Chapter 141: The Legend of Orochimaru
It was the pre-dawn hour; the sky hadn't fully brightened, but already, fifty-two neatly dressed and powerful-feeling Konoha shinobi had gathered in front of the wide, tall Konoha gate.
The aura emanating from forty of these Konoha shinobi was distinctly different from the rest. It was a rich, vitality-filled essence, like that of thriving, vigorous plants, indicating a strong life force. These were the forty medical ninja of the Konoha Medical Corps.
Leading the Medical Corps was Yakushi Tenshu, the medical ninja with the highest achievements in Konoha's medical ninjutsu, the overall director of the corps, and coincidentally, Maji's sensei.
In addition to the forty medical ninja, there were two Anbu teams—Teams Seven and Eight—led by the Jōnin brothers Aokita and Aokiya, both old acquaintances from Orochimaru's Land of Rivers mission.
The remaining individuals were the ones who had already arrived: Sakumo, Blue Bird, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.
The fifty-two-person ninja squad gathered at the Konoha gate, yet the area did not feel crowded.
The individuals were scattered in small groups, whispering and discussing. The topic of conversation was naturally the commander of this medical ninja escort mission, the recently appointed Captain of the Second Anbu Squad, the ninja prodigy Orochimaru.
While Orochimaru's name might not be widely famous across the entire Ninja World, within Konoha, he was a genius ninja whose name was known to every shinobi.
He graduated from the Academy with the top score every year and was granted exemption from the final exam by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
After graduation, his first qualification mission was an A-rank mission, which he completed successfully.
In the subsequent Chūnin Exams, when all other Konoha candidates failed in front of the Kages of the Five Great Nations, he alone achieved consecutive victories, advancing to the finals and winning the championship, establishing his title as the "Serpent Lord."
Each of these astonishing feats, taken individually and attributed to any single ninja, would be an enviable honor. When all of them were concentrated on one person, one could only lament the unfairness of the heavens for creating such a "creature" as a genius.
In Konoha, several versions of Orochimaru's exploits had developed, and almost every ninja in the village was familiar with each one.
Just as Orochimaru's fame was soaring and his admirers were increasing daily, this ninja—who always brought surprise and miracle—vanished for three years under the guise of traveling the continent.
When he returned, he brought not only the formidable strength of a Jōnin but also the shocking news and deed of having independently infiltrated the Rain Village, assassinated nearly a hundred ninja, and forced the village to decide against participating in the Second Great Ninja War—another act that could only be described as a miracle.
Now, the returning Orochimaru was appointed Captain of the Second Anbu Squad and was heading to the Second Great Ninja War.
The ninjas who knew Orochimaru were curious: What actions would he take in the war, and what kind of surprises would he bring to all of Konoha?
The ninjas who didn't know him were even more curious: What kind of miracles would he create, and what legendary deeds would he accomplish?
This chain of questions currently had no answers. This deeply fueled the ninja's conversation and opened their floodgates of discussion.
In fact, it wasn't just the ordinary ninjas; even Yakushi Tenshu, with his gray-white hair and sharp black eyes, was idly discussing Orochimaru with the brothers Aokita and Aokiya.
Furthermore, as Yakushi Tenshu's favorite female student, Maji habitually spoke every day about Orochimaru, her dearest Big Brother. This had instilled no small amount of curiosity about him in Yakushi Tenshu's heart.
Arrival
"Aokita, do you two brothers know the newest Captain of the Second Anbu Squad, the genius ninja—Orochimaru—who is reportedly only fifteen years old?" Yakushi Tenshu asked.
"Yes, we spent some time with him during a confidential mission previously," Aokita answered truthfully.
"Oh? He's carried out a confidential mission? What rank?" Yakushi Tenshu's interest was immediately piqued, as this was a feat he'd never heard about before.
Aokita frowned slightly. However, considering that Yakushi Tenshu was only asking about the rank, not the confidential content of the mission, and given Yakushi Tenshu's status as a powerful medical ninja, Aokita felt unable to refuse and thus replied: "Lord Hiruzen ruled it as an S-rank mission!"
"An S—S-rank mission!!!" Yakushi Tenshu's surprise was as turbulent as crashing waves.
He was about to ask further questions when suddenly, the brothers Aokita and Aokiya simultaneously looked up toward the end of Konoha's main thoroughfare.
Yakushi Tenshu immediately realized someone powerful was approaching. The aura casually leaking from the person was enough to make Yakushi Tenshu feel an intense sense of danger.
Wait, there's a second person!
Yakushi Tenshu, who was also a Jōnin-level medical ninja, sensed carefully and managed to catch the faint, almost-disappearing presence of another ninja.
Following his lead, all fifty-two Konoha ninja reacted and looked toward the end of the road.
The first line of dawn slowly rose above the horizon, illuminating Konoha's main road with clear, bright light.
A single figure slowly emerged from the end of the main road.
His flowing black hair fell naturally behind him. As it drifted in the wind, it spontaneously gave off an air of wild unrestraint.
A faint, chillingly wicked smile graced his pale, handsome face. His exotic, dark-golden snake eyes were deep and mysterious, yet they projected threads of cold, ruthless divine light.
He was clad in a form-fitting Konoha Anbu battle uniform. The black body-suit clung tightly, highlighting the strong, proportionate muscles of the wearer. A vest-style, non-reflective double-sided steel armor, two armguards of the same material, and the ink-black long sword slung diagonally across his back added an air of formidable capability to the newcomer.
These elements combined to give the person a unique aura that was mysterious and cruel, wild and unrestrained, wicked yet commanding—an impression that was deep and unforgettable.
Trailing behind the first figure, a second person had an indistinct, almost-there presence that, while easily overlooked, made onlookers feel a sudden chill.
These two figures, slowly walking out of the morning light, were none other than Orochimaru and Chi!
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