Entering Sarutobi's Hokage Assistant office again, Orochimaru noticed several more people inside. He surveyed the four newcomers one by one. They were all powerful presences at the Jōnin level, and their auras carried a familiar sensation to Orochimaru. He recognized it as the signature of killing intent and malevolence.
The four were positioned in two distinct groups, seemingly divided by faction.
The two on the left subtly exuded an additional aura of darkness and chill. Orochimaru inwardly tensed. Although they weren't wearing masks, he clearly recognized this aura as belonging exclusively to Anbu personnel—and actively serving ones at that.
The two whom Orochimaru mentally designated as Anbu stood before Sarutobi with their eyes downcast, displaying extreme deference.
The two on the right, however, caused a significant tremor in Orochimaru's heart.
One, wearing standard ninja attire, had a strikingly memorable pair of blood-red eyes. Three mysterious black tomoe were slowly rotating in his crimson pupils. This man was undoubtedly a member of the Uchiha clan, and certainly a core member.
The other, though standing on the same side as the Uchiha, seemed to have a less-than-close relationship with him, keeping a slight distance.
While the other people in the room wore the standard Jōnin dark-green vest and black bodysuit, this person was different. He wore a wide-sleeved martial arts robe that was snowy white on the top half and dark black on the bottom. His pair of snow-white eyes were equally unforgettable.
Seeing the peculiar eye color and the unique robe, Orochimaru knew the Jōnin who seemed slightly at odds with the Uchiha member was from the Hyūga clan.
After a quick scan of everyone in the room, Orochimaru swiftly analyzed the situation in his mind: two Anbu Jōnin, one core Uchiha member, and one Hyūga member. With such an impressive lineup, Orochimaru had a bad feeling about the mission's difficulty—it was at least A-rank.
Unknown to him, as Orochimaru examined them, the people in the room were also sizing him up. After all, in a gathering of Jōnin, and even a Kage-level powerhouse, the presence of a mere Chūnin was incredibly conspicuous.
Orochimaru wore neat, dark black short attire, with his half-long black hair naturally cascading down, giving off a subtle air of nonchalance. On his calm, handsome face, his exotic, dark-golden snake eyes and the faint, wicked smile at his lips lent him a uniquely sinister charisma. Anyone who saw him would silently praise him as a magnificent youth.
The people in the room, with their exceptionally sharp senses, clearly detected the medium-Chūnin-level chakra fluctuations within Orochimaru's roughly ten-year-old exterior, whose bone age was only six. While astonished by the child's incredible talent, they also offered a measure of respect. After all, this was fundamentally a world ruled by strength!
After everyone had finished assessing each other, Sarutobi finally stood up. He walked contentedly to Orochimaru's side, patted his shoulder, and smiled as he spoke to the four Jōnin: "This is my disciple, Orochimaru. He will also be participating in this mission."
The two Anbu, naturally, took their cue from Sarutobi. The two Jōnin from the Uchiha and Hyūga clans also adopted a neutral stance, meaning Sarutobi was spared the need for persuasion and could get straight to the point. He then began introducing everyone in the room to Orochimaru.
The two Anbu seemed to be brothers with an eighty percent resemblance: one named Aokita and the other Aokino. Both were austere and cold. They merely nodded to Orochimaru when Sarutobi introduced them.
The Uchiha member was Uchiha Tomoshige, a member of the main family line. As far as Orochimaru knew, this was Uchiha Fugaku's father and Uchiha Sasuke's grandfather. He lived up to the Uchiha name; Orochimaru felt that, besides Sarutobi, Tomoshige had the most potent aura in the room.
The Hyūga member was a kind-faced elder named Hyūga Harano. In Orochimaru's memory, this person was an elder in one of the Hyūga Branch House families.
After the round of introductions, Orochimaru felt a subtle sinking in his heart and became even more curious about the mission. What kind of mission required the deployment of a Kage-level figure, a Kage-candidate figure, and three Jōnin—a pyramidal force capable of annihilating a small country?
After Sarutobi finished the introductions, Hyūga Harano suddenly spoke to Orochimaru: "Young one, is it true that you are the 'Leaf Village's Youngest Generation's Number One Genius,' as rumored throughout the village lately?"
Having learned a lesson from his past life, Orochimaru knew that to succeed in the future, he would need the support of these great clans and prestige among the excellent civilian ninja.
He suppressed his inner arrogance, bowed respectfully, and offered a modest smile. Combined with his naturally unique and sinister charisma, Orochimaru, standing among the Jōnin, exuded a captivating presence that was immediately engaging: "That is indeed Orochimaru, but I dare not claim the title of genius. Compared to the young descendants of the great clans and the exceptionally talented individuals among the civilian ninja, Orochimaru is still far behind!"
In those few short sentences, Orochimaru subtly complimented everyone in the room, which naturally pleased everyone.
Uchiha Tomoshige's haughty expression softened slightly. The two Anbu brothers, who had risen from the ranks of civilian ninja, looked at Orochimaru with a touch more approval; after all, a family like Orochimaru's, neither a great clan nor a civilian family, was somewhat on the same side as them. Hyūga Harano's eyes narrowed into a satisfied slit, and he nodded repeatedly.
Sarutobi took in the expressions of everyone present and grew even more astonished by his disciple. In addition to his exceptional talent and strength, he was so mature and adept at social interaction—not merely a genius, but a monstrously excellent individual.
As the atmosphere became more cordial following the pleasant exchanges, Sarutobi timed his announcement of the mission perfectly: "Intelligence from the Anbu suggests that the Land of Rivers has been restless recently.
Hanzō the Salamander is starting to meddle in the southern conflicts. His ambition is considerable, but his reach is a bit too long, even planting numerous spies and 'Moths' inside our Land of Fire, both openly and secretly. Thanks to the scroll Orochimaru brought back, we've cleared out some gathering points, but some crucial intelligence was detected and carried back in time!
This whole affair is also complicated; I believe the individual from the Land of Wind is also involved. I've already notified the Daimyō to issue a warning to the Land of Wind. I expect their activities won't be too overt once we arrive in the Land of Rivers!
The leader of the forces in the southern Land of Rivers allied with Konoha, Maeda Gaku, has sent an S-rank request. Firstly, we need to uncover Hanzō the Salamander's plans and schemes. Secondly, we need to put on a show of force for the surrounding nations and help Maeda Gaku reclaim parts of the southern territory to build a southern defensive barrier for our Land of Fire!
Alright, that's the gist of the mission. We must complete it swiftly and cleanly, with the force of a lightning strike!
Does anyone have any objections?"
Hearing Sarutobi's words, Orochimaru became extremely cautious. This type of mission, resembling a small-scale war, involved an extremely complex mix of people and could be unpredictable in terms of fortune or disaster!
The four Jōnin all shook their heads solemnly, agreeing with Sarutobi's decision.
Sarutobi smiled with satisfaction and led the way out.
🗒️Note:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 10 chapters in advance!