Chapter 516: Seal the Mouth Before Hitting
Let's turn our attention elsewhere; things were quite miserable for Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado.
When they arrived aggressively at Orochimaru's Research Institute, the heavy metal door was tightly shut, and there wasn't even a shadow of a guard at the entrance.
Although the two were former Elders who had been stripped of their Advisor positions, the air of superiority they had cultivated over the years remained.
Homura Mitokado stepped forward and pounded on the door with his cane: "Orochimaru! Open up! We know you're inside!"
After a long while, Orochimaru's lazy voice came through the intercom on the door: "Oh? It is Utatane and Homura... to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Utatane Koharu felt a surge of anger and cut in, her voice shrill: "Stop playing dumb! What is the meaning of that application form? Do you have any respect for rules or Elders in your eyes?"
A faint chuckle came from the intercom, seemingly accompanied by the sound of a snake flicking its tongue.
"Elders? Rules?"
Orochimaru's voice was slow and unhurried. "I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place to put on airs. This is a Research Institute, not a banquet table."
These words pierced like icicles.
The faces of Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado turned ashen instantly.
What a joke.
What was their status, and what was Orochimaru's standing?
They were two decrepit old people who had lost their power and were barely maintaining a facade of dignity, relying on the fact that Naruto was too busy to deal with them and their own seniority.
And Orochimaru's Research Institute was currently the safest place in Hidden Leaf Village, aside from Naruto's home, and it was also the most important place in all of Hidden Leaf Village, including Naruto's home.
Twelve Anbu were stationed here on rotating shifts for patrols, and three Anbu rotated to wait for Orochimaru's communications.
And who was Orochimaru?
During the Second Shinobi World War, he, Jiraiya, and Tsunade faced the "Demigod" Hanzou head-on, fighting to the death without retreating, winning precious evacuation time for the main force of Hidden Leaf Village. That was a glorious military achievement and reputation earned with their very lives.
And what about Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado?
Their achievements during the First Great Ninja War were mediocre, and during the Second Shinobi World War, they stayed behind at the Hidden Leaf Village headquarters along with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura.
Third Hokage was the Hokage, the commander-in-chief, and the highest combat power; he needed to sit at the center and be ready at all times to support the battlefields in all directions.
Danzo also dispatched Root units deep behind enemy lines to carry out dangerous missions such as assassinations and destroying supply lines.
Only these two, under the pretense of "coordinating logistics" and "stabilizing the rear," actually used their positions to gorge themselves while the front lines were in dire straits, lining their pockets and unscrupulously seizing benefits.
Now, the Fifth Hokage was a good friend of Orochimaru, and the Sixth Hokage relied heavily on Orochimaru's experiments. How could these two compare to Orochimaru?
Orochimaru was also well aware of those old scores.
That tactic of theirs—relying on their age to bully others—might work to fool ignorant young juniors, but in front of Orochimaru, it carried no weight.
Therefore, when he first saw that it was these two, Orochimaru couldn't even be bothered to open the door.
It wasn't until the two kept shouting outside the door that they wanted an "explanation" regarding that forged marriage application form that Orochimaru thought there might be some amusement to be had, so he let them in.
The metal door slid open silently, and Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado exchanged a glance before stepping into the Research Institute.
After Naruto returned last time, he approved another batch of funding for Orochimaru, so the environment of the Research Institute was even better now, and the lighting was bright.
Because the ventilation System had been upgraded, there were no strange odors here.
Orochimaru did not appear in the reception area; only members of the Sound Four were standing on both sides of the corridor.
Unable to see the host, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado's anger flared even higher. They began to berate the empty corridor, scolding him for everything from "disrespecting Elders" and "playing power politics" to "lacking personal integrity" and "corrupting the social atmosphere." Their mouths didn't stop for a moment, as if they wanted to pour out all the frustration they had been bottling up these past few days.
They scolded for about a quarter of an hour before a slender figure slowly walked out from the end of the corridor.
