Time passed quietly. Two months had gone by since the caravan departed from Konohagakure.
By the time the caravan returned to the main branch in the Land of Fire, near the border with the Land of Rivers, Orochimaru's escort mission officially concluded.
To be fair, the distance from Konoha to the Land of Rivers was roughly comparable to the distance to the Land of Rain. By the standards of Konoha's supply lines during the war, the caravan's pace was… concerning.
Of course, comparing wartime military logistics to a commercial caravan was unfair.
But in fact, the caravan hadn't gone directly to its final destination. Starting from the Land of Woods, it had traveled almost the entire circumference of the Land of Fire before returning here.
This circuitous route was determined by the Red Hot Sand Guild's operational model and resource coordination protocols between branches.
In an era where long-distance communication relied on human messengers and long-distance transport still depended heavily on horses and carts, information lag and logistical difficulty were the main obstacles to development.
The Red Hot Sand Guild had adopted a roundabout strategy to cope.
Regular long-haul caravans departing from major regional branches followed fixed routes, linking several branches in different environments in a single trip.
This route, for example, had stopped in the Land of Woods, the Land of Frost, the Land of Medicine, and the Land of Rain, while bypassing the branches in the Lands of Hot Water, Rice Paddies, Iron, Waterfalls, Grass, and Rivers.
The prioritized branches were in regions with distinct products and needs, capable of influencing surrounding areas.
At these stops, they unloaded goods transferred from other regions that matched local demand, along with the headquarters' development plans for the surrounding areas. They loaded up specialty goods from that branch to be sold elsewhere, along with collected local market conditions, surplus lists, and shortage lists.
Afterward, each major branch would deploy smaller local caravans for more refined regional operations and adjustments. This cycle, repeated every three to four months, enabled material supplementation and information synchronization between branches to some degree.
Given current technological constraints, the operational model was fairly sophisticated.
At the Land of Fire's main branch, the round, prosperous regional manager—the same one who had parted ways with Orochimaru at Konoha—was already waiting at the rendezvous point.
Seeing Orochimaru leap down from the carriage, the seal-like man cheerfully patted his round belly, walked over, and handed over a prepared mission completion form.
The mission completion form was essentially an evaluation sent back to the village by the employer after a mission. If the employer was especially satisfied, they often included extra money as a bonus—common with escort missions.
"Ah, Mr. Orochimaru, you've worked hard on this journey."
With business-like pleasantries, the seal-like manager warmly greeted Orochimaru. "Your presence gave us great peace of mind."
"Is that so? I doubt it."
Orochimaru extended his slender fingers to take the not-insubstantial form. His golden eyes narrowed, sweeping over the sprawling complex of buildings and the other caravans swarming like ants. Then he looked at the manager, who was rubbing his hands together, with a hint of mockery.
"With your guild's strength, you'd have been safe even without me."
This wasn't mere politeness. During the journey, when stopping at other branches for rest and cargo transfers, Orochimaru had noticed some noteworthy individuals among their guards and stationed personnel.
The branches in the Land of Woods and the Land of Frost had some Kirigakure ninja stationed. The branch in the Land of Medicine had ninja from the Fūma clan and the Tsuchigumo clan. And the Land of Rain branch naturally had Amegakure ninja.
Unlike Orochimaru—a temporary hire—these ninja, judging by their attire, were clearly long-term station personnel.
For a "guild," these branches were remarkably well-armed.
"Oh, in this day and age, doing business takes more than money. The ability to defend yourself is paramount."
The seal-like manager remained cheerful, as if stating the obvious. "Over the years, countless wars have been fought. Even your Konoha, with all its resources, is struggling. Smaller villages and clans are even worse off."
"Hiring them now is more cost-effective. I hear the main branch in the Land of Wind is even more ambitious—they've poached quite a few master artisans from the Land of Artisans."
"The Land of Artisans…"
For Orochimaru, the country hidden behind the Land of Wind's vast desert was rather unfamiliar. But the fine ninja tools produced by Takumi Village there had always been famous.
He nodded noncommittally, unable to deny the manager's point.
Hiring ninja for short-term escort missions versus long-term stationing were two different price points. But for down-on-their-luck clans like the Fūma or Tsuchigumo, the price would be much more reasonable. And given their financial situations, they'd likely be happy to have Red Hot Sand as a long-term meal ticket.
Even the Uchiha clan, during the Warring States period, had kept land in the Land of Lightning while competing for territory in the Land of Fire.
"Now then, Mr. Orochimaru—about that commission I mentioned. Have you considered it?"
Suddenly, the manager stepped closer. His smile faded slightly, and his voice dropped, turning serious.
"I'll accept. An interesting job, and your boss is so generous. I have no reason to refuse."
Orochimaru's faint smile appeared. His distinctive rasp answered.
"That's wonderful!"
The seal-like man beamed, his already small eyes nearly disappearing. It was hard not to suspect he stood to gain significantly from this.
No—there was no need to suspect. It was practically certain.
"Here's the plan. I'll deliver this mission completion form when I return to the branch after my debriefing at headquarters. Then I'll submit a new job request from there, specifically naming you. It'll provide some cover for your upcoming trip."
