“Alright, enough with that. Let’s talk intel,” Kakashi said, glaring at Kitagawa Gen in mild irritation.
“Did you find anything? That organization is extremely dangerous, as I’m sure you already know. If we want intel on Sasori, we can’t afford to hold anything back.”
“While I may not like you people,” Chiyo snorted, “I’m not so foolish as to let that cloud my judgment.”
She paused, then continued, “Unfortunately, we haven’t found much of anything yet. The Land of Wind is vast—if someone really wants to hide, it’s not easy to find them.”
At this point, Chiyo hesitated slightly, then muttered with some self-mockery, “Honestly, finding someone here is even harder than in the Land of Fire.”
The Land of Wind was a desert. A single sandstorm could wipe out all traces of movement, making it incredibly difficult for even trained shinobi to track anything.
And that applied even to those who had lived here their entire lives.
What’s more, the Land of Wind was no smaller than the Land of Fire. Trying to locate someone here was like finding a needle in a haystack.
“Looks like things won’t be so simple,” Kakashi muttered, rubbing his brow in frustration.
“All we have is some general information on their movements. Without your cooperation, it’s going to be nearly impossible to find them.”
“I’ve already sent out scouts to do what they can. If anything turns up, they’ll contact us immediately.”
Chiyo shook her head. She was just as helpless in this situation.
“How about coming back with us to Sunagakure for now? You can rest a bit, and we’ll plan the next step from there.”
Kakashi began to consider it, but before he could respond, Kitagawa Gen interrupted.
“I think we should search on our own for a while. After all, we’ve encountered them multiple times before—there’s a chance we might notice something you wouldn’t.”
“I think Gen’s plan makes sense,” Guy chimed in, nodding even though he wasn’t entirely sure what Gen was aiming for.
Kakashi immediately made his decision.
“Alright, then. We’ll begin our own search first. Besides, we need to adapt to this environment anyway.”
“If that’s your choice, then so be it.”
Chiyo frowned but ultimately nodded. She handed Kakashi a signal flare.
Watching the group head off into the desert, she fell into silent contemplation.
“Elder, what should we do now?” a Sunagakure shinobi asked in a low voice, stepping forward.
“Should we report to Kazekage-sama?”
“Yes, go make the report.”
Chiyo nodded after thinking it over, then turned and headed into the desert herself.
“You’re in charge of surveillance. If anything happens, fire the signal flare immediately. I’ll follow them and see what they’re up to. Whether they’re truly just Konoha shinobi—or something else—someone needs to keep an eye on them.”
Chiyo didn’t trust this group. Whether it was because they were from Konoha—or because two of them looked far too much like White Fang—there was no way she’d let her guard down.
“Especially that brat…”
The moment Chiyo thought of Kitagawa Gen—his head of white hair, and that unmistakable White Fang short blade in his hand—she felt her anger flaring uncontrollably again.
“Gen, did you sense something?”
Within the vast sea of sand, Kakashi glanced behind him and asked in a low voice. Guy also leaned in, curious.
“No. But I do have a thought.”
Kitagawa Gen surveyed the surroundings carefully before speaking in a hushed tone.
“I remember reading in our textbooks back in the Academy… It said there’s a ‘nation within a nation’ in the southern part of the Land of Wind.”
“There are legends claiming something is hidden there—but no one knows exactly what.”
“And now, with Akatsuki showing up in the Land of Wind for no clear reason, it’s hard to guess what they’re really after. So why not head in that direction and take a look?”
“But wouldn’t Sunagakure have thought of that already?” Guy asked, puzzled.
Kitagawa Gen, however, remained calm.
“I’m not sure either. But the Land of Wind is huge—we need a logical starting point.”
“And besides, I think I sensed the Fourth Hokage’s Flying Thunder God marker somewhere in that direction. Wouldn’t hurt to check it out, right?”
“Wait—what? The Fourth Hokage’s marker?” Guy turned to Kakashi, visibly shocked.
Kakashi remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.
“I think it’s worth a shot. That place… the sensei and I really did go there once.”
“But for some reason, my memories of it are a bit hazy. A lot of things… I just can’t seem to recall.”
