Aoba hadn't actually left. After Naruto departed, his figure reappeared by the riverbank. But this time, standing before him wasn't Naruto - it was Uchiha Sasuke.
Sasuke stood there glaring at Aoba with bloodshot eyes.
Truthfully, Sasuke himself didn't know why he'd rushed out here. The night of the massacre was still fresh, and he hadn't even begun to process what happened.
Most classmates avoided mentioning it around him. Hearing it suddenly from a stranger's mouth, the young Sasuke couldn't control his emotions."You know him..." Sasuke began to get agitated again, though Aoba couldn't understand why he was so worked up.
To be honest, the two protagonists of the Shinobi World were truly tragic figures.
Both had their entire families slaughtered, carrying the weight of blood-soaked vengeance. The only difference was that Sasuke's actions aligned more closely with normal human values. If you kill my family, I'll kill you.
Meanwhile, Naruto's later behavior became increasingly absurd. Just his parents? Dead is dead—Obito, I forgive you. He even forgave on behalf of Neji, who had died less than a day prior...
"Actually, every official ninja in Konoha knows about that incident."
"Do you know where he is?"
"I'm sorry, I don't. Uchiha Sasuke, I wouldn't dare claim to understand your feelings. In fact, few in the entire Shinobi World would dare say they understand. But as an adult, I can offer you some advice.
Plan before you act. Itachi Uchiha is an exceptionally powerful ninja—strong in every aspect. To defeat someone like him, rage and hatred alone are far from enough.
You can hold onto your anger and hatred—they'll drive you forward. But you must also maintain some level of rationality. That will help you make the right decisions.
Practice tree-climbing and water-walking with Naruto. Chakra control training can help you regain your composure."
Interacting with these two boys was partly coincidental, but Aoba had also deliberately sought them out.
After all, they were the Children of Prophecy. Aoba wanted to establish some bonds early on—they might prove useful someday.
...….
Mission time arrived. The team assembled for this operation was impressive: one squad each from the Anbu and Root, plus Aoba, making a nine-member pursuit team.
Both the Anbu and Root operatives wore masks, so Aoba recognized few of them. He could only confirm that one Anbu member was from the Hyuga clan, another from the Aburame clan, and one carried a sword—likely Hayate Gekko.
Swordsmanship had once been popular in Konoha, during Sakumo Hatake's rise to fame. Konoha's White Fang, renowned across the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Back then, many of White Fang's admirers took up sword techniques.
Unfortunately, after White Fang's death, the trend quickly faded. Now, only a handful in Konoha still used swords. The famed Three Crescent Moon Dance was preserved by fewer than five practitioners.
The occasionally coughing figure before him was probably that sickly Hayate Gekko from later years.
In the original timeline, he first appeared as an examiner during the Chunin Exams. Now, it seemed his health had declined later, forcing him to leave the Anbu.
Thus, the squad composition was clear: an assault-type swordsman, a Hyuga for tracking and sensing, an Aburame for support and traps, and the last likely a ninjutsu specialist.
This team's structure and combat capability were exceptionally balanced and formidable.
As for Root's members, Aoba had no way to tell. Root operatives rarely appeared in public, and Aoba had no prior experience working with them—no familiar faces, no knowledge of their formations.
The Root squad leader took charge of the operation.
"All personnel present. Move out."A group of nine set out from Konoha, embarking on a mission to pursue Orochimaru.
In the original work, there was very little description of Orochimaru during this period. Even Aoba had no idea where this guy was hiding.
However, considering the timeline, he should have already begun preparations to establish Otogakure. After all, judging by the years, Otogakure would have been established for some time by the Chunin Exams a few years later.
Building a hidden village isn't something that can be done in a day or two. So, it's entirely possible he's already making preparations now.
Aoba held no hope whatsoever for this mission. First, in terms of combat strength.
If all nine of them worked together in perfect unity, they would undoubtedly stand a fighting chance against Orochimaru.
Moreover, there were at least two master swordsmen in the team—clearly a countermeasure against Orochimaru. The cutting power of swordsmanship would naturally have some restraining effect against Orochimaru's fluid body techniques and snake-based ninjutsu.
But Orochimaru was far from limited to just conventional techniques. At this point, it was unclear whether he had already perfected the Impure World Reincarnation. Even without that forbidden jutsu, he was still a master of countless techniques across all disciplines, with an endless array of hidden cards up his sleeve.
If there was even the slightest discord within the team, they wouldn't stand a chance against him.
But in reality, perfect unity was absolutely impossible. First and foremost, the Root operatives couldn't be trusted at all. At this time, Orochimaru and Danzo were likely still in contact. The Sharingan in Danzo's possession had probably been transplanted with Orochimaru's assistance.
They were currently collaborators. So, the Root members were absolutely untrustworthy. And even if they weren't working together, Aoba still wouldn't trust Root—just as Root would never trust him either.
Aoba could easily guess that this mission was ostensibly about hunting Orochimaru, but in truth, it was likely a test of his loyalty.
As for whether Root had any hidden objectives beyond that, he had no way of knowing.
Because Root had obtained intelligence in advance, the group traveled through the night, encountering almost no obstacles along the way. Aoba wasn't familiar with the others, so there was little conversation during the journey.
In truth, the caliber of this team was such that very few in the entire Land of Fire could pose a threat to them.
Once they crossed the border out of the Land of Fire, Root led the group toward the Land of Waterfalls.
"The Land of Waterfalls, not the Land of Rice," Aoba mused silently. It seemed Orochimaru hadn't yet gone to the Land of Rice to begin establishing Otogakure.
However, the Land of Waterfalls had its own hidden village. Moreover, Takigakure was the only village outside the Five Great Nations to possess a Tailed Beast. Compared to other minor nations, this country held considerable strength.
"Orochimaru's base is in the valley ahead. It's confirmed—he's inside. We'll rest here and begin the operation at midnight."
The Root captain issued the order, and the group settled down to rest.
Aoba found a large tree to lean against and closed his eyes. For a while, everyone remained in silent repose.
But in the unseen sky above, a single leaf detached from the tree above Aoba's head. It drifted lightly into the air, floating leisurely over the hills before descending into the valley.