Konoha: Uchiha, I get stronger by causing trouble.

Chapter 202 Half a Month Later

In the current ninja world situation, the Mist Ninja and the Cloud Ninja are also enemies.

However, the two great powers did not actually have deep-seated grudges, and neither was particularly interested in the other's territory.

The only territory with a conflict of interest is the Land of Hot Water, but now the two countries have already divided the Land of Hot Water in half, one country in half, which is just right.

In the absence of any conflict of interest, it would be perfectly reasonable to take a bite out of the Land of Fire together.

And it's quite simple to find out if your guess is correct.

After thinking for a moment, Chiga asked Orochimaru, "Lord Orochimaru, how many people were killed or wounded in the battle between the Mist Ninja and the Cloud Ninja five days ago?"

"Heh heh, you noticed too!"

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru gave Chiga an approving look, then sneered, "The two great nations can't even put on a proper show, with fewer than a hundred casualties. Do they really think I, Orochimaru, am that idiot Jiraiya?"

"Oh!"

Chiga also laughed.

In the ninja world, a battle that can be called a large-scale battle involves at least a thousand ninjas on both sides.

In other words, it was a chaotic battle involving more than two thousand ninjas, yet the number of casualties did not exceed one hundred.

He unleashed a Fire Release: Great Fire Extinction into the crowd, causing far more deaths and injuries than just this.

But Orochimaru, you can say whatever you want, but why bring Jiraiya along?

This could expose your ambiguous relationship with Jiraiya!

"So, Lord Orochimaru, what is our mission?"

Chiga didn't dwell on the alliance between the Cloud Ninja and the Mist Ninja; that was a matter for the higher-ups to consider.

He's only concerned with what his mission will be.

Orochimaru glanced at Chiga and said calmly, "I have already organized a group of ninjas to go to the Land of Hot Springs to scout out the Kirigakure's strongholds, in preparation for driving the Kirigakure out of the Land of Hot Springs in the future. You should go with them."

Chiga sneered inwardly. Based on the previous arrangements, Chiga already understood that Orochimaru had probably guessed why his team had come.

After all, even a stubborn old woman like Tsunade would leave Chiga's team to carry out missions near the command post out of personal favor.

How could Orochimaru, that snake spirit, be so clueless about human relationships?

You should know that he still has a sliver of a chance to compete for the Hokage position!

Instead of trying to please his teacher at this time, why is he making things difficult for Sarutobi Asuma?

It seems Orochimaru has already guessed why his team came here.

Seeing that Chiga didn't reply, Orochimaru licked his lips and continued:

"Originally, I wanted to place your squad near the command post, so that I could follow Sarutobi-sensei's wishes and train your squad properly."

"But because the Cloud Ninja and the Mist Ninja have formed an alliance, the pressure on the front lines has increased significantly, and we are also short of manpower."

"That's why we had no choice but to send you to the front lines."

"Moreover, I've heard that Chiga-san is very skilled in using the Flying Thunder God Technique, which gives him a natural advantage when it comes to escaping."

"This kind of reconnaissance mission seems perfect for your team!"

"Of course, if you refuse, Chiga-san, that's fine too. I can arrange for you to carry out patrol missions near the command post."

Towards the end, Orochimaru adopted a completely consultative tone, seemingly letting Chiga choose for him.

"I understand! I will lead the team on the reconnaissance mission!"

Although Orochimaru seemed like a nice guy who was easy to talk to, Chiga did not take the opportunity to ask to stay at the command center.

After all, the other side was already on guard, and if I stayed any longer, I would only be acting under their surveillance.

Rather than doing that, it would be better to leave this place and let Orochimaru lower his guard.

As for the task that Hiruzen Sarutobi assigned to him, he certainly had a way to complete it.

Back then, Danzo Shimura tricked him, which resulted in most of the Root ninjas now being on the front lines in the Land of Water.

Among them were the Root ninjas controlled by Chiga.

Since I can't complete this task myself, I'll leave it to the Root ninjas.

If you're lucky, you might even find someone among the Root ninjas you control who could help Orochimaru acquire the Byakugan.

Although Orochimaru was always very careful and left no trace, he certainly didn't do it himself.

When Orochimaru saw that Chiga had agreed, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

So easily did you accept leaving the command center?

Could it be that I guessed wrong, and the other party wasn't here to investigate me?

"In that case, you may depart tomorrow. I will have my ninjas provide you with the necessary intelligence!"

Orochimaru couldn't figure it out for a moment, but he still felt it was best to let Chiga's squad leave the command center as soon as possible.

"yes!"

Chiga responded and left with Sarutobi Asuma and the other two.

Late at night, after Sarutobi Asuma had fallen asleep, Chiga opened his eyes and formed hand seals.

Soon, a Root ninja appeared outside Chiga's tent.

The two did not exchange words. Chiga simply took a scroll from his pocket and slipped it through the gap between the tent and the ground.

