Starting as a working person from Naruto

Chapter 89 Reunion with Orochimaru (Fourth update! Bonus chapter for first-day subscribers!)

The next day.

Early morning.

The team met up at the entrance of Konoha Village.

Itachi Uchiha was worried that his younger brother would throw a tantrum when they parted, so he left home early and was even the first to arrive at the meeting point.

"Which route should we take to the Land of Earth?"

After asking her questions, Akihara Kagura suggested, "Why don't we go to the Land of Rain? I heard there's a civil war going on there. We can kill some people who are just asking for trouble on the way..."

"The Land of Grasshoppers!"

Kakashi Hatake made a decision quickly.

Even though Kakashi Hatake had originally considered the route through the Land of Rain, upon hearing Kagura Akihara's idea, he immediately changed his mind and opted for the peaceful Land of Grass.

In the past, Kakashi Hatake might have felt a little sad when passing by the Kannabi Bridge in the Land of Grass, because that was the place where Obito Uchiha died.

Now that Obito Uchiha is still alive, Kakashi Hatake won't feel any distress. In fact, it might even motivate him to work harder to bring Obito back to Konoha!

"Actually, you could also go to the Land of Rain..."

Itachi Uchiha actually seconded Kagura Akihara's opinion.

Perhaps because he had received orders from Danzo Shimura yesterday to monitor Kagura Akihara, Itachi Uchiha felt somewhat guilty towards his teammates. When he spoke, he even looked at Kagura Akihara with a cautious air.

This is a novice spy.

They even felt a little ashamed and guilty when being monitored.

"Why should we agree with Kagura's opinion?"

Kakashi Hatake glanced at Itachi Uchiha with some surprise: "Itachi, with your level of sophistication, you should know that the Land of Grass is the most suitable route for us..."

"I…"

Itachi Uchiha pondered how to answer.

"hehe…"

Akihara Kagura chuckled, stepping in to help Uchiha Itachi out of the predicament: "Perhaps you feel guilty for stealing my life? Didn't Lord Danzo promise you yesterday that he would hand over Root to you in the future?"

"..."

Itachi Uchiha's expression immediately turned strange.

What kind of nonsense is this!

Danzo Shimura had no such intention at all; he just wanted me to be a spy!

"No...no..."

Itachi Uchiha shook his head helplessly and continued, "I only asked Lord Danzo yesterday, and Lord Danzo didn't show any intention of letting you return to Root..."

"You don't need to hide it from me."

Akihara Kagura scoffed, saying sarcastically, "If you feel bad for me, then when you take over Danzo's position, hand over the Root leader's position to me..."

"Behave yourself!"

Kakashi Hatake tapped Kagura Akihara on the back of the head, then turned to Itachi Uchiha and said, "Don't listen to this guy's nonsense. When you become the leader of Root in the future, just allow Nonou Yakushi and Kabuto Yakushi to leave Root..."

"ah…"

Itachi Uchiha stared wide-eyed in surprise.

I had only heard of these two names last night; they were the two intelligence officers I needed to contact in Iwagakure this time!

Last night, Danzo Shimura gave me three scrolls, two of which were given to Kabuto Yakushi and Nono Yakushi, two members of the intelligence department. What is the relationship between these two people and Kagura Akihara?

"They are..."

Itachi Uchiha was somewhat curious about the relationship between these two people and Kagura Akihara.

Kakashi Hatake glanced at the silent Kagura Akihara, and seeing that he didn't seem to object, continued, "One is the director of the orphanage who adopted Kagura Akihara, and the other is Kagura Akihara's friend from the orphanage."

"I'm not friends with Kabuto Yakushi!"

"That's pretty much what I said..."

Kakashi Hatake shrugged indifferently, somewhat pleased that Kagura Akihara had stopped mentioning killing Kabuto Yakushi, and continued, "So when you succeed Danzo in the future, you can make them leave Root..."

"Ah...no..."

