Chapter 200: Wearing a Wig is Fine, but Green is a No-Go

After a night's rest, Takuya and Orochimaru set out again, soon crossing into the Land of Lightning.

The Land of Lightning was known for its high plateaus, with the Hidden Cloud Village built atop one of the tallest mountains. Due to the terrain, much of the region was constantly cloaked in storm clouds, giving rise to the country's famous lightning phenomena.

Bolts of lightning repeatedly struck down from the skies with tremendous force. It wasn't surprising that most of the ninja from the Hidden Cloud Village had an affinity for lightning-style jutsu. Growing up in this environment, it would be hard not to excel in lightning techniques.

Recalling some of the jokes from his previous life, Takuya couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Orochimaru gave him a curious glance.

"Takuya, did something amusing cross your mind?"

"Kinda," Takuya replied, smiling. "I was just thinking about how, because of their environments, Hidden Cloud shinobi are skilled in lightning techniques, Hidden Mist shinobi are experts in water jutsu, Hidden Stone shinobi specialize in earth jutsu, and Hidden Sand shinobi dominate wind techniques. Meanwhile, we in the Leaf... we've got a little bit of everything."

"…" Orochimaru stared, seemingly unamused.

Was that supposed to be a joke? Maybe his sense of humor was just too refined to find it funny. Still, Takuya had a point. The Leaf was a melting pot of ninja with various affinities, making it harder to define a signature style for the village. Sure, there was wood-style, but that had died out with the First Hokage.

"Takuya, we'll need to alter our appearances before entering the Hidden Cloud Village. It'll make things smoother for us," Orochimaru said, pulling out a scroll. Opening it, he began pulling out items.

Takuya's expression darkened as Orochimaru pulled out wig after wig, comparing them. The sense of foreboding grew stronger.

He understood the need for disguises, but why on earth did Orochimaru have so many green wigs?

Bright green, dark green, forest green… How much did Orochimaru love this color?

"You've got to be kidding me. There's no way I'm wearing that. And don't even think about smearing that stuff on me," Takuya snapped, eyeing the deep green wig Orochimaru had selected. He was also holding a small box that contained some kind of thick, black liquid that smelled absolutely foul.

Takuya immediately knew what Orochimaru had in mind: slap on a green wig and smear that sticky black mess all over his skin. No way in hell.

"I'll wear a wig, fine. But not a green one. Absolutely not."

Sure, in this world, green hair wasn't uncommon. But Takuya wasn't having it. And as for that box of goo, the smell alone was enough to make him gag. There was no way he was putting that on his skin.

"Is it the color you don't like?" Orochimaru asked, looking puzzled as he held the wig in his hands. "Takuya, your appearance is known all over the ninja world. If you don't disguise yourself, getting into the Hidden Cloud Village could become... complicated."

"I'll figure something out. You go on ahead. I'll meet you later," Takuya insisted.

Wear a green wig? Over my dead body.

Takuya's face twitched as he watched Orochimaru pick up the green wig again. He'd rather sneak into the village and stay hidden than walk around with that thing on his head—especially not with that nauseating black paste smeared on him.

"If you insist…" Orochimaru said, shrugging. He proceeded to disguise himself, donning the wig and covering his skin with the dark goo. He even added wrinkles to his face, making him look like an elderly man from a distance—a very… odd elderly man.

"See you in the Hidden Cloud," Orochimaru said, his new disguise complete.

Since Takuya refused to take on the full disguise, Orochimaru didn't press him. After all, he needed to move quickly to meet up with their informant inside the village. As for Takuya, Orochimaru trusted he would be able to sneak in and hide without any trouble.

"Can't stand it…" Takuya muttered, watching Orochimaru walk off with his flowing green hair. It was an eyesore.

There was no way in hell he was putting that wig on. Orochimaru really had some strange tastes.

And it wasn't just the wigs. The guy liked to wear fancy robes, tie giant ribbons on himself like some noble, and walk around like that. It was just… weird.

Getting into the Hidden Cloud Village wasn't hard—actually, it was easier than getting into the Leaf Village.

Despite the Hidden Cloud being built atop a mountain, the village was famous for producing high-quality beef and fine wines, drawing merchants from all over the world. The wealth they earned from trade had filled the village's coffers, allowing them to continually build up their military might. After Konoha's losses in the First and Second Shinobi Wars, the Hidden Cloud had caught up.

Without the strain of constant war, the Hidden Cloud was thriving, bustling with activity as traders and merchants from various lands gathered there.

This made Takuya's infiltration even easier.

He might not be as skilled at disguise techniques as Orochimaru, but he knew enough to get by. With Snowy helping to suppress his chakra signature, Takuya applied a light disguise and strolled casually through the bustling streets of the Hidden Cloud Village.

"Hey boss, give me a leg of that young calf!" Takuya called out as he passed by a street vendor.

When in the Hidden Cloud, you had to try the local delicacies. As for Orochimaru, Takuya would send Snowy to find him later that night. As long as Snowy remembered his scent, she'd be able to track Orochimaru down, no matter where he was hiding in the village.

According to Snowy, "He reeks of snake. You could smell him even if he was underground…"

"Coming right up! One calf leg, fresh off the grill!" The shirtless vendor, his muscles bulging, skillfully sliced off a leg from the roasted calf and handed it to Takuya.

Grilled whole calf—one of the Hidden Cloud Village's signature dishes.

Inside the restaurant, a bunch of similarly muscular men were noisily digging into their food. Compared to the average shinobi from Konoha, the folks in the Hidden Cloud were built like tanks.

The Hidden Cloud's specialties were well-known: top-grade mountain beef, fine wines, and muscles.

"Good thing bodybuilding contests don't exist here, or the Hidden Cloud would win every year."

Overhearing some of the conversations, Takuya realized that many patrons were discussing the ongoing war in the Land of Iron.

"I heard that Hanzo, the leader of the Hidden Rain, is attacking the Land of Iron. It's chaos over there. The samurai are putting up a fight against the Rain's shinobi."

"That so-called 'demi-god' only has the guts to attack neutral countries like the Land of Iron. What a joke," one man scoffed, clearly unimpressed by Hanzo's reputation.

It was obvious from the way they spoke that the people of the Hidden Cloud had little respect for Hanzo, believing their own Third Raikage to be the strongest.

After filling his stomach and enjoying the sights, Takuya wandered the streets like any tourist would, buying various local products and storing them in his scrolls.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had already infiltrated the village and made contact with the informant Konoha had planted inside.

"Once this mission is complete, find a way to leave the Hidden Cloud and return to Konoha. Your mission here is over," Orochimaru instructed the spy.

Spies were almost always disposable. Once they were activated, their chances of getting caught skyrocketed. The future for most spies was either death or escape.

Orochimaru wasn't leaving this one to die. He was offering the man a chance at a new life. If he could make it back to Konoha and pass the various screenings, he'd be given a fresh start.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" the spy responded, voice shaking with emotion.

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