the captain in front of him repeatedly, scalding blood splattering all over him.
"Huh...huh..."

He only stopped his frantic actions, panting heavily, when the kunai became embedded in the captain's ribcage and could not be pulled out.

Seeing that his captain was completely still, a hint of relief finally appeared in his blood-soaked eyes.
How does it feel to kill your own teacher?

Just as he completely relaxed, a ghostly figure suddenly appeared in front of him, its golden snake eyes filled with amusement.

"what?"

A chill ran through him, and the blood-covered Iwa ninja quickly lowered his head, only to meet his teacher's eyes, filled with bewilderment.
"teacher!"

Sadly, the owner of those eyes has already passed away, and will never be able to ask him the words, "Why did you kill me?"
"Ah...ga!"

The Iwa ninja, his sanity crumbling, gaped, about to scream, but Orochimaru reacted swiftly, knocking him unconscious with a single chop.

"Hehehe, what's the point of keeping him around? Is he meant to be used for my sashimi?"

The stench that permeated the streets gradually faded, and from the dark shadows, a voluptuous and beautiful woman in a white palace robe slowly emerged.
"You know what, the meat is pretty good."

He squeezed the large muscles on the unconscious Iwa ninja's body like he was picking up livestock, and nodded in approval.

"Once I have everything I want to know, he will be yours, Princess Tsurugi."

Orochimaru wasn't interested in the Iwa ninja's cooking style; he just wanted to know how many people had come and what their purpose was.
"Leave it to me!"

With a smile, Princess Tsuratsumi extended her finger and gently touched the back of the unconscious Iwa ninja's neck.
Upon closer inspection, there were actually two bite marks the size of pinpricks, left by Princess Tsuratsu, who had initially concealed her presence.
It turns out that these two Iwa ninjas had already been injected with Sage Mode chakra to disrupt their minds.

However, the Iwa ninja captain's will was even stronger, and he stubbornly fought against the illusion.
His student was clearly not up to par; not only was he controlled by the illusion, but he also turned his murderous intent towards his teacher, who was too busy to attend to anything else, ultimately resulting in the tragic scene of him killing his own teacher.

"How many of you came? Who is the team leader?"

"Eleven, led by Lord Zi."

紫？
Orochimaru frowned slightly as he looked at the stunned Iwa ninja.
He had seen this name in the Root's top-secret files.

Tailed Beast Riders, huh...

"What is your purpose in infiltrating us?"

"Beheading of Hanzo the Salamander".

"Oh?"

She raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. Just how confident was Zi in her own abilities?

Even he wouldn't dare say he could single-handedly kill the experienced Hanzo at the Rain Village's headquarters. "Eat it all up."

After asking his questions, Orochimaru nodded towards the drooling Tazumiya-hime standing to the side.
"Crunch~ Crunch~ Crunch~"

Ignoring the chilling chewing sounds behind him, Orochimaru grabbed Yahiko and Nagato, who were engrossed in genjutsu, and lifted them up, one in each hand.

"We're still missing one. I wonder if that Island Princess is reliable or not."

Just as Orochimaru was muttering to himself, a small figure descended from the sky—it was none other than Princess Kishima, the number one female demon of Ryuchi Cave, whom he had just been talking about.
"Ah! You sow, Princess Tsuratsu, how could you steal food all by yourself!?"

Before the snake even hit the ground, her angry voice arrived first, and she delivered a precise, mid-air kick to the rear end of the ravenous Princess Tsuratsu.
"No no no!"

The possessive Tsuratsuhime glared at the resentful little brat, then wolfed down the unconscious Iwa ninja whole, showing no intention of sharing.
"You wretched, big-assed sow, spit it out right now!"

"A little bit~"

"."

"Island Princess, where is she?"

Watching the two snakes tearing at each other, Orochimaru's brows furrowed, and his tone turned dangerous.
"people?"

"Where is that purple-haired little girl I asked you to bring back?"

