Due to the shifting tides of war, Konoha had already relocated its main base to the borders of the Land of Waves, positioned across the sea from the Land of Water—an ideal location for both offense and retreat.
Some Konoha shinobi had even crossed into enemy territory, stirring up no small amount of trouble for Kirigakure.
Having lost all six remaining members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Kirigakure's mobility and offensive capability had taken a serious blow. Now, most of their battlefield forces were made up of bloodline-limit shinobi. But aside from the notoriously aggressive Kaguya clan, many of the other ninja clans hesitated in battle, holding back instead of fighting with full force.
Bloodline-limit shinobi were prized assets of their clans. It was never easy for a family to produce one—unlike the Hyūga or Uchiha, who could often awaken their kekkei genkai through emotional stimulus, other clans had no such guarantees.
Their bloodline limits had to be awakened, and not every clan member could do so.
That made bloodline-limit users exceptionally rare and valuable. They were symbols of their clan's prosperity and strength, and not meant to be sacrificed on the battlefield.
As a result, those shinobi were hesitant to fight recklessly, which in turn made it difficult to drive the Konoha forces out of the Land of Water.
Ironically, this allowed the Konoha shinobi to gain a solid foothold within enemy territory.
...
Kiyosuke and his two teammates were still being led by Hizashi as part of a recon unit, flitting through the forests. With Hizashi's Byakugan, they didn't even need to worry about watching their surroundings—he had already scanned everything within a kilometer.
It was just another routine patrol.
"We're done for today," Hizashi said. "There's nothing around the perimeter of the camp."
Konoha's temporary base in the Land of Water was under Orochimaru's command. As for the two elders—who were more like freeloaders than leaders—he had conveniently stationed them back at the main base in the Land of Waves to handle logistics.
He had no intention of letting those two meddle while he was commanding battles.
Orochimaru wasn't as tolerant as the Third Hokage. He had no patience for advisors interfering with his decisions. That entire advisory system was a means of dividing power and weakening the Hokage's authority—a grave mistake he had no intention of repeating.
After reporting in, Kiyosuke and his team returned to camp. But before he could leave, Orochimaru called out to him.
"Kiyosuke-kun, stay behind. I have something to discuss with you."
"Oh…?"
He wasn't sure what Orochimaru wanted, but it probably wasn't anything good.
Once Hizashi and the others left, only Orochimaru, Kiyosuke, and Anko remained in the tent.
Why was Anko here?
Simple—Orochimaru had brought her along. It made her easier to train and also allowed him to protect her. Unless the entire camp was overrun by Kirigakure forces, no one would be able to harm her.
"Orochimaru-sensei, what is it?"
"I need you to carry out a mission. Alone."
"What kind of mission?"
"Capture a member of the Hōzuki clan. I want to study them—to see how their secret jutsu differs from your body."
"..." Kiyosuke.
So he still hadn't let it go.
He vividly remembered that time Orochimaru had tried to study him, only to be led on a wild goose chase. The man didn't sleep for days before finally giving up. But now that they were in Kirigakure territory, his scientific curiosity had clearly been reignited.
"You want me to go... alone?"
"Yes."
Shouldn't he at least send someone to back me up?
"The Hōzuki clan's numbers are small. They're nearly impossible to capture on the battlefield. With the Land of Water being rich in natural water sources, they basically have no weaknesses. A direct confrontation is out of the question—we need to go about this stealthily."
"But I'm practically their natural counter. Or rather... they're mine. I don't match up well with them at all."
"I know. That's why it has to be done covertly. The village wouldn't approve of me experimenting on the Hōzuki clan, so this has to be off the books. It's dangerous, but I believe you can handle it. All I need is one Hōzuki who's mastered their Hydrification Technique."
There was a glint of curiosity in Orochimaru's snake-like eyes. He wanted to understand the principles behind the Hōzuki clan's jutsu and use it to reverse-engineer Kiyosuke's secret.
For a researcher like him, the thirst for knowledge was everything.
Curiosity about the unknown was what pushed humanity forward.
Kiyosuke frowned. "But it's hard to even find Hōzuki on the battlefield right now."
"That's exactly why I need you." Orochimaru gave a cold smile.
Kiyosuke had a bad feeling.
...
Vanishing Facial Copy Technique.
A jutsu that melts someone's face and grafts it onto the user's own, serving as a perfect disguise. Unlike the Transformation Jutsu, this method couldn't be easily seen through, even by elite shinobi.
As long as the imitation was convincing enough, no one could see through it.
The only problem? It was horrifyingly brutal.
Kiyosuke felt a chill run down his spine and flat-out rejected the idea.
"No way. That's disgusting."
Orochimaru seemed pleased. "Exactly. You clearly hate it."
"It is disgusting," Kiyosuke replied. "There's no other jutsu I could use, sensei? I really can't accept this one."
"You're still too young. This technique will keep you from being detected by Kirigakure shinobi. Remember, you'll be hiding within the enemy's stronghold."
"I just need to infiltrate, right?" Kiyosuke waved his hand. "If you can get me into Kirigakure, I'll find a Hōzuki. I've got my own ways."
"Infiltrate, huh? What—are you planning to kill everyone who sees you?" Orochimaru laughed, recalling one of Kiyosuke's earlier jokes.
"Chaos is the best cover. Stir things up and slip through the cracks." Kiyosuke grinned.
"In that case, I won't interfere. You think you can escape afterward?"
"Of course. You're the one who taught me how to run away."
When it came to survival skills, Orochimaru was unrivaled in the shinobi world. Even death couldn't keep him down.
He hadn't reached that level yet, but even now, there were fewer than five people in the entire ninja world who could successfully capture Orochimaru.
And Kiyosuke, as Orochimaru's direct disciple, had inherited those same survival instincts. He might not be the strongest fighter, but when it came to staying alive, he was more than capable.
"Then I won't worry. I'll send you in now."
Poof—
A large snake suddenly appeared inside the tent. Before Kiyosuke could react, it opened its jaws and swallowed him whole.
Then vanished in a puff of smoke.
Anko blinked. "Sensei, you sent him to Kirigakure?"
"Not directly. They have a barrier—I can't teleport him inside. But I sent him near it. The rest is up to him."
Orochimaru smiled. "This is a trial for him. Anko, he and you are different. He possesses overwhelming power... but he's never used it. He always holds back, never goes all in—and that's why he hasn't grown."
Kiyosuke had enormous potential sealed within him. But the kid had never truly unleashed it.
And that just wouldn't do.
Only by defeating your immature self can you truly grow.
Kiyosuke had to grow.
Only by risking everything would he become fearless!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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