Chapter 31: A Stirring in the Heart
"Hiss..."
Orochimaru took the scroll but didn't open it immediately. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on Gōenji.
"Tell me. What exactly is Danzō's mission? Why does he need intelligence from a spy? And what is his objective?"
"I don't know, Orochimaru-sama..."
Gōenji didn't hide anything. He told Orochimaru everything Danzō had told him about the mission.
After all, his current strength was still somewhat lacking.
If Orochimaru decided to cause trouble, Gōenji had no way of stopping him.
And besides...
After listening to Gōenji's report, Orochimaru spoke thoughtfully.
"Important intelligence that has to be personally delivered to Ōnoki? What is that old man Danzō plotting this time?"
He looked at the scroll in his hand with some curiosity.
He had no idea what Danzō was scheming.
He hadn't expected the intelligence operation targeting Iwagakure to produce such substantial results.
"Orochimaru-sama, I've told you everything I know. Do you have any other instructions?"
Gōenji spoke respectfully.
This is great. I don't have to carry out the mission myself anymore.
He simply didn't know how Danzō would deal with him once he returned.
Damn it.
Do I really have to betray Konoha?
Danzō had already told him that if he failed the mission, there would be no need for him to return.
Sigh. Being too weak is such a pain.
Gōenji had even begun considering whether he should simply run.
After all, he was absolutely no match for an old fox like Danzō right now.
Even though both of them were jōnin, that was only their official rank.
In terms of actual combat strength, Danzō was far superior to him.
When judging the strength of characters from the original anime, Gōenji had to think about them from a broader perspective and place them within the context of a real world.
"Hehe. You don't need to worry. I won't make things difficult for you. Stay outside for the next few days. I'll take care of this mission for you."
As if he'd guessed what Gōenji was thinking, Orochimaru thoughtfully offered him a solution.
"???"
Several question marks appeared in Gōenji's mind.
Orochimaru patted him on the shoulder.
"While you're waiting, pay attention to my signal. I may need you at any time, so don't wander too far."
"As for Danzō, I'll deal with him myself. Don't worry."
Poof!
As soon as he finished speaking, Orochimaru transformed into several snakes and disappeared from Gōenji's sight.
Phew! Orochimaru really is terrifying.
But he's truly the most charismatic man in the shinobi world. No wonder so many people willingly follow him.
Only after Orochimaru had disappeared did Gōenji finally relax.
Now he understood why so many people were so loyal to Orochimaru.
That ability to handle people.
That thoughtful way of dealing with others.
It was genuinely reassuring.
Madara Uchiha could never have done something like this.
Just think about it. When Madara defected from Konoha, not a single Uchiha followed him.
That alone said a lot about which of them had greater charisma.
Orochimaru absolutely deserved to be one of Gōenji's favorite characters.
He possessed extraordinary intelligence, grand ambitions, the ability to instill those ambitions in his subordinates, and exceptional talent as a researcher.
Back when Gōenji played the game, he especially enjoyed using Orochimaru.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had enough money to buy the costume.
At the same time, Gōenji couldn't help feeling pleased.
Orochimaru had been considerate enough to take the troublesome mission off his hands.
With Orochimaru's abilities, Gōenji was certain he could complete it without any problems.
As one of the elite among the elite, Orochimaru was outstanding in practically every field.
Gōenji had no doubts about that.
The anime often portrayed Orochimaru in a grotesque way—people emerging from snakes, snakes swallowing people, and all sorts of bizarre techniques.
But the real Orochimaru knew far more than that.
According to everything Gōenji knew, Orochimaru was proficient in all five elemental transformations and possessed mastery over various secret techniques involving Yin Release and Yang Release.
Even his shurikenjutsu, taijutsu, kunai techniques, traps, kenjutsu, and other skills were first-rate.
He had virtually no obvious weakness.
The claim often discussed by fans of the original story—that genjutsu was Orochimaru's weakness—was simply wrong.
If anything, genjutsu was one of Orochimaru's specialties.
He was a truly comprehensive shinobi who had mastered an enormous range of techniques.
In this regard, the only person who could truly be compared with him was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Only after entering the real world could someone truly feel how suffocating the presence of such people could be.
It was completely different from watching a few frames of animation on a two-dimensional screen.
"I'd better hide first. The Iwagakure shinobi patrol this area from time to time."
After thinking it over and confirming that he was safe for the moment, Gōenji scanned his surroundings and quickly concealed himself using his abilities.
He would wait for Orochimaru's next order.
This encounter with Orochimaru had once again brought back his sense of danger.
If Orochimaru failed to complete the mission, returning to Danzō's team would certainly not end well for him.
Danzō's combat strength was comparable to Hiruzen Sarutobi's, and unlike Hiruzen, he had remained active on the battlefield for years.
His combat experience and abilities had therefore not declined much.
He might even be at his peak right now.
...
Konoha.
The Uchiha clan.
A small figure leaped high into the air within the training grounds.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several shuriken flew through the air, striking the tree trunk one after another.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Haa... haa..."
Afterward came the sound of heavy breathing.
Uchiha Itachi stared at the shuriken embedded in the distant tree, his eyes filled with delight.
"My body is a little too small. Otherwise, I definitely could have done even better!"
For a three-year-old to throw shuriken that far, Itachi was already extremely satisfied.
Teacher Gōenji had been right.
Once you understood mathematics, physics, and chemistry, there was no need to fear anything in the world.
By understanding the principles of mechanics, he could use the smallest amount of force to produce much greater power.
He had spent the past few days testing this himself.
And the results had proven it.
Teacher Gōenji really was incredibly knowledgeable.
Itachi secretly admired him.
"Knowledge is power."
That was one of Teacher Gōenji's favorite sayings, something he often repeated while teaching Itachi.
Now Itachi was beginning to understand it for himself.
At three years old, he couldn't properly train with chakra yet. Using chakra consumed too much of his limited physical energy, so he had instead focused on shurikenjutsu and taijutsu.
And he'd discovered something important.
Learning knowledge could genuinely improve himself.
It allowed him to get far more out of his otherwise insignificant physical strength.
"I wonder what Teacher Gōenji is doing right now."
Itachi murmured to himself.
"He must be showing off on the battlefield, killing countless enemies and forcing them to hide in fear."
In Itachi's mind, someone as powerful as Teacher Gōenji had to be incredibly impressive on the battlefield.
He had absolutely no idea that the person he admired so much could also be frightened into trembling when facing certain shinobi.
...
Iwagakure.
On an unnamed mountain, a massive river thundered down into a cave halfway up the mountain, creating the roar of a waterfall.
Behind the waterfall was an enormous underground chamber.
Countless experimental instruments filled the cavern, accompanied by various lamps, machines, and pieces of laboratory equipment.
"Hehehe... I see."
Orochimaru looked at the scroll he'd just deciphered, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
"So Danzō secretly obtained such important intelligence. No wonder that child looked scared out of his wits."
That meant Orochimaru would have to carry out Danzō's objective himself.
That child must be terribly frustrated.
Orochimaru recalled Gōenji's appearance—the sweat covering his face and the way he'd nervously handed over the mission scroll.
As a shinobi, handing one's mission documents and objectives over to someone else...
Orochimaru had already concluded that Gōenji wasn't quite a typical shinobi.
Interesting.
Danzō had actually entrusted such a person with this mission.
It seemed his abilities were quite good.
I wonder if I could recruit him into my ranks in the future.