Chapter 217

The Flying Thunder God Technique, a space-time ninjutsu capable of instant teleportation.

As long as the user places a Flying Thunder God mark somewhere, they can traverse any distance to that point. Newly carved marks retain a strong spiritual connection with the user, allowing them to teleport no matter how far away they are. This was evident during the Fourth Great Ninja War when Minato Namikaze used the technique to transport Terumi Mei, the Fifth Mizukage, across several countries, a journey spanning thousands of miles in an instant.

However, the power of the Flying Thunder God mark isn't permanent. Over time, its spiritual connection to the caster weakens. As the power diminishes, so does the range of the teleportation. In some cases, if the mark becomes too faint, the connection can completely vanish. Even standing right next to the mark won't let the user detect it unless they test it manually.

This limitation was evident during the original attack of the Nine Tails, when Minato fought Obito. The Flying Thunder God mark he had placed on Obito during that battle remained intact for years, but Minato didn't recognize it until much later, only confirming its existence through trial and error.

Returning to the present, Orochimaru's kunai had just been thrown.

Freshly carved and brimming with power, the Flying Thunder God mark could easily bypass the sensory barriers of Iwa Ninja Village. These barriers were only designed to detect objects infused with chakra, but the Flying Thunder God mark was purely spiritual, making it undetectable.

Using the kunai as an anchor, Orochimaru was able to infiltrate the village without being noticed.

---

In the ninja world, aerial defense and detection capabilities were sorely lacking. Ninja villages had almost no effective countermeasures against airborne threats.

This weakness had been exposed in the past, such as when Deidara, a mere teenager at the time terrorized Sunagakure with his flying clay bombs. Despite the village's defenses, he singlehandedly overwhelmed them and successfully abducted Gaara.

Deidara's ability to attack from the air and his expertise in bombing made him a devastating force, akin to a modern-day terrorist. In the ninja world, where air power was so underdeveloped, such abilities were practically unstoppable.

Thus, aerial infiltration was the most efficient way to sneak into a ninja village undetected.

Orochimaru, with his flight capabilities, combined with the reconnaissance abilities of his flies and the teleportation power of the Flying Thunder God Technique, could penetrate any village with ease.

As his wings of sand and iron dissolved into nothingness, Orochimaru retrieved the kunai he had thrown and quickly moved to find cover.

After confirming that the area was clear, he began his true objective, his grave-robbing operation.

Though Orochimaru was undeniably strong now, possessing the near-limitless chakra of a Sage's body, as well as techniques like Susanoo and the Flying Thunder God Jutsu, he wasn't one to act recklessly.

Carelessness at this stage, before his goals were achieved, would be disastrous.

---

Meanwhile, in Konoha Village, under the soft glow of the evening lights, a brief encounter unfolded on the streets.

"Tsunade, would you like to have a drink with me?"

The voice was gentle, almost inviting.

"No, I've got a lot of things to take care of when I get back," Tsunade replied curtly.

"I see. Well, take care then. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye." Tsunade gave a brief nod. "Come on, Kushina, let's go."

The two walked away, their conversation ending as quickly as it had begun.

Kushina, now twelve years old, walked beside Tsunade, her curiosity piqued. She glanced back at the retreating figure of the man who had spoken to Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama, why do you always refuse his invitations? We're not busy, are we?"

Tsunade frowned, her expression unreadable for a moment. Then she sighed. "It's because of that guy… Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru-sama?" Kushina asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah. Orochimaru doesn't like him."

"Oh… I see." Kushina giggled lightly. "It sounds like you really listen to Orochimaru-sama!"

"Who said that?" Tsunade snapped, her voice sharp. "I just think he has a point. As a woman with a boyfriend, it's better to keep a respectable distance from other men."

"Really?" Kushina blinked, half-understanding Tsunade's words.

Her thoughts wandered to the time when Orochimaru had carried her home. If touching a man crossed the line, what about that night? She distinctly remembered him touching her leg. Did that count as crossing the line?

Wait—her thigh?

The memory suddenly resurfaced, and Kushina's face flushed a deep red. Her mind betrayed her, replaying the scene of Tsunade leaning against a tree with her back to Orochimaru.

"What's wrong with me?" Kushina muttered to herself, ashamed of her own thoughts. She shook her head vigorously, forcing the memories out of her mind.

---

In a dark, isolated basement elsewhere in the world, an old man sat alone.

His body was frail, his hair white with age, and his single visible eye gazed emptily at the shadows around him. His stooped posture and withered face told the story of years spent confined to this sealed space.

Most people would lose their sanity after spending only a few days in such conditions, but this man had endured it for years.

"Madara, I'm back," a voice called softly.

A white head emerged from the ground, its tone unusually gentle and feminine.

"Zetsu," Madara greeted without looking up. His voice was weak, each word spoken with visible effort. "How is Nagato doing?"

"They're doing well," White Zetsu replied. "Jiraiya of the Sannin has been teaching them ninjutsu."

"Sannin?" Madara scoffed lightly. "A meaningless title. Compared to the God of the Ninja World, it's nothing."

"True," White Zetsu agreed. "But it's good for Nagato to have a peaceful childhood."

"That's all I hoped for," Madara murmured.

"Oh, by the way, Madara, the one who brought Nagato back to his village the other member of the Sannin he's quite an unusual character."

"You mean Orochimaru?" Madara asked without hesitation, as if the name were already familiar to him.

"Yes. His actions are strange, to say the least. He's a Konoha ninja, yet he's built his own village in secret. I can't make sense of it."

"Interesting," Madara said, his tone calm. "Have you investigated his village?"

"I've been inside before," White Zetsu explained. "Security was lax back then, but lately, there have been more and more shinobi there. It's harder to get close now."

"Then don't waste your efforts investigating Orochimaru," Madara decided. "Just focus on Nagato."

"Understood," White Zetsu said, sinking back into the ground.

***

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