In the Land of Rice, deep within a dense forest far from any human trails.
Sora, wearing the Vermilion Bird mask and a black robe, stood at the top of a large tree, scanning the somewhat desolate land below.
"The Land of Rice, the future location of the Sound Ninja Village. Orochimaru, you certainly know how to pick a place."
Sora whispered to himself.
His infiltration into the Land of Rice this time had a clear purpose, to find Orochimaru's secret experimental base hidden within and expose it.
Ever since he was nearly ambushed by Orochimaru and the Cloud ninja in the Land of Lightning last time, almost capsizing in a minor ditch, Sora understood that this venomous snake would not easily give up its surveillance of him.
Instead of passively waiting for Orochimaru to pop out from some corner and bite him next time, it was better to take the initiative and create some major trouble for him.
"In the original story, Sarutobi Hiruzen could turn a blind eye even when Orochimaru experimented on villagers. It wasn't until he experimented on Konoha ninja that it truly crossed his bottom line..."
Sora's thoughts flowed, analyzing the current situation.
"Now is wartime. Orochimaru, as an important commander against Iwagakure and Kumogakure, holds a special position. Merely exposing his experimental base probably won't shake his foundation much. Sarutobi Hiruzen would most likely suppress this matter for the sake of the war situation."
"But..."
A cold glint flashed in Sora's eyes. "As long as it can annoy him, distract his attention, and make him temporarily too busy to keep a close eye on me, the goal is achieved."
He didn't need a one hit kill. He just needed to plant a thorn in public opinion and in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart.
When the time was right, this thorn would naturally serve its purpose.
Moreover, once Orochimaru was tied up with these matters, his focus on Sora would naturally decrease.
Once that old schemer Uchiha Madara died, Sora could act freely. Then, he could deal with Orochimaru however he pleased!
"Then, let's begin."
Sora took a deep breath and formed hand seals in front of his chest.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof...
A series of white smoke burst around him. Instantly, thirty shadow clones identical to him appeared in the forest, a dense crowd.
Thirty clones, this was the maximum number Sora could currently maintain by utilizing the Dragon Vein chakra.
Any more and his mind couldn't handle it.
"Naruto, that guy is really a cheater!"
Sora felt his slightly dizzy brain and silently complained, recalling Naruto's hundreds or thousands of clones.
The thirty shadow clones ignored Sora and turned into thirty blurred black shadows, speeding towards various directions in the Land of Rice.
They would each maintain a distance of fourteen ri, forming a large net, sweeping inch by inch from south to north across the Land of Rice until they found all of Orochimaru's bases.
Sora himself stayed in place, acting as the central hub and information reception point.
...
Time passed bit by bit.
No shadow clone sent back any message.
"Orochimaru is indeed cautious. The concealment of his base is really well done."
Sora thought to himself, not discouraged.
Although the Land of Rice was not large, accurately finding a base deliberately hidden by Orochimaru still required some time.
He was mentally prepared.
Finally, on the evening of the second day, a shadow clone operating in the northeastern part of the Land of Rice, near a deep mountain area, sent back some abnormal information.
This clone discovered an extremely well hidden crack at the bottom of a seemingly ordinary cliff.
Not far from the entrance of the crack, on the branches of a bush, the clone found a small piece of scaly debris with a slight fishy smell.
The clone carefully wrapped that piece of debris with chakra and carefully sensed it.
"This kind of chakra residue, carrying a cold and snake like unique aura, yes, it's something from Orochimaru's side!"
The clone reached a conclusion.
To further confirm, the clone focused its sensing ability deep into that crack.
As the sensing went deeper, the clone finally caught a whiff of a complex smell mixed with disinfectant, culture fluid, and a faint scent of blood.
"Found it!"
This shadow clone felt settled and hesitated no longer.
"Poof!"
Amidst a slight puff of white smoke, this shadow clone dispelled itself, instantly transmitting all the key information back to Sora's main body, far away deep in the forest.
Sora suddenly opened his eyes. Beneath the Vermilion Bird mask, the corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc.
...
Northeastern part of the Land of Rice, at the bottom of that desolate cliff.
Sora's main body appeared silently like a ghost, standing before that hidden crack.
"This is the place..."
Sora used his sensing ability, silently spreading it towards the depths of the crack.
Before long, he had figured out the intelligence of this base, one jonin, six chunin, eighteen genin and ordinary people responsible for research experiments.
But what caught Sora's attention the most was, in the most core sealed chamber of the base, he sensed an extremely special energy fluctuation, full of vibrant life force yet carrying a trace of violent intent.
That aura, somewhat similar to the Yamato cells he had previously traded to Orochimaru, but stronger!
"Wood Release cells!"
A gleam of sharp light flashed in Sora's eyes.
