The terrain of the Land of Rain was dominated by hills and swamps, and coupled with the year-round downpour, tracking was anything but easy.
But Orochimaru had his own methods.
After traveling for roughly two hours, Orochimaru suddenly came to a stop.
He extended his tongue, abnormally long and forked compared to an ordinary person's and let it tremble slightly in the air.
"Tongue Signal."
Orochimaru closed his eyes as he spoke.
"I can use my tongue to sense particles in the air and analyze certain information. This is a ninjutsu I've developed over the past few days."
Orochimaru continued calmly.
"Three kilometers ahead, there are traces of battle. The smell of blood is very fresh, no more than six hours old."
Combined with his own perception abilities, Orochimaru opened his eyes again.
"It should be right ahead."
The four immediately increased their pace.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a devastated stretch of woodland.
The wreckage of three wagons lay scattered in the mud. The iron-plated compartments had been violently torn open, and all the cargo inside had been looted.
Six corpses lay on the ground, all of them caravan guards. Their deaths were gruesome, some had their chests pierced straight through by bare hands, while others had their necks crushed.
Kiyohara crouched down to inspect the wounds.
The edges of the injuries were neat, suggesting the attacker had used some kind of sharp, cutting force.
"Look here."
Kurenai pointed to a trail of footprints on the ground.
"The footprints are very deep. That means the person was either extremely heavy, or carrying something very heavy."
"The stolen metal ore."
Genma analyzed.
"He wouldn't be able to run far carrying that."
Orochimaru used Tongue Signal again. After a moment, he pointed toward the northeast.
"That way. About five kilometers from us… he's stopped. Probably resting, or absorbing metal."
Kiyohara tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade.
At last—the target.
Kiyohara felt that his luck wasn't bad.
The condition for fulfilling the second part of the last will was to defeat another Steel Release user using Steel Release itself.
That wasn't particularly difficult.
Steel Release was very similar to "Earth Release: Earth Spear," and Orochimaru didn't possess the Byakugan, he couldn't see the flow of chakra within Kiyohara's body.
With Orochimaru, Kurenai, and Genma backing him up, Kiyohara felt this wish was practically guaranteed.
This mission should be enough to fulfill the wish and grow stronger.
"The plan is as follows."
Orochimaru spoke.
"Kiyohara, you'll be the main attacker. I want to see how Magnet Release fares against Steel Release. Kurenai, use genjutsu to interfere. Genma, provide outer support and prevent him from escaping. I'll… oversee the battle."
This arrangement was clearly meant to observe Kiyohara's strength and test the team's coordination.
Otherwise, Orochimaru alone could probably have captured the target himself.
But if that were the case, everyone else would merely be spectators.
Orochimaru was never stingy when it came to teaching his subordinates.
Kiyohara nodded.
"Understood."
The four set off again, this time moving even more stealthily.
The heavy rain became their best cover, the sound of rainfall masked their footsteps, and the curtain of rain blurred visibility.
An hour later, they found the target.
It was a temporary camp built into a recessed section of a cliff face.
The campfire had already gone out, but the embers were still warm.
A man sat cross-legged beneath the rock wall, with several chunks of metal-gleaming ore piled beside him.
Kanorou, around thirty years old, short-haired, with a vicious scar running from his brow to his jaw on the right side of his face.
His upper body was bare, his muscles solid and well-defined, and under the dim light his skin emitted an unnatural metallic sheen.
At this moment, both of his hands were pressed against a piece of ore, which was visibly losing its luster as metallic elements were absorbed into his body.
Kiyohara made a hand signal, and Kurenai and Genma quietly split off to either side.
Orochimaru retreated soundlessly, hiding behind a large tree, his golden slit pupils locked onto the battlefield.
Kiyohara took a deep breath and stepped out of hiding.
The sound of footsteps alerted Kanorou.
He snapped his eyes open and examined Kiyohara.
"A Konoha shinobi?"
Kanorou slowly stood up. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall, his muscles bulging.
"Did the Ame merchant caravan hired you to capture me?"
Kanorou asked.
Even though the Land of Rain had Amegakure, that didn't mean its people couldn't commission missions from Konoha.
Civilians from any nation could choose to seek help from another country's hidden village.
This was precisely why the Chūnin Exams had always been so important—to build international reputation, attract more missions, and sustain the village's operations.
"I'm just interested in your abilities."
Kiyohara said calmly, his right hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
"Interested?"
Kanorou sneered as a metallic sheen began spreading across his skin.
"I came here just to make some extra money, and someone's asking for trouble? Then I'll satisfy your curiosity with your life!"
He moved.
In an instant, he launched forward with terrifying speed, the ground collapsing into a deep crater beneath his feet as his body shot toward Kiyohara like a cannonball.