Itachi Uchiha quickly waved his hands, trying to explain: "Lord Danzo never intended to hand over the position of Root leader to me; he only entrusted me with the task of contacting intelligence members..."

There's nothing wrong with talking about this.

Kakashi Hatake and Kagura Akihara both knew that Danzo Shimura must have taught Itachi Uchiha how to contact members of the intelligence department, as this was an order given directly by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

As for the assessments I secretly underwent, I couldn't reveal them.

Uchiha Itachi recalled the test he had seen on the last scroll last night, which was to kill someone who would appear at a certain time and place in the Land of Earth. He guessed that the person he was to kill might be an enemy who was affecting the intelligence department members' infiltration.

"It's only a matter of time..."

Akihara Kagura shook her head indifferently and earnestly advised, "I really don't understand what Danzo-sama thinks is so great about you. You're not even as strong as me. You should mature as soon as possible and leave Root. It would be best if you stayed as far away from Danzo-sama as possible..."

"I will try my best."

Itachi Uchiha rejected his advice.

This teammate will never understand the situation he's facing.

Itachi Uchiha will never leave Root; he wants to find a way to maintain peace between the Uchiha clan and Konoha.

"Alright, let's get going."

Kakashi Hatake sensed that Kagura Akihara's words were somewhat sarcastic.

However, Kakashi Hatake also believed that Itachi Uchiha should indeed consider staying away from Danzo Shimura, but unfortunately, this was not something that a mere ANBU squad leader like him could decide.

Throughout the journey, the Land of Fire appeared exceptionally peaceful.

Somewhat strangely, they occasionally saw more and more pedestrians on the road.

The closer the squad got to the Land of Grass, the more pedestrians they encountered.

Some of these pedestrians even brought their families.

"What happened?"

"Someone has invaded the Land of Grass!"

After investigating, Itachi Uchiha obtained the answer.

The Land of Grass invaded a small country, which was no match for the Land of Grass. So the small country hired the Bamboo Cutter Clan to counterattack the Land of Grass, and the entire Land of Grass was plunged into war.

The Kaguya clan has always been warlike by nature, and its members are not very bright. They like to wander around the ninja world, often acting as mercenaries. They never care about the opinions of any major powers, and they don't even take the orders of Kirigakure seriously.

"Another war..."

Kakashi Hatake shook his head and sighed, "We thought we could avoid the war in the Land of Rain, but it seems we still couldn't escape the flames of war..."

Kakashi Hatake, not wanting to be drawn into the war, quietly instructed, "Let's proceed carefully, hiding during the day and traveling at night, so as not to attract too much attention."

"This isn't something we can decide..."

Kagura Akihara shrugged, thinking that this trip through the Land of Grass might not be peaceful, especially since she planned to stay there for a while.

In order to avoid being discovered, Kakashi Hatake chose to have his team hide during the day and travel at night, trying to go through as many secluded forests as possible, so as not to be discovered by the Kaguya clan or the Kusanagi ninja.

morning.

The sun has just risen.

Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha camped out for a rest.

Akihara Kagura was in good spirits and insisted on going fishing by the river. This didn't arouse any suspicion from the two of them, because this teammate really liked fishing.

Fortunately, they didn't suspect anything.

Otherwise, Akihara Kagura would probably have to use some tricks to get Orochimaru to kidnap Uchiha Itachi and lure Hatake Kakashi away directly.

According to White Zetsu Awei's reconnaissance, Orochimaru is nearby.

riverside.

A small white snake emerged.

These little white snakes may have come from the legendary Ryuchi Cave. They have powerful senses and were able to identify and sense Akihara Kagura's chakra so quickly.

"Hiss hiss hiss..."

The little white snake saw Akihara Kagura and quietly darted into the bushes.

Around noon.

A strange ripple suddenly appeared on the water's surface.

Suddenly, the figure of a long-haired man appeared on the water's surface. His body slowly emerged from the water, as if he himself were a creature of the water.

"Kagura".

