Chapter 145: A Campfire and Murderous Intent in the Dense Forest
Night had fallen, and the dense forest was utterly silent. Occasionally, one could hear the rustle of nocturnal animals or the whisper of the wind through the leaves.
One spot in the thick woods was subtly different from the rest. Weak, hidden auras subtly emanated from many towering trees. These concealed, faint energies, like a spiderweb, intertwined and scanned for any unusual movement, maintaining an exceptionally strict vigil over some secret activity.
In the center of this secret forest, surrounded by hidden sentries, a point of orange firelight pierced through the layers of leaves, casting a weak glow into the distance.
This was a flourishing campfire.
A group of nearly twenty powerful-looking men in black, with subtly concealed auras, were scattered around the fire, listening to one muscular man who was the center of attention, like stars orbiting the moon.
The man's physique was extraordinarily robust and sturdy. His bulging muscles stretched his entire black windbreaker taut. He was at least a head larger than anyone else, and his mere presence naturally exuded a powerful aura, inspiring involuntary awe.
The man's face was ordinary, but he had a shaved head. A long, hideous, earthworm-like scar ran from the crown of his head, across his brow, around his nose, and slashed across his entire right cheek, as if his face had been obliquely sliced in half. This gave the man a sudden sense of brutality.
In his thick hands, the man held a map. He carefully examined it under the light of the campfire, compared his surroundings, and then spoke to his subordinates: "At our current speed, we will reach our destination—To-machi—tomorrow. Once we destroy this biggest logistics reserve base in Konoha's rear, we Sand Ninja will smoothly win this war! When that happens, even if we can't escape back to the Sand front line, we will be remembered eternally by the descendants who escape the hardships of the desert. Our story will live forever!"
The man's words filled the eyes of the black-clad ninja around him with excitement and yearning. They keenly felt the light of victory and hope was close by, seemingly within reach.
What they didn't know was that an uninvited guest had quietly infiltrated their perimeter.
The campfire's glow, passing through a gap in the thick branches and leaves, suddenly illuminated a pair of dark-golden eyes.
These exotic, captivating, dark-golden snake eyes coldly and ruthlessly observed the group by the campfire from afar. The eyes instantly vanished behind the foliage, merging back into the deep darkness.
Planning the Interception
Orochimaru leaned against the root of a large tree, a trace of worry creasing his brow. This Sand Ninja team actually included a Semi-Kage level powerhouse. Although the rest were only Elite Chūnin, the major, unexpected development still made him uneasy and difficult to handle.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and thought for a while, finally settling on a rough plan. He licked his lips, giving a wicked, excited smile: "A Semi-Kage powerhouse, is it? If I can eliminate the rest of the riff-raff, with Aokita and Aokiya cooperating... Heh heh!"
Next, he quietly called: "Chi!"
The nearby shadow suddenly rippled like water, creating dark waves. Chi's elusive figure emerged from the darkness and knelt respectfully on one knee before Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's powerful spiritual energy swept out. Although the action was expansive, his superb control kept it subtle and soundless, like a gentle breeze.
In a single breath, he grasped the layout and positions of all the hidden sentries in the dense forest.
Orochimaru pointed in several directions in the darkness and commanded coldly to Chi: "There are a total of seven sentries in those directions. Eliminate all of them within three minutes!"
Chi, who never questioned Orochimaru's orders and never said a task was impossible, nodded silently and melted back into the shadows.
Chi left to deal with the sentries, but Orochimaru wasn't idle. He bit his right index finger, drawing a line of blood across the black snake tattoo on his left forearm, while continuously forming complex and mysterious summoning hand signs with his hands.
He slammed his left hand onto the ground. Intricate jutsu formulas spiraled outward, and large, sea-bowl thick, mottled venomous pythons immediately burst out of the summoning formula, vying for space.
The terrifying, mottled snake horde looked at Orochimaru. Their snake eyes, one pair after another, displayed expressions of disbelief, awe, and obedience. They coiled obediently around Orochimaru, daring not to move except for occasionally flickering their tongues.
After about two minutes, Chi reappeared from the shadows, a faint, lingering killing intent still clinging to him.
Orochimaru gave a satisfied, slight smile: "Go bring the others over. Keep it quiet, don't give away our location, lest we alert the snake before striking!"
After Chi nodded and slipped back into the shadows, Orochimaru moved his consciousness, and the snake horde immediately shot out. In a moment, they returned with noticeably bulging stomachs, looking utterly satisfied.
With the snake horde having disposed of the sentries' bodies, the worry of the scent of blood giving them away was gone. Orochimaru calmly continued to monitor the Sand Ninja by the campfire, waiting for the rest of his team to arrive.
The night deepened. The cold remained intense in the dense forest, though early spring was approaching. Most of the Sand Ninja by the campfire had retreated into their makeshift tents to sleep. Only a few remained by the fire, preparing to switch shifts with the midnight sentries.
Orochimaru calculated the time. The change of the sentry shift was imminent, and the Sand Ninja by the campfire stood up.
Just then, ten figures quietly appeared beside Orochimaru.
"Lord Orochimaru, we have arrived!" Aokita whispered.
Orochimaru commanded: "There is a Semi-Kage level powerhouse in the Sand Ninja squad! When we attack, Aokita and Aokiya, you two will lead the charge and draw the attention of that Semi-Kage level foe. I will suppress my aura and hide behind you. If you two can hold the Semi-Kage for one minute, I can deal with the rest of the Sand Ninja, and then we'll take down the Semi-Kage powerhouse together!"
The team knelt on one knee, listening intently to Orochimaru's orders, waiting for the slaughter to begin.
Orochimaru paused. Seeing the few Elite Chūnin level Sand Ninja by the campfire about to leave to change the guard, he smiled wickedly. His dark-golden snake eyes filled with intense killing intent as he coldly gave the attack order: "Kill!"
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