As Xin walked along the edge of Konoha's perimeter, his hands behind his head, he couldn't help but comment, "Why do I feel like I just went on a sightseeing tour of the Hidden Cloud Village instead of completing a mission?"
"Didn't you cause enough chaos in the Hidden Cloud?" Orochimaru smirked, raising an eyebrow.
After all, they had released the Eight-Tails, causing a massive rampage that nearly destroyed the entire village. What more chaos could he want?
"Not really," Xin shrugged. "It just feels like I didn't do much. Like the whole trip was a waste of time."
He had barely done anything! Sneaking in, meeting the spy, and drugging the food had all been handled by Orochimaru. Usagi Xin had basically gone on a vacation, stolen one of the Eight-Tails' horns, and then left.
Still, he couldn't complain. Even though he hadn't done much, he would still get a share of the credit. The thought of receiving rewards for minimal effort made Xin's mood considerably better.
"Aren't you going to report to the Hokage's office?" Orochimaru asked, arching a brow. Most shinobi, after completing a mission, would head straight to the Hokage's office to give a report. But here was Xin, ready to go home instead.
"What for? This was your mission, not mine. Just remember to put in a good word for me when you report it," Xin waved dismissively, turning to leave. Orochimaru stood there, shaking his head in mild disbelief.
"Lord Orochimaru, the Hokage has requested your presence," a voice called out.
Well, that was fast. Orochimaru had barely set foot back in the village, and already they were calling him in. With a slight grin, Orochimaru nodded at the Anbu and changed direction toward the Hokage's office.
Meanwhile, Xin headed home, content to let Orochimaru handle the formalities.
"What nerve! The Hidden Sand has completely lost it!" a loud voice echoed from the Hokage's office.
"They caused this mess, and now they're trying to blame it on us!" Koharu Utatane's angry voice could be heard through the walls as Orochimaru approached the office. Clearly, something serious had happened, and it seemed the Hidden Sand Village was involved.