A smile crept across the long-haired man's lips as he looked at the stunned Akihara Kagura and greeted her with a grin, "How have you been lately? Did you like the New Year's gift I gave you? Why aren't you saying anything? Are you too excited to see me?"

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Kagura Akihara almost instantly dropped her fishing rod in excitement!

"Okay, okay, don't get agitated."

Orochimaru reached out and patted his hair, his affectionate smile always carrying a hint of sinister terror: "I was just thinking about when to contact you when the nearby white snake sensed your chakra. It seems there's someone else's chakra here..."

"Those two are Kakashi Hatake and Itachi Uchiha."

Akihara Kagura uttered two names that caught Orochimaru's eye.

"Kakashi... and Itachi Uchiha..."

Orochimaru's tongue slowly darted out, greedily licking his lips: "Those two... were they the experimental subjects you brought for me?"

"..."

Several months have passed...

Orochimaru really hasn't changed at all...

If you're always thinking about using people as experimental subjects, it will bring you disaster sooner or later!

"However, I'll pass."

After Orochimaru finished speaking, he continued on his own: "Although I really need some Sharingan recently, it's a bit of a waste to use these two as experimental subjects. Their deaths here will also arouse suspicion in Konoha."

"Yes."

Akihara Kagura nodded slowly, speaking like a wanderer far from home: "I had only been in Konoha for a short time when I was sent to the Anbu. Danzo abandoned me. I've been trying to find a way back to Root to monitor him, but Danzo won't allow me to go back..."

"Hehehehe..."

Orochimaru already knew about this, and a mocking look appeared in his eyes: "Danzo wouldn't be willing to give up your power."

"I'm afraid it's not that Shimura Danzo wouldn't let you go back, but that my teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had his eye on your talent and forcibly transferred you from Root to Anbu."

When Orochimaru started talking about his teacher, he fell into his old habit of always bringing up his teacher in conversations. He began to criticize his teacher, sneering, "He wanted to master great power, but he was obsessed with the face of the Hokage. He was unwilling to make sacrifices and only chose to plunder the achievements of others, yet he also blamed others for his sins."

"..."

Kagura Akihara could only listen quietly until the end, then cautiously began, "But I didn't complete the surveillance mission Orochimaru-sama assigned me..."

"No."

Orochimaru reached out and stroked Akihara Kagura, praising her with a smile, "You did even better than I expected. I already know everything, like what happened in Kirigakure. That technique was very powerful."

This was something Orochimaru hadn't anticipated.

Although Orochimaru believed that Akihara Kagura's Wood Release talent was amazing enough, he did not expect that this little guy was strong enough to use the Wood Dragon Technique, which was only used by the legendary First Hokage!

"As for Shimura Danzo, his affairs are irrelevant."

"That greedy coward will not be willing to break my covenant."

Orochimaru looked at Akihara Kagura and continued, "My purpose in sending you to Konoha was simply to let you learn more Wood Release ninjutsu. I didn't expect you to learn powerful Wood Release ninjutsu and even infiltrate Konoha's Anbu."

"Now that we've joined the Dark Division, we'll stay there."

As Orochimaru finished speaking, he said with a smile, "Since I can't change bodies anyway, if you stay infiltrated, you can help me gather more intelligence..."

Orochimaru spread his hands, somewhat fascinated by his masterpiece: "My teacher would never have imagined that a genius ninja whom he regarded as the future of Konoha was actually a perfect creation of mine."

"Yes."

Akihara Kagura nodded, first glancing at her rewards and new mission.

[System Notification]: [You have traveled to Konoha to find Orochimaru's ally, Shimura Danzo, to learn Wood Release ninjutsu and monitor the alliance between Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo. This task is now complete. Reward: Orochimaru-style swordsmanship.]

Orochi-ryu swordsmanship (a swordsmanship style originating from Orochimaru, renowned for its unpredictable and cunning techniques, ranking among the top swordsmanship styles in the ninja world, capable of rivaling master swordsmen!)

[System Notification]: [New mission: Infiltrate Konoha's Anbu and gather intelligence on Konoha for Orochimaru.]

