Night of the Clan Massacre: Leading the Uchiha to Defect from Konoha!

Mifune slowly rose to his feet.

He didn't answer the young warrior's question. Instead, he lifted his head toward the sun as it was slowly swallowed by drifting clouds.

He murmured, "Since the rise of the ninja, the Land of Iron has endured for a long time."

"The state of the ninja world has changed. In the past, our neutrality was possible because the great nations balanced one another."

"But now that balance is broken. No ruler wants a potentially threatening force right beside their domain."

"Even if Kaede hadn't come today, the Hidden Cloud would have eventually done the same."

Below the stage, the young samurai clenched his fists.

"So we're just supposed to let ourselves be slaughtered?"

Mifune shook his head with a sigh.

"This is actually an opportunity given to us by Kaede. He needs capable subordinates, which is why he came himself to take the Land of Iron."

"If it were the Hidden Cloud, they'd simply kill us all to prevent any future trouble."

"Following Kaede, we only lose the name 'Land of Iron.' But facing the Hidden Cloud… we would lose the samurai tradition itself."

The crowd of warriors fell silent.

Long ago, the Land of Iron had been founded when a group of powerful warriors who refused to accept the ninja system settled in this remote land, creating a sanctuary for samurai.

That was why there was no daimyo here — the true leader was simply the strongest among them.

And the very purpose of the Land of Iron's creation had been to preserve the samurai tradition.

Now Kaede needed their strength, but he would not force them to abandon their way and become ninja.

Their tradition would remain intact, and they would be led by a peerless swordsman.

This understanding eased the hearts of most in the crowd.

Seeing their mood shift, Mifune also felt a small measure of relief.

Compared to keeping the title of "Land of Iron," the preservation of the samurai legacy was what truly mattered to him — the title of "leader" was an empty name.

In Kaede's eyes, Mifune truly was a talent — a man who could pacify his people so Kaede wouldn't have to slaughter them, thus ensuring the samurai tradition survived.

From a hidden spot above, unseen by the people below, Kaede smiled.

If Mifune had chosen to resist, he would have erased the Land of Iron from the map today.

…

Land of Sound, in a hidden underground cave.

"Orochimaru-sama!"

Kabuto hurriedly supported Orochimaru into a stone chair, still clutching the man's severed arm in his other hand.

"Kaede… truly a genius worth envying," Orochimaru rasped, his face bloodied and pale.

"I never thought that even after losing a Sharingan, he could still so easily control me with genjutsu."

"What a magnificent body… it would be the perfect vessel for the Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique."

When Itachi was young, Orochimaru had already noticed his talent.

But soon after, he had left Konoha.

He never expected to meet him again in the Akatsuki.

Even without one Sharingan, Itachi remained the most perfect vessel Orochimaru had ever seen.

After perfecting his reincarnation technique, Orochimaru could no longer resist the urge — he made his move on Kaede.

Yet in mere moments, he had been overwhelmed by Kaede's ocular power.

His obsession with perfecting the reincarnation technique had weakened his soul far too much.

If not for Kabuto's timely arrival, losing only an arm might have been the least of his worries.

Kabuto said nothing about that, instead speaking urgently:

"Orochimaru-sama, hold on. I'll reattach your arm right away."

He was about to begin using medical ninjutsu when—

"Orochimaru, you really are ruthless."

A stranger's voice cut through the air.

"Who's there?!"

Both Orochimaru and Kabuto stiffened in shock. This was their most secret base — how had someone entered without them noticing?

Kaede stepped from the shadows.

"You're… Kaede?" Orochimaru's pupils contracted. This one was even more dangerous than Itachi.

Kabuto instantly assumed a fighting stance.

Kaede ignored their hostility, glancing around the chamber.

"Dark and damp, full of unspeakable experiