Chapter 31: The Brewing Storm in the Shinobi World

Chapter 31: The Brewing Storm in the Shinobi World

After Chiba completed the mission to eliminate the bandits, Orochimaru didn't immediately take him back to Konoha. Instead, he led Chiba to meet with the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields.

However, Chiba didn't accompany Orochimaru to meet the Daimyo. Instead, Orochimaru instructed him to stay at the inn and rest.

Lying on the bed, Chiba pondered why Orochimaru went to meet the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields.

In the future, Orochimaru leaves Konoha to establish the Hidden Sound Village, which happens to be within the Land of Rice Fields.

Orochimaru bribed the Daimyo of the Land of Rice Fields to establish the Hidden Sound Village there, but the village wasn't actually affiliated with the country. In other words, the Hidden Sound Village and the Land of Rice Fields operated independently of each other.

Could it be that Orochimaru had already started forming an alliance with the Daimyo at this point in time?

If so, it's no wonder Orochimaru eventually succeeded.

Well... perhaps he didn't fully succeed.

But he did manage to establish his own shinobi village in the Land of Rice Fields and successfully developed the forbidden technique "Living Corpse Reincarnation," which granted something akin to eternal life.

Looking back on Orochimaru's life, it was mostly successful, aside from his obsessive pursuit of the Sharingan, which eventually led to his downfall.

Even after his downfall, Orochimaru continued to survive and thrive.

Orochimaru didn't return to the inn that night. It wasn't until the next morning, after Chiba had woken up, that Orochimaru finally came back.

"Let's go. It's time to head back to Konoha," Orochimaru said.

Chiba and Orochimaru set off on their journey back to the village.

Upon their arrival, Orochimaru first took Chiba to submit their mission report, then met with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

In the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, smoking his pipe, warmly said to Chiba, "Chiba, your very first mission as a ninja was a C-rank mission, and you executed it excellently."

Chiba bowed respectfully, "Thank you very much, Lord Hokage, and thank you, Orochimaru-sensei, for trusting me."

Hiruzen nodded with satisfaction, "It's all thanks to your hard work. Orochimaru has praised you highly, saying you have exceptional talent and are very dedicated to your training."

"It's all thanks to Orochimaru-sensei's guidance. Without him, I wouldn't have grown stronger so quickly."

Chiba's words were sincere. Without Orochimaru's teaching, he might still be struggling on his own, making slow progress.

Having a good teacher is incredibly important; it allows one to avoid many unnecessary detours.

Orochimaru indeed put his heart into teaching him.

Although Chiba remained cautious around Orochimaru, he was genuinely grateful to him.

Orochimaru's future obsession was with the Sharingan. As long as Orochimaru didn't covet his Sharingan, their interests wouldn't clash. Perhaps in the future, Orochimaru would still be his teacher, and Chiba would still be his disciple.

In Hiruzen's presence, Orochimaru didn't hold back his praise, "Chiba is outstanding. Even though it was his first mission, the way he planned and executed it was remarkable, surpassing even some seasoned chunin."

Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe and sighed, "This is the first time I've heard you praise a ninja like this, Orochimaru. It seems you're quite pleased with your disciple."

Orochimaru glanced at Chiba and nodded with a smile, "I'm very satisfied."

Hiruzen smiled as well but then turned serious. Without hiding anything from Chiba, he said to Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, the shinobi world is on the brink of turmoil."

Orochimaru's expression grew serious, "Have the other villages started making moves?"

Hiruzen spread out a map on the desk and began analyzing the situation, "That's right. According to the intelligence we've received, Iwagakure ninjas have been spotted along the border between the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Fire.

Kumogakure ninjas have appeared along the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire.

As for Sunagakure, they've always been a thorn in our side, frequently causing trouble along our border.

The situation with Kirigakure is unclear, but I've sent several letters to the Mizukage and haven't received any replies."

Orochimaru frowned slightly, "So, Iwagakure and Kumogakure are already probing Konoha. If they're both acting this way, it's possible they've formed an alliance. If Sunagakure joins in, then three of the five great shinobi villages have set their sights on Konoha."

Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke, looking troubled, "Indeed, the situation isn't looking good. I had hoped to form an alliance with Kirigakure, but it seems that won't happen. At this point, it would be fortunate if Kirigakure doesn't join them."

Orochimaru studied the map for a moment, then asked, "What's the current situation? How aggressive are Iwagakure and Kumogakure's probes?"

Hiruzen shook his head, "Their probes aren't very aggressive yet. They haven't fully entered our borders, but at this rate, it won't be long before they do. Right now, they're likely just testing Konoha's response.

I've sent Sakumo to guard the border between the Land of Waterfalls and the Land of Fire.

Jiraiya has been sent to the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire. He's training Minato, so this will give him a chance to sharpen Minato on the battlefield.

With them there, we don't need to worry about an immediate outbreak of war, but skirmishes will likely start within the next couple of years."

Hiruzen spoke with a grave expression, "It's only been a few years since the end of the Second Shinobi World War, and peace is already starting to unravel. This time, the war might be directly targeted at Konoha!"

The First Shinobi World War started mainly due to a conflict between Konoha and Kumogakure.

Not long after Hashirama Senju's death, the First Shinobi World War broke out.

Before that, the shinobi world was at peace due to the deterrent power of the God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju.

After Hashirama's death, with no one left to instill fear, Kumogakure was the first to declare war on Konoha, and the other villages soon followed.

The Second Shinobi World War broke out due to economic disparities.

As the economic gap between nations widened, militant factions gained influence, advocating for territorial expansion through force, leading to the Second Shinobi World War.

In both wars, the main battleground wasn't the Land of Fire.

But now, it seems the Third Shinobi World War is on the horizon.

If four of the five great shinobi villages simultaneously target Konoha, the Land of Fire will undoubtedly become the primary battleground.

When that happens, the Land of Fire will suffer greatly.

Orochimaru's expression grew cold as he stared at the map, deep in thought.

Chiba, listening to the conversation between Hiruzen and Orochimaru, was taken aback.

Is war really on the horizon?

But thinking about it carefully, it does seem to be about time.

Given this situation, the day when Kumogakure ninjas attempt to kidnap Kushina Uzumaki isn't far off either.