A few days later, Takigakure held the ceremony to appoint the new village leader.
Yahiko smoothly became the village leader of Takigakure, and he was the youngest one yet.
This also made Yahiko learn many of Takigakure's secrets — for example, the rogue ninja Kakuzu, and the village's most intimidating weapon.
"Hero's Water?"
"Doesn't that stuff have serious side effects?"
"I heard it shortens the user's lifespan."
"If you can avoid it, don't touch it."
Gekko Chizan answered Yahiko's questions while eating.
Hero's Water was the sacred water obtained from beneath the great tree once every hundred years; drinking it could multiply one's chakra tenfold.
But Hero's Water had a dual nature — as the price for boosting chakra, it would consume the user's life. Therefore, the Hero's Water was sealed away.
Protecting the Hero's Water was the responsibility of the village leader.
Yahiko only learned about this after becoming village chief.
"Chizan, how do you know so much about this?"
"I had no idea before," Yahiko admitted.
Yahiko marveled at Gekko Chizan's store of knowledge. Chizan smirked disdainfully, then said casually:
"Have you forgotten who my teacher is?"
"Orochimaru has collected countless forbidden jutsu and all sorts of strange knowledge — far more than you can imagine."
"Besides, Takigakure is one of the largest villages outside the Five Great Nations; knowing this stuff is easy."
Face unchanged, breath steady — when there's a problem, blame it on his teacher.
[Ding! The host is very skillful in letting his teacher take the blame, this spirit is very good! Special Bonus: Genjutsu +1.]
Yahiko listened to Gekko Chizan calmly and nodded; it was obvious he didn't doubt Chizan at all.
After all, to him it was no more secret than Konoha having the Nine-Tails or the existence of the Three Legendary Sannin.
"I received a message from my teacher. He's about to enter the Land of Hot Water."
"You're the village leader now and can't go gallivanting off, so I'll take Konan and Yugito and pay him a visit."
"He'll have a lot of dealings with Takigakure from now on. Konan will definitely go, and Yugito — well, an apprentice should at least see his master."
Finishing the food in his hand, Gekko Chizan rose slowly.
Over the past few days he'd taken a moment to return to the Grass Country front; the situation on the Grass Country battlefield was relatively stable.
With Tsunade and Jiraiya there, even against the successive attacks of two tailed beasts, they had held the line.
Of course, when Tsunade saw him again she nearly buried him in the ground, but when she learned that Gekko Chizan had slain Iwapō — they no longer questioned him.
As an old rival, Tsunade knew Iwapō's nature well: he was a wolf; until he finished his target he wouldn't relent.
Being entangled with him, it was no surprise Gekko Chizan hadn't returned quickly.
Even Gekko Chizan himself hadn't expected that an Iwapō would help him so much.
...
Nearby, Konan and Yugito were already prepared.
Gekko Chizan activated Flying Thunder God and, taking the two of them, disappeared from Takigakure.
...
Outside the borders of the Land of Hot Water, Orochimaru looked at the scenery surrounded by waterfalls, felt the breeze brush past, and relaxed.
He took the Konoha forehead protector from his brow with his own hands and held it in his palm, awaiting the arrival of his disciple.
"Yo, you already took it off. I thought you might need me to remind you."
"Hahaha, Chizan-kun, you're punctual. As your teacher, that makes me very pleased."
The teacher and disciple met again, though the situation had changed.
Orochimaru was no longer one of Konoha's Three Sannin; he was a rogue from the village.
"Welcome to the Land of Hot Water."
"The daimyo of the Land of Hot Water has been longing for your arrival."
"These two are — one is Takigakure jōnin Konan, and the other is my disciple Yugito."
Hearing Gekko Chizan's words, Orochimaru's narrow eyes narrowed further as he smiled:
"Oh? A disciple?"
"No wonder during the Chūnin Exams you looked at her more than you looked at Kakashi and the others."
Gekko Chizan laughed heartily, not thinking much of it.
"Let's go. I've already found the place you wanted."
"Also, I moved that Turtle Island to the northern sea."
"You can go to Turtle Island anytime, but I haven't finished the generators and that sort of thing you mentioned."
"You know I just ran off from the Grass Country battlefield; I had no time to set up those things."
Orochimaru nodded; he had also escaped on the run, with nothing on him but the money and research materials he carried.
"By the way, after you settle in, prioritize producing a batch of medicine."
"The daimyo is pressing for it. Just those that restore vitality will do."
"You know how it is."
Orochimaru nodded. Although he found making such trivial potions tedious, if it would appease the daimyo's office, he would do it.
...
The Land of Hot Water battlefield.
Orochimaru's sudden disappearance had put Konoha on the back foot.
Uchiha Fugaku temporarily took command.
"Damn it, where the hell did Orochimaru go?"
He was now analyzing Orochimaru's movements at the camp. A few days earlier he had already ordered Orochimaru's disappearance to be reported to the village — he expected some reply would come.
The Mist Hidden Village's offensive wasn't that fierce. After all, the number of Konoha ninja stationed in the Land of Hot Water was considerable, and prominent clans like the Uchiha and Hyuga were present.
Even if the Seven Ninja Swordsmen led an assault, Kirigakure couldn't cross the threshold.
At the same time, a Konoha ANBU sped toward the Land of Hot Water battlefield.
"Sir, did Orochimaru really defect?"
The leader was none other than ANBU captain Shinnosuke, though now his whole presence radiated a fearsome aura.
His thoughts were pulled back to that scene at the Hokage building.
"Lord Hokage, Orochimaru went missing on the Land of Hot Water battlefield."
"We suspect he defected..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to the report with his hands clenched tightly; a flicker of pain and regret crossed his face.
"As expected of my student — very cautious. He must have heard something."
"Running off from the battlefield, it seems he planned this thoroughly..."
Shinnosuke listened to Hiruzen Sarutobi speaking to himself.
After a long silence, he heard Hiruzen Sarutobi give a firm order.
"ANBU deploy. Search the Land of Hot Water. Find any trace of Orochimaru."
"If found, return him by force..."
ANBU's first squad mobilized — five battle-hardened ninja.
Led by Shinnosuke, their objective pointed straight at Orochimaru.