Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Since It’s Revenge, We Must Hit the Hidden Cloud Village Hard

Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Since It’s Revenge, We Must Hit the Hidden Cloud Village Hard



"No problem," Mikoto's mother smiled warmly, glancing at Orochimaru before nodding. The Three Legendary Sannins were well-known in Konoha.

In terms of reputation within the village, the Sannins were far more famous than Takuya. After all, they'd earned their status step by step, while Takuya's rise had been sudden, and his recent lull hadn't helped either.

With the village's subtle promotion, the Sannin became role models for many shinobi, icons of hard work and dedication.

"Is this your place?"

Orochimaru had been away, moving around the Land of Rivers and hadn't heard about Konoha's latest popular spot-a hotpot restaurant.

As they walked in, several patrons greeted Takuya enthusiastically, making it clear to Orochimaru that he had some kind of connection to the place.

Takuya sat down, cracked open a bottle of chilled juice, and took a sip. "Ahh, it's good to be back in the village."

"The restaurant isn't mine. It's Kushina's, but I contributed the recipe, so I get a share of the profits."

"It's mainly to support the Uzumaki clan. They didn't want to accept jobs from the village, and having Kushina support them long-term wasn't a good solution. So, we opened this place, and now they run it. Every month, the Uzumaki clan gets a share of the profits."

"That's a solid plan," Orochimaru agreed. "It's definitely better than just letting them live off her. No matter how wealthy Kushina is, things would've gone bad eventually."

Soon, the food was served, and the broth started bubbling. Takuya grabbed a slice of meat and dipped it into the spicy red broth.

"So, what's this mission about? Let's see if I'm interested," Takuya said, chewing on the

meat.

If it piqued his interest, he didn't mind going out for a while. He'd been cooped up in the village for quite some time, and maybe he could even take his team with him, and give them a taste of the real world.

If the opportunity arose, Takuya wouldn't mind taking them on a trip to the Land of Rain, to show them how harsh reality could be.

Orochimaru glanced at the two kinds of broth but chose the clear one.

"You're aware of the recent internal investigation in the ANBU, right?"

"Yeah, of course! Whew, that's hot!" Takuya responded between breaths, fanning his mouth after taking a bite of the hot broth. "I was there, helping guard the interrogation department with some of the Shimura and Sarutobi clan ninjas. We were preventing anyone from escaping."

This is getting interesting.

Orochimaru's signature smirk widened.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"During those interrogations, some interesting intel came to light: the Hidden Cloud Village is planning to kidnap Kushina."

Takuya froze mid-bite before quickly resuming his meal.

"And?"

He didn't need Orochimaru to spell it out for him. Takuya had already been preparing for the Hidden Cloud's moves on Kushina.

Luckily, they were both well-prepared.

If the Hidden Cloud tried anything, they'd regret it.

Takuya could imagine the chaos when they tried to abduct Kushina. With access to the Nine- Tails' chakra, she'd be terrifying.

"When do we leave?"

Did that even need to be asked?

Of course, he was interested.

Kushina was his to protect. If the Hidden Cloud wanted to mess with her, then he'd gladly raze

their village to the ground.

When Orochimaru had taken his revenge on the Hidden Cloud in the original timeline, he'd released the Eight-Tails, wreaking havoc on the village.

So why not go a step further? Maybe he could control the Two-Tails' jinchuriki and set that

loose too.

If they were going to cause chaos, why not make it a full-blown spectacle? Let the Eight-Tails and Two-Tails tear through the Hidden Cloud and put on a real fireworks show.

"Tomorrow."

"Alright, come get me in the morning. You'll have to handle the higher-ups, though. I just refused their request to negotiate with Hanzo, so leaving the village might stir things up."

Since Orochimaru was the one inviting him, he could handle the fallout with the higher-ups. Having secured Takuya's agreement and enjoyed a good hotpot meal, Orochimaru was in a

great mood.

"Lord Hokage, Takuya has agreed to come with me to the Hidden Cloud. As for Hanzo, you'll have to send someone else."

"Why do you insist on bringing him along?" the Third Hokage asked, confused. With Orochimaru's skills, even if he couldn't complete the mission, he should at least be able to get

away safely.

Why was he so adamant about bringing Takuya?

Orochimaru's response was calm but clear.

"For my own safety, and to ensure the mission causes enough chaos."

"If we're going to retaliate, we need to hit the Hidden Cloud hard-enough to make them feel

it. Besides, Kushina is important to Takuya. His desire for revenge will be stronger than

mine."

Kushina belongs to the village!

Not to any one person!

The Third Hokage wanted to shout that out, but he held his tongue.

**********

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