章節 206: Chapter 207 : Sneak Into!
Looking at the aged bounty lists, Takeshi's mind began to churn. It was hard for him to fathom that this was merely a mission assigned by an ordinary clan and nation to combat adversaries.
It was evident that these tasks were not issued by those with simple motives, but rather by individuals who coveted the potency of Bloodline Limit. The fact that these missions had endured for so long indicated that their originators were not to be taken lightly.
In the Naruto World, the black market primarily functioned as a nexus for assassins and intelligence operatives. Services like money laundering, cashing, and trading were secondary and only happened incidentally.
The professions of assassins and intelligence agents were among the oldest in human history, destined never to fade away. Even during the Warring States Period, a black market existed. Considering that the Warring States Period spanned hundreds of thousands of years, this was a testament to the enduring nature of these covert activities.
"For some reason, I recall the mysterious organization mentioned by Hyuga Clan Head, whether it truly exists or not, and the disappearing innate ninjas. Like Troy, a clan without repulsive cells is a unique kind of Bloodline Limit."
"There are also ninja clans historically renowned but unexplainably weak, such as the Hyuga clan sharing the blood with the Sage of Six Path and his brother, or the Land of Whirlpools with tens of thousands of people, yet a population of one million vanished."
The ninja world's waters ran deep. Kaguya's appearance a thousand years ago was just the tip of the iceberg. Takeshi knew nothing about the hidden entities in this world, and he remained ignorant of the three most familiar holy places and the secrets of his own Bloodline Limit.
"In essence, we are in a predicament here..."
Just as Takeshi was pondering, a voice interrupted him.
"Orochimaru? What's the issue?"
Takeshi hastily departed from the black market, found a secluded corner, closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and initiated spiritual communication.
"Do you suspect it is Black Zetsu?"
"Alright, understood."
"Proceed with the plan."
....
On the battlefield of Kumogakure, Orochimaru, who sat in quiet contemplation, opened his dark golden eyes. Tsunade and Jiraiya, observing the surroundings, turned their attention to him.
"It's safe now; let's continue."
Orochimaru stretched, pulled out a map, examined it, and then led the way forward. He had a sense that if Black Zetsu truly intended harm, the three of them wouldn't have escaped so easily.
"Be cautious, a team of Kumogakure is passing by!"
Orochimaru suddenly halted without warning and pressed the two individuals behind him under a bush. After half a minute, a rustling sound followed, and four Cloud Ninjas traversed the tree trunks above them. The lead ninja scanned the area, as if catching a scent, before departing.
"It's perilous; are they after us?"
Jiraiya, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, whispered, "This is too intense, Orochimaru, how did you detect them?"
"... Consider me a sensory ninja," Orochimaru replied casually, his pupils faintly glowing with a pale light.
Hearing Orochimaru's nonchalant tone, Jiraiya couldn't help but feel disheartened, sensing his own inadequacy, especially considering his carefree training at Mount Myoboku.
"There appears to be a significant troop movement through here."
Orochimaru observed the soil beneath his feet, even releasing a few snakes to roam around. Afterward, he reached a conclusion.
"I doubt it was left by Sarutobi-sensei and Uchiha's troops. Judging by the freshness and the lingering faint aura, it seems Cloud Ninja's forces passed through not long ago." Orochimaru spoke with a grave expression.
"What? This is impossible! Sarutobi-sensei and Kagami-sama's troops were only deployed a day ago. How did these Kumogakures manage to circumvent them?" Tsunade exclaimed in surprise, her expression shifting dramatically. "They couldn't be coming specifically for us, that would be too audacious even for them. I fear it might be an attack on Sarutobi-sensei!"
"Not necessarily. It might just be Kumogakure's scouting unit, though it does seem like a sizable group," Orochimaru pondered for a moment and then spoke earnestly, "We've encountered a situation like this on a previous mission. A stronghold was captured without us realizing it. It could be the reason why the Cloud Ninja I encountered before was so formidable. But judging by the sudden attack by Konoha ninjas, it appears that some among us might be under mysterious control, or perhaps there are spies who've betrayed our situation."
"What?! If that's the case... Those Cloud Ninjas may have learned about Mr. Sarutobi's movements, manipulated them, and waited for the perfect moment to strike at their troops, possibly lurking not far from them," Tsunade anxiously speculated.
Considering this possibility, Tsunade couldn't contain her worry and added, "Kumogakure was clearly suppressed by us before, unable to break through our defense line, achieving no substantial gains. How could they suddenly grasp the purpose of our actions?"
"This could be an accident, and it's too early to draw conclusions," Orochimaru remarked, looking at the perplexed Jiraiya and the fidgety Tsunade. "To find out, the best course of action is to speed up and reach them, confirm Kumogakure's location, and then figure out a way to contact Sarutobi-sensei."
"Of course, it's risky. We might end up within the range of Kumogakure's troops. If we run into their large force, we're as good as dead. Others might divert their firepower towards us," Orochimaru cautioned, spreading his hands and calmly observing the two's reactions.
In reality, Orochimaru felt quite at ease. The surrounding Cloud Ninja troops seemed to have a specific target, Sarutobi and Uchiha's troops, not them. It indicated that Black Zetsu might not be heavily involved here, as he wouldn't act personally, and White Zetsu wouldn't assist. Sannin didn't hold much value for him.
Sand Ninjas had already been dealt with by Takeshi. In Black Zetsu's eyes, making Konoha weaker wasn't a priority. He simply manipulated Kumogakure to secretly interfere and inflict a significant loss on Konoha.
As long as they avoided being targeted, Orochimaru believed he had room to manipulate the situation, even creating some trouble for Kumogakure. This was speculation, though; if things went awry, Takeshi was his secret backup.
"Sarutobi-sensei has been kind to us. Now that he's in danger, no matter how difficult it is, we must try to find out what Cloud Ninja is up to ahead of us and then find a way to inform Sarutobi-sensei!" Jiraiya, the top intelligence officer in the making, declared, looking directly at Orochimaru without hesitation.
"Yes, Konoha is our home. I'll do my best to protect it. I can't just stand by while the sensei is in danger!" Tsunade added, visibly nervous but resolute in tone.
"Understood. Be cautious, suppress your chakra. I'll take the lead, pay attention to my cues and act accordingly," Orochimaru instructed as he quietly entered Sage Mode, using the natural energy to reduce his chakra fluctuations.
Kumogakure lacked the enhanced detection methods possessed by Byakugan, and Orochimaru, with his formidable spiritual power, was essentially a sensory ninja.
Confident that he could sense them in advance, Orochimaru considered their situation advantageous. Since Kumogakure was focused on Sarutobi and Uchiha's troops, not them, Orochimaru saw an opportunity to manipulate the situation, with Takeshi as a backup.
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