Orochimaru was draped in a loose research robe, his golden snake-like pupils gleaming with a cold and playful light in the shadows. He leaned against the doorframe, as if enjoying a clumsy play.
When the two old Advisors were parched and panting from scolding, he gently raised a hand, interrupting this one-man show.
"Are you finished?"
Orochimaru's tone was flat, revealing no emotion.
"Tayuya, Kidomaru, show them out."
Such a dismissive brushing off completely enraged Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado.
They were former high-ranking officials of Hidden Leaf Village, at the very least; when had they ever suffered such humiliation?
Homura Mitokado's beard and hair bristled.
"Orochimaru, we are your Elders! Is this the attitude you take?"
Orochimaru watched as if he were observing a circus performance; having such amusement occasionally wasn't bad, but these two clowns had been performing for a bit too long.
After receiving Orochimaru's order, Tayuya and Kidomaru immediately stepped forward and made a gesture of "please," their movements respectful, but their eyes devoid of warmth.
The two were furious; how could they be willing to leave?
Utatane Koharu even secretly formed hand seals, her Chakra fluctuating slightly, striking a fighting stance.
They thought to themselves that they were, after all, veteran Ninjas with over fifty years of experience; their foundation and expertise remained. Dealing with two guards who looked quite young, they surely wouldn't be taken down by two youngsters.
However, they were wrong. Wrong beyond belief.
The battle erupted almost instantly and quickly turned into a one-sided affair.
Tayuya's flute music was eerie and tricky, directly interfering with their nerves and Chakra flow; Kidomaru's spider sticky gold and attack style were even more bizarre and unpredictable, with speed, power, and coordination far exceeding that of ordinary Jonin.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado's old-school, slightly sluggish combat style was full of openings in the face of the young ones' swift-as-wind, treacherous, and ruthless attacks.
The two "old fogies" indeed had a deep foundation, and they managed to hold on through sheer experience and tenacious will, not collapsing immediately.
If they were ordinary seventy-year-olds, having experienced such high-intensity confrontation, they would have long since been aching in their bones and collapsed to the ground.
But they were also completely suppressed, struggling to defend themselves, and in a wretched state. They soon added many wounds to their bodies, their clothes were torn, and they were covered in dirt.
This unequal battle lasted for a full hour.
During this time, Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado gritted their teeth, not uttering a single sound, let alone begging for mercy, which showed a surprising degree of toughness.
Orochimaru watched coldly from the sidelines until he felt that if they continued to fight, these two old guys might really be seriously injured or even die here.
Dying wasn't a big deal, but the key was that disposing of the bodies would be troublesome.
It was uncertain whether people from their families would come to cause trouble, and the most troublesome thing would be Third Hokage.
Thinking this, Orochimaru, having enjoyed the monkey show to his heart's content, spoke indifferently: "That's enough."
Tayuya and Kidomaru immediately stopped, stepped aside, their breathing steady, as if they had just warmed up.
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, their whole bodies in pain, yet they still glared at Orochimaru with angry and humiliated eyes. Their mouths opened and closed, seemingly wanting to curse something, but they could only emit wheezing sounds of "hiss... hiss..."
At this moment, Tayuya added with a chuckle: "Lord Orochimaru, the two of them were too noisy, so I struck their throats at the beginning. I temporarily disabled their voices, but they will be fine in a few days."
"Hehe." Orochimaru chuckled twice.
So that was it; he had been wondering why these two had suddenly become so tough.
It wasn't that they were tough and wouldn't beg for mercy, but rather that from the very beginning, they had been deprived of the ability to beg for mercy.
That hour of taking a beating was merely a forced "toughing it out" while unable to speak.
Orochimaru no longer looked at the two wretched figures on the ground, turned around, and walked into the depths of the Research Institute. The hem of his robe brushed across the cold floor as he left behind a light sentence: "Clean them up and throw them out. Don't dirty my place."
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