Dressed in a simple kimono, Orochimaru wandered alone through the various towns of the Land of Water, a playful expression on his face.
Because of Sasori, he hadn't left the Land of Water as originally planned. Yet, since there were currently no enemies strong enough to require both his and Sasori's combined efforts, he moved alone.
The civil unrest in Kirigakure had been going on for quite some time.
It had nearly drained the village's entire vitality. Several of the village's prominent kekkei genkai clans, such as the Kaguya and the Yuki, had been exterminated one after another. Those clan members who possessed bloodline limits had either died or fled, scattering across the land.
Luckily for Kirigakure, the Land of Water was isolated. Konoha and Kumogakure were preoccupied with their standoff and negotiations, leaving them no time to interfere. Otherwise, the very existence of the Hidden Mist Village might have been threatened.
Suddenly, a burly man wielding a blade blocked Orochimaru's path with a menacing glare. "Hand over your money!"
Orochimaru slowly extended his long tongue, running it over his lips. His hoarse voice said, "A fool who can't even sense danger. How pitiful."
"You want to die?!" the man roared.
Clang—
Before he could finish his sentence, the blade slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.
When he lowered his head with difficulty, he noticed, to his horror, that a thin green snake was tightly biting into his throat.
Orochimaru calmly passed by the man, hands still buried in his pockets.
The man collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Despite wandering through the Land of Water for so long, very few dared mess with Orochimaru. Even the weakest Mist ninja could sense the chilling aura that warned strangers to stay away.
Only ignorant thugs like this man would be foolish enough to approach him.
This incident was a reflection of the deeper chaos plaguing the Land of Water. The turmoil had long since spilled from the shinobi class into the lives of civilians, throwing the entire country into disorder.
Turning a corner, Orochimaru suddenly stopped, his gaze drawn to a garbage pile in the alley.
In front of the pile, a ragged child was crouched, breaking a moldy piece of bread into bits and feeding it to several skinny stray kittens. The kittens meowed affectionately, brushing against the child.
"Hmm... What an impressive chakra."
Licking his lips again, Orochimaru slowly approached.
Sensing danger, the child shrank back, trying to retreat into the corner. But upon seeing the kittens at his feet, he gritted his teeth and stretched out his arms protectively in front of them.
Orochimaru eyed the emaciated child and the scraps of bread. "What's your name?"
"My name is Haku," the child answered cautiously.
Looking into the pure, unclouded eyes of the boy, Orochimaru shook his head and turned away.
Despite Haku's chakra potential, such a kind-hearted child wasn't suited to be a ninja. He decided against taking him along.
Yet after a few steps, he stopped again.
He suddenly recalled Jugo, the child who could absorb natural energy. Thanks to Jugo, his research had birthed the cursed seal experiments.
Turning back to glance at Haku, Orochimaru muttered, "Perhaps someone this pure could carry that power."
Just then, a figure appeared beside him. It was none other than Sasori.
Sasori gave a passing glance to the scrawny Haku before turning to Orochimaru. "Let's go. The one I've been looking for has finally shown up."
Orochimaru grinned. "You sure it's a person and not a corpse?"
With gritted teeth, Sasori replied, "I'll make him a corpse."
Orochimaru was amused by Sasori's rare display of anger. He casually asked, "Just who is it you're after? I don't have time to chase shadows with you."
"A shinobi from Konoha!"
---
Land of Wind.
With the assistance of the Grass Shinobi, Hyuga Kagami had finally located traces of the remnants of the Roran people after a month-long search.
After cresting a sand dune, the Grass Jonin named Longlan pointed toward an oasis in the distance. "The people you're looking for are right there."
Hyuga Kagami squinted into the distance. Around the oasis stood a cluster of caravans. People moved slowly between the wagons, fetching water, tending to camels and sheep, or preparing meals.
He frowned. "Why are there so few of them?"
Counting the entire caravan, there were only about two or three hundred individuals—far fewer than Hyuga Kagami had expected. Even if the Roran people had dwindled, there should be more than this.
A local guide provided by the Grass Shinobi quickly explained, "After the fall of Roran, their people lost their livelihoods. Many left, many died. These are the only ones left."
Hyuga Kagami asked, "Even without a city, their lives shouldn't have become this desperate, should they?"
The guide opened his mouth to respond but then suddenly pointed ahead. "Look over there!"
Hyuga Kagami followed the direction and saw two Sand Shinobi confronting the Roran survivors at the edge of the oasis.
Tension seemed to rise during the exchange. After a brief argument, the two Sand Shinobi turned and left, vanishing into the desert sands.
"Why are Sand Shinobi here?" Hyuga Kagami asked.
The guide sighed. "Word is that Sunagakure has been collecting taxes from the Roran survivors. Those two were likely tax collectors."
It didn't take Hyuga Kagami long to piece things together.
What taxes could such a small group of people possibly pay?
The real goal was clear: surveillance. By keeping tabs on the Roran descendants and financially pressuring them, Sunagakure hoped to bring them fully under its control.
That would, in turn, give them legitimate claim over the Dragon Vein.
To Hyuga Kagami, this level of scheming was expected. A massive chakra source like the Dragon Vein was too valuable to ignore. If Sunagakure had shown no interest at all, *that* would have been suspicious.
Grass Shinobi Longlan asked, "Mr. Ki, would you like to go confirm if your target is among them?"
Hyuga Kagami shook his head. "No need."
"In that case, about your commission..."
Hyuga Kagami said nothing more and handed over the remaining payment.