Shibi Aburame felt like his luck was running out today!
What he thought would be a simple mission—capturing a few spies placed by the Hidden Cloud—should have been easy. He figured they could wrap it up quickly and then head to the front lines. Of course, he wasn't careless. After all, the Hidden Cloud had some powerful ninjas, and it wouldn't be the first time someone underestimated their opponents and ended up defeated.
And it was this caution that saved their lives.
Instead of encountering the Cloud ninjas they expected, they were ambushed by none other than Orochimaru. They were almost wiped out. Luckily, Shibi and his team of four were all Jonin, and each of them was skilled in sensory jutsu. They sensed something was wrong early on, and that was the only reason they weren't all taken down in a single move by Orochimaru.
But still—
They never expected to run into Orochimaru, the S-Class rogue ninja! The only S-Class rogue ninja from the Leaf Village.
As a former member of the legendary Sannin and a contender for the Fourth Hokage position, Shibi knew all too well how powerful Orochimaru was. He had served under him during the Second Shinobi World War and witnessed his power again during the Third.
They didn't stand a chance against Orochimaru.
Hyuga, Aburame, Yamanaka, and Inuzuka—each member of their team had either a Kekkei Genkai or secret clan techniques. But Orochimaru was born and raised in the Leaf Village. As a former high-ranking commander, he was familiar with these abilities, even if he didn't know their deepest secrets.
And that was more than enough!
He didn't need to know the exact workings of their abilities. Just understanding their effects and capabilities was sufficient for him to counter them. And that's exactly what was happening.
Whether it was the Gentle Fist, the Aburame's insects, the Yamanaka's mind techniques, or the Inuzuka clan's collaboration with their ninja dogs, none of them were effective against Orochimaru.
"Captain Shibi! I'm at my limit!"
Hyuga Hikado, the young Jonin from the Hyuga clan, shouted as he released a Vacuum Palm attack. The shockwave pierced through the snow, but it didn't land a hit on Orochimaru, only slightly slowing him down. Hikado was coordinating with Yamanaka Santian and Inuzuka Sai, fighting while retreating.
"Hold on! Santian has already sent a distress signal."
The snow was falling heavier, making conventional flare signals useless. Fortunately, Yamanaka Santian was with them, and as soon as they realized Orochimaru was their target, he used the Yamanaka clan's mind techniques to send a long-distance message to Yamanaka Mokuren, requesting backup.
They had seen the battle between Susanoo and the Eight-Tails from a nearby hill, which gave them some hope. Reinforcements would surely arrive, even if the main battle wasn't over yet!
It was the only thing keeping them from despair.
"But we might not last until the reinforcements get here."
Hikado bitterly chewed a soldier pill. "I'm almost out of chakra."
Shibi Aburame couldn't argue. They all had the same problem: a severe lack of chakra.
If Susanoo and the tailed beasts represented overwhelming power, then Orochimaru's strength was like that of a silent predator—a python coiling around its prey, slowly squeezing until all resistance was gone.
Even basic Wind Release and Earth Release techniques were terrifying in Orochimaru's hands. He timed them perfectly to devastating effect.
Shibi's insects were decimated by a combination of Wind Release and explosive tags. Yamanaka's mind techniques were neutralized by Orochimaru's summoned snakes. Inuzuka Sai and his ninja dog, Haru, had their attacks blocked effortlessly by Earth Release.
As for Hyuga Hikado's Gentle Fist, there was no way to land a hit. His Byakugan revealed Orochimaru's body covered in snakes, making it impossible to find an opening for a close-quarters strike. He could only resort to the chakra-draining Vacuum Palm to fight.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru was hardly breaking a sweat.
The four of them, on the other hand, were fighting with everything they had, burning through chakra and downing soldier pills one after another.
"Is the backup here yet?"
Orochimaru suddenly spoke, his question strange and unexpected.
"Not speaking, huh? Do you think I'm tricking you? Hmph! Don't worry. I've already wasted enough time with you. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead." Orochimaru stopped chasing them, his tone almost playful.
He had been waiting for someone else to arrive.
Through the snow, a flash of red was rapidly approaching.
"Finally here! But... I didn't expect you to come personally. Uchiha Clan Leader, or should I say, Hokage's advisor?" Orochimaru stood calmly in the snow, his expression relaxed and confident.
"Is everyone okay?"
Uchiha Sougen stopped in front of Shibi and his team, quickly scanning them. Aside from their drained chakra, they were unharmed—nothing too serious. Chakra depletion was a common problem for ninjas, and soldier pills were a standard solution for all but the rarest clans who had inherited the Six Paths Sage's bloodline.
"I've got it under control. You all should retreat. I'll handle things here," Sougen instructed.
Shibi nodded, bowing slightly before leading the group back toward the Leaf army's camp. With their current state, they'd be more of a burden if they stayed.
Better to leave it to Sougen.
They trusted that with his abilities, even Orochimaru would struggle to gain the upper hand.
Without glancing back at the retreating team, Sougen turned his attention to Orochimaru. The rogue ninja smiled as their eyes met.
"A shadow clone?"
Sougen's tone sounded like a question, but in his heart, he was already certain that the Orochimaru in front of him was just a shadow clone. With that realization, he gave up on the idea of attacking.
"That's right, it's a shadow clone," Orochimaru admitted openly.
"I experienced the power of the Sharingan firsthand last time in the Land of Water, and I don't plan on testing it again anytime soon."
