Soon after Uchiha Fugaku and his team left, three ANBU ninjas emerged from behind, approaching the grassy area.
"The way those people from the Guard Department looked at us—it felt like they wanted to kill us!"
One of the ANBU ninjas shuddered, his voice tinged with fear.
"Hah, you're just too timid. We're operating under Hokage-sama's orders. They wouldn't dare lay a finger on us," another ANBU ninja scoffed, though his tone betrayed his own unease.
"Stay focused. We're on a mission—don't get careless," the older ANBU ninja said sternly, silencing the others.
The trio pressed forward and stepped onto the grassy area.
As they did, one of the ANBU ninjas suddenly froze. Beneath his foot, he heard the unmistakable hiss of a lit fuse.
His eyes darted downward, and his face went pale as he spotted an explosive tag burning.
"Trap—!"
Boom!
The tag exploded, sending the ANBU ninja flying through the air, his body bloodied and mangled.
"Ambush!"
The older ANBU ninja shouted, but before they could react, the explosion triggered a chain reaction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The grassy area became a warzone as one detonator after another erupted, shattering the once-serene landscape. When the smoke cleared, the grass was charred black, the ground littered with craters.
The three ANBU ninjas lay battered and bloodied, their clothing in tatters and bodies covered in wounds.
Hearing the explosions, Uchiha Fugaku and his group turned back.
When they saw the injured ANBU trio, more than a dozen Uchiha clan members couldn't suppress their smirks.
"Serves them right," one muttered under his breath.
Pretending to be concerned, Uchiha Asami approached them.
"Did you trigger a trap set by Orochimaru?" she asked with feigned surprise.
"You knew! You didn't warn us!" the older ANBU ninja growled through gritted teeth, his injuries worsening his frustration.
The trap had been expertly concealed—so much so that even he, a seasoned ANBU operative, had failed to detect it. But he was certain the Uchiha Guard, with their Sharingan, had seen through it.
"Shut up," Uchiha Fugaku snapped, his gaze cold and commanding. "You're blaming us for your incompetence? Typical."
"You passed through this area before us—how do you explain the trap?" another ANBU ninja demanded angrily.
"We didn't go through the grass," Uchiha Asami said with a mocking smile. "And even if we had, we wouldn't have fallen for something so obvious. Your failure is your own."
The ANBU operative clenched his fists, his face flushing beneath his mask.
"This will be reported to Hokage-sama!" he barked.
"Feel free," Fugaku replied, his tone indifferent. "In the meantime, we have a mission to complete. Let's move out!"
Without giving the ANBU ninjas a second glance, Fugaku and his team resumed their journey.
The pursuit continued at a leisurely pace, with frequent stops along the way. Two days later, they crossed the border into the Land of Rivers.
Nestled between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, the Land of Rivers had often served as a battlefield during past wars. Its terrain bore scars of conflict, much like the Land of Rain.
"What's Orochimaru doing here?" Fugaku muttered, his brow furrowing.
"Could he have a secret base in this region?"
As a notorious rogue ninja, Orochimaru was known to maintain numerous hidden bases scattered across the ninja world. They could be found in isolated forests, deep mountain caves, or even abandoned ruins.
But Fugaku quickly dismissed the thought.
"It doesn't matter. I never intended to catch him anyway."
Patter—
Out of nowhere, raindrops began to fall. Dark clouds gathered overhead, and the steady drizzle soon turned into a heavy downpour.
"Captain, the rain's getting worse!" a Uchiha member said, looking up at the sky.
"Find shelter," Fugaku ordered.
The group found an abandoned house nearby. Though its roof had several leaks, it provided enough cover to escape the rain.
"After this rain, all traces will be washed away," Uchiha Asami remarked. "What do we do then, Captain?"
"Perfect," Fugaku said with a faint smile. "With no traces left, our pursuit is officially over. Once the rain stops, we'll head back to the village."
"But how will we explain this to Hokage-sama?" Asami asked, her tone cautious.
"We don't need to explain anything," Fugaku replied, his voice carrying a note of defiance. "The Uchiha clan no longer fears the Hokage."
His words filled the room with a quiet intensity. Over the years, the Uchiha had endured countless indignities under the village's leadership. Now, for the first time in a long time, Fugaku's confidence gave his people a sense of pride.
After the rain subsided, Fugaku and his team emerged from the house. The ground was soft and muddy, all traces of Orochimaru's path erased by the storm.
As they began their journey back to Konoha, a small snake slithered out from the grass near their shelter.
Its beady eyes followed their retreating forms, as though it carried a consciousness far more cunning than any ordinary serpent.
(End of this chapter)
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