Chapter 76 – Master and Disciple Reunited

"Ah!"

"Ugh—"

"Mmm..."

"Gah..."

Uchiha Kaien and his group stood in silence as they stepped into the Konohagakure encampment, their eyes falling on the wounded shinobi resting inside the base.

It was only upon arriving that the truth hit them—earning merit on the battlefield came at a heavy price. Injuries, sometimes crippling, were the inevitable cost. The weak could only cling to life, barely hanging on.

Some had lost limbs, others were poisoned, and many more bore internal injuries of varying severity. The sight was grim.

Tsunade was already overwhelmed. Both of her recent opponents had been poison users, and the toxins they employed were vastly different. She had to analyze and counter both types of poison on her own. Her desire to establish a proper medical corps had never felt more urgent.

Though she had Sarutobi Hiruzen's approval, funding still hadn't been allocated. And in the middle of wartime, she didn't have the luxury to train newcomers from scratch.

So for now, she could only give the occasional pointer while treating patients, before plunging right back into surgery.

Orochimaru would sometimes assist at the medical station. Though not formally trained in medical ninjutsu, his expertise with snake-based techniques gave him valuable insights into serpent venom.

Unfortunately, salamander poison and snake venom were entirely different in composition. Researching both would take an enormous amount of time—and as the top commander on the battlefield in the Land of Rain, Orochimaru had precious little of it.

As for Jiraiya, he was leading the front-line forces, taking part in nearly every battle, big and small.

The three of them had their roles clearly defined, yet even they felt like there still wasn't enough time in a day. Luckily, war wasn't a constant barrage. Even on the battlefield, there were moments of relative calm.

Today happened to be one of those rare pauses. Tsunade was the only one still working tirelessly, while Orochimaru and Jiraiya were back at headquarters, resting and preparing for the next wave of conflict.

...

"Lord Orochimaru!"

"Lord Orochimaru..."

"Lord Jiraiya!"

Three young voices called out as the tent flap lifted, revealing three familiar figures standing at the entrance.

"Well, look who it is." Jiraiya raised his cup and took a sip, looking pleased. "I figured Nawaki would come, but I didn't expect you two brats to graduate early and wind up here too."

Orochimaru looked up at his two disciples and, unusually, gave a rare smile.

Nawaki seemed more mature than the last time they saw him. As for Kaien... he reminded Orochimaru of himself at that age. No, perhaps even more so.

Not that Orochimaru minded. In the shinobi world, strength spoke louder than anything else. Aside from the embarrassing blackmail material Jiraiya had on him from their childhood, Orochimaru had nothing to be ashamed of.

"This war doesn't need kids like you getting involved."

His voice, smooth and magnetic, carried a certain weight. He casually tossed three scrolls their way.

"I don't know exactly what Sakumo taught you, but remember—chakra will always be the foundation."

Kaien caught his scroll and glanced at the cover. Orochimaru's handwriting stood out in bold:

A Detailed Guide to Chakra Nature Transformation.

"Thank you, Orochimaru-sensei." Kaien grinned, impressed. This was exactly the kind of advanced material he'd hoped for.

"Tch, sneaky move, Orochimaru. You're the only one who came bearing gifts again."

Jiraiya let out a mock-complaint and pulled out three books of his own.

"You wouldn't have this problem if you kept a proper training log. But nooo, you'd rather write your damn novels."

"That's where you're wrong! This book marks the legendary debut of Jiraiya-sama as the number one author in the shinobi world!"

He patted the cover proudly.

"It's called The Tale of Gutsy Ninja. I've already finished half of it—consider this a sneak peek for you three."

Kaien quickly stashed Jiraiya's book into his wristband storage, where it joined a growing pile of miscellaneous junk. In contrast, he hugged Orochimaru's scroll to his chest like a precious treasure.

[Affection from Orochimaru +1]

...

"For now, you're not fit for real battle," Orochimaru said. "You'll be handling low-risk scouting missions on the outskirts. That's the limit."

"Yeah," Jiraiya added with a nod. "The battlefield's no place for kids."

"I volunteered to come," Nawaki said, his voice steadier now. "Kaien and Minato only joined after I made the decision."

The earlier excitement had faded from his eyes. After witnessing the brutal reality of war, he understood—this wasn't like their previous missions. War was bloody, savage, and far more merciless.

But even so...

"I still want to try. To restore the Senju Clan's glory—and become Hokage. That's my dream."

"In that case," Orochimaru said, "sharpen your strength before stepping onto the battlefield. Without it, your only value in war is dying early and helping end it faster."

When enough shinobi die, the fighting stops—simple as that.

Most wars, after all, were born from resource shortages. This one was no exception. Hanzō the Salamander, a militant hardliner, sought greater influence on the world stage—more resources, more power, a higher status. His ambition led him to challenge the Five Great Nations head-on.

...

At that moment, Orochimaru produced a unique summoning scroll. Jiraiya, seeing it, nodded slightly and took out his own.

Their eyes met, and then Orochimaru spoke:

"These are the Summoning Contracts of the Three Great Sacred Grounds: Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku."

The Sacred Grounds existed beyond normal reach. One could only enter them by signing a summoning contract. At your current stage, powerful summon beasts are the fastest way to make a leap in strength.

Ryūchi Cave might still be discoverable... but Mount Myōboku? Nearly impossible to locate.

Nawaki didn't choose Ryūchi Cave—instead, he followed in Tsunade's footsteps and contracted with Katsuyu. It was one of the reasons Tsunade allowed him on the battlefield. As long as Katsuyu was with him, and it wasn't a one-shot kill, his survival chances were greatly increased.

Kaien and Namikaze Minato, on the other hand, signed with Ryūchi Cave and Mount Myōboku respectively.

Kaien bit his thumb and pressed it against the scroll. His name appeared right below the previous summoner's—Orochimaru.

The moment the contract was sealed, Kaien felt it.

A distant connection awakened inside him, as if something had responded far away. Southwest... somewhere in that direction.

That would place it within the Land of Wind?

It all made sense now. No wonder the Third Kazekage also had a contract with Ryūchi Cave. If the cave was hidden in the Land of Wind, it would've been within reach for the Kazekage to discover it.

And that faded name above Orochimaru's... that must've been him.

Damn. Still no clue what the Third Kazekage's actual name was!

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