Kiyohara didn't take the blow head-on. He sidestepped while beginning to form hand seals.
"Magnet Release…!"
Black iron sand surged out of the thermos, transforming midair into countless fine needles that shot toward Kanorou.
Kanorou didn't dodge or block, letting the iron sand needles strike his body.
Clang clang clang clang!
A dense chorus of metallic collisions rang out.
Sparks flew as the needles struck Kanorou's skin, but none could pierce it, his body had already hardened, far surpassing ordinary steel.
"You can even use Magnet Release? Too bad… it's useless!"
Kanorou laughed loudly and threw a punch straight at Kiyohara's face.
Kiyohara raised his blade to block.
The shinobi blade collided with the metal fist, producing a shrill grinding sound.
A massive force surged through him, sending Kiyohara stumbling back three steps, his palm going numb.
What monstrous strength.
This Iwa shinobi didn't just possess Steel Release, his taijutsu foundation was solid as well.
Kiyohara rapidly assessed his opponent's strength.
Kanorou pressed his advantage, launching a relentless assault.
His attacks lacked refinement, but every punch carried overwhelming power—graze meant injury, direct hit meant death.
Kiyohara relied on speed to maneuver, deliberately choosing a battle of attrition with iron sand.
If he used "Magnet Release: Magnetic Field Rotation," he could further boost his speed and strength.
But Kiyohara wanted to observe how another shinobi used Steel Release as it would be more beneficial for his own future development.
"Is that all you've got?"
Kanorou mocked, smashing his fist into the ground and sending dirt and stone flying.
"So much for Magnet Release!"
Kiyohara didn't respond.
The weakness of Steel Release was clear, maintaining hardening required continuous chakra consumption.
Kanorou had already been fighting for a while; his chakra expenditure must be enormous.
And judging by the situation, he'd already fought earlier, his chakra hadn't fully recovered.
"Kurenai!"
Kiyohara called out.
Already prepared, Kurenai formed seals with both hands.
"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!"
Kanorou's movements stalled, confusion flashing through his eyes.
Less than a second but that was more than enough.
Kiyohara dashed forward, his blade thrusting straight toward Kanorou's right eye.
As a Steel Release user himself, Kiyohara knew that the eyes couldn't be hardened.
Kanorou jolted awake and hurriedly raised his right arm to block.
But that was a feint.
Kiyohara had already completed his hand seals.
In that single second, he had finished forming seals and guiding chakra to release the technique.
His seal-forming speed was far faster than before.
"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"
Electric current surged out of the ground and crawled up Kanorou's legs.
Steel conducted electricity, and with Kanorou's entire body metalized, Lightning Release was devastatingly effective.
He screamed as his body went numb for an instant.
Now!
Kiyohara discarded his blade and clasped his hands together.
Black iron sand erupted wildly from the thermos, forming chains that wrapped around Kanorou layer by layer.
"Trying to bind me?!"
Kanorou roared, muscles bulging as the iron sand chains creaked loudly.
He struggled with all his strength, cracks beginning to appear in the chains.
But Kiyohara had already completed his next technique.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
Sharp stone spears erupted from the ground, thrusting upward toward Kanorou.
Forced to divert his focus, Kanorou shattered the spears with his metalized legs.
That momentary distraction caused the iron sand chains to tighten once more.
"It's not over yet."
Kiyohara took a deep breath.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gale swept through, not attacking Kanorou directly, but whipping countless iron sand particles into the air.
The iron sand spun at high speed, forming a small tornado that completely enveloped Kanorou.
Inside the iron sand vortex, innumerable particles slammed and sliced into his body at terrifying speed.
Metallic collisions rang out in a continuous stream, sparks flashing within the whirlwind.
Kanorou's screams were swallowed by the roar of the wind.
He could withstand single attacks, but endless sustained cutting consumed chakra at a frightening rate.
Where chakra failed to cover his body in time, cracks began forming in his skin, blood seeping through.
"AAAAAH!"
Kanorou unleashed his remaining chakra in a final burst, his entire body blazing with metallic light.
He forcibly tore open the iron sand tornado—but the price was severe: fine cracks covered his entire body, blood flowing freely.
Panting heavily, he stared at Kiyohara with bloodshot eyes.
Without saying a word, he charged again—his speed clearly diminished.
From behind, Orochimaru had been observing Kiyohara the entire time, watching him employ a wide variety of techniques, and the more he saw, the more he felt that this boy truly resembled himself.
This time, Kiyohara didn't dodge.
He planted his feet, formed seals, and black light spread across his palms and chest.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
At the same time, he overlaid an additional layer of Steel Release.
Chakra consumption doubled instantly.
But that also meant Kiyohara was now stronger than Kanorou.
