Soon after, three Anbu ninja erged from behind and approached the grassy field.
"Those Konoha Military Police Force mbers earlier really startled with their aggressive stance. It looked like they wanted to kill us!" one Anbu mber said with lingering fear.
"Haha, you're too timid. We're here under the Third Hokage's orders to monitor them. They wouldn't dare lay a hand on us," another Anbu ninja mocked, though he himself had been just as terrified monts ago.
"Stay focused. We're on a mission—no carelessness allowed," the eldest Anbu mber scolded with a frown.
The trio fell silent before darting into the grassland to pursue Uchiha Fugaku's group.
As they stepped onto the field, one Anbu suddenly heard a fuse-like sound beneath his feet. Looking down, his face drained of color—an explosive tag was burning.
BOOM!
The explosion mangled the ninja's foot, sending his body flying.
"Damn it!" The senior Anbu and his remaining companion paled in alarm.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Chain reactions detonated surrounding explosive tags, transforming the adow into a minefield of successive explosions.
When the blasts subsided, the once-lush grassland lay ravaged—its verdant beauty now pockmarked with blackened scars like artillery fire had swept through.
The three Anbu stood in tattered uniforms, bodies riddled with grueso wounds.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Hearing the explosions, Uchiha Fugaku's group doubled back.
Seeing the mangled trio, over a dozen Uchiha clansn felt vicious satisfaction. These very n had arrogantly flaunted the Hokage's authority earlier—now karma had struck.
Uchiha Asami feigned surprise. "Did you trigger Orochimaru's traps?"
"You did this deliberately! You knew about these traps!" The senior Anbu gnashed his teeth through the pain, his voice trembling with rage.
The traps had been masterfully concealed—so skillfully even he'd failed to detect them. Yet such chanisms could never escape the Sharingan's sight. The Uchiha had knowingly let them walk into danger.
"Silence!" Uchiha Fugaku's voice turned glacial. "Your own incompetence led you into Orochimaru's snares, yet you dare slander the Military Police?"
"Why didn't you get caught when you passed through here earlier?" another Anbu demanded angrily.
"Simple—we took a different route," Asami replied mockingly. "Though even using this path, we wouldn't have blundered into traps like you did. Your failure stems from inadequate skills."
"We... I'll report this to the Hokage!" The senior Anbu's masked face flushed with alternating humiliation and fury.
"By all ans, inform the Third Hokage."
Ignoring the threat completely, Uchiha Fugaku said nonchalantly,
"Alright, we have an important mission to attend to, so we'll take our leave now!"
With that, Uchiha Fugaku turned and led the group of Uchiha clansn away swiftly, continuing their "critical mission" of pursuing Orochimaru.
As for these three, their injuries didn't seem fatal—they could just call for reinforcents from Konoha themselves.
Following Orochimaru's trail at a leisurely pace, they made frequent stops along the way.
Two days later, Uchiha Fugaku and his group left the Land of Fire and entered the Land of Rivers.
The Land of Rivers was a country situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, its geographical position resembling that of the Land of Rain.
Every ti a shinobi world war broke out, it inevitably beca collateral damage in the conflicts between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
"What is Orochimaru doing here?"
As they tracked him this far, doubt arose in Uchiha Fugaku's mind.
Why would Orochimaru co to the Land of Rivers?
"Could he have a secret base here?"
As a rogue ninja, Orochimaru had nurous hidden bases scattered across the shinobi world—so on remote islands, so deep in the mountains, and others in ancient, abandoned estates.
He suspected Orochimaru might have one such hideout in the Land of Rivers.
"Whatever. It doesn't matter—I never intended to actually pursue him anyway."
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Forced by the Third Hokage's orders, he had no choice but to lead the Konoha Military Police Force in chasing Orochimaru.
But even before setting out, he had already decided to half-heartedly go through the motions, so he had no real enthusiasm for the mission.
Drip, drip—
Before anyone noticed, dark clouds had gathered in the sky, and raindrops began to fall.
"Captain, this rain is only going to get heavier!"
One of the Uchiha clansn looked up at the overcast sky and made the judgnt.
"Find shelter!" Uchiha Fugaku ordered.
After searching, they discovered a long-abandoned, uninhabited house and took refuge inside.
The roof was already leaking in places, forcing the group to carefully position themselves to avoid getting soaked.
"After this rain, any traces will be completely washed away. Captain, what should we do next?" asked Uchiha Tomomi.
"Isn't this perfect?"
A faint smile appeared on Uchiha Fugaku's face.
"All evidence is gone. We can't track him anymore—mission failed. Once the rain stops, we'll head back the way we ca."
"But the Third Hokage won't be easy to explain things to when we return," Uchiha Tomomi instinctively worried.
"Don't worry. The Uchiha clan no longer needs to fear the Third Hokage."
Uchiha Fugaku shook his head, a trace of disdain in his voice.
With their increased strength and the elimination of Shimura Danzō along with the elite mbers of his Root division, the Third Hokage's faction had been significantly weakened.
Now, he had no reason to fear them.
If not for the Third Hokage exploiting a vulnerable mont and framing this as a "disciplinary asure," he would never have accepted this mission to pursue Orochimaru in the first place.
"..."
Hearing Uchiha Fugaku's words, Uchiha Tomomi and the other clansn felt a surge of excitent and exhilaration.
For years, the Uchiha clan had suffered under the oppression of the Third Hokage's faction—humiliation had been their daily reality.
Hearing the clan leader speak such domineering words now reminded them of the Uchiha clan of old that dared to rival Hashirama Senju.
Most importantly, they knew their leader's words weren't empty boasts—he had the strength to back them up.
They had all been to the Land of Rice Paddies and knew the clan leader had long awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
As the rain cleared, Uchiha Fugaku and the others erged from the abandoned house.
Treading through the muddy ground left by the downpour, they began retracing their steps.
After they left, a small snake slithered out from the grass.
It raised its head, gazing in the direction they had departed.
It was as if a human soul resided within that serpentine body.
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