Actors

In the middle of the night, ten Anbu teams had dispersed to hunt down Orochimaru's remaining party within the territory of the Fire Nation. Meanwhile, the Third Hokage issued a wanted warrant, listing Orochimaru as Konoha's S-rank ninja. The experimental base in the Forest of Death was tightly sealed, with strict orders that no one could approach it without the Hokage's permission.

Orochimaru's defection caused an uproar in the village, shocking many families. Some even sensed the potential for war. The Fourth Hokage was dead, Tsunade had fled, and now Orochimaru had defected. There was a huge gap in Konoha's top combat power. Could the major ninja villages around them resist the urge to take advantage? It was hard to say.

None of this concerned Kazuya. He was waiting. Waiting for news from Jiraiya. In the original plot, there was another defection and rescue battle between Jiraiya and Orochimaru. Unfortunately, like Sasuke later on, Jiraiya failed to bring his partner back to the village.

Kazuya was looking forward to this. He knew Jiraiya's attitude towards Orochimaru wouldn't be as forgiving as the Third Hokage's. Jiraiya would fight fiercely to save his partner. A battle between two Kage-level ninjas promised great excitement.

After Orochimaru's escape from Konoha, there was still a lot of cleanup to do. However, none of that fell to Kazuya. Ninjas from other departments would handle it. Besides, Kazuya now held significant prestige in Anbu. His reputation exceeded that of a regular branch commander. Not only in Anbu, but the entire village knew about the super ninja who had emerged from Anbu, the one who went head-to-head against the Fourth Raikage and crippled Orochimaru.

It was clear there was someone behind the scenes promoting this story. Kazuya suspected the Third Hokage was behind it. 

"It seems..." Kazuya thought, "my acting skills are quite good!"

Life is like a play, and it all depends on acting skills! He was content with his performance.

As Kazuya walked towards the Anbu base, golden light continuously flowed into his body.

[You picked up 20 points of Chakra] 

[You picked up 20 points of Chakra] 

[You picked up 10 combat experience points] 

[You picked up 20 points of Fire Style talent] 

"Fire Style talent?" Kazuya noticed. He turned his head and saw a Konoha ninja on the side of the road using the Great Fireball Technique to capture Orochimaru's remnants. This was perfect! Kazuya absorbed another wave of golden light as he hurried to the Anbu base.

Upon entering the office, he saw Kurenai Yuhi looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Kazuya asked, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, Kazuya-kun." Kurenai pursed her lips. "You were doing it for my own good before, but I complained about you in my heart. I'm so sorry."

She walked up to him, taking his arm and asking worriedly, "Kazuya-kun, are you angry with me?"

Ten minutes earlier, she had received news that her mission was to capture Orochimaru. Realizing the danger she had been in, Kurenai understood that Kazuya had been protecting her by not letting her follow him.

Kurenai was uneasy. If her intentions were misunderstood by Kazuya, she would feel terrible. Now, she was sure Kazuya wasn't feeling well.

Angry? Not angry. Even if he was, a little teasing would make it better. Kazuya's thoughts were fierce, but his expression remained gentle. "Kurenai, there seems to be something on your face..."

"What is it?" Kurenai asked, patting her face in a panic.

"It's pretty," Kazuya smiled, smoothly delivering a rustic compliment.

In the past, a comment like that might have earned him a slap. But the innocent Kurenai had never encountered such a hot routine before.

"You're so annoying~" Kurenai glanced at him, flustered. At a time like this, he was joking. And so smoothly—how many girls had he told that to?

Despite the lighthearted moment, Kazuya didn't stay at the Anbu base for long. After sorting out useful information, he left the base and headed out of the village. Orochimaru's defection was an S-rank event he couldn't miss.

Given Orochimaru's serious injuries, he would likely seek refuge with the Iburi family to replenish his strength. The Iburi family, a ninja clan living in the Land of Fire, possessed the smoke bloodline limit. This ability was quite fragile, as they could be blown away by strong winds after turning into smoke. With Orochimaru's help, their abilities became more stable, and they regarded him as their savior. Sadly, they would soon be wiped out by the very one they considered a savior.

The Iburi clan had capable ninjas, and the patriarch could even suppress Kakashi. There would be valuable drops to collect! Though Kazuya didn't know their exact location, he remembered the plot. He just needed to follow Kakashi, and he would find both the Iburi clan and Orochimaru.

With a solid plan, Kazuya left the village, tracking Kakashi. His Kage-level chakra, level 5 Body Flicker Technique, and Flying Thunder God made catching up easy. 

Not long after, Kazuya found Kakashi but chose to remain hidden. With Kazuya's strength, Kakashi wouldn't notice him.

The night passed quickly. Kazuya waited patiently. Finally, in the afternoon, Kakashi found a huge tree hole.

"This is it..." Kazuya's eyes lit up as he quickly followed inside.

Soon, Kakashi met the Iburi clan's patriarch and was swiftly overpowered. Moments later, Yamato—no, a member of the Root organization known as "A"—arrived to save Kakashi, using Wood Style to subdue him.

From the shadows, Kazuya watched eagerly as several clusters of golden light flew toward him.

[You picked up 100 points of Wood Style talent] 

[You picked up 100 points of Wood Style talent] 

[You picked up Ninjutsu: Wood Style: Wood Ingot Wall] 

[You picked up Ninjutsu: Wood Style: Silent Killing Technique] 

Wood Style! It's here!!!