Rumble...
Chitora had no escape. One of Veigar's shadow clones struck him down mercilessly, slamming him hard into the ground.
Instant death.
The moment Chitora fell, Hibari's expression changed dramatically.
There was no choice, he knew the mission was a failure. Swiftly, decisively, Hibari made his move.
Ittō-ryū: Bird Reversal Flash.
Gripping his ninjatō tightly and sweeping it horizontally, he spun rapidly, kicking up a whirlwind sharp as blades, then launched himself at another of Veigar's shadow clones.
Boom!
Under Hibari's onslaught, the clone couldn't withstand the blow and vanished instantly.
But just as Hibari thought he could break free—
Veigar appeared ahead of him with terrifying speed, a Great Phenomenal Evil Rasengan already in hand. He struck before Hibari could react, slamming the swirling sphere into his back.
Splurt…
Caught off guard by the devastating hit, Hibari's eyes bulged, a fountain of blood erupting from his mouth as he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Lifeless.
Boom.
With both Chitora and Hibari eliminated, Veigar remained expressionless, calmly dispersing his Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Clap... clap... clap...
Suddenly, applause echoed from deep within the alley, accompanied by a hoarse, sinister voice.
"Veigar-kun, I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
"It hasn't been long, and you're already capable of effortlessly disposing of Danzo's top operatives."
Veigar turned to the source of the voice. From the shadows emerged Orochimaru, his gaze sharp and unwavering.
"It's been a while, Orochimaru-sama."
Staring at Veigar for several seconds, Orochimaru gave a twisted, wicked smile.
"I heard you've left the ANBU. No team, no superior."
"So… are you interested in joining me?"
It was clear: Orochimaru was rekindling an old invitation, once again attempting to recruit Veigar.
Indeed, having just left ANBU, Veigar needed a place to land. And following Orochimaru, a force unto himself, was a tempting proposition.
"You're recruiting me?"
Noticing the change in Veigar's tone, Orochimaru's grin widened, voice dripping with temptation.
"Hehehe…"
"I rarely misjudge people. And yes, I'm recruiting you."
There was an unspoken understanding between the two; Orochimaru's strained alliance with Danzo gave Veigar confidence in his next words.
"Lord Danzo likely loathes me by now. After all… I was the one who took him off the board, if only temporarily."
Orochimaru's pupils narrowed. He stared at Veigar, a glint of intrigue in his serpentine eyes.
"I like capable people."
Veigar's expression turned serious. He bowed slightly in respect.
"I look forward to serving you, Orochimaru-sama."
"I'll be awaiting your good news."
With that, Orochimaru's figure slowly sank into the ground.
"Until next time, Veigar-kun."
As his form completely disappeared into the earth, two massive serpents that had consumed the corpses of Chitora and Hibari vanished with a puff.
...
Three days later.
At the gates of Konoha.
With a mission signed by Hiruzen Sarutobi, Veigar had officially become one of Orochimaru's subordinates.
Having received the notice the day before, Veigar arrived at the village gate early.
Prepared.
Ready to march to war.
Yes, to war.
Anticipating the coming upheaval, Hiruzen had signed a formal directive two days prior:
Orochimaru would take command as supreme officer of the border defenses near the Land of Rivers, tasked with establishing a military stronghold.
War… was now inevitable.
Hiruzen had obtained critical intel: Sunagakure and Kumogakure had forged an alliance. The crux of it—Sunagakure would be the first to formally declare war against Konoha.
Thus began the Third Great Ninja War.
At precisely 8:00 AM—
Nearly five hundred Konoha shinobi, organized into tactical squads, assembled at the village gates, scattered in tight clusters.
This was the vanguard unit, including Veigar; tasked with establishing a fortified line along the border.
Hiruzen made no attempt to hide the movement. The vanguard's deployment was a direct message to Sunagakure:
Konoha was ready for war.
Swoosh—
As departure time approached, Orochimaru's form emerged at the gate. He looked over the assembled shinobi and spoke in a raspy voice:
"Since everyone is present, let's move out."
No rallying speeches. No lengthy explanation.
Everyone there already knew their mission.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
A thunderous response echoed from the gathered forces, with many shinobi gazing at Orochimaru with reverent awe.
"Move out."
With a single command, Orochimaru stepped through the gate, heading toward the Land of Rivers border.
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
One after another, Konoha shinobi followed swiftly, racing behind Orochimaru to the front lines.
As the sun set in the west—
After an entire day of forced marching, the Konoha vanguard halted in a defensible mountain valley, where they set up camp under Orochimaru's direction.
After dinner, all jōnin of the vanguard were summoned to the temporary command tent.
Out of the thirty-three Konoha jōnin present, every major clan was represented, except the Uchiha.
At the head of the room, seated in command, Orochimaru looked over the gathered veterans.
"Everyone, we'll reach the designated area by noon the day after tomorrow. Begin preparations for the defense line tomorrow, according to the original plan."
The "original plan" referred to an immediate purge, eliminating Sunagakure operatives embedded along the Fire Country's borders.
Before the war officially began, clearing out these spies was essential.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
More than half of the jōnin responded, accepting the critical elimination missions.
The meeting lasted nearly ten minutes. Task after task was handed out, and most of the jōnin dispersed to prepare.
Only ten jōnin remained.
Among them: Hizashi Hyuga of the Hyuga Clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio—Shikaku Nara, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi—as well as representatives from the Inuzuka, Aburame, Sarutobi, and Shimura clans.
Veigar, who had stood silently beside Orochimaru the entire meeting, finally received his own assignment.
"Veigar, I have a special mission for you."
Hearing his name, Veigar stiffened momentarily, then answered crisply:
"Yes."
"Please issue your command, Orochimaru-sama."
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]