After leaving the team, Anya did not head directly to the Land of the Blacksmiths. Instead, she went to the Rice Country—yes, that small nation neighboring the Land of Fire.
The reason for coming here was naturally to find someone. And the only person worth personally tracking down so far was Orochimaru, the rogue ninja who defected from Konoha.
Indeed, the defected Orochimaru had not gone far from Konoha. He'd established a stronghold right here in the Rice Country. Upon learning this, Anya came without hesitation.
In the original anime, Orochimaru was the only rogue ninja capable of establishing his own ninja village—an ability alone that placed him far beyond many others. Now that the Zero Organization was expanding, Takigakure (Hidden Waterfall Village) was no longer a suitable base. As for where a new stronghold should be built, Anya wanted to ask his opinion.
Arriving in the Rice Country, Anya immediately activated the Division Technique, sending countless tiny soul fragments bursting from her body, enhanced by the powerful perception granted by the Sharingan. Right now, she could be considered half a sensor ninja herself.
During the half-year spent with Orochimaru, she had grown quite familiar with how he built his bases. It didn't take long before she found a suspicious location deep in an uninhabited area of the Rice Country, surrounded by a barrier.
Anya controlled the Eagle Puppet to fly straight toward it, and without hesitation, broke through the barrier and entered.
Just after stepping inside, a chilling aura spread out from within. Feeling it, Anya's lips curled slightly upward—she had found the right place; this definitely was his stronghold.
As she ventured deeper, suddenly a sword gleaming with cold light shot out from the darkness. The blade carried tremendous piercing force, its brilliant aura pressing heavily even before it reached her.
Anya instantly drew her ninja blade and flicked the tip upward in a quick upward strike.
A human figure flew out from the shadows, catching the sword midair and launching a fierce multi-directional attack. The speed and frequency of the strikes were impressive enough to amaze Anya.
[Dance of the Blade] was unleashed. Her body followed the blade's motion. Then she leapt upward, twisting midair and sweeping out a dazzling arc of Sword Light. The two clashed at full speed, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Anya leaped again, shifting her sword rhythm—from active to restrained. Her Sword Art turned fully inward-focused, then a single cold gleam flashed as pinpoint Sword Lights transformed into falling stars from the sky. The dazzling beams moved like dragons weaving through water, seemingly connecting with thunderbolts crashing down from the heavens. Radiating from above Anya, the Sword Force surged outward like ripples across a still lake, heralding nothing less than impending death.
"Clang…"
Her opponent's sword fell to the ground, struck down by Anya's breathtaking slash. Without pause, the blade pressed against the attacker's throat.
"Pfft… pfft… pfft…"
Applause rang out. Orochimaru's pupils constricted as the blade pressed against his throat, yet he smiled and said, "Anya, your swordplay has improved."
"Uncle, we meet again," Anya replied, sheathing her sword and humbly adding, "That was only possible because you weren't aiming to kill."
Orochimaru casually tucked the fallen sword into his sleeve, then turned and said, "Follow me."
Walking into the hidden chamber, Anya realized it was vastly larger than Konoha's laboratory. The number of test subjects was countless—every single bed was occupied, and each one was undergoing a completely different experiment. It seemed that ever since leaving Konoha, the Serpent Master had finally gone all out. Even that earlier attack had been a test—if Anya hadn't dodged in time, who knew if he really would've slashed her throat with his blade.
After giving Anya the grand tour of the entire lab, Orochimaru spread his arms wide and said proudly, "What do you think?"
Anya gave an honest response. "Impressive."
In such a short time since leaving Konoha, Orochimaru had singlehandedly built such a massive experimental base—an ability few could rival.
Hearing her praise, Orochimaru gave a slight smile before getting straight to the point. "I suppose you came here because you needed something."
"Yes," Anya admitted. "My organization has grown, and I need a proper stronghold to continue developing."
"I see," Orochimaru said with a cold smile. "*Uncle*, you really trust me to come to someone outside your organization about something this important."
"Of course," Anya replied calmly. "I have one hundred percent trust in you, Uncle."
Upon hearing that, Orochimaru's smile deepened. As for what either of them truly thought, that remained a mystery.
Soon after, Orochimaru pulled out a map and pointed to a small spot right in the center. "How about here?"
Anya focused in—the location was Hot Springs Country, the place where White Fang had once abandoned intelligence operations.
Anya's eyes flickered. "What's special about this place?"
Orochimaru, clearly familiar with every nation, answered directly, "There's actually a hidden village inside Hot Springs Country, but it's very weak—it's barely experienced any conflict at all. People call it 'the ninja village that has forgotten war.' So taking control of it would be extremely easy. Plus, its geographical position is unique, sitting at the border junction of three great nations. Now that you've built your own organization, moving around or launching operations wherever you need will be much easier in the future."
As he spoke, Orochimaru looked at Anya with clear intention.
"Definitely not a wasted trip. Thank you, Uncle." After some thought, Anya couldn't help but admire the Serpent Master's foresight. This was truly an ideal choice—strategically complementing Takigakure and covering all the Five Great Countries within its reach. Gathering intelligence in the future would be effortless.
Satisfied with the plan, Anya got ready to leave—but Orochimaru called her back. "I have a piece of intelligence here. Perhaps you'll find it interesting."
"Oh?"
Curious now, Anya accepted the report handed to her by Orochimaru. But the moment she opened it and took a look, she burst into laughter—not from amusement, but from rage.
She conjured up a burst of Flames and reduced the report to ashes, her tone dripping with mockery. "Uncle, if I hadn't blocked your sword earlier… were you planning to just kill me and complete the mission Danzo gave you?"
"Surprisingly enough, this intel came from Danzo to Orochimaru himself — ordering him to eliminate an Anbu agent codenamed 'Night'... which happens to be me.
Ever since I took Yugao away from Root that time, I knew Danzo wouldn't let it slide. So I've been waiting for his countermove, hoping to use it as a chance to strike back and get rid of Danzo, that shadowy mastermind behind the scenes. But honestly, I never expected him to secretly turn to Orochimaru to take me out. How dramatic.
Heh," Orochimaru smirked, glancing at Anya. "Danzo claims it's actually you who's been dying to kill him all along. Isn't it natural for him to retaliate?"
Anya met his gaze without flinching. "Uncle, you already know why I want to kill him. Still, if that's what you want, I can walk away."
Orochimaru's amber-gold eyes narrowed into slits as he spoke each word with deliberate slowness. "Then good… You give up — now."
The atmosphere in the room immediately turned icy...
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