Tōshirō and the others wasted not a moment from receiving their mission to arriving at the mission location. Yet, despite their haste, it was already late evening when they reached the camp.
The guards saw four people arrive at the camp, their eyes filled with vigilance. They sternly demanded, "Who are you?"
Orochimaru didn't waste words, simply telling the guards to inform the person in charge, and everything would become clear.
Even within the same faction, it was common for people not to know each other.
A bald middle-aged man soon rushed over, his face lighting up with excitement upon seeing Orochimaru and the others. "I've been waiting for you."
He was the primary person in charge here.
The Hidden Leaf Village sending reinforcements was already known here.
Considering the timing, Orochimaru and his group appearing here was not surprising.
Furthermore, Orochimaru was his airborne superior, so naturally, he had to be respectful.
"You must be tired from your journey. Would you like to eat something first and rest a little?"
Having traveled from the Hidden Leaf, they probably hadn't eaten along the way. The bald middle-aged man, being thoughtful, offered the suggestion.
Jiraiya's eyes lit up, shining brightly.
Someone offered a pillow just as he wanted to sleep.
He hadn't eaten much when he left, and the journey had been physically demanding, leaving his stomach rumbling with hunger.
Orochimaru shook his head, indicating he wasn't hungry. "No need. Speed is paramount in warfare. Let's understand the situation first. As for eating, that can be done anytime."
"Lord Orochimaru, so young yet so insightful, I am impressed."
The bald middle-aged man, much older than Orochimaru, spoke with great respect.
Although Orochimaru was young, he had achieved many merits on the battlefield and could not be treated as an ordinary person.
Moreover, considering his identity and aptitude, the person in charge was already calculating that Orochimaru had a high probability of becoming the Fourth Hokage, so he naturally had to be utterly deferential.
Jiraiya pouted, thinking, "You're not hungry, but I am..."
The bald middle-aged man led the four into a tent and began to explain the specific situation on the front lines.
Orochimaru listened for a while, then asked a crucial question: "Who is the enemy's commander?"
Catching the thief first requires catching the ringleader; this was the most direct and effective method.
The bald middle-aged man provided the intelligence: "Kameda, from the Yapool clan of the Hidden Rain Village."
"The Yapool clan?"
Being specifically introduced with their "clan" name suggested they were a rather powerful clan. Tōshirō, out of curiosity, asked, "Their name sounds like a formidable ninja clan. Do they have any special characteristics?"
The bald middle-aged man glanced at Tōshirō, thinking, "Isn't he the reinforcement sent by the Hokage? How does he not even know about the Yapool clan?"
Orochimaru seemed to guess his thoughts and specifically said, "We came in a hurry, and some things were forgotten. Let me introduce my companions first."
With that, he began introducing Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Tsunade and Jiraiya were also very active presences on the battlefield. The bald middle-aged man knew them well without Orochimaru's introduction.
After introducing Tsunade and Jiraiya, Orochimaru looked at Tōshirō and paused. "As for this one, his name is Uchiha Tōshirō. I'm sure you've heard a little about him."
The bald middle-aged man was startled.
Uchiha Tōshirō?
That Five-Tails Jinchūriki?
No wonder...
The bald middle-aged man now understood Tōshirō's bewildered expression from earlier.
When the Yapool clan was active on the battlefield, Tōshirō was still training in the village, diligently controlling the power of the Tailed Beast within him. It wasn't surprising that he didn't know about them.
Thinking of this, the bald middle-aged man glanced at Tōshirō. "Although this might sound a bit rude, but will the Tailed Beast within you..."
He didn't utter the last few words, but Tōshirō should have understood.
Since the village elders sent a Jinchūriki to participate in the battle, they must have been confident. His question was merely for psychological reassurance.
Tōshirō was not surprised by the other party's concern. Words were cheap, so he demonstrated his control by letting dense steam erupt from his pores.
The bald middle-aged man was astonished. "This is...?"
Tōshirō smiled and explained, "This is a new Kekkei Genkai I developed through the Five-Tails: Boil Release."
"Kekkei Genkai?"
