Chiye followed the Root Ninja, codenamed 'Chicken,' through the dense forest.
Chakra silently adhered to the tree trunks beneath his feet, each step as light as a cat's.
They ran for about half an hour.
The surrounding trees gradually thinned out, replaced by hidden doors nestled within the rock walls.
"We're here."
'Chicken' stopped, formed hand signs, and pressed his hands against the rock wall.
Dark runes spread like a spiderweb.
Then, the rock slowly split open, revealing a deep, secluded passage.
Chiye narrowed his eyes, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan flickering faintly in the darkness, taking in every detail around him.
This was one of Root's strongholds.
At the end of the passage was a spacious underground hall.
Under the dim lights, two familiar figures were illuminated.
Danzo Shimura leaned on his cane, his single eye coldly fixed on them.
"Lord Danzo!"
Danzo Shimura waved him off.
"Yes!"
The Root Ninja, codenamed Chicken, instantly vanished.
Orochimaru's golden slit pupils narrowed slightly as he gazed at Uchiha Chiye.
A meaningful smile played on his lips.
"Chiye-kun... how surprising."
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and low.
"I didn't expect you to survive the battle against Hanzo."
Survived?
That was true; only he had survived.
Chiye's expression remained unchanged as he glanced at the two people in front of him.
"Just luck."
Danzo frowned, watching Uchiha Chiye, who seemed unimpressed by him.
"Time is short, let's get straight to business."
He waved his hand, and several Root Ninja appeared, quickly unfurling several scrolls onto a stone table.
These scrolls contained Kumogakure's patrol routes, detailed portraits of Ninja, and even comprehensive topographical maps of Kumogakure's interior and exterior.
"According to reliable intelligence, Kumogakure has decided to deploy a Jinchuriki into the battle.
I summoned you today for an operation targeting the Jinchuriki.
As long as we can kill the Jinchuriki, we can effectively prevent Kumogakure from participating in this war!"
Danzo looked at Chiye.
"Yes, your subordinate told me!"
Danzo withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice.
"The Eight-Tailed Jinchuriki, Fukai, has a volatile personality. Although he isn't openly ostracized in the Village, he has no friends due to his Jinchuriki status. A long period in a dark and lonely environment must have weakened his will.
Your Uchiha Clan's Sharingan genjutsu will have a place here."
Chiye's gaze swept over the map, his heart stirring.
The Jinchuriki's situation was about what he expected.
"So, your mission..."
A cold glint flashed in Danzo's single eye, and he paused before speaking.
"Infiltrate Kumogakure, locate the Jinchuriki.
Use the Sharingan's genjutsu to temporarily control him, unseal the sealing jutsu on him, separate Fukai from the Eight-Tails within him, and use the Tailed Beast's unconscious rampage."
"This way, the Jinchuriki will die, and we can also use the Tailed Beast to strike at Kumogakure's morale."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
"An interesting mission."
Danzo ignored his reaction and continued.
"Yakushi Nonou has been undercover in Kumogakure for many years; she will be your inside contact.
But remember, this operation must be covert. If exposed, Konoha will not acknowledge your identities."
Chiye nodded slightly, deep in thought.
Yakushi Nonou?
Yakushi Kabuto's future foster mother, and one of Root's most excellent spies.
Danzo took out two pitch-black sealing scrolls from his sleeve and handed them to Chiye and Orochimaru respectively.
"These are my Baku summoning scrolls. Do not use them unless absolutely necessary."
Summoning Beast?
It seemed Danzo was truly going all out this time.
If he remembered correctly, the Baku was one of Danzo's major trump cards.
"When do we depart?"
Chiye asked.
"Now."
Danzo said coldly.
"Kumogakure's patrol teams rotate every three days. Today is the best time to infiltrate."
Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"How impatient!"
Chiye said nothing more, placing the scroll into his Ninja tool pouch.
...
The night was deep, and two figures silently traversed the forest, heading towards Kumogakure.
Orochimaru glanced at Chiye, his golden slit pupils gleaming with curiosity.
"Chiye-kun, I'm very curious..."
"How did you survive against Hanzo?"
Chiye kept walking, saying faintly.
"Luck."
"Hehe..."
Orochimaru's laugh held a hint of amusement.
"Luck that allows one to escape from a 'Demigod' is truly rare."
Chiye did not reply.
"If we continue at this pace, we might not reach it tonight..."
Chiye looked over.
"Your meaning?"
Orochimaru smiled.
He suddenly stopped, and Chiye, seeing this, also halted.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Orochimaru bit his finger and pressed it onto the scroll in his hand.
A magical array appeared on the ground.
With a 'bang'.
Two massive, yellowish-brown snakes appeared before them.
Orochimaru bent his knees and leaped directly onto the head of one of the large snakes.
"We'll use these!"
Chiye was momentarily stunned, looking at the large snake whose head was at least two meters wide. With Chakra covering his feet, he mimicked Orochimaru and leaped onto the snake's head.