"No wonder you're one of the Legendary Sannin. Even a shadow clone of yours is enough to give the Aburame clan leader and the others a tough fight," Sougen praised before asking, "So, Orochimaru, what exactly do you want by waiting here for me?" He was curious, unsure of what Orochimaru's true intentions were.
Sneaking around the edges of the battlefield between Konoha and the Cloud Village, instead of retreating when detected by Aburame Shibi's team, Orochimaru used them as bait to lure out a 'bigger fish.'
"Straight to the point, huh? Uchiha clan leader, this is probably the first time we've met in person, isn't it?"
"I've seen you from a distance a few times before. Back then, I was just an unremarkable chunin, not worthy of catching Lord Orochimaru's eye."
"Haha! A Hokage advisor at the age of fifteen or sixteen... You're far more impressive than an old man like me who's just managed to survive all these years. The Uchiha clan truly produces outstanding talents; it's enviable!" Orochimaru's long tongue licked his lips, and his golden, slit-pupil eyes shone with undisguised desire.
That look made Sougen raise his eyebrows.
Could it be that Orochimaru had set his sights on the Uchiha again? Uchiha Itachi was still serving in the army and hadn't encountered Orochimaru yet. So, this must be because of Shisui, right? It seemed that the battle in the Land of Water had left a strong impression on Orochimaru!
"If you have something to say, just say it! I'm not interested in wasting time with a shadow clone. But if you show up in person, I might be willing to chat longer," Sougen remarked, glancing at the snow-covered forest around them before quickly turning his gaze back.
Shibi, Hyuga Homon, and Yamanaka Santian hadn't detected anything unusual before, so it was unlikely Sougen could find Orochimaru's true body by himself. There was no point in wasting energy on something so futile.
"You're impatient, aren't you? Fine, I'll get to the point. Uchiha clan leader, one of my disciples was taken by Shisui. Could you return him to me?" Orochimaru asked with a smile.
"Are you talking about Kimimaro?"
"That's right!"
"Is that all?"
"Well, it's not the only thing, but some things are impossible, so there's no point in bringing them up and souring our relationship!" Orochimaru spoke cryptically, but Sougen was certain Orochimaru had indeed set his sights on the Uchiha clan again.
"Orochimaru, if you dare lay a hand on my clansmen, I'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth and kill you."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru squinted his eyes. "Uchiha clan leader, it seems you've learned quite a bit from Kimimaro?"
"Are you talking about your immortality research? Kimimaro is the vessel you prepared, right? Let me make it clear: if you try to use my clan as vessels, no matter how troublesome it is, I will make sure to eliminate you completely. Don't doubt my ability to do so—I know things you don't," Sougen warned, drawing the flame-patterned fan from his back and pointing it at Orochimaru with killing intent.
As clan leader, protecting his people was his duty.
It was one thing for his clansmen to die for the village and the Uchiha family. If others could sacrifice themselves, so could the Uchiha. To gain strength and honor, one had to risk their life; that was fair.
But to be targeted by Orochimaru, have their bodies taken over, and their souls erased completely—that was something Sougen couldn't accept. It was his responsibility to prevent that, and this was his "principle."
"Scary! Uchiha clan leader!" Orochimaru still wore a smile, but now it was so cold it made one's bones ache.
"I never said I planned to harm your clan. I'm just here to ask for my disciple back."
"It's best if that's the case."
Sougen calmly put away his fan.
"However, I'm afraid Kimimaro won't be returned to you. He's Shisui's spoils of war, just like that Kusanagi sword. Both of them now belong to Shisui. There's no rule in the history of the ninja world that spoils have to be returned!"
"Not even in exchange? With the Sage of Six Paths' relics?"
This time, Sougen paused.
"How do you know I've been looking for the Sage's tools? Was it Shisui?"
"That's right. Although Shisui did a good job of hiding his tracks, as the saying goes, 'a bird leaves its song behind, and water makes the ground wet.' Shisui traveled to many places, and traces were left behind. I noticed that his movements matched an old report by my teacher, Sarutobi-sensei, which led me to the burial site of the Gold and Silver Brothers ahead of Shisui."
"So, what do you say? Exchange my disciple for the Sage's relics?"
Orochimaru asked again.
"Your offer is very tempting."
"But you're still going to refuse, aren't you? That's a shame! Kimimaro doesn't really have anything to do with the Uchiha, does he? Strictly speaking, he's not even a Konoha ninja. Giving him back shouldn't cause you any loss, right?"
Orochimaru seemed genuinely puzzled.
"I already said, he's Shisui's prize. It's not up to me to make that decision," Sougen replied expressionlessly. Just as Orochimaru was about to speak again, he added, "However, I could offer something else for this trade."
"Something else?"
Orochimaru swallowed the words he had been about to say, now intrigued. "Uchiha clan leader, I'll be clear: if it's not something I'm interested in, I won't agree to this deal. After all, the Sage's relics are precious items in my collection."
"Don't worry. This trade is based on mutual interest. If you were here in person, I wouldn't mind capturing you to search you, but unfortunately, this is just a shadow clone... what a pity!" Sougen sighed, his regret evident.
Orochimaru's face twitched slightly at those words.
What a character. This young Uchiha clan leader was something else. His shamelessness alone far surpassed that of Fugaku, the tight-lipped leader before him. No wonder he had managed to outmaneuver both Sarutobi-sensei and Danzo—victory never comes by chance.
"Alright, I'm listening, Uchiha clan leader. What do you propose to exchange for the Sage's relics?"
Orochimaru stared at Sougen with eager anticipation.
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