A breeze blew over the deserted hilltop. Leaves scattered, and silence reigned.
In the adjacent forest, the fallen leaves on the ground were carried away by the breeze, faintly revealing a pile of earthen-yellow sand underneath. Strangely, this type of sand, typically found only in desert regions, had inexplicably appeared in the naturally pleasant environment of the Land of Rivers.
Soon, however, a peculiar chakra fluctuation emanated from the pile of yellow sand.
The sand, hidden beneath the leaves, seemed to suddenly be endowed with life. It rippled like flowing water, and then, like a fountain, masses of fluctuating sand surged into the air, gradually condensing into a middle-aged ninja wearing a vest. A Suna (Sand) forehead protector was clearly worn on his brow.
The middle-aged Suna ninja, who had been buried here for a long time, looked in the direction Hanzō of the Salamander and his men had left, his eyes flickering. He pulled out a narrow strip of paper, quickly scribbled something, then cupped his hand to his mouth in a unique gesture, blowing a sharp cry toward the sky!
Screech! Screech!—
The piercing bird cry echoed in the air, instantly drawing back an equally sharp response.
A swift, strong osprey appeared on the distant horizon and, in the blink of an eye, flew down to land on the middle-aged ninja's shoulder.
The Suna ninja smiled faintly, stroking the osprey's smooth feathers. The bird narrowed its eyes in apparent enjoyment.
The Suna ninja then rolled the note he had written into a small paper cylinder and inserted it into the bamboo tube mechanism tied to the osprey's leg.
He shrugged his shoulder, and the osprey understood, leaping into the air and shooting off like an arrow toward the direction of the Land of Wind!
The middle-aged Suna ninja watched the osprey disappear into the distance, then chose a direction and departed himself!
...
The informant who had reported information about Sarutobi's group to Hanzō was excitedly sprinting in the direction of Amegakure when a dark shadow suddenly flashed past his eyes. He felt a sharp pain in his neck and instantly lost consciousness—permanently.
A ninja wearing a dog mask and black clothing appeared, holding the corpse, manifesting on a nearby towering tree. This was clearly a Konoha Anbu member.
The Anbu member looked at the corpse in his hand, his gaze turning cold. He kicked off the tree, leaping several times before speeding toward the distance.
Swoosh!—
The Dog Mask Anbu member appeared in a clearing in the forest.
The three other Konoha Anbu members who had been waiting there, wearing different animal masks, immediately bowed in unison, calling out, "Captain!"
The Dog Mask Anbu, carrying the corpse, walked toward the three, nodding faintly. He asked, "Is the secret jutsu formula for memory extraction ready?"
The three men moved apart, revealing a complex and profound ninjutsu formula inscribed on a large rock behind them. One of them replied, "Yes, Captain, it's ready. We were just waiting for you to bring the body back!"
The Dog Mask Anbu walked to the rock, looked at the formula, and nodded. He placed the corpse on the rock, positioning the head precisely in the center of the formula.
After arranging the corpse, the Anbu captain glanced at his three teammates and commanded in a low voice, "Alright, start quickly!"
"Yes!" The three replied in unison. They and the captain gathered around the formula on the giant rock, standing in fixed positions ninety degrees apart.
Once his three subordinates were in position, the Anbu captain's expression grew serious. A strong chakra fluctuation emanated from him. All the chakra in his system gathered in his hands and was injected into the special ninjutsu formula carved on the rock.
The other three also began their actions.
The massive amount of chakra injected by the four men caused the special jutsu formula to radiate a deep-blue, crystalline glow, slowly activating its effect.
The Anbu captain slowly closed his eyes. Images surging from the corpse's head rapidly transmitted into his mind.
His eyes subtly trembled. Cold sweat had already begun to continuously break out on his back. Not only was the consumption of chakra intense, but his mental power and will were also enduring an enormous challenge from this special ninjutsu formula.
Suddenly, the influx of several images caused him to instantly snap his eyes open, a brilliant light shooting from his pupils. He commanded in a deep voice, "Enough, I've seen it!"
The other three simultaneously sighed in relief and withdrew the chakra they were injecting.
The Dog Mask captain looked at his three teammates and said sternly, "Quickly clean up the area. We need to relay this information to Lord Sarutobi as soon as possible!"
"Yes!" The three teammates replied in unison.
The corpse was buried, and the giant rock was destroyed into the finest debris to ensure the special ninjutsu formula would not be compromised or leaked.
Once everything was handled, the Anbu squad swiftly vanished into the dense forest.
...
After traveling for about two more hours, Orochimaru's group arrived at the second stronghold.
Unlike the previous location, this stronghold was close to the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, and its natural environment reflected the customs of the Land of Wind.
Looking around, on the vast land scattered with low sand dunes, one could occasionally glimpse a patch of sand-constructed buildings that contrasted sharply with the architectural styles of the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers. Sand houses, sand lookout towers, and sand walls were all present. The area covered was equal to or even greater than the previous stronghold.
Although this stronghold did not have the dense, interlocking traps of the last one, the senses of Sarutobi and the other Jōnin-level powerhouses detected the chakra signatures of tenmajor nation Jōnin inside. Even more alarming, one of these signatures far exceeded the Jōnin level, indicating the presence of a Kage-candidate level powerhouse!
This formidable force, consisting of nine major nation Jōnin plus one Kage-candidate, was undoubtedly a more potent form of protection and deterrence than any cunning trap!
Sensing such a powerful aura—composed of multiple Jōnin and rising straight into the sky like a colossal jade pillar—from a distance, Sarutobi's and the others' expressions were grim.
Moreover, at the same moment the Konoha Jōnin sensed the enemy's Jōnin, Sarutobi clearly perceived that the Kage-candidate level powerhouse in the enemy stronghold had also sensed their presence. They were momentarily caught in a difficult position: neither retreat nor advance seemed viable.
Orochimaru's eyes flashed cold. He turned around, looking at Asō and Asaoka, who were trembling with fear under the pressure of the powerful aura. He smiled wickedly and gently, but his tone was so cold it made the two men shiver: "If I recalls correctly, your Lord Maeda Take said that these three strongholds were forces established by rogue ninja organizations!
"Sirs Asō and Asaoka, I wonder if Orochimaru misheard, or if your Lord Maeda Take never intended to tell the truth, hmm?"
At the end of his sentence, Orochimaru's killing intent, sharp as a sword or blade, struck the two men, icy and chilling to the bone!
Sarutobi and the rest of the Konoha ninja also looked over with hostile expressions. The auras they subtly released turned Asō's and Asaoka's faces ashen.
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