Beyond a stretch of barren land, a massive encampment came into view—Konoha's main base.
This area had once been filled with trees, but they had long been cut down to construct the camp's towering walls. Reinforced with Earth Release techniques, the entire defensive system was further fortified.
Every few steps along the walls, a stationed ninja stood guard, their vigilance ensuring tight security.
Hatake Sakumo signaled the group to halt before stepping forward alone. After presenting their credentials and undergoing a thorough inspection, he finally led everyone inside.
With the Genin and supplies safely delivered to the main camp, Orochimaru and Sakumo's mission was complete. The rest would be handled by specialized personnel.
At the heart of the camp stood a colossal tent—the war council chamber. Upon returning, Orochimaru and Sakumo entered.
Inside, the space was sparse, containing only a wooden table and a few chairs.
"Any noteworthy intelligence from the main battlefield?" Orochimaru asked, his voice calm.
Across from him, Tsunade, who had been dozing off, stirred awake.
"Hmm... you have a point," she muttered, still groggy.
"..."
Orochimaru, however, was used to this. Seeing it was just him and Sakumo, Tsunade relaxed.
"Oh, it's you two," she yawned.
"Haven't been sleeping well?" Sakumo asked.
"Yeah… I don't know what's gotten into the Hidden Stone Village, but they've been launching frequent attacks lately," Tsunade replied, rubbing her temples. "I've barely had any rest."
Sakumo nodded. "We also encountered Stone Village reconnaissance ninjas earlier."
Tsunade didn't seem too surprised. "Scouting ahead of an attack… makes sense."
"However," Orochimaru mused, "now that we've returned, the Stone Village should hesitate to act for a while."
"Any other developments?" Sakumo inquired.
"Not at the moment. We still hold the advantage on the battlefield," Tsunade said. "However… Hanzo's behavior has been strange."
"Oh? How so?"
"The three great nations are waging war across the Land of Rain, causing countless casualties among the Rain Village's people. Yet Hanzo hasn't made a single move."
She gestured to a map on the table. A complex web of lines and dots covered it—each line representing Konoha's troop movements since the start of the Second Shinobi World War, each dot marking a battle site.
"According to intelligence reports, Hanzo still has plenty of ninjas at his disposal, but he hasn't deployed them. If this continues, we'll push deep into their territory. Based on their past resistance, this doesn't add up."
Orochimaru pondered her words, then nodded.
"Hanzo is called the 'Demigod' for a reason. A retreat on the main battlefield doesn't necessarily mean he's conceding defeat. A tactical withdrawal can often mean something bigger is brewing."
"I think so too. However, for now, the battlefield should remain relatively stable."
The three exchanged intelligence, while outside, the tent remained heavily guarded. At least dozens of elite ninjas patrolled the perimeter.
Approaching the tent was strictly prohibited, and even those passing by gave it a wide berth.
"Oh, right—where's Jiraiya?" Orochimaru finally asked, realizing they hadn't seen their teammate since arriving.
Tsunade thought for a moment. "He probably went to visit his disciples."
"He said he hadn't seen them in over a year and missed them terribly."
Orochimaru nodded.
"How talented are they?" Tsunade asked, leaning forward with interest. "He keeps bragging about them."
"I don't know," Orochimaru admitted. "But I doubt they're as good as my disciples."
"Aren't they my disciples too?" Tsunade pouted. "What are you so smug about?"
"Speaking of Tatsumi, I just remembered something," Orochimaru continued. "Are there any suitable missions for his team?"
Tsunade frowned. "What are you planning? The battlefield is dangerous. Wouldn't it be better for the three of them to stay at the base and train?"
She was clearly reluctant to let Tatsumi and Nawaki take risks.
"What they need is actual combat experience, not just training," Orochimaru countered.
"What would they even do here? Throw shuriken from eight hundred meters away if an enemy shows up?"
"You know Tatsumi's strength. He can handle ordinary enemies. Nothing will happen."
"What's wrong with throwing shuriken?" Tsunade muttered under her breath, though she was clearly reconsidering.
With a sigh, she shuffled through the chaotic pile of mission documents.
After a moment, she found a few.
"Investigate the Hidden Sand Village's defenses? No, no, that's suicide."
"Intercept the Hidden Stone Village's supply route? No, definitely too many Jonin involved."
"Assassinate Hanzo… Difficulty B? …What kind of idiot issued this mission?" Tsunade slammed the table.
After several failed options, she finally picked one.
"This one—reconnaissance at the battlefield's edge. Dangerous, but not life-threatening. It'll serve as training."
"Good," Orochimaru said, taking the document. He glanced at Sakumo before leaving.
Tch. In such a hurry. And he just criticized Jiraiya for being the same way, Tsunade thought with a sigh.
She had noticed Orochimaru had been… different lately. A bit more talkative, even cheerful.
Watching his departing figure, she wondered—was it because his disciples were with him?
Speaking of which, her own disciple, Kushina, was still in the Hidden Leaf.
She sighed. I hope no one's bullying her.
Of course, her worries were completely unnecessary.
At this moment, Kushina, who had been left behind in the village, was finally unleashing her true nature—thanks to the encouragement of a certain sly old fox.
Thus, various bizarre incidents began plaguing the Hidden Leaf.
Why was the Hokage's beard mysteriously burned?
Why were hundreds of slugs rampaging through the village streets?
Why was the Hokage Rock repeatedly vandalized?
Why were manga stores constantly reporting thefts?
And why were there so many dine-and-dash cases at the ramen shop?
Was this a distortion of human nature? A decline in morality?
Or perhaps…
This was the beginning of a legend.
The legend of the Red-Hot Habanero.
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