After the war, Mount Myōboku had become a place filled with xingchou (blood and decay). The mangled remains of fallen ninja frogs lay scattered in every corner. Almost every inch of land was packed with explosive tags and metal fragments. Each grain of sand had fully absorbed the blood of the ninja frogs.
This was one of the most brutal battles ever recorded in ninja history.
Of course, the Expeditionary Ninja Force under Hyūga Sōshu achieved their desired outcome. Today, Mount Myōboku has become the direct territory of Hyūga Sōshu.
And naturally, it was also Sōshu's most trusted elite unit that was left behind to remain at Mount Myōboku and take responsibility for cleaning up after the battle.
Kimimaro, still very young, was among those stationed there as part of the garrison.
As a political hostage sent by the Kaguya Clan to the Shinsengumi, Kimimaro's talent was widely recognized and highly praised. That was why he had been directly appointed as a Tokubetsu Jonin by Hyūga Sōshu at only teenage years old. After all, aside from the Kaguya Clan's inherited Taijutsu, he wasn't skilled in any Five Chakra Nature Transformations. Additionally, his lack of notable combat achievements didn't stop him from being appointed as Tokubetsu Jonin at such a young age.
Even so, within the entire garrison, Kimimaro was still a figure of considerable authority and influence.
Especially noteworthy was that, among all the Jonin Officers, he was the youngest, held the lowest rank, yet commanded the largest number of direct subordinates. This fact alone reflected his unique position among his peers and demonstrated Hyūga Sōshu's trust and high expectations for him.
"The progress today was extremely unsatisfactory!"
After completing the daily routine cleanup duties, Kimimaro followed tradition by calling together his immediate subordinates for a stern lecture. "Although you completed both the [Baseline Objective] and [Advanced Objective], you only managed half of the critical [Impact Objective]! That's completely unacceptable!"
What he referred to, of course, were the daily tasks of cleaning and maintenance across various parts of Mount Myōboku. While these tasks weren't particularly dangerous, due to the sheer brutality of the war, the post-battle cleanup had turned into an extremely heavy burden. Even after nearly a month of continuous cleanup efforts by the stationed troops, only a third of Mount Myōboku had been restored to its original state.
Although the current cleanup progress was entirely within the planned timeframe, Kimimaro never believed in such passive inefficiency. Therefore, in order to complete the mission as soon as possible, he had independently set additional requirements—like [Advanced Objectives] and [Challenge Goals]—for his subordinates, pushing them to finish their work faster and better.
However, after nearly a month of intense pressure and relentless work, his men were beginning to feel overwhelmed.
"Lieutenant Kimimaro, we've been flat out non-stop for almost a month now,"
one of his subordinates, a Hozuki Chunin, said helplessly. "We've been pounding Military Rations Pills all month long. Way too many of those things messes up your gut and ruins your sleep. If not for the Medical Ninja supplying sleeping pills, I wouldn't know what to do."
"Seriously, man, we gotta find some balance between work and rest or we're gonna snap."
Other Chunin officers voiced their agreement.
"Are you telling me my approval of special bonuses isn't enough? Now you're actually asking for time off?"
"Honorable Lady Soushu must be served with life! Rest is for the dead!"
Kimimaro showed no sympathy for his subordinates' exhaustion and instead barked orders loudly.
Thus, that group of young ninjas, all from the Shinsengumi as well, could only bow their heads and take the scolding.
Though they looked gloomy, inside they weren't too bothered. Everyone knew Kimimaro's bark was worse than his bite—once he was done ranting, it'd be time for some well-earned rest.
"Check how much progress we've completed!"
After scolding this group thoroughly, Kimimaro took a breath before asking one of the clerical ninjas.
"We've already completed two-thirds! Compared with other teams, our progress speed is twice theirs!"
The clerical ninja immediately responded.
He'd memorized these numbers thoroughly and recited them without needing to refer to any notes.
"Only double?"
As expected, Kimimaro frowned, speaking harshly: "Since that's the case, I'll only give you two days of rest! And none of you are allowed to leave Mount Myoboku!"
"Hail to Honorable Lady Kimimaro!"