Princess Ichikishima, her hands empty, blinked, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. She deliberately gave Orochimaru a look of lingering satisfaction.

"You know perfectly well why! Babies with soft, delicate skin are the most delicious!!!"

However, before she could finish her boast, Orochimaru, expressionless, precisely pinched her vital point, his face darkening to the point of being scathing.
"In that case, let's have snake hot pot tonight."

"A tonic? I was just kidding! I was just kidding!"

Having her weakness exposed, Princess Ichikishima shook her head frantically.

"I really didn't eat that human brat!"

"Where did she go?"

Orochimaru coldly questioned the trembling little girl he had dragged before him.

"She...she was taken away."

"What kind of person?"

Orochimaru's heart tightened upon hearing this. Could it be an Iwa ninja who had infiltrated?

Let me think about it.

Princess Ichikishima, held in Orochimaru's hand, stroked her chin, her face full of thought.

"You can't even remember this?"

Do you remember the marbling of the steak you ate yesterday?

"Uh"

That's right. In the eyes of the Snake Princess, humans are just walking, talking food.

"I remember now, it was a dark-skinned creature!"

Pitch black?
Orochimaru was completely dumbfounded as he looked at Princess Ichikishima, who had an air of certainty on her face.
"Where are they now?"

"That building over there."

Following the direction the little demon pointed, Orochimaru let out a long sigh of relief. He recognized the building; it was the studio of a certain master of traditional dance from the Land of Fire.
"They weren't in any danger, were they?"

"Danger?"

Princess Ichikishima touched her slightly bulging belly, then suddenly opened her mouth wide.
vomit!
As a rainbow waterfall cascaded down, three headbands covered in an unknown substance landed at Orochimaru's feet. He stared at them in confusion, his pupils slightly contracting.
Rock-hidden headband?

"Where did you get this?"

"I found it, it's still warm."

She smacked her lips as if savoring the memory, and then nodded seriously.

"Don't eat food from roadside vendors in the future."

Orochimaru expressionlessly tossed the man-eating brat aside, his eyes filled with contemplation.

It seems that Konan was not in danger, but who exactly is the dark figure that Shima-hime mentioned?

"Erzhuzi and Sansan! Thank you for coming to pick me up!"

On the deserted commercial street, Xiao Nan, with a radiant smile, followed behind a tall figure, her steps light and quick.

"I just came out to buy things. But you, everyone else has gone to take refuge, why are you still wandering around the streets? It's dangerous."

Black Zetsu, carrying two large shopping bags, glanced sideways at the elated Konan, his dark eyes filled with helplessness.

If he hadn't happened to be out buying groceries, this kid would probably be dead by now.

"Ah! If you hadn't mentioned it, we would have almost forgotten. I came to inform you to take refuge!"

Xiao Nan, who was skipping and hopping around, suddenly froze. How could she have forgotten something so important?

"Seek refuge? Hmph~"

Hei Zetsu curled his lip upon hearing this. Did they really need to take refuge?
If the Iwa ninja dare to approach their property, they will suffer the same fate as those foolish guys just now.

Recalling the three suspicious individuals they had encountered on the road, a ruthless glint flashed in Black Zetsu's eyes.
In the dead of night, sneaking around behind a young girl, anyone who's either a pervert or a really pervert is a freak; death would be the lightest punishment imaginable.

Just now, as Black Zetsu Erzhuzi was walking home carrying groceries he had bought for free, he spotted three suspicious figures wandering the streets from afar.

Adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, he originally planned to take a detour, only to discover that these three were actually following a student whom Uchiha Madara was quite fond of.
Moreover, judging from their menacing manner, they definitely didn't have any good intentions.
Konan was a member of the Shinkoma Dance Troupe, carefully selected by Madara Uchiha, and absolutely no mistakes could be tolerated before the performance.

