The Hidden Rain shinobi clicked his tongue in annoyance and muttered under his breath:
"Tch. Idiot. It was obviously suspicious, and he still tried to block them head-on… You're just a chunin—why throw your life away? Couldn't you just send up a signal flare and call for backup?"
Shaking his head, he remained hidden while quickly recording and transmitting the intelligence:
A Konoha border patrol squad has been instantly wiped out by an unidentified fanatic group.
He knew this was only the beginning.
A greater upheaval was about to erupt.
And Konoha would never ignore it.
At first, the observing shinobi from various organizations maintained a detached attitude, even scoffing at what they saw as Konoha's recklessness.
But they soon lost that composure.
Because behind the advancing mass of frenzied experimental subjects, two figures appeared—walking unhurriedly.
Pale skin.
Long black hair.
Golden, snake-like eyes.
And beside him, a petite red-haired girl with crimson eyes.
Orochimaru—the rogue ninja of Konohagakure, one of the Legendary Sannin.
And Karin—the "Demon Child," infamous since the revelation in the sky.
"It's Orochimaru!"
"And that Demon Child, Karin!"
"They really are together!"
Shock quickly turned into elation.
Discovering the whereabouts of these two was an enormous achievement.
Without hesitation, the spies activated their methods—summoning beasts, secret transmission techniques—racing to relay the explosive intelligence:
Orochimaru and Demon Child Karin confirmed. Leading several hundred fanatics toward the Land of Fire border.
But their excitement lasted only seconds.
A chill swept over them.
Rustling sounds echoed from all directions.
The hundreds of zealots who had been charging in a straight line toward the Land of Fire had silently dispersed like a hive-minded swarm.
They formed a massive encirclement—
And reversed the trap.
The spies, positioned apart for optimal observation, suddenly realized they had been completely surrounded.
Fanatical, hollow eyes stared from the shadows of trees and rocks.
"Not good! These lunatics are working with Orochimaru and the Demon Child! We've been discovered!"
No orders were needed.
Survival instinct took over.
None of them believed their scattered reconnaissance teams could confront Orochimaru and Karin head-on.
"Break out! Now!"
"Forget formation—just get away from Orochimaru!"
Several activated the Body Flicker Technique and rushed in the opposite direction, testing the encirclement.
Others followed instantly, smoke bombs and ninjutsu erupting in desperate attempts to tear open a path.
They had only one thought:
Escape.
From afar, Karin watched as the stealth specialists—experts in concealment and evasion—were dragged down one by one.
The zealots fought without fear of death, trading wounds for kills, swarming their targets like rabid beasts.
Spies were overwhelmed, torn apart, annihilated.
Karin showed no reaction.
Instead, she looked disappointed.
"These ninja… are weak," she muttered, clearly dissatisfied with the "quality" of the prey.
Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely.
"They're primarily reconnaissance units. Chunin-level operatives. Not combat elites."
He paused before adding thoughtfully,
"Still, don't underestimate chunin. They form the backbone of every major village's mission system."
"Is that so?" Karin replied absentmindedly. She had little interest in ninja rank structures.
Her attention returned to the slaughter.
She watched with open appreciation as the zealots brutally overwhelmed the final resisting shinobi.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, evaluated the results clinically.
"These experimental subjects originally had only minimal aptitude—mostly Genin-level at best. Their physical conditions varied greatly."
"After… 'conversion,' their overall combat capability has increased by at least one tier."
"They still cannot rival a true jōnin, but against standard forces? As expendable vanguards to exhaust enemy manpower—they are more than sufficient."
There was satisfaction in his tone.
Tools performing as expected.
Karin gave a faint nod.
But her eyes burned brighter with a new thought.
These ordinary people are still too weak…
If I could convert stronger ninja—jōnin… even Kage…
If they became believers of the Lord of Demons…
How much greater would their faith be? How much stronger the power?
That would truly honor the Lord's glory.
The idea spread like wildfire in her mind.
Her "purification" project suddenly felt far grander.
Though the reconnaissance shinobi had been swiftly wiped out, their final transmissions had already spread.
The news that Orochimaru and Demon Child Karin were leading hundreds of zealots into the Land of Fire traveled rapidly among regional leadership.
As the fanatic army advanced deeper, more shinobi began appearing ahead.
They kept their distance, observing through various means.
No one acted rashly.
The names Orochimaru and Demon Child Karin carried immense deterrence.
No force dared move without explicit orders.
And as the invaded party, Konohagakure of the Land of Fire was naturally the first to receive detailed reports—and react fiercely.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Tsunade slammed her fist onto the desk.
The solid wood cracked instantly under the impact.
Her chest heaved with fury, emerald eyes blazing.
"Orochimaru! And that so-called Demon Child, Karin!"
"They dare to openly drive lunatics into the Land of Fire?!"
"Do they think Konoha is made of clay?!"
The war drums had begun to sound.
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