Steel Release offered superior defense compared to Earth Spear, but Earth Spear not only enhanced defense—it also amplified muscular destructive power.
When Kakuzu used this technique, he could shatter the Fire Temple's barrier-protected gates with a single punch.
The same effect manifested on Kiyohara's fist.
Kanorou's punch arrived.
A full-power blow aimed straight at Kiyohara's chest.
Kiyohara didn't evade—he took it head-on.
BOOM!
A dull, heavy impact echoed.
Kiyohara slid back half a step, his clothing on his chest shredded, yet his skin remained completely unscathed, not even a red mark.
Kanorou's eyes widened as he stared at his fist, then at Kiyohara's chest.
"Impossible… you can use hardening-type ninjutsu too?!"
Shock filled Kanorou's face.
The next instant, shock turned to panic.
If he couldn't take down Kiyohara now, it would become a battle of attrition.
Kiyohara had teammates, he didn't.
If this continued, defeat was inevitable!
He turned to flee, but Kiyohara was faster.
The "Leaf Body Flicker Technique" activated, and Kiyohara appeared behind him.
His right hand formed into a blade, blackened fingers heavy like metal.
The hand pierced into Kanorou's back, penetrating the heart through skin whose metalization had weakened due to insufficient chakra.
Kanorou's body stiffened. He looked down at the fingers protruding from his chest.
Blood gushed out, quickly diluted by the rain.
"You…"
He tried to say something.
Kiyohara withdrew his hand. Kanorou collapsed slowly, the light in his eyes fading away.
"Hah…"
Kiyohara deactivated Earth Spear and Steel Release.
The combined consumption of both techniques was enormous.
But fortunately, he had successfully completed the second wish.
He immediately looked toward the spirit of Steel Release Kiyohara.
From the moment the battle with Kanorou began, Steel Release Kiyohara's spirit had been watching from the side.
Now, he wore a satisfied smile and nodded.
"Not bad. Your rate of improvement is much faster than I expected."
Steel Release Kiyohara said with a hint of emotion.
He had thought Kiyohara would need much more time.
"It was alright."
Kiyohara nodded.
This time, he had benefited from circumstances, Kanorou wasn't in peak condition.
And he had teammates providing feints, with Orochimaru watching from the rear.
"Your chakra reserves are greater than mine were in life. If it's you, Steel Release may truly one day shake the entire shinobi world."
Steel Release Kiyohara's spirit grew increasingly faint.
In the end, it dissolved into countless points of light. One of them flew into the urn within Kiyohara's mind.
The remaining points of light surged toward Kiyohara instead.
He could feel Steel Release Kiyohara's power continuously pouring into his body.
As Kiyohara adapted to it, Orochimaru emerged from behind the tree, applauding.
"Splendid."
From his perspective, he couldn't see Steel Release Kiyohara's spirit, only Kiyohara standing there, catching his breath.
Still, such an outstanding performance left Orochimaru deeply satisfied.
Especially since Kiyohara had even mastered "Earth Release: Earth Spear."
Among B-rank Earth Release techniques, this was one of the most difficult.
While it wasn't exclusive to Iwagakure with Takigakure, for example, also had shinobi who could use it, but…
How old was Kiyohara now?
Every time Orochimaru looked at Kiyohara's face, he felt how absurdly young he was.
If it were himself at the same age, he might not have done better.
At this rate of growth, Kiyohara's future was unquestionably boundless.
Orochimaru was certain of it.
"Kiyohara-kun, what ninjutsu was that just now?"
Kurenai asked, clearly lacking Orochimaru's breadth of knowledge and unable to identify the technique Kiyohara had used.
Suddenly, Orochimaru spun around, forming seals at lightning speed.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Several venomous snakes shot out of his sleeves, lunging toward a tree twenty meters away.
Almost simultaneously, a black shadow burst from behind the tree and threw a punch!
BOOM!
The snakes were shattered by the shockwave of the punch, flesh and blood spraying everywhere.
The shadow landed, a man wearing a hat and a yellow cloak.
When Orochimaru saw Shinnō, a trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"You still dare to show your face, Shinnō."
Orochimaru's voice turned cold.
"Remnant of the Land of Sky."
Shinnō smiled innocently.
"It's been a long time, Orochimaru. When the Land of Sky fell, you were still just a young man following behind the Third Hokage, weren't you?"
"What are you here for?"
Orochimaru asked.
"Kanorou killed several of my researchers and stole an important body revival research document. As for you, Orochimaru, my former collaborator though we once worked together quite well in experiments, the blood debt Konoha owes the Land of Sky is not so easily repaid."
He unfastened the top of his medical coat, revealing a powerful, well-built upper body.
(End of Chapter)