So Black Zetsu, unusually, took the initiative to attack ordinary people, using his unpredictable and stealthy methods to silently eliminate these three unscrupulous individuals, and then pretended to bump into Konan.

"The adults say the invaders outside are very powerful, and I'm worried about you."

Xiao Nan poked her little finger, looking pitiful.

For the first time, Black Zetsu felt the emotion of concern from a human other than Madara Uchiha. Having never felt a heart since birth, Black Zetsu suddenly felt a warm sensation in his chest.
"What a troublesome brat."

He shook his head, feigning helplessness, and took a packet of honey candy from the free shopping bag, handing it over.

"Come back with me first. It's so late now. We can go to the shelter together tomorrow when it's light."

"Mmm~ So sweet! Thank you, Erzhuzi and Sansan!"

And so, the two figures, one tall and one short, disappeared at the end of the street, chatting and laughing.
Princess Ichikishima emerged from the dark alley with a frown. It seemed she couldn't complete her mission. If that happened, Orochimaru wouldn't give her a reward, would he?
Just as she was feeling dejected, she suddenly noticed that the three poor souls on the ground, whose hearts had been ripped out from their backs, were still warm. Touching her rumbling stomach, Princess Ichikishima's lips curled into a greedy smile.

She is a good girl and not a picky eater.

"I'm starting!"

Meanwhile, in a small alley near the Rain Ninja headquarters, Komurasaki, accompanied by a trusted confidante, stared grimly at the remaining three-person squad before her.
"What happened? Where is the others?"

"Reporting to Lord Zi, they... they've lost contact."

Sensing Komurasaki's anger, one of the Iwa ninja stammered out a reply that was essentially meaningless.
"I'm not blind."

Two small teams, totaling six people, may be few in number, but they are all top-notch fighters. Even if they encounter an invincible enemy, they wouldn't be taken down without making a sound.
Should we abandon the operation?
Xiao Zi looked up at the heavily guarded Rain Ninja headquarters, her eyes filled with resentment.
They've come this far; if they give up now, wouldn't it be a waste of the excellent conditions Han has provided for them?
"Continue the operation!"

After a long moment of deliberation, Xiao Zi ultimately decided to proceed with the original plan. However, their current personnel were somewhat depleted, making a direct assault impossible.

"Find some more Rain Ninja, kill them, and then use clones to impersonate them."

Now that things have come to this, they have no choice but to resort to their next best option: using their numbers to create confusion and infiltrate the Rain Ninja headquarters to behead Hanzo.

"Yes!"

The four remaining Iwa ninja dared not object, each nodding vigorously, afraid that if they hesitated even a moment longer, Komurasaki would discover them.

"Operate! If you encounter any lone Rain Ninjas, leave none alive!"

At the other end of the street,
"Huff, huff."

The Amegakure Jonin, carrying Heiji on his back, raced through the rooftops and rubble, his steps faltering and panting heavily.

He had just been withdrawn from the battlefield, not because he wasn't brave enough, but because he didn't want to watch helplessly as his unconscious savior perished under artillery fire.

"Lord Heiji, just hang in there a little longer, we're almost there!"

He glanced at his benefactor, who was still in a deep coma, and a resolute look appeared on his face.
His purpose in this trip was to take Heiji to the Amegakure headquarters to receive the village's most authoritative treatment.
"Whoosh!"

Just as the brightly lit Rain Ninja headquarters came into view, his joy was interrupted by a kunai that appeared out of nowhere.
The sharp kunai grazed his ankle, sending a splatter of blood flying.
"Who goes there!?"

Forced to stop, the Amegakure Jonin turned and retreated, enduring the excruciating pain from his wounds, and gritted his teeth as he questioned,

despair!despair!despair!
Several figures emerged from the darkness. When Komurasaki, who was leading the group, saw the unconscious Heiji, her eyes flashed with a terrifying light.

"None of you are allowed to move. I'm going to roast this bastard alive with my own hands!" (End of Chapter)