Chapter Forty: Orochimaru's Invitation
Three days later, the Nine-Tails incident had completely subsided, and Konoha Village had returned to calm.
At the entrance of the Akimichi clan compound, a large group of Akimichi ninja dressed in black walked in neat rows toward the Memorial Stone on the western side of the village.
At the very front of the procession were several senior members led by Clan Head Akimichi Ryōta. All of them were jōnin who stood openly at the forefront of the clan. Among them was Akimichi Chōza, the leading candidate of the younger generation to succeed as clan head.
Behind them, the clan's chūnin and genin followed in order. The team of dozens was divided into three columns.
In ninja clans like the Akimichi, strength was almost equivalent to status—the greater one's power and talent, the greater one's voice within the clan.
Everyone held a bundle of white flowers in their hands, their expressions solemn and mournful.
On the night three days ago, several Akimichi ninja had lost their lives in the Nine-Tails disaster.
The most heartbreaking losses were the deaths of the elder powerhouse Akimichi Torikaze and the prime-aged jōnin Akimichi Akizuki and Akimichi Mitsuki.
All three were jōnin of the Akimichi clan.
The clan already had few jōnin to begin with, yet it had lost three in a single night.
Moreover, had it not been for Kyōko's summoned companion, Brownmaru, sacrificing itself to block a fatal blow for Akimichi Rōu, he might have died on the spot as well.
Even so, Akimichi Rōu had suffered severe injuries and was still lying in the village hospital undergoing treatment. As a result, he was absent from the clan's delegation heading to the Memorial Stone today.
That same night, Ryūya's summoned beast, the Blue Snake, had nearly died as well.
The corrosive power of the Nine-Tails' chakra was truly terrifying. If Ryūya had not decisively used hand seals to rapidly replenish the Blue Snake's life energy, it would likely have perished under the chakra's erosion.
Even so, the Blue Snake had been listless these past few days, surviving only because Ryūya continuously supplied it with large amounts of food to sustain its life energy.
According to the biological chip's calculations, the Blue Snake would need at least half a month to recover.
During this half-month period, Ryūya would have to spend tens of thousands each day just to buy food for it.
When they arrived at the plaza in front of the Memorial Stone, it was already filled with a dense crowd of ninja, all dressed in black and holding white flowers.
Within the crowd, Ryūya saw the Konoha leadership headed by the Third Hokage at the front. He also saw the large contingents of the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, while the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans stood together as one group.
Closer to the middle-front, Ryūya spotted Kakashi, Might Guy, Gekkō Hayate, Kamizuki Izumo, Morino Ibiki, and many other elite geniuses of the same generation. As for Sagawa and Yūhi Teru—his former classmates—they were positioned farther back in the crowd.
Among them all, Ryūya's gaze lingered a few extra times on the pleasing sight of Yūhi Kurenai.
However, having just lost her father, Kurenai was completely immersed in grief and showed no reaction to Ryūya's glance.
Standing beside her, the ever-devoted Asuma quietly watched over her the entire time.
At Ryūya's side, the petite Kyōko stood silently, holding white flowers in her hands.
Everyone present was dressed the same way as Ryūya and his group, and the entire plaza was steeped in sorrow.
Among those who fell that night were family members, friends, comrades—and the Fourth Hokage, whom everyone revered.
For Konoha, which had just emerged from the Third Great Ninja War, the Nine-Tails incident was undoubtedly a devastating catastrophe.
Though the disaster did not last very long, the losses it inflicted on the village were immense.
The rampaging Nine-Tails not only caused casualties and destruction, but the aftermath it triggered nearly pushed Konoha into irreversible decline.
Already suffering from a talent shortage due to the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha's situation only worsened. A large number of middle-generation ninja—such as Iruka's parents and Kurenai's father—died in this calamity.
The village's chūnin and special jōnin, its core mid-level strength, were almost wiped out.
Yet this was not the most devastating blow.
The deaths of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze—who had just reached his prime as a jōnin—and the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina, were the hardest to accept.
The Hokage was the strongest ninja in Konoha, and Minato, whom Jiraiya once regarded as the Child of Prophecy, was still in the prime of his youth.
Had he lived on, who could say how far he might have led the village?
On top of that, Kushina's death meant Konoha temporarily lost control over the Nine-Tails' power.
In the span of a single night, the village lost two of its top-tier combat forces.
Without its "nuclear deterrent" and without Minato's fearsome reputation forged during the Third Great Ninja War, Konoha's ability to intimidate the other hidden villages was greatly diminished.
Before long, this would directly lead to prolonged confrontation and friction between Konoha and the Hidden Cloud Village.
At the very front of the crowd, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a smoking pipe between his lips, silently gazing at the newly erected memorial tablets.
At this moment, he may not yet have foreseen that the Hidden Cloud would soon go to war with Konoha again, but the village's grim situation already filled the reinstated Hokage with deep concern.
Once, under his personal leadership, Konoha had reached the pinnacle of all ninja villages—yet now he had witnessed it weaken to its present state.
Still, despite the bleak outlook, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not feel despair.
Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire will burn forever!
He believed that successors who inherited the Will of Fire would continue to emerge, and that talent-rich Konoha would stand unshaken in the ninja world.
The grand memorial ceremony came to an end amid a solemn and mournful atmosphere.
"Ryūya."
As the ceremony concluded and Ryūya was about to follow his clan members back, a voice suddenly called out to him.
He turned around, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes when he saw who it was.
Mitarashi Anko.
Her signature purple hair, fishnet undershirt, and long coat gave her a bold, dashing appearance.
At the moment, she was puffing out her cheeks, staring at Ryūya with clear displeasure.
"Anko? What do you want with me?"
Seeing Anko's haughty expression, Ryūya frowned slightly.
Mitarashi Anko was also considered a genius among their generation at the Ninja Academy. They had never really interacted before, so her sudden appearance likely had something to do with Orochimaru.
"Hey—come with me. My teacher wants to see you!"
Ryūya's reaction only made Anko more annoyed. She snorted lightly, said her piece, then turned around and left.
After hearing this, Ryūya remained silent for several seconds before stepping forward to follow her.
Just as he had suspected.
Following behind Anko, Ryūya soon arrived at the edge of a forest not far from the Memorial Stone.
At the forest's edge, Orochimaru—dressed in standard Konoha ninja attire—stood quietly beneath a large tree.
"Sensei, I've brought him,"
Anko said respectfully upon arriving.
"Mmm. Anko, you may go back now,"
Orochimaru replied, nodding slightly and glancing at the silent Ryūya.
"…Yes."
Anko's expression showed a hint of hesitation. After a brief inner struggle, she cast an unwilling glance at Ryūya, then obediently turned and left.