The subordinates immediately erupted in joyful cheers.
"Wrong! It should be 'Hail to the supreme Sovereign Soushu!'"
Kimimaro corrected them. "Come on! Repeat after me!"
"Hail to the supreme Sovereign Soushu!"
Mount Myoboku echoed with voices and excitement, while the former Ninja Frogs had become nothing more than forgotten fragments in ancient texts.
Meanwhile, the Ninja Snakes responsible for hiding in the Savage Lands to monitor the ninjas had finally seen their relief shift arrive.
"You're finally here!"
The gray snake on watch duty teared up upon seeing the newly arrived black snake, as if meeting a long-awaited savior.
"It was a direct order from Divine Maiden Tamayu; I had no choice."
The black snake seemed very unwilling but still spoke reluctantly: "Do you have something wrong with you? Not knowing gratitude despite having your life preserved here, pushing for shift changes right on the hour—it's so inappropriate! You've clearly lost all sense of responsibility!"
"Hehe!"
The gray snake snorted mockingly: "Let's see if you can still laugh saying these words after enduring a month here!"
If it hadn't been completely worn out, it wouldn't have wanted to return to Ryuchi Cave—a place soaked in bloodshed.
For Ninja Snakes, compared to the desolate and dull Savage Lands, even Ryuchi Cave seemed pleasant in contrast.
"Incompetent fool! Hope you get eaten the moment you return to your den!"
The black snake said insincerely.
Ironically, though the Ryuchi Cave Ninja Snake line suffered heavy losses during the Shogunate's far-off wars—losing many of their top-tier snakes—the reduced population actually gave the cave's harsh ecosystem some breathing room, improving life for the remaining Ninja Snakes.
It was precisely because of this that these ninja snakes, who had suddenly begun enjoying a better life, were unwilling to leave their nests and venture into the desolate Savage Lands filled with danger.
"Hmph!"
Gray Snake didn't feel like arguing. He simply snorted coldly before shaking his head and swaying his tail toward his hiding cave. "Come with me — there are things I must make perfectly clear to you!"
"RUA!"
Black Snake snarled, flashing his fangs, yet he still slithered after Gray Snake.
"Oh, by the way, there's something strange about the Natural Energy in the air."
While heading toward the cave, Black Snake suddenly noticed something unusual.
At this moment, the Savage Lands seemed somehow different from its reputation as a lifeless wasteland. Although faint, there was still detectable Natural Energy in the air. Unlike the restless Natural Energy underground in Ryuchi Cave, the energy here appeared unusually serene — almost as though it were gently flowing without resistance.
"It must have spilled over from Mount Myoboku. After all, the mist barrier has been destroyed, and the new barriers placed by the ninja cannot fully prevent the leakage of Natural Energy," Gray Snake casually replied.
Moments later, an inconspicuous crack appeared among the cluster of rocks.
"This is it."
Gray Snake slithered through the crevice, continuously going deeper until finally entering a narrow fissure within the rock layers.
"Who in their right mind could survive in a place like this?"
Black Snake glanced around the confined space and couldn't help but complain, "This hellish place is practically snake abuse!"
"I won't go into further details. Just follow the daily patrol requirements yourself; also, don't get too close to the navigation routes — if discovered, that'd be a huge problem. Above all, avoid conflicts with ninjas. If escape fails and you can't win a fight — end yourself. We can't risk ending up dissected in a ninja lab."
Gray Snake ignored Black Snake's complaints and laid down the rules flatly.
"But how can we track their movements if we don't get up close?"
Black Snake asked, surprised.
"I came here to keep tabs on them — I can't afford to slack off!"
"Heh heh!" Gray Snake couldn't even bother to respond directly.
After all, sooner or later, reality would show him what it truly means to be a snake — if he survives the next round of ninja sweeps, that is.
"Hey! Say something!" Black Snake became visibly upset at Gray Snake's attitude. "You're disgracing Ryuchi Cave! That kind of behavior is unforgivable!"
"Monitoring and scouting along the navigation routes and areas like Mount Myoboku — that's the job for other ninja snakes. Your and my duty is simply to lie low right here, quietly watch from afar, and do as little as possible. Doing more might only draw attention from the ninjas — and that would definitely be bad."
