Chapter 108: Volume 3 - Chapter 9: The Attacked Uzushiogakure
Reiji had no desire to deal with Orochimaru.
Or rather, people like Orochimaru were the kind you kept your distance from—not someone you could ever be friends with.
Maybe someday they'd cross paths, but if that ever happened, Reiji hoped it would be strictly business.
Just then, a faint sound reached his ears, followed by a brief flash of memory.
One of the Shadow Clones had been destroyed.
"Orochimaru, go alert Tsunade and Jiraiya. Someone's attacking the village from the northeast."
With that, he pushed off the ground and vanished instantly.
Orochimaru stared at the deep footprints Reiji had left behind, eyes widening.
Such speed—pure Taijutsu?
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that!
Thoughts racing, Orochimaru quickly formed a seal and disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.
Reiji darted through the night like a blur of shadow.
In less than two minutes, he had reached the spot where his Shadow Clone had been destroyed.
From a distance, he sensed several chakras—none of them belonging to the Uzumaki Clan.
Three were strong, and one was significantly weaker.
By now, the four chakras were rapidly heading out of the village.
Reiji didn't give chase. Instead, he stopped in front of a house with its door hanging open.
He stepped inside. In the dim moonlight, he saw a man and woman lying on the floor.
From the layout, it looked like a child had lived here. Judging by the scene, the kid had been taken.
But the priority now was meeting up with Tsunade and the others.
That clone? He'd detonated it on purpose.
The instructions had been simple:
If anyone attempted a kidnapping, mark them with the Flying Thunder God Technique, then self-destruct.
These weren't first-time offenders.
If the victims could be saved, Tsunade's team could handle it.
Interrogation wasn't Reiji's thing—and he had no interest in it.
After a while, Tsunade and the others arrived, following the marker Reiji had left behind.
With them was a senior official from Uzushiogakure.
Reiji waved Orochimaru over and relayed the information he had.
"There were four kidnappers. Three Jōnin, one Genin. There might be backup.
The child from this house was taken, and they're heading south!
Also, I think I saw a Kirigakure forehead protector, but it was too dark to be sure."
Orochimaru nodded calmly.
Just then, Kaishou Uzumaki, the young head of Uzushiogakure, burst into the house. He let out a furious roar and stormed back out, seething with rage, as if ready to tear the kidnappers apart.
Anyone watching might think he truly cared for his people.
"You—did you see them?" Kaishou Uzumaki demanded angrily.
Reiji gave a nonchalant nod.
Tsunade and the others looked speechless.
Seriously, man... could you be a little less blunt?
Kaishou suddenly shouted, rushed forward, and grabbed Reiji by the collar, yelling,
"Then why didn't you stop them?! Why didn't you save the child?! He's just a kid!"
Reiji's brow twitched. In an instant, his right hand shot up like lightning, clamping around Kaishou's neck and lifting him off the ground.
"Watch your mouth, kid! Don't you dare order me around!"
Kaishou clawed at Reiji's iron grip, but it was useless.
His face quickly flushed a deep red...
"Let go of my brother! Is this how Konoha ninjas carry out missions?!"
A young man in the crowd shouted angrily, voice trembling with a mix of fear and rage.
From behind his mask, a mocking laugh escaped Reiji.
"I'm just a mercenary ninja. Try provoking me again, and—"
Mid-sentence, a terrifying pressure burst from him like a wild beast unleashed. The air grew heavy with death, slaughter, and fear, crashing down on everyone like a tidal wave.
The crowd instantly fell silent. Even the so-called high-ranking officials staggered back in unison—none of them dared to speak.
With a cold snort, Reiji released his grip.
Kaishou Uzumaki, already unconscious, slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
Watching the crowd shrink back in fear, Reiji sneered inwardly.
The Uzumaki Clan's leadership was rotten to the core. If that's the case, then don't blame me for having a big appetite.
With that thought, he turned without hesitation and sped off in the direction the kidnappers had fled.
Tsunade and the others exchanged glances, then quickly followed after him.
No matter what, they were a team now—one assembled by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
Which meant that outside the village, the only people they could rely on completely were each other.
Trailing Reiji, Orochimaru stared at his tall silhouette, deep in thought.
Reiji Sakuhō had been his classmate. They weren't particularly close, but Reiji had gotten along well with Jiraiya.
Then he'd suddenly disappeared without a word.
For some reason, Orochimaru couldn't shake the feeling that Reiji's move against the Village Head of Uzushiogakure wasn't as simple as it seemed. That guy was definitely scheming something.
...
Soon, the four of them had reached the sea, moving swiftly across the water's surface.
Meanwhile, directly ahead of them, four men in Kirigakure attire had just landed on a small island no bigger than five hundred square meters.
They quickly made their way into the island's only cave. The entrance was narrow and the tunnel shallow, but at the very back lay a deep vertical pit.
Inside, seven or eight malnourished children huddled together, trembling as they stared at the four intruders with terrified eyes.
The Genin among them casually tossed the unconscious child off his shoulder into the pit.
The child hit the ground hard with a groan.
Unfazed, the Genin walked over to the fire and grumbled at the seated leader.
"Brother Gohara, how much longer are we doing this?"
The man named Gohara frowned, took a sip from his leather canteen.
"No idea. However long it takes—we keep going until Konoha's ninjas catch us."
The Genin frowned, hesitant. "But... Brother Gohara, we're running out of food."
Gohara sighed, passed the canteen to the companion beside him, and said in a low voice,
"Next time, grab more supplies while you're at it. No matter what, we can't let the elders down."