The manager snatched the hefty form back from Orochimaru before he could react, pulled out the cash inside, and stuffed it into Orochimaru's hand.
Between the commission, the bonus, the private job, and the fake commission the manager would later place in Konoha, Orochimaru was making a killing. He had no doubt the manager, so eager to make this ruin-exploration job happen, would be well compensated.
Fine. Win-win.
Orochimaru was growing to like that word.
"By next week, Mr. Orochimaru—just get to this location before the weekend. Someone else will meet you and handle the specifics. My job will be done. After my debriefing, I need to get back to the Konoha branch."
Clearly happier, the manager tucked the form into his pocket, pulled out a small leather notebook, tore out a page, scribbled an address, and handed it to Orochimaru.
"Well then, I wish you smooth travels."
"Heh. Thanks. I'd be even happier if your guild sold me equipment cheaper, given this new connection."
To be fair, Orochimaru had a fairly good impression of this efficient, easy-to-work-with manager.
"Ah, I'm afraid not. As you know, the equipment we sell you is already discounted."
"…97% off is a discount?" "How is it not?"
"...Tch."
His calm shattered. Thinking about how the money he'd earned might end up back in Red Hot Sand's pockets, Orochimaru felt a surge of hostility toward the round-headed, money-stinking merchant.
Not lingering at the massive Land of Fire branch, Orochimaru pocketed the cash—already knowing where it would be spent—and with a flicker of movement, headed toward the address on the paper: a town in the Land of Fire near the Land of Rain.
For someone of his speed, the distance wasn't far. And they said "before next weekend"—no need to rush.
But Orochimaru didn't like keeping others waiting.
Two days later, he arrived at the inn. A staff member led him through several corridors to a private courtyard.
Even with the gate closed, he could hear animated conversation inside.
Pushing open the gate, he saw several people gathered around a stone table in the yard, chatting enthusiastically. Though they varied in age, most had a scholarly air—research types.
At the sight of the unfamiliar face, the conversation stopped. Several pairs of eyes turned to him in unison.
Orochimaru's gaze swept over the others, taking in their reactions.
Most had a scholarly air. Judging by their hands and physical condition, they were researchers—desk workers.
The slightly more weathered middle-aged man had some chakra, but not much—probably a field worker.
After his habitual few seconds of analyzing everyone's identity, habits, and the layout of the space, Orochimaru introduced himself in his distinctive rasp: "I am Orochimaru, a jōnin of Konohagakure, hired as your guard during the excavation."
The name Orochimaru was thunderous in the ninja world, but for these researchers—not focused on ninja gossip—it meant little.
After a few seconds' pause, the scholars introduced themselves in turn.
Among those studying ancient architecture, geological surveying, ecology, and other fields, one historian who introduced himself from the "Historical Compilation Society"—Akai Jun—immediately caught Orochimaru's attention.
He hadn't noticed at first, but when the square-faced, serious man introduced himself and explained who Orochimaru was to the other scholars, Orochimaru felt a faint sense of familiarity.
Sensing his gaze, Akai Jun simply pushed up his glasses, as if asking what was wrong.
Orochimaru rubbed his chin, uncertain. "Mr. Akai… have we met before?"
"...?"
"Your face and voice are very distinctive. If I had met you before, I'm sure I would remember."
At his question, Akai Jun looked confused. He studied Orochimaru for a moment, then shook his head. "Perhaps my face is too ordinary. You've mistaken me for someone you've met before."
He pushed up his small round glasses with a slightly awkward motion. Noticing Orochimaru watching, he scratched his fluffy hair in annoyance. "My student recommended these glasses—said they'd make me more distinctive. Doesn't seem to be working."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. He did know quite a few square-faced men—that idiot Jiraiya was the prime example. Mistaken identity wasn't impossible.
Then again, in this world, history and ninja were intertwined. It wouldn't be strange for a historian to know of him.
Still, he didn't set aside his doubts.
Orochimaru always trusted his instincts. If he felt something was off, he would simply pay more attention.
"My apologies."
With a slight apology, Orochimaru walked toward his assigned room in the courtyard.
Akai Jun—or rather, Hii Kōri disguised as Akai Jun—watched Orochimaru leave, genuinely impressed by his sharpness.
Unlike his previous disguises—a familiar face from the Second War battlefield, or the itinerant monk—this time, his disguise was of a real person.
The Historical Compilation Society was one of the organizations sponsored by Hii Kōri's guild. Akai Jun was a researcher there. The real Akai Jun had been sent to decipher a very difficult document—he wouldn't be out for months.
Hii Kōri believed his disguise was flawless. Indeed, Orochimaru hadn't seen through it. But even a hint of doubt proved his intuition.
"Ah, as expected of Orochimaru-san."
Having found the knack for pushing up the small round glasses, "Akai Jun" smiled faintly, then returned to the scholars, continuing their previous discussion.
***
Dive deeper into the story with 30+ advance chapters, available now on Patreon!patreon.com/CNBLUE
If you're enjoying the novel, please consider leaving a review. Your support is crucial and helps the story grow immensely. Thank you!