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On the golden sandy beach, many colorful shells shimmered in the sunlight, lying quietly on the sand. Uchiha Yoru smiled as he gazed at the beautiful scenery by the sea, his feet sinking into the soft, warm sand.
This place was not far from the Land of the Sea, which had appeared in the anime.
Recalling the details, Orochimaru had a human experimentation base in the Land of the Sea, and it was here that Anko Mitarashi received the Curse Mark. (Episode 169)
No wonder Orochimaru had set up his base in the Land of the Sea; it turned out he was personally overseeing the border here.
"Big Brother Yoru, we've arrived. Over there is Lord Orochimaru's camp."
As the captain of the Uchiha Eight-Genius Squad, Uchiha Shisui smiled when he saw the distant camp. Watchtowers were clearly visible along the coastline, with many more hidden in the dense forest.
The group made their way toward the camp, and they naturally noticed several hidden sentries along the way. However, Uchiha Shisui discreetly signaled to the sentries, exchanging secret codes.
Finally, the eight of them entered the camp without any hindrance. The camp seemed somewhat disorganized, but Uchiha Yoru was already used to it. After all, ninjas were not soldiers, especially in a world where ninjutsu was the dominant force. This disorganized setup allowed each ninja to perform at their best.
"Big Brother Yoru, you and I will report to Lord Orochimaru. The rest of you prepare the camp."
"Yes!"
On the battlefield, jounin were tools for executing missions. The Uchiha ninjas responded in deep voices, but they were somewhat skeptical and even a bit resentful of Uchiha Yoru, who was called 'Big Brother' by the geniuses of their clan.
Uchiha Shisui was the pride of their clan, becoming a jounin at the age of thirteen, just one year later than Kakashi. More importantly, Shisui had the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Uchiha Yoru, on the other hand, had only recently awakened his Sharingan, and it was still a single tomoe. Yet, he had received such special treatment, which was hard not to be suspicious about.
Uchiha Yoru and Uchiha Shisui followed the guide through the camp, and Yoru couldn't help but mutter to himself as he observed the situation.
Sure enough, no one was foolish. More ninjas were being dispatched to the frontlines. On their way, they had seen many new tents, clearly set up in the past couple of days, some even today. These were reinforcements from other regions.
"Lord Orochimaru is inside."
The guide led them to their destination and nodded respectfully, indicating for them to enter before leaping away and disappearing into a black dot.
"Big Brother Yoru, let's go in."
Uchiha Shisui's face was calm, but the excitement in his eyes was evident. After all, to him, this was the future Fifth Hokage, and he had come here with a mission from the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Yoru, however, was carefully observing the surroundings. Indeed, the name Orochimaru was fitting; the camp was set up in a dark and secluded area, reflecting his nature.
No one had announced their arrival, or perhaps the senses of the ninjas were too acute. The fact that no one stopped them when they arrived proved that Orochimaru was inside and had time to meet them.
Nonetheless, when they reached the slightly larger tent, Uchiha Yoru and Uchiha Shisui stopped and said in unison, "Uchiha reporting for duty."
This was not a matter of clan etiquette but a formality of the world.
"Come in."
A raspy, magnetic voice that sent shivers down one's spine echoed. Uchiha Shisui took a deep breath, clearly shouldering a heavy responsibility as he entered. Uchiha Yoru, on the other hand, muttered to himself, finally about to meet the real person behind the voice.
Inside the tent, it was indeed dim, as snakes preferred dark places. A map of the area was hung on the wall, and Orochimaru was conversing with a member of the Hyuga clan. Upon seeing the newcomers, he calmly gestured for them to wait to the side.
"Hizashi, the burden on your Hyuga clan is not light this time, but rest assured, the Uchiha elite ninjas have also arrived. They will form teams with you for patrols."
The pre-betrayal Orochimaru exuded a dark aura but also a unique charm, making his words and actions reassuring.
The person opposite was Hyuga Hizashi, the younger brother of the Hyuga clan head and the future father of the genius Neji.
Hyuga Hizashi bowed respectfully to Orochimaru and said, "Lord Orochimaru, rest assured, the Hyuga clan will not disappoint you."
The Hyuga clan's Byakugan was the top bloodline for reconnaissance in the ninja world, especially in war. It allowed them to detect enemy movements early, giving them a significant advantage and preventing surprise attacks.
After speaking, Hyuga Hizashi subtly glanced at the two young Uchiha who had entered, his eyes flashing with a sharp look before he bowed and said, "Lord Orochimaru, I will go assign tasks now."
"Go ahead."
After dismissing Hyuga Hizashi, Orochimaru turned to the two Uchiha, eyeing them with interest. After a moment, he licked his lips and praised, "A jounin at thirteen, indeed a clan of geniuses."
Uchiha Shisui, upon hearing Orochimaru's praise, did not show excitement but instead respectfully presented a scroll, bowing and saying, "Uchiha Shisui, leading the vanguard of eight Uchiha, reports to Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru took the scroll and scanned its contents with interest, then smiled hoarsely, "One Three-Tomoe Sharingan jounin, three special jounin, and four elite chunin, all Uchiha with activated Sharingan, and all young."
Uchiha Shisui nodded respectfully and said, "More reinforcements will arrive later."
Orochimaru laughed, his pale golden snake eyes gleaming with a strange light, which made Uchiha Yoru feel a chill. The aura of the Three Great Shinobi was indeed strong, especially the oppressive chakra, which he finally understood from the original story when Suigetsu Hozuki faced the Second Hokage's chakra.
"Very good, very good. Is this your clan's investment?"
Orochimaru's interested smile was directed at the two young Uchiha. At this point, he had not yet suffered the torment of the Mangekyou Sharingan and was not yet obsessed with the Sharingan.
Orochimaru's straightforwardness made Uchiha Shisui somewhat awkward, unsure how to respond. Perhaps the real Orochimaru never cared about others' opinions.
(End of Chapter)