The bald middle-aged man looked surprised, thinking that Tōshirō already possessed Ice Release, and now with Boil Release, wouldn't he possess two Kekkei Genkai?
He said with reverence, "My apologies."
Tōshirō waved his hand, speaking softly, "Don't take it to heart. You're looking out for your comrades. I can understand your distrust; I wouldn't feel at ease either if I were you."
The bald middle-aged man cast a grateful look.
At the same time, he was a little puzzled.
Rumor had it that Tōshirō had a very eccentric personality, but unexpectedly, he was surprisingly easy to talk to.
With a Jinchūriki participating in this battle, the bald middle-aged man suddenly felt his confidence surge.
Tōshirō returned to his previous question, chuckling, "By the way, you still haven't told me what kind of ninja clan the Yapool clan is."
The bald middle-aged man chuckled awkwardly and explained, "The strongest ninja clan in the Hidden Rain Village today is undoubtedly the Salamander Clan. If it weren't for Hanzō the Salamander, the strongest clan would actually be the Yapool clan."
Tōshirō's narrowed eyes showed a look of interest.
Hanzō the Salamander needed no further introduction. Although the Yapool clan was the one being surpassed, it also indirectly indicated that this ninja clan still had some tricks up its sleeve.
"Are they a ninja clan with a Kekkei Genkai?" Tōshirō guessed.
The bald middle-aged man shook his head, denying it. "No, their clan doesn't possess a Kekkei Genkai."
Tōshirō was startled. No Kekkei Genkai?
Then how did they firmly hold the position of the strongest ninja clan in the Hidden Rain Village before Hanzō the Salamander appeared?
"So, they possess powerful secret techniques similar to our village's Aburame clan?"
"No, neither. Their ninja clan neither possesses a Kekkei Genkai nor secret techniques," the bald middle-aged man shook his head.
Tōshirō was even more puzzled.
"Simply put, their clan has great mastery in Summoning Jutsu. They can even summon multiple summoned beasts to fight by themselves, making them very troublesome."
Under normal circumstances, an ordinary person could only summon one summoned beast for combat.
For this clan to be able to summon multiple was quite talented.
Tōshirō remembered that the Animal Path of Pain in the future, the girl named Ajisai, seemed to be very skilled at summoning beasts. He wondered if she also came from this clan.
From her abilities, it seemed quite possible.
Tōshirō chuckled. "But even so, it shouldn't warrant such an emphasis, right?"
The bald middle-aged man nodded and continued, "Besides the abilities mentioned above, the most troublesome thing about the Yapool is that they control a special kind of summoned beast."
"A special summoned beast? How special?"
"It's a summoned beast called 'Chōjū.' As the name suggests, it's a summoned beast said to surpass ordinary summoned beasts."
At this point, the bald middle-aged man even changed his expression.
Tōshirō, seeing this, chuckled: "Is it that terrifying? Your face changed just by mentioning it."
The bald middle-aged man sighed, his expression grave. "You haven't directly faced the power of a Chōjū, that's why you think so. Chōjū are different from ordinary summoned beasts. Besides being stronger than ordinary summoned beasts, the most important thing is that these summoned beasts have a very unique characteristic."
Tōshirō remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"Any creature that gets attacked feels pain, fear, or shows weaknesses, but Chōjū don't feel that way. They are true weapons of war."
Tōshirō's eyelids drooped, and he chuckled. "Indeed, impressive. But don't forget, I have a Tailed Beast inside me."
The bald middle-aged man was startled, then thought carefully: "If it's a Tailed Beast, then Chōjū are indeed nothing special."
"In that case, I'll take care of the Chōjū."
Tōshirō had recently developed a new move, Ice Release: Eight-Branched Light Wheel, and was currently eager to find an opponent to highlight its power. Creatures like Chōjū were undoubtedly the most suitable for practice.
"I don't care if you feel no pain or fear!" Tōshirō declared. "I'm going to turn into the head of a meat processing plant and dismember you!"
With that thought, he turned to Orochimaru, seeking his approval. "No problem, right?"
(End of Chapter)
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