Gray Snake gave his tail a lazy whip. "I've said everything necessary. As for the rest — you're on your own luck!"
With that, Gray Snake turned and began swaying his tail back out of the cave. Judging from his cheerful-looking silhouette, he seemed quite pleased.
"This is completely disgraceful!"
Black Snake felt uneasy deep down, but he still shot back defiantly, "I *will* make something of myself on this lousy post! One day, I'll carve out my own spot in Ryuchi Cave!"
Then, Black Snake curled up inside the cave, staring motionlessly at the barren and silent expanse ahead.
Not knowing how much time had passed, suddenly, continuous explosions echoed from afar.
"Enemy intrusion!"
Instinct kicked in — Black Snake barked out the alert.
"There's a big one over here!"
But because it had raised the alarm, soon a group of ninjas surrounded it. They started throwing explosive tags everywhere, unleashing relentless blasts until the entire surface rock layer was blown apart, exposing Black Snake's coiled body.
Only then did Black Snake realize what had happened after accidentally revealing its position — somehow, it had fallen asleep during surveillance, allowing the ninja to sneak right up close!
Now this was bad — way worse than usual. This time, death might not even be an option!
Staring at the grim-faced ninjas surrounding him, Black Snake's pulse pounded with dread.
Suddenly, a smoke bomb exploded behind it. The rapidly spreading mist carried a terrifying scent, enveloping Black Snake before it lost consciousness.
When it finally woke up, it found itself locked inside a transparent box, with all the bones below its seventh cervical vertebra completely dislocated.
In other words, dying wouldn't be easy anymore!
As for what came next? Definitely no room service or spa treatments.
"Honorable Sanshouo Hanzo, the recent clean-up operation captured seventy-six ninja snakes, plus nearly five hundred non-intelligent ones."
After completing the cleansing mission in the Savage Lands, the Hyuga ninja in charge returned to the Transit Station Base and reported to Sanshouo Hanzo.
"How is the new drug performing?"
Sanshouo Hanzo showed no particular reaction to these results but instead asked another question.
"It's very effective! According to frontline feedback, once common ninja snakes are shrouded in the smoke, even if they don't immediately collapse unconscious, their combat effectiveness plummets significantly. It's indeed a highly useful tool for frontline operations!"
The Hyuga ninja said promptly, "If possible, we'd like to request additional supplies!"
"No further requests can be approved — we'll submit usage reports. If everything checks out, Orochimaru's lab will provide a stable formula for mass production. The next allocation should probably happen in about three to five months."
Sanshouo Hanzo shook his head helplessly.
"Also, entering Ryuchi Cave from the Ninja World side will likely require such supplies."
The Hyuga ninja shrugged helplessly.
And preparations like these — including specially designed smoke bombs — were all specifically developed targeting Ryuchi Cave's environment and ninja snake habits.
After all, once humans start pushing deeper into those underground tunnels, the odds are definitely stacked against us.
If someone accidentally knocks down the cave's pillar rocks during a battle using ninjutsu, it might cause the entire tunnel to collapse, trapping everyone inside like a deadly tomb.
Under such circumstances, the importance of ninja tools becomes even more apparent.
And specially crafted smoke bombs are the most effective ninja tools for use in an underground chamber.
The ninja with the deepest knowledge and unique insights into snakes? None other than Orochimaru, the former Chijinkai member of Ryuchi Cave.
This special smoke bomb designed to weaken or even stun Ninja Snakes is one of Orochimaru's outstanding creations.
Whether in laboratory tests or in current small-scale practical combat, this smoke bomb—infused with realgar and other ingredients, incorporating secret techniques and secret medicinal potions from various clans and villages across the Ninja World—has shown excellent effectiveness in countering snakes.
"What a shame," said the Hyuga ninja with a sigh. "If only I had the chance to take part in the campaign of the Underground World, my life would truly be complete!"
The Hyuga ninja let out a sigh.
"Restoring order in the Savage Lands is also contributing to Honored Soushu's cause," Sanshouo Hanzo replied without even lifting his head.
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