Slowly, he opened his eyes, and the scenery in front of him gradually changed from blurry to clear. The light in the cave was very dim, the temperature was cool, and the humidity in the air was also very high. Resting in such a cave made Chao Yanqian feel uncomfortable all over his body.
He moved his body slightly, but it was a little sore. There was no visible trauma, and although he was slightly exhausted mentally, there was no major problem.
Chao Yanqian sat up to relax and revitalize his limbs.
Based on his condition, Chao Yanqian concluded that as long as he got a good night's rest, he would return to peak form.
Last night, he had done everything he could to escape from the Land of Wind and cross into the Land of Rain. Chao Yanqian was physically and mentally exhausted, so he casually found a cave to rest in. But in the Land of Rain, the downpour was relentless, and the air was so humid that it made him feel even more uncomfortable.
He simply drank some water, ate some dry food, then walked out of the cave and headed towards the Konoha camp.
That same evening, Chao Yanqian finally returned to the Konoha camp and saw Orochimaru.
This time, the infiltration mission into the Land of Wind wasn't quite a death mission, but it was still a thrilling ordeal. For Chao Yanqian, it was a rare experience.
On this mission, Chao Yanqian had to face the dilemma of choosing between the task and his teammates. For a moment, he couldn't decide. In the end, Keita Hyuga decided to sacrifice himself to allow Chao Yanqian to escape.
It's undeniable that Chao Yanqian was very moved at the time, but after thinking it through, he realized—if he had failed the mission assigned by Orochimaru, what would have awaited him upon returning to the village?
The distrust and suspicion of the village. The possible abandonment by Orochimaru. But more importantly—Chao Yanqian's dreams and ambitions would have been completely ruined.
Without the village's support, Chao Yanqian wouldn't have access to high-level ninjutsu, and for a war orphan with no background, that would be a death sentence. No one to teach him. To think he could self-learn advanced techniques—that was a foolish dream.
There must be no bonds in the pursuit of power.
At that moment, Chao Yanqian suddenly understood Uchiha Sasuke a little better, and why Sasuke had gone to Orochimaru so desperately.
Because in Konoha, no one guided him besides Kakashi.
Uchiha Sasuke wasn't Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't have a father who was the Fourth Hokage and who died a hero. Sasuke's father was the Uchiha clan head who conspired to rebel. Sasuke didn't possess the Nine-Tails—he wouldn't receive any special treatment.
Although Chao Yanqian and Uchiha Sasuke had different ideals, they pursued the same thing: power.
Since life had dealt him a bad hand, he could only rely on his own efforts. At least Sasuke had the Sharingan and an older brother who once loved him.
Chao Yanqian had nothing.
But it didn't matter. If you were born without fortune, you created opportunity. If you lacked a kekkei genkai, study others'. If you didn't know powerful ninjutsu, learn forbidden ones. If you had no summoning beast, steal someone else's.
At that moment, Chao Yanqian was enlightened.
He didn't need companions or emotions. On the path to strengthh
Thinking of Uenome, Keita Hyuga, and Hoshinohara, Chao Yanqian whispered to himself, "Goodbye, my comrades."
Entering Orochimaru's tent, Chao Yanqian saw only Orochimaru present. He stepped forward and reported, "Lord Orochimaru, the mission has been successfully completed."
"Very good! Yanqian, you didn't disappoint me," Orochimaru said with a gloomy gaze and hoarse voice. "Your teammate was seriously injured and sent back by Minato. He's in the medical ward now. Do you want to go see him?"
"No need for that," Chao Yanqian replied, glancing at Orochimaru with a faint smile. "He's just lying there. It doesn't matter when I visit."
Hearing that Keita Hyuga was still alive gave Chao Yanqian a bit of relief. But since he'd already decided to walk this path alone, he had to sever his bonds with Keita and the others.
This mission merely forced Chao Yanqian to choose between duty and friendship—what about next time?
Especially now that he had chosen to follow Orochimaru. And Chao Yanqian knew full well what kind of person Orochimaru was. One day, Orochimaru might even order him to kill Keita Hyuga and the others.
So, he had to act as if he didn't care—and make sure he truly didn't. At least not until he had power.
"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "He was seriously injured because of you."
"That couldn't be helped," Chao Yanqian shrugged. "He's just a branch member of the Hyuga clan—no talent. I realized that from a young age, which is why I worked so hard."
Chao Yanqian suspected that Orochimaru had investigated his background and probably understood some things already.
Since he had chosen to follow Orochimaru, he might as well be honest.
"You're really interesting," Orochimaru said, smiling sinisterly. "But the seriously injured brat was What?!
Chao Yanqian's eyes widened. But when he saw Orochimaru's mocking smile, he quickly suppressed his emotions and asked flatly, "What happened?"
After Orochimaru explained everything, Chao Yanqian calmed down completely.
When Minato Namikaze arrived the night before, Keita Hyuga had already died in battle. At the time, his body was missing. Hoshinohara had gone out alone to search for Chao Yanqian, but was ambushed by Suna-nin. Fortunately, Minato arrived in time to save him.
Because of that ambush, Minato had to retreat early. However, he left a message in the sand cave pointing Chao Yanqian in their direction.
Unfortunately, Chao Yanqian had only glanced inside, saw no one, and left—completely missing Minato's message.
"I guess I should go take a look. Maybe I can comfort my brainless teammate," Chao Yanqian muttered as he left Orochimaru's tent, heading toward the medical unit.