"This time, it's because we were careless."
Dosu let out a sigh.
"We should've realized earlier. Someone capable of mastering the Flying Thunder God would definitely have impressive skill in ninjutsu." Dosu said with a hint of regret.
"Skill? My ass! The real problem is that guy's hand seals were absurdly fast! At least three or four times faster than a normal shinobi!"
Zaku recalled the moment Shinju instantly cast Phoenix Fire Jutsu, his expression shifting from annoyed to horrified.
"And it seems like… he hasn't even gone all out yet…" Dosu added.
Beside them, Kin, already buried up to her neck in the swamp, weakly muttered,
"Can you two stop chatting? If we sink any deeper, we're gonna die. 눈_눈"
"If he really wanted to kill us, he could've done it already," Dosu replied.
Then, ever the clever one, Dosu turned toward Shinju and shouted,
"Hey, can you save us?"
Sasuke and Naruto immediately flared up when they heard Dosu's words.
(ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ)
You three attacked us without hesitation, and now you want us to save you?
Dream on!
Just as the two were about to snap back with a firm rejection, Shinju spoke up.
"I can."
Sasuke, Naruto, and the three Sound shinobi: (꒪⌓꒪) ,◝₍ᴑ̑ДO͝₎◞
Everyone froze in confusion.
"But they just tried to attack us…" Naruto stepped forward in protest.
Facing Naruto's discontent, Shinju replied lightly,
"How could I just stand by and watch three lives disappear? This is our home turf, Konoha. We need to think big."
Naruto paused at that, thoughtful.
Huh… Shinju kind of has a point!
Kakashi-sensei had said it before — they were representing the village in this exam.
Every action they took reflected not only on Konoha, but on the Land of Fire as well!
Letting the Sound trio go now would showcase the great-nation bearing of the Land of Fire!
( ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
As expected, Shinju sees things clearly!
Meanwhile, the Sound trio, still sinking in the swamp, wore strange expressions.
After Shinju's words, they suddenly felt just how despicable and petty they seemed in comparison.
Look at that perspective!!
Karin, however, seemed to realize something. Her eyes lit up and she said,
"What Shinju-san means is that they'll have to pay to save their lives."
"Correct. ❛‿˂̵✧"
Shinju gave her a thumbs-up.
The Sound trio and Naruto: (||๐_๐)
"Fine, just say it straight. How much to save us?!" Dosu asked.
Shinju casually raised one finger.
Dosu let out a sigh of relief.
"One thousand ryo? I can manage that."
"I meant a hundred thousand."
Shinju answered flatly. "And that's per person."
Dosu exploded, "Then why didn't you just hold up ten fingers from the start? (▼皿▼)"
"That would've looked dumb," Shinju said honestly.
"…A hundred thousand per person is way too much. We can't pay that."
Dosu was quick to answer.
Otogakure was still newly founded by Orochimaru. It had only been around for a few years, and trying to squeeze money out of them was harder than asking for their lives.
"No money? Then there's nothing to discuss."
Shinju turned to head back to the table, planning to resume his business and leave the Sound trio to sink.
Naruto leaned close and whispered,
"Hey, Shinju, didn't you just say we needed to think big? If they stay stuck in the swamp, they'll die for real."
Shinju, however, explained with righteous confidence,
"Sometimes, we also need to show the iron fist of a great nation! ( •̀∀•́ )"
Naruto: 〣( ºΔº )〣
He felt like he was being strung along…
But after hearing Shinju's words, he suddenly felt the perspective rise again!
That's right. In great-nation conflicts, you can't rely only on mercy.
You also have to show strength and ruthlessness!
Shinju really understood things!
Completely understood!!
...
In the dense forest nearby, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"You really didn't disappoint me, Shinju. To think you've mastered so many elemental styles."
Then, he sighed to himself.
"Such a pity you lack a kekkei genkai. If you had one, your body would be far more suitable than Sasuke's…"
Still, based on the ability and mindset Shinju had already displayed, Orochimaru was beginning to entertain the thought of recruiting him.
A genius like that… his future achievements wouldn't be any less than Konoha's Fourth Hokage.
If Orochimaru could bring him under his wing, his future plans would be unstoppable.
...
As his teammate was about to sink beneath the swamp completely, Dosu panicked.
"We really can't pay a hundred thousand ryo. Can we trade something else instead?"
Shinju's interest was piqued.
"What could you possibly have that's worth anything?"
"Kunai, scrolls, shuriken, other ninja tools — whatever you want, we'll give it to you!" Dosu blurted out.
"I've got plenty of those already. Don't need them." Shinju replied flatly.
"Then name your condition. As long as we can do it, we will!" Dosu pressed anxiously.
Shinju adopted a thoughtful look.
Beside him, Kin was already sinking past her nostrils, about to suffocate. Though they were only teammates thrown together for a mission, Dosu still grew anxious.
"Hurry up, do you have an answer or not?"
"I do," Shinju said.
Then he suddenly asked, "You're Orochimaru's subordinates, aren't you?"
Silence…
At his words, the three Sound shinobi's pupils shrank, and they froze in silence.
After two or three seconds, Zaku finally stammered, "Who's Orochimaru? Never heard of him."
"Really?"
Shinju gave a small smile.
That hesitation was answer enough.
In a life-or-death situation, anyone would blurt out the truth without thinking. The fact they paused exposed them.
From the moment Shinju had seen these three radiating hostility toward his team, he had been suspicious.
Three against six — why were they so confident?
Even if they were strong, they should've weighed the odds, right?
But they hadn't. They'd just shown open hostility and, during their exchanges, their eyes kept darting toward Sasuke.
Aside from being assigned a special mission, what else could it mean but trouble?
And the biggest confirmation of Shinju's suspicion was this:
When the Sound trio appeared, he'd sensed another presence lurking in the woods.
That chakra felt eerily familiar.
Cold, sinister, like a snake flicking its tongue.
Who else could it be but Orochimaru?!
...
Deep in the woods, Orochimaru's eyes narrowed in shock.
(ಠ .̫.̫ ಠ)
Why is he asking about their connection to me?
Could it be… he's sensed my presence?!
Orochimaru knew the red-haired Uzumaki were famous for their chakra sensitivity.
But he had always assumed this war orphan Shinju just happened to have red hair.
Now, it seemed highly likely Shinju was indeed of Uzumaki descent!
But still—
How could his chakra perception be so sharp?!
He had deliberately hidden his presence, and yet Shinju still found him.
Even the strongest sensory-types of the Uzumaki clan couldn't detect him this easily… could they?!