Seeing the intrigued look on Orochimaru's face, Gento understood.
He knew exactly what that guy was planning.
In the original story, Orochimaru had set his sights on Itachi's body, only to be instantly defeated by Tsukuyomi and flee in disgrace.
Later, he settled for the next best option and shifted his target to Sasuke.
So he spoke calmly:
"I advise you not to set your sights on Itachi."
"Otherwise, you'll regret it."
Orochimaru let out a hoarse chuckle and stuck out his tongue to lick his lips:
"Hehehe… Gento-kun, you must be joking."
"I merely admire this child."
He simply assumed Gento was protecting Itachi and threatening him, so he didn't take it to heart.
Those golden vertical pupils lingered on Itachi for another moment before slowly withdrawing.
After that, the group did not delay any further.
Orochimaru led them toward the harbor.
A plain-looking sailboat was docked by the pier.
The boatman was a taciturn middle-aged man. Upon seeing Orochimaru, he merely nodded before untying the ropes.
The sailboat entered the night, heading out toward the vast sea.
Gento stood on the deck, watching the outline of the land gradually disappear in the distance.
Itachi stood at his side, expressionless, as if he were simply carrying out an ordinary patrol mission.
After two days and one night of sailing.
Late on the second night, the ship finally approached the Land of Water.
Dense fog filled the air, with visibility less than ten meters.
A damp, cold atmosphere permeated everything.
Orochimaru took out several wide black cloaks with hoods from the cabin and handed them to everyone:
"Put these on."
"The Hidden Mist enforces a closed policy and is very hostile to outsiders."
"To avoid being exposed too early, we need a bit of concealment."
They took the cloaks and wrapped themselves, leaving only their eyes exposed.
After docking, Orochimaru led them across a desolate rocky shore to the outskirts of the Hidden Mist.
It was Gento's first time seeing this mysterious hidden village with his own eyes.
The dense fog never dispersed, shrouding the entire village in a hazy veil.
Faint outlines of buildings could be seen in the distance.
Low houses, narrow streets.
Everywhere revealed a bleak scene.
It wasn't even half as prosperous as the Hidden Leaf Village.
There were hardly any pedestrians on the streets. Occasionally, one or two ninjas wearing Hidden Mist forehead protectors hurried past, their steps quick and their expressions vigilant.
An indescribable sense of oppression hung over the entire village.
Orochimaru skillfully led them to a remote corner outside the village, stopping in front of a large boulder.
He formed hand seals with practiced ease and pressed his hand against the rock.
Moments later, the boulder slowly moved aside, revealing a staircase leading downward.
They descended the steps, passed through a damp passage, and entered a room.
The room was not large and was set up with a barrier that blocked chakra perception.
There were already three people waiting inside.
At the front stood an exceptionally young woman.
She appeared to be about the same age as Shizune.
But her own "strength" was far more impressive than Shizune's.
The surging curves made Gento unconsciously swallow.
She wore a blue dress that accentuated her figure, with a slit that revealed her fair, slender legs.
Her reddish-brown long hair draped over her shoulders, slightly curled at the ends, making her face appear even more beautiful.
Her features were delicate yet mature, her eyes carrying a hint of laziness, with a faint smile at the corners of her lips.
The curves of her chest were astonishingly full, stretching the fabric of the dress tight, while her waist was slender enough to be grasped in one hand.
It was Mei Terumi.
A system notification immediately sounded in Gento's mind:
[Ding! Suitable Dual Cultivation partner detected.]
[Name: Mei Terumi]
[Kekkei Genkai: Boil Release, Lava Release]
[Strength: Kage-level]
[Overall Evaluation: S-rank]
Behind her stood two more people.
One was a boy wearing sunglasses, looking no more than twelve or thirteen years old, with a thin build.
The boy kept his head lowered, appearing somewhat shy. It was Chojuro.
The other was a middle-aged ninja with a black eyepatch over his right eye.
Beneath the eyepatch was a Byakugan taken from the Hidden Leaf Village.
He had a sturdy build and vigilant eyes. It was Ao.
Orochimaru stepped forward and introduced them to Gento in a hoarse voice:
"These are the friends who provided the intelligence for this mission."
He then turned slightly and pointed at Gento:
"This is the head of the Uchiha clan, Gento Uchiha."
"He will assist us in this operation."
Mei Terumi's gaze fell on Gento as she sized him up from head to toe, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes:
"The Uchiha clan head is personally taking action?"
Her voice was lazy and pleasant.
Although she was still young, her voice already carried a trace of a woman's natural magnetism.
Gento nodded without saying much.
Mei didn't mind and turned to Orochimaru, her expression growing serious:
"We just received news. Yagura has dispatched Anbu to take the two prodigies of the Hozuki clan from their secret holding location and transfer them to a more concealed place."
"No matter what, we won't let them succeed…"
Ao stepped forward and said in a low voice:
"I used the Byakugan to secretly confirm the classified documents."
"The escort team will pass through the abandoned mining area east of the village tonight. The terrain there is complex, suitable for an ambush."
Mei continued:
"For this operation, we must intercept them before they reach the new holding location."
"Once they enter that place, we'll have no chance."
She looked at Gento, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips:
"Clan Head Gento, no problem, right?"
Gento replied calmly:
"Lead the way."
…
The abandoned mining area was located to the east of the Hidden Mist, a barren stretch of rocky terrain.
The once-thriving mine had long been abandoned, leaving behind only broken minecart tracks and scattered rubble.
The night was deep, and the dense fog remained.
Gento and the others lay in wait in the shadows of an abandoned mine shaft, their eyes fixed on the narrow mountain path ahead.
Orochimaru crouched in a corner.
Kimimaro and Jugo stood by his side.
Itachi leaned against the rock wall, his breathing steady.
Chojuro, on the other hand, looked nervous.
Ao used his Byakugan to constantly monitor movements in the distance.
Mei stood not far from Gento, her gaze drifting toward him from time to time, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Sensing Mei's gaze, Gento remained unmoved.
He naturally knew that Mei liked handsome men very much.
With his looks, it was inevitable that he would attract her interest.
But the more she paid attention to him, the more he needed to act aloof.
This was called playing hard to get.
When the time was right, he would make his move and take Mei Terumi.
And he believed that this moment wouldn't be far off.
At that moment, Ao's voice rang out:
"The targets are coming!"
"There are about forty of them!"
Gento immediately raised his eyes upon hearing this.
In the dense fog, a group of figures gradually became clear.
At the very front were more than ten Hidden Mist Anbu.
In the middle was the core escort team, four Anbu tightly surrounding a prison cart.
Calling it a prison cart was inaccurate; it was actually a massive iron cage carried by four ninjas.
Inside the cage were two boys.
The older one was about eighteen years old.
His long silver-white hair hung loosely and messily, his features refined.
It was Mangetsu Hozuki.
The younger one was around five years old, with the same silver-white hair, currently curled up behind his brother.
A look of fear was on his face.
It was Suigetsu Hozuki.
Both of them were bound with chains inscribed with sealing techniques, their chakra sealed to prevent escape.
Gento's gaze swept across the group.
When his eyes passed over one of the Anbu with an utterly ordinary appearance, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Suitable Dual Cultivation partner detected.]
[Name: Konan]
[Kekkei Genkai: Paper Release Secret Technique]
[Strength: Kage-level]
[Overall Evaluation: S-rank]
...
If you want to support, please consider Patreon, and read advanced chapters! Your support keeps this series going! [Patreon.com/RedZTL]