Chapter 91: Reliable Teammate - Orochimaru
This was a thoroughly satisfying great victory!
The Mist ninja's westward invasion was completely thwarted. The remnants fled in panic under the leadership of Fourth Mizukage Yagura.
Post-battle statistics revealed over four hundred Mist ninja corpses left on the island, and these were basically all chunin-level and above Mist ninja. This didn't even count the Mist ninja devoured by the great serpents—adding everything together, it could probably exceed five hundred people.
Such losses were undoubtedly devastating.
The Five Great Ninja Villages' ninja numbers varied in scale. Of course, even Sand Village with the fewest people still had over ten thousand total ninja. Villages with more people, like Konoha and Cloud ninja, both exceeded twenty thousand ninja.
The truly critical point was that among these ten-some thousand or twenty thousand ninja, over half were genin.
The deaths of over five hundred chunin, special jonin, and jonin was quite a painful loss for the Mist ninja. Combined with personnel lost in previous attrition warfare, the Mist ninja had truly suffered grievous injury this time.
Without a good ten years of recuperation, they couldn't hope to recover.
Oh yes—
They'd also lost a Tailed Beast.
One could imagine the Mist Village's interior definitely wouldn't be peaceful going forward.
However, however much turmoil Mist Village experienced had nothing to do with Konoha. Though logically this was the right time to pursue victory and beat the dog in the water, honestly Konoha also lacked surplus strength to commit forces to continue fighting on island archipelagos thousands of miles away at sea.
The successive wars with Sand ninja, Rock ninja, and Cloud ninja had also severely depleted Konoha's vitality. Going forward, Konoha would at most verbally threaten the Mist ninja, then most likely sign a ceasefire agreement with them, drawing a period on this protracted war.
The Konoha ninja weren't particularly excited about this victory either. The war had simply lasted too long—everyone was mentally and physically exhausted, only hoping to end this war as soon as possible.
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The sun had completely leaped above the sea level, striving hard to climb toward the sky's zenith, releasing magnificent light and heat, thoroughly dispelling the night's cold dampness. Even someone as cold-blooded as Orochimaru was now basking in the sunlight with a look of enjoyment.
"...Phew! The feeling of occasionally sunbathing isn't bad!"
Orochimaru breathed deeply, exhaling white mist.
In the distance, the sea sparkled. Looking around revealed an endless expanse of empty ocean. The Mist ninja fleet had completely vanished from view.
"Orochimaru, what did you call me over here for?"
Hiruko had no interest in appreciating the surrounding scenery. He'd originally been following everyone else to clean up the battlefield. Though theoretically spoils seized on the battlefield should all be turned in, actual implementation wasn't so strict. As long as you weren't too excessive, keeping some war trophies was completely allowed.
But as a result, before Hiruko had found anything good, Orochimaru had summoned him over.
"If you have something to say, say it quickly! After you're done, I still need to continue cleaning the battlefield. If I drag this out too long, I won't be able to get anything good." Hiruko looked utterly impatient.
"You already have Ice Style Kekkei Genkai—how can you still be interested in picking up garbage?"
Orochimaru turned his head, his golden vertical pupils staring at Hiruko, this old classmate.
Back in ninja academy, out of thirty people in their class, aside from Jiraiya and Tsunade, only Hiruko could make him look twice. However, the Hiruko of the past was always very impatient, as though desperately chasing something. Only in recent years had he changed, losing that restless feeling of craving instant success.
"Who said having Ice Style Kekkei Genkai means you can't pick up garbage?"
Hiruko curled his lip.
"No one has said such things. It's just... Hiruko, where did you get Ice Style Kekkei Genkai?"
"Stole it."
Hiruko answered candidly.
Being questioned and investigated was expected. Suddenly possessing Kekkei Genkai—this special ability that couldn't be mastered through normal training—as long as the higher-ups weren't blind, they'd definitely inquire. Moreover, frontline investigation probably wouldn't be the end. After returning to the village, there would inevitably be more questioning and investigation.
"Stole it?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his face wearing an interested smile as he continued asking: "How did you steal it? Did your student Hyuga Ritsu also use the same method to steal Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai?"
"How to steal Kekkei Genkai—forgive me for keeping that confidential. It's my own research result. But Ritsu did indeed rely on the same method to steal Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai."
Hiruko spoke truthfully but concealed the name and specific information about the Chimera Technique.
"Being able to steal others' Kekkei Genkai for your own use... Hiruko, you've truly researched something incredible!" Orochimaru sighed from the heart. He knew Hiruko's talent was actually quite high, but he hadn't expected Hiruko would research something so dangerous and terrifying!
"I'm aware of that."
"Then you should also be aware that once the existence of your research result becomes known, countless people will want to seize it. It's not impossible that certain people in the village would similarly covet it. At that time, you'll have no peace!"
"I know."
Hiruko's expression didn't change. "However, our Konoha doesn't have a rule requiring you to turn in secret techniques or forbidden jutsu you've developed. This technique is my research result. No one can force me to surrender it."
"The logic is that logic, but you should also know—rules are dead, people are alive. If the village judges your technique will bring important threats to the village, naturally they can impose restrictions on you. There's precedent for this."
"Back then, the First Hokage sealed away countless forbidden techniques developed by the Second Hokage."
Orochimaru said meaningfully.
"So, Orochimaru, quickly become Hokage! As long as you become Fourth Hokage, then I think at that time there shouldn't be anyone blind enough to come make trouble for me!"
Hiruko looked at Orochimaru with a smile.
Orochimaru was momentarily speechless, not expecting this boomerang to ultimately circle back to himself.
He smiled and shook his head, saying: "Who knows when the Fourth Hokage selection will even begin! Moreover, even if I become Fourth Hokage, that doesn't necessarily mean everything will go smoothly as desired. Rather than hoping I can help you, you'd better think early about whether there are better methods to deal with those guys in the village coveting your research results."
"In any case, Hiruko, I just wanted to have a casual chat with you and say a few words. You've passed my hurdle now. But the hurdle in the village definitely won't be as easy to pass as mine. Honestly speaking, your precious student also isn't particularly well-regarded. Perhaps you teacher and student will both be entangled in trouble because of this matter."
Out of old classmate friendship, Orochimaru issued a warning reminder.
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