This guy Orochimaru, he really hadn't stopped his research on Wood Release cells even during the war, and had even established related experimental bases in the Land of Rice!
After thoroughly scouting the intelligence of this base, Sora quietly lay in ambush at the spot, not taking action immediately.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the results of the other twenty nine shadow clones' investigations.
Orochimaru was cunning and had multiple hideouts. The Land of Rice, as the future country of the Sound Ninja Village, definitely couldn't have only this one base.
If he startled the snake, allowing other bases to be on guard, the effectiveness of this operation would be greatly reduced.
What he wanted was to simultaneously, with thunderous force, take out as many of Orochimaru's strongholds in the Land of Rice as possible!
Time passed minute by minute.
One after another, through the information transmitted back after the shadow clones dispelled, a distribution map of Orochimaru's forces within the Land of Rice gradually took shape in Sora's mind.
Indeed, more than one place!
Including this northeastern base where he currently was, a total of five suspicious strongholds were discovered!
Three of them were smaller in scale, seeming to be only temporary supply transfer points or observation posts, with only a few chunin stationed inside.
Another one was similar in scale to the northeastern base, also with a jonin level chakra reaction inside.
"Five, that's really not few." Sora sneered inwardly.
It seemed Orochimaru really treated the Land of Rice as his own backyard.
When the last shadow clone responsible for investigation also completed its task, dispelling itself and transmitting the information back, Sora slowly opened his eyes.
Continuously receiving information from thirty shadow clones also made him feel a bit of fatigue and dizziness.
He found a more hidden corner, sat down cross legged, and began to adjust his breathing to recover his consumed mental energy.
After about an hour, Sora became refreshed and energetic again.
He glanced at the sun that had just risen, estimating the time.
"It's about time."
He formed hand seals again.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof...
Dense white smoke burst out again. Thirty shadow clones identical to him appeared around him.
This time, Sora held nothing back. He mobilized the vast chakra of the Dragon Vein within his body, pouring it into each shadow clone like opening floodgates.
The amount of chakra within each clone's body reached an astonishing level, enough to support a high intensity battle.
"Remember, at exactly twelve noon, take action!"
Sora's main body swept his gaze over all the clones, his voice icy.
"Destroying experimental facilities and collecting important data are the primary objectives. Encounter resistance, kill without mercy! The operation must be swift. Once successful, dispel immediately and transmit the information back!"
"Understood!"
The thirty shadow clones responded in unison, then turned into blurred black shadows, speeding towards their assigned target bases, quickly disappearing into the dense forests and mountains.
Sora's main body remained on the outskirts of the northeastern base.
...
The scorching sun hung high. The time finally reached exactly twelve noon!
A sharp gleam flashed in Sora's eyes!
"Take action!"
While silently chanting in his heart, the power within his body no longer had any suppression, erupting explosively!
Instantly entering the semi beast transformation form.
Immediately after, dazzling lightning burst from his body, like countless leaping electric snakes, coiling around his semi beast transformed body!
"Lightning Release Chakra Mode!"
Speed and defense instantly reached their peak!
At the same time, his special sensing power wildly expanded outwards, centered on himself, covering a range of seven ri in all directions!
Every movement of grass stirred by the wind within the area was clearly reflected in his mind.
"Whoosh, "
A residual image and scattered leaping lightning arcs were left at the original spot. Sora's main body rushed into that hidden crack as if teleporting!
Inside the base, the jonin stationed there seemed to sense something abnormal. He had just frowned, before he could make any reaction.
A cyan figure wrapped in lightning appeared before him like the god of death!
That jonin's pupils suddenly contracted. He only saw a claw covered in cyan scales, entwined with electric arcs, rapidly enlarging in his field of vision!
"Puchi!"
The claw easily pierced his throat, crushing his neck bone!
He didn't even get to let out a single scream.
Instant kill!
After finishing off this strongest guard, Sora's movements did not pause in the slightest.
His figure flashed again, moving through the base's corridors like a ghost.
"Enemy atta..."
A chunin guard had just opened his mouth when a wind blade materialized out of thin air, precisely slicing across his neck, strangling his shout in his throat.
Another guard tried to form hand seals to release a ninjutsu. Sora just looked at him coldly and opened his mouth to spit!
Not a dragon's breath, but a highly compressed lightning spear!
Zzzt!
The lightning spear instantly pierced that guard's heart. The powerful electric current left him charred black all over, convulsing as he fell.
Sora was like a tiger among sheep. Wherever he passed, no one could withstand a single encounter.
Whether it was the chunin guards trying to resist, or those researchers who were so scared they collapsed on the ground, having no combat ability, he showed no mercy whatsoever.
Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.
Since they chose to stand on Orochimaru's side, engaging in such inhuman human experiments, they should be prepared to be cleaned up.
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