Land of Fire
The exit of an unknown cave
As the afternoon sun cast long shadows, the scent of sizzling meat filled the air. Bai Ye had set up a grill, lazily turning skewers over the open flame. The aroma alone was enough to make mouths water.
Tsunade, meanwhile, had taken possession of Bai Ye's personal wine gourd, drinking deeply without a care.
Bai Ye reclined, exuding an air of leisure. This so-called business trip wasn't any different from his usual excursions—much like when he recruited Tsunade as the Medical Captain of the Uchiha Guard. That, too, had been more of a casual outing than an official mission.
"Such a pity."
Bai Ye sighed as he picked up the gourd Tsunade had just drunk from, taking a sip himself.
"What is?"
Tsunade, slightly flushed from the alcohol, arched a brow.
Was this guy using the excuse of drinking to get an indirect kiss?
Then again, technically, the gourd belonged to him in the first place. If anything, she was the one taking advantage.
Bai Ye simply shook his head and didn't elaborate. There were some things that only crossed his mind when he was eating and drinking his fill.
"But on another note, you really are durable, aren't you?"
His gaze shifted to the figure sprawled on the ground, barely stirring.
Orochimaru, after hours of taking a beating, finally twitched his fingers and slowly pushed himself up.
Perhaps he wasn't the most formidable in direct combat, but his ability to survive was second to none.
Anko had vented all her pent-up rage for what felt like an eternity, and yet—Orochimaru still wasn't dead.
At least Bai Ye wouldn't need to use the Sharingan's Izanagi to bring him back.
"So, Lord Bai Ye wants me to help develop this?"
Orochimaru's raspy voice broke the silence as he glanced down at the blueprint in his hands.
A Chakra-powered motorcycle.
The design was a stroke of genius. Orochimaru had skimmed over it earlier and was immediately intrigued.
The Chakra battery concept, however, was the real challenge. A device that could absorb and store Chakra, then release it on command—it was unlike anything the Shinobi world had seen.
Chakra was not easily contained in external mediums, which made creating a reliable power source difficult. But if it could be done, the implications were significant.
That said, Orochimaru wasn't entirely convinced of its usefulness.
Ninjas already relied on their own Chakra for movement, and this invention seemed noisy and conspicuous—a direct contradiction to the stealth that Shinobi prioritized.
Still, the challenge itself was tempting.
"I need time."
After pondering for a moment, Orochimaru spoke.
"Also, Lord Bai Ye—if you want my cooperation, perhaps next time you could refrain from using Anko to pummel me first?"
Orochimaru was no fool. It wasn't that he couldn't develop new technology; he simply had limited time. His ultimate pursuit was immortality—because only with endless time could he master all jutsu.
That was his true goal.
Revenge against Sarutobi Hiruzen, his former teacher, was merely a lingering obsession—one he intended to fulfill when the time was right.
Still, if Konoha already had someone like Bai Ye in its ranks, Hiruzen likely had his hands full.
Orochimaru studied Bai Ye carefully, activating his heightened sensory abilities.
The moment he did, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped him.
A cold sweat ran down his back.
What was this guy?
Bai Ye smirked, as if reading his thoughts.
"How long will it take to create a prototype?"
"Don't worry about the cost," Bai Ye added nonchalantly. "I assume you'll be using your own research facilities, correct?"
The Land of Sound, Otogakure.
Orochimaru's personal stronghold after severing ties with the Akatsuki. He had spent years accumulating wealth and influence there, likely with the intention of eventually bribing the Daimyō of the Land of Sound.
"Lord Bai Ye doesn't seem too concerned about doing business with a missing-nin like myself."
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Everyone in the Shinobi world knew Orochimaru was an S-rank rogue ninja wanted by Konoha. Yet, here was the Captain of the Uchiha Guard casually negotiating with him.
"This is outside the village," Bai Ye replied indifferently.
A true captain of the Uchiha Guard wouldn't waste his time chasing criminals beyond Konoha's borders. His jurisdiction was the village—nothing more, nothing less.
"And besides, you betrayed Konoha. Not me."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
How interesting.
The Uchiha clan's position in Konoha was precarious, and the tension between them and the Hokage's administration was only growing. The Captain of the Guard's stance on Konoha's leadership was something worth noting.
"Three days. I'll have your prototype ready."
---
Land of Fire
Konoha
Over the past few days, a major event shook the village.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, son of the Third Hokage, formally announced the establishment of a new division.
And the proposal was quickly approved by Hiruzen.
The Konoha Village Management Brigade.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke named himself Captain.
Within just one day, the brigade had already recruited its members.
Strangely enough, much like the Uchiha Guard, nearly all of the recruits belonged to the Sarutobi clan. The brigade wasn't just a new administrative unit—it had essentially become Sarutobi's private army.
Even more suspicious—their regulations mirrored those of the Uchiha Guard.
On their second day, they began collecting 'protection fees' from Konoha merchants.
Their duties, policies, and authority overlapped heavily with the Guard's responsibilities.
It was impossible not to see it for what it was.
A direct challenge to the Uchiha Guard.
Unlike the Uchiha, however, the Village Management Brigade had Hokage's full backing.
With Hiruzen's support, every proposal from the brigade was immediately approved, no questions asked.
In contrast, the Uchiha Guard faced constant bureaucratic resistance—endless delays, deliberate rejections.
Hiruzen was making his move.
With his son at the helm, the Village Management Brigade was expanding at an alarming rate.
Three days.
In just three days, they had established themselves as a new power in Konoha.
All eyes turned toward the Uchiha Guard.
Would they retaliate?
Would they fight back?
Surprisingly… nothing happened.
For three days, the Uchiha Guard went about business as usual.
Training.
Patrolling.
Visiting the red-light district.
Their routines remained unchanged.
But today—
That was about to change.
---
Konoha - A Commercial District
A tense standoff was unfolding.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke stood at the center, his voice cutting through the commotion.
"This man is under Village Management Brigade protection!"
His finger pointed at a criminal being restrained by Uchiha Satoshi—a clear challenge to the Guard's authority.
The moment the words left his lips, Village Management Brigade members encircled the Uchiha Guard's Third Squad.
A confrontation was inevitable.
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