The first attempt—nothing happened.
The second—only a faint ripple of chakra, not even the outline of a clone.
The third. The fourth…
No matter how many times she tried, Karin couldn't smoothly gather and control enough chakra to complete the technique.
"What's going on?" she snapped, irritation rising quickly. Failing to grasp a "useful" ninjutsu on the spot made her visibly annoyed.
She gritted her teeth and tried again and again, her face flushing slightly from the strain.
Finally, after multiple failures, a burst of unstable white smoke flickered beside her.
A distorted, blurry Shadow Clone of Karin appeared—its form wavering as if it might collapse at any moment.
Compared to Orochimaru's perfectly solid clone, it was vastly inferior.
Orochimaru watched everything carefully, golden eyes narrowing in thought.
He had suspected something before. Now he was certain.
Karin had extreme difficulty extracting chakra.
And the chakra she did manage to produce seemed to exist in a peculiar state—almost suppressed, as if partially sealed.
It flowed poorly, encountering heavy resistance when mobilized. Nowhere near the smooth circulation of an ordinary shinobi.
Was this the price she paid for wielding that bizarre "Lord of Demons" power?
Or did that so-called demonic power fundamentally reject the chakra system itself?
"So this is… the path of the 'Lord of Demons'? Nearly incapable of using conventional chakra…" Orochimaru's understanding deepened, even as new questions multiplied.
This power system was incompatible with the shinobi world's chakra-based framework.
Perhaps even directly conflicting with it.
There was far more he needed to learn.
Suppressing his thoughts for now, Orochimaru observed a bit longer before offering precise corrections. With his guidance, Karin finally managed to stabilize her Shadow Clone properly.
Once that was done, Orochimaru spoke calmly.
"We can't remain here. We'll relocate immediately. Let the clones follow them. Whatever happens, we'll receive the information."
Karin didn't object. While she wasn't fully satisfied with her clone's quality, remote observation was acceptable.
She nodded and began packing key materials with Orochimaru, preparing to abandon the base.
But in her mind, she was already planning ahead.
Once we reach the new base, I'll convert more experimental subjects into believers of the Lord of Demons.
For her, expanding the faith and demonstrating divine power were endless pursuits.
Meanwhile, the several hundred fanatical experimental subjects surged out of the hidden base like a stampede.
Though Orochimaru had chosen the base's location carefully, secrecy meant little when hundreds of unstable zealots charged out shouting slogans.
They bore visible marks of experimentation, eyes blazing with fanaticism.
"Cleanse evil!"
"For the Lord of Demons!"
They marched toward the Land of Fire with zero tactical awareness.
Subtlety was impossible.
Especially in this tense era.
Since the mysterious sky phenomenon had revealed numerous secrets, the shinobi world was on edge. Patrols were tightened. Intelligence networks were active. Every abnormal movement was scrutinized.
Such a conspicuous group was discovered shortly after leaving the base.
"Report! Unidentified force—approximately three hundred individuals—moving toward the Land of Fire border!"
"Behavior erratic. Shouting unknown slogans. Chakra signatures chaotic and hostile!"
"Suspected affiliation with a clandestine organization!"
Urgent reports traveled rapidly through various channels.
An armed cult-like force had stepped into the open.
The storm had begun to gather.
As for the true instigators—Orochimaru and Karin—they had already vanished en route to a new base.
Only their Shadow Clones trailed behind the advancing zealots at a distance, observing coldly.
Orochimaru's former base had been located near the border of the Land of Fire.
It didn't take long for the zealots to enter its effective sphere of control.
Spies from other villages and underground groups watched from the shadows, choosing not to interfere.
But Konohagakure could not ignore this.
This was their border.
Soon, a standard Konoha patrol squad appeared on the road ahead.
The chunin leading the team stepped forward, raising his hand.
"Halt! Identify yourselves! This is the Land of Fire border. State your identity and purpose immediately!"
His warning vanished into the void.
The moment the zealots saw the green flak jackets and Leaf headbands, their already feverish eyes burned brighter.
Hostility surged.
In their simple, indoctrinated logic, anyone who did not worship the Lord of Demons was evil.
"Cleanse!"
"Cleanse evil!"
"For the Lord of Demons!"
They roared like beasts scenting blood.
No negotiation.
No hesitation.
A black wave surged forward.
"What—?!" The chunin's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected immediate assault without even minimal dialogue.
"Defensive formation! Engage!"
He unleashed a Wind Release technique, blasting several zealots backward.
But it was meaningless.
More charged forward.
Fists.
Crude weapons.
Even teeth.
Enhanced strength and complete disregard for death turned them into a living tide.
Within moments, the Konoha patrol was overwhelmed.
Resistance shattered like foam against a wave.
In mere breaths, they were swallowed by the fanatical mass.
Silence followed.
From the shadows, a Hidden Rain Village scout lowered his gaze and clicked his tongue.
The situation had escalated.
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