Immediately, the large snake beneath him rapidly rushed forward.
"Using this Summoning Beast, the speed is much faster!"
Orochimaru's long hair blew in the wind, and he didn't forget to turn and explain with a smile to Chiye.
"If Chiye-kun needs a Summoning Beast, I do have a few more scrolls."
"No need."
Chiye knew Orochimaru was not a benevolent person; anything he gave away required a return.
Although he had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan and gained confidence and strength, Chiye still did not want to interact much with someone like Orochimaru.
"That's truly a pity!"
A hint of regret flashed across Orochimaru's effeminate face.
The journey was silent.
After several hours of long-distance travel, Chiye and Orochimaru finally arrived at the outskirts of Kumogakure.
This place was completely different from Konoha.
Konoha Village was nestled within lush, green forests, with sunlight filtering through the leaves, warm and peaceful.
Kumogakure, however, was a steel fortress built upon treacherous mountains.
Towering black rock walls were as steep as if carved by a knife, and through the swirling mist, massive steel structures embedded within the mountains were vaguely visible. Lightning occasionally struck from the clouds, exploding into dazzling blue-white electric flashes above the Village.
The entire Village resembled a colossal beast dormant within thunderclouds, exuding a sense of oppression.
"Truly... an unpleasant environment."
Orochimaru narrowed his golden slit pupils and murmured.
Chiye didn't respond, merely observing Kumogakure's defensive layout in silence.
The patrolling Kumogakure Ninja were in groups of three, with tight spacing, leaving almost no blind spots.
"Looks like we'll need some special methods."
Orochimaru licked his lips, and a small black snake slithered out of his sleeve, silently burrowing underground.
Before long, a faint rustling sound came from the distant forest.
A slender figure quietly appeared.
The newcomer was about Chiye's age, wearing a Kumogakure forehead protector. Her long golden hair was tied into a neat ponytail, her face was delicate, and her figure was tall, but her eyes held the coldness characteristic of Root.
However, as she approached, Chiye keenly noticed that her gaze softened slightly as it swept over him.
Yakushi Nonou
She was Yakushi Nonou?
The one known as the 'Walking Miko'?
In the original story, her ending was quite tragic.
Her adopted son's photo was swapped, and she was ultimately manipulated into dying by her own adopted son's hand.
Yakushi Nonou
It would truly be a shame if such a person were to die.
Perhaps...
[Mission Triggered: Intercept Yakushi Nonou. Reward: Medical Ninjutsu Mastery.]
Hmm?
A mission appeared?!
Chiye was momentarily stunned, then reacted.
His gaze fell once more upon Yakushi Nonou.
"Lord Orochimaru."
Yakushi Nonou bowed slightly, her voice calm.
"It's been a long time, Yakushi Nonou."
Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely.
"Seeing your forehead protector, I presume your infiltration in Kumogakure has been successful."
Yakushi Nonou didn't reply.
Instead, she directly took out a scroll from her bosom and handed it to Orochimaru.
"Lord Orochimaru, this is Fukai's recent whereabouts and the deployment map of Yunlei Gorge."
Orochimaru unrolled the scroll and quickly scanned it.
Fukai was currently unable to fully control the Eight-Tails, but he could use the Tailed Beast's Chakra for attacks. He was temporarily isolated deep within Yunlei Gorge by Kumogakure's higher-ups.
The guard there was not strict, but the terrain was treacherous, making escape extremely difficult if exposed.
"The Jinchuriki's training has progressed greatly."
Yakushi Nonou added, with a hint of subtle worry in her tone.
"I heard he can already consciously control the Eight-Tails' Chakra for attacks, and he even destroyed half a training ground recently."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes flashed with excitement.
"A stable Eight-Tails Jinchuriki... truly perfect experimental material."
"And one more thing."
Yakushi Nonou hesitated, then spoke.
"Kumogakure seems to have noticed my movements and has recently strengthened border patrols.
If you are going to act, it's best to complete it before dawn tomorrow."
Chiye nodded, committing the information to memory.
"Oh, right..."
Yakushi Nonou suddenly looked at Orochimaru and Chiye, a complex emotion in her eyes.
"If you release the Tailed Beast, could you please avoid the ordinary civilians of Kumogakure?"
Orochimaru's cold gaze lifted.
"What, Yakushi Nonou, have you grown fond of Kumogakure?"
Yakushi Nonou was silent for a moment, then finally sighed and said no more.
"If possible, I will try to avoid it."
Chiye suddenly spoke, agreeing.
At these words, Orochimaru paused, looking at Uchiha Chiye with interest.
"Time is short."
"We should depart."
Yakushi Nonou gave Chiye one last look, then turned and disappeared into the forest.
Chiye put away the scroll, his gaze turning towards the distant, mist-shrouded Yunlei Gorge.