“Maybe there really is something there that caught Akatsuki’s interest. Either way, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit—and pay our respects to sensei while we’re at it.”
Late at night, under a haze of moonlight—
Orochimaru strolled along the ancient roads of Rōran, gazing out at what was once a bustling city, now reduced to ruins.
He couldn’t help but shake his head.
“Time truly is the greatest enemy in this world. No matter how glorious something once was, before the passage of time… it all becomes meaningless.”
He felt utterly unmotivated.
Though a few remnants of the ancient city still lingered in Rōran, they wouldn’t be staying much longer.
The Land of Wind had always coveted what was hidden in the ancient city—but bound by reputation, they didn’t dare make a direct move.
Instead, they relied on prolonged encirclement, waiting for the people of Rōran to abandon the city themselves.
The residents of Rōran had never placed much trust in Sunagakure. The fact that, back then, they’d rather ask Konohagakure for help than rely on Sunagakure said it all.
But none of that mattered now.
Orochimaru had once seen the mission report regarding Namikaze Minato during his time in the archives, but he hadn’t paid it much attention.
It was only after Kimimaro’s condition began to deteriorate that this place came to mind. He had decided to come here himself and see what exactly was hidden.
“If I remember correctly, one of Sunagakure’s records mentioned… an enormous amount of chakra being sealed here?”
Orochimaru licked his lips. Normally, something like that wouldn’t interest him much—he had always placed more faith in biological modification.
But Kimimaro’s condition left him with no choice but to explore alternative possibilities. He couldn’t allow the “vessel” he had nurtured with such care to be lost just like that.
With a subtle flare of chakra, Orochimaru instantly appeared atop Rōran’s central tower. Staring at the structure before him, he once again licked his lips.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the thing he was looking for should be inside.
He slowly pushed open the tower’s heavy gate and stepped into its interior. Upon seeing the sealing array etched into the floor, he gave a silent nod.
Especially when his eyes landed on the Flying Thunder God kunai embedded in the ground—the unmistakable mark of Namikaze Minato—he felt completely certain.
“So this is the place.”
He muttered softly and stepped forward.
“I’d really like to know… What did you encounter back then, Minato, that made you choose to bury it all here?”
Squatting down, Orochimaru began examining the sealing formation. But just then, he suddenly furrowed his brow.
He had clearly sensed a chakra fluctuation spreading through the area.
Whipping his head around, he spotted a shadowy figure—someone who had appeared at some unknown moment.
The figure stared back at him in confusion, seemingly just as surprised to see him there.
The two locked eyes in silence.
Eventually, it was Orochimaru who broke first.
“…You again? Don’t tell me Jiraiya’s here too?”
“Seriously, why are you people always so annoying?”
“This really never ends, does it?!”
Staring at the figure in front of him, even Kitagawa Gen found the situation a bit absurd.
It almost looked Orochimaru had really been put through the wringer—thanks to him and Jiraiya.
He remembered Tsunade once mentioning that Orochimaru had sought her out, most likely to treat a child—that child being Kimimaro.
Back in the Land of Hot Water, he’d pushed Kimimaro to the brink. And in Sugi Village, Jiraiya had blocked Orochimaru’s path again.
And now, of all places, while chasing the Dragon Vein, he’d run into Orochimaru once more.
But why would Orochimaru be after the Dragon Vein?
Orochimaru had no idea what Kitagawa Gen was thinking. His hoarse voice cut through the silence.
“Tell him to come out. Surely he’s not planning to have a mere junior deal with me, is he?”
That’s what he said, but Orochimaru’s gaze grew more serious.
He was familiar with Jiraiya’s tricks and could handle them easily enough. But Kitagawa Gen...
That was a different story altogether. So far, all he knew about this brat was that he bore a striking resemblance to the Second Hokage.
Smart in battle, unafraid to use underhanded tactics, and skilled in Sage Mode, the Flying Thunder God Technique, and a devastatingly powerful Purple Lightning.
Given a choice, he’d much rather deal with Jiraiya.
I will post some extra Chapters in , you can check it out. >> /TitoVillar