The Root ninja reached out and took it, then left in silence.

The next morning, Chiga's squad, having accepted the mission, left the command post and headed towards the Land of Hot Springs.

The border between the southern part of the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire is not very long, but this reconnaissance mission is not only to investigate the Mist Ninja guarding the border, but also to go deep into the area to investigate the exact number of Mist Ninja, their strongholds, supply routes, and so on.

This information is essential for launching an attack on the Kirigakure of the Land of Hot Water.

Therefore, Orochimaru also arranged many reconnaissance teams, all of which possessed considerable combat strength. Only in this way could he ensure that these ninjas could bring back intelligence alive.

Two weeks later.

At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water.

In a secluded, dense forest, Chiga and his two companions were hiding in a hollow of a large tree.

It is winter now, and the Land of Hot Water is located in the north. It has been snowing heavily for the past few days, and the temperature is extremely low.

To keep warm, the entrance to the tree hole was tightly wrapped with a thick camouflage cloth, which also helped to avoid being discovered. There were also a lot of barriers and traps around the tree hole.

This way, even if discovered by the enemy, a quick reaction can be made.

Inside the tree hollow, Chiga slowly opened her eyes, looked at Sarutobi Asuma and the other two who were still sleeping, and quietly took out a scroll from her bosom to study it carefully.

This is an extremely detailed battle map; they've spent a considerable amount of time gathering this intelligence over the past few days.

Before arriving, the reconnaissance teams knew the area they needed to investigate, and each team operated independently to reduce the chance of being discovered.

Furthermore, the reconnaissance areas of each pair of teams overlap to improve the accuracy of intelligence.

Due to the weather, Chiga's crows are not suitable to appear in the Land of Hot Springs at this time.

After all, there aren't many birds flying in the air this season, so using crows to scout intelligence would definitely be discovered by the Mist Ninja.

Most importantly, he expects to lose a lot of his own crows as well.

As required by the mission, after ascertaining the strength of the Mist Ninja's defenses on the border of the Land of Hot Water, we must find a suitable opportunity to infiltrate the Land of Hot Water.

Although Chiga's actions were nimble, they still woke up Sarutobi Asuma, Yuhi Kurenai, and Shizune.

Looking at the map, Sarutobi Asuma said calmly to the three, "Today we will officially enter enemy territory, where we will be in danger at any time. You should rest more and conserve your energy so that you can complete the mission more efficiently."

Sarutobi Asuma and his two companions did not heed Chiga's advice.

Kurenai, however, said to Chiga with some concern, "Chiga, we should be saying that to you. You always go to bed later and get up earlier than us. Look at your dark circles."

Shizune asked, puzzled, "Chika, why are you being so careful this time? Is this mission really that dangerous?"

The three of them had been on the same team as Chiga for so long, but they had never seen Chiga take a mission so seriously.

"It's hard to say!"

Chiga said meaningfully.

Since Madara Uchiha planned to send Sasori of the Red Sand to deal with him, he will only intensify his efforts when he comes to the Land of Water.

Therefore, Chiga was very careful in her actions and dared not expose herself too much.

Strangely enough, it's been half a month and nothing seems wrong.

He even suspected that Madara Uchiha was planning something big for him.

Chiga lifted a corner of the camouflage cloth covering the tree hole, glanced at the sky, and said to the three, "Let's have some breakfast first!"

"Breakfast? Your choice of words is quite precise!"

Sarutobi Asuma stretched and complained.

They've been operating at night these past few days and resting during the day, so Qianhe wasn't wrong after all.

After eating something simple, Chiga took out the map again and said to Sarutobi Asuma and the other two, "Come here, tell me about tonight's plan."

The three of them surrounded Qianhe, staring at the map in his hand.

"After these few days of reconnaissance, which were fraught with danger but ultimately safe, we have figured out the patrol routes of the Mist Ninja in this area and their shift change times. This task is now complete. Next, we will infiltrate the Land of Hot Springs."

"Tonight we will pass through Kirigakure's A base, then head north around B base, and then take advantage of the Kirigakure ninja changing shifts at C base to infiltrate the Land of Hot Springs."

"After entering the Land of Hot Water, there will be a vacuum zone of about twenty kilometers. There are no Mist Ninjas in this area, so we can rest for a while, recover our energy, and then pass through the second line of defense of the Mist Ninjas."

As Chiga described tonight's operation in detail, he pointed out the places the team would pass through on the map.

This is an operation deep inside the enemy's headquarters, extremely dangerous, and the slightest carelessness could result in being surrounded by the Mist Ninja.

Therefore, before taking action, it is essential to have a clear plan and consider all possible scenarios.

After explaining all the operational arrangements, Chiga asked, "Is everything clear?"

"Understood!"

Chiga asked again, "Is there a problem?"

Sarutobi Asuma and the other two thought for a moment, going over Chiga's plan in their minds, and then shook their heads, saying, "No!"

(End of this chapter)