Chapter 169: What a Simple Thing

"I didn't expect that Guren would be the one summoned to guard this woman," Kabuto thought helplessly, glancing at the cliff in front of him.

Suddenly, a massive pink crystal shot up into the sky and rocketed straight toward him!

Kabuto quickly leapt backward, narrowly avoiding the crystalline projectile. Several more massive shards of crystal materialized in the air and hurtled toward him again!

He flipped multiple times midair, narrowly dodging each incoming pink crystal spear.

Just as he regained his footing, countless snowflake-shaped shuriken rained down from above. Kabuto quickly activated his Chakra Scalpel, slicing through the icy projectiles with practiced ease.

"This is excessive, Guren!" Kabuto frowned, brushing dust off his cloak. "I don't appreciate such a rough welcoming ceremony."

From the edge of the cliff came a burst of chilling laughter.

"Hahaha! Oh, it's just you, Kabuto. I thought it was an intruder." Guren stepped into view, her crystalline armor glinting under the sunlight.

Adjusting his glasses, Kabuto replied coolly, "So you attacked without even confirming the target. Isn't that a crime committed knowingly?"

"Of course not," Guren chuckled. "If someone can be killed that easily, they don't deserve to stand beside Lord Orochimaru as his trusted aide."

"You bitch..." Kabuto scowled, glaring at her intensely.

Hokage's Office, Konohagakure

Knock knock~

"Come in!" Tsunade barked, turning toward the door.

Shizune entered the office quickly and handed over a note. "A message from Anbu—delivered by carrier pigeon."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she read the note.

"Tell Kakashi to report to me immediately," she ordered grimly.

"Is something wrong, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked. "Did we locate one of Orochimaru's hideouts?"

"Not exactly," Tsunade replied, brows furrowed. "But it seems we were only a step behind... and someone from our side was attacked."

"Understood!" Shizune responded quickly.

Tsunade walked to the window, her expression heavy. "The Anbu operative who sent this... may already be dead."

Kabuto followed Guren into a large underground prison hidden within a cliffside.

Inside, numerous test subjects, all with crimson eyes and grotesque mutations, were held in sealed cells. Each looked unstable, like a walking curse.

"I'm here under Lord Orochimaru's orders," Kabuto told Guren quietly and leaned in to whisper something into her ear.

Guren's eyes widened with excitement. Then she burst out laughing, her voice echoing through the cavernous chamber. She leapt down into the central pit of the prison, arms raised.

"I understand now!" she laughed maniacally. "Lord Orochimaru hasn't forgotten about me after all! I thought I was abandoned when I was sent to this remote facility!"

She paused and then shouted: "Did you hear that, you rabid little monsters?! Fight with everything you've got! Only the strongest among you are worthy to serve under me—to serve Lord Orochimaru!"

With that, the prison gates flung open. Countless mutated test subjects roared and surged forward, tearing into each other in a violent frenzy.

"What a delightful bloodbath," Guren said calmly, watching the carnage from above.

Meanwhile, in the forests of the Land of Fire…

"Why am I even here…?" Naruto Uzumaki grumbled, trailing behind Kakashi, Hinata, and the rest of the recon squad. "I didn't sign up for this..."

"N-Naruto…" Hinata said softly, looking at him with concern.

He sighed dramatically, glancing back at her. "Guess we'll just call this a vacation trip, huh?"

"You don't have to fight this time," Hinata replied shyly, her fingers nervously pressing together.

"Right. I'll be the first to send out my bugs to detect areas with high Chakra levels," said Shino, adjusting his sunglasses.

"Then Akamaru and I will sniff out the exact location of the hideout!" Kiba barked, slapping Akamaru's back.

"After that, I'll use my Byakugan to see through the enemy's base and pinpoint their Chakra," Hinata added with a small smile.

Naruto exhaled through his nose in frustration. "I should've just followed Ero-Sennin to gather his dumb research material... Hot spring mixed-bath mission would've been way better..."

They moved quickly through the trees, leaping from branch to branch.

Naruto and Hinata shared Akamaru's back, riding together toward the destination.

"Why the hell are you sitting on my ninken?!" Kiba shouted, glaring at Naruto and Hinata—who had dozed off together, her head resting on Naruto's shoulder.

"Because you can't even handle your own dog properly," Naruto retorted with a smirk. "Here, open up!"

He casually tossed a chunk of meat—its origin unknown—into Akamaru's mouth. The dog instantly perked up, tail wagging with renewed vigor.

"You bastard…!" Kiba growled from behind them. "If that really is Orochimaru's stronghold, I swear I'll show you I'm not just some background character!"

"In that case, I'll show you the results of my own training as well," Shino said coolly. "Unlike the rest of you, I don't have any real recognition. I've barely been in any missions lately."

"Huh?" Kiba blinked. "Are you still salty about not joining us last time?! That was forever ago!"

"Not just that," Shino replied flatly. "Naruto doesn't even remember what I look like."

Everyone paused.

"...To be fair," Kiba mumbled, "you're always covered head-to-toe. No one's even seen your eyebrows."

Deep within a hidden laboratory…

"Lord Orochimaru, your medicine," Kabuto said, handing him a vial.

Orochimaru took it, swirling the liquid inside with a wicked grin. "How is Guren?"

"Still as volatile as ever," Kabuto replied. "But... I still don't understand. Why are you so fixated on that woman?"

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "You used to despise her, didn't you? But Guren was once my prime candidate as a vessel. If not for her instability, I would've chosen her over Yukimaru."

Kabuto nodded. "Understood."

"As long as Sasuke learns the necessary techniques," Orochimaru whispered, his snake-like eyes glowing, "my rebirth will soon be complete. When that time comes, not even the Akatsuki will stand in my way."

"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said cautiously, "this next battle... it's critical for your reincarnation. Are you sure about relying on Guren?"

"There's no other choice," Orochimaru replied with a sinister smirk. "Only she is capable of carrying out this mission. Prepare the experiment immediately."

"Yes, my Lord!" Kabuto bowed and departed swiftly.

"This is where the Anbu left their message," Kakashi said, crouching near a small pile of blackened ashes.

Woof! Akamaru barked sharply.

"What is it?" Kakashi asked.

"It's not just a hunch," Kiba muttered, nose twitching. "The stench of corpses is strong—up ahead, there's a mass grave or worse."

Without hesitation, the group surged forward, following Akamaru's lead through the dense brush.

They soon arrived at the mouth of a cave. Shino released a small beetle, directing it to fly into the dark crevice.

Naruto, staring at the moon hanging in the sky, let out a huge yawn.

"This is such a pain…!" he muttered, eyeing the cave entrance. "Whatever, let's just blow it open."

He slapped his hands together and yelled, "Earth Style: Earth Flow Divide!"

Chakra surged through his palms and into the ground. The earth split apart, tearing the cave entrance wide open in a thunderous crack!

Everyone stared silently.

"Piece of cake!" Naruto declared, brushing off his hands.

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