This swordsmanship reward is a bit inconvenient to use.

After all, Orochimaru is no ordinary person; many people can recognize his swordsmanship.

Kagura Akihara was very satisfied with her reward and began to raise some of the problems she had encountered.

"If I can do more for Lord Orochimaru in the future, I can try to continue my infiltration of the Anbu. However, it's very inconvenient to be in the Konoha Anbu. It's always difficult to have the opportunity to act alone, and it's even inconvenient to contact Lord Orochimaru..."

When Akihara Kagura got to this point, she originally intended to beckon White Zetsu Awei to emerge and introduce the Akatsuki organization to Orochimaru, but she didn't expect Orochimaru to suddenly interrupt her.

"I had already considered this."

Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh, somewhat pleased with his foresight: "I noticed a little guy from Root a while ago. I originally planned to use him as a spy infiltrating Konoha to help me discover Konoha's geniuses, but I didn't expect you to do it even better than him..."

"just."

"You can have him help you pass on intelligence in the future."

Orochimaru smiled and mentioned the person's name: "That little guy is called Kabuto Yakushi. Right now, he's probably still dreaming that if he works hard, he can one day escape Root with his foster mother..."

"These foolish people simply don't understand Shimura Danzo's despicable nature. That guy would never allow any spy to survive, and he would even end the lives of that little guy and that poor woman in a cruel way..."

Orochimaru slowly clenched his fist, his smile growing increasingly smug, seemingly convinced that Kabuto Yakushi couldn't escape his grasp: "Once Danzo Shimura makes his move, and that little guy discovers the cruel truth, I'll take him from Danzo's clutches and send him to Konoha to infiltrate and deliver intelligence for you..."

"actually…"

Akihara Kagura was a little embarrassed and whispered, "When I was transferred to the Anbu, Shimura Danzo arranged an identity for me, that is, a child from the Konoha Orphanage."

"That's not surprising."

"Shimura Danzo probably wouldn't have assigned him any other identity."

Orochimaru smiled and nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with Akihara Kagura's identity: "This is a wonderful coincidence. When I recruit that little guy, Yakushi Kabuto, in the future, I can have him help you solidify this identity."

"I've met Kabuto Yakushi."

Kagura Akihara seemed even more embarrassed and continued in a low voice, "Kabuto Yakushi should... believe I'm from an orphanage by now, right?"

"Does Kabuto believe you're from an orphanage now?"

Orochimaru frowned, subconsciously thinking, "Could it be that the identity Danzo arranged for you this time was flawless... If even Kabuto Yakushi didn't find any flaws, then no one else in Konoha should have been able to find out either. It seems that Danzo is still somewhat useful."

"Yes."

Kagura Akihara breathed a sigh of relief, first shifting the blame onto Danzo Shimura, before continuing, "I contacted Kabuto Yakushi under the identity he assigned me, and so far there haven't been any flaws. Danzo planned to find an opportunity to kill Kabuto and Nonou Yakushi in the future, believing that by then there would be no more trouble..."

This doesn't mean Akihara Kagura lied.

After all, Shimura Danzo had mentioned that Yakushi Nonou and Yakushi Kabuto were still useful and couldn't be killed for the time being. This implies that Shimura Danzo definitely had a plan to kill them, and perhaps the plan was already being prepared for implementation...

"Shimura Danzo went to extremes in his actions."

Orochimaru shook his head, dismissing Danzo Shimura's views: "Human life is only once. Some people are more useful alive than when they die. Kabuto Yakushi is a clever medical ninja, and even has an outstanding learning ability..."

"Shimura Danzo failed to discover Yakushi Kabuto's strengths, and he didn't pay attention to how he used people. He always thought that killing could solve all problems. Kagura, don't pick up his flaws..."

"..."

Akihara Kagura nodded slowly.

The first order is almost five thousand!

I estimate I can surpass the base point by 400 today, so I'll add an extra chapter first. I'm going to go write now!

Today's chapters are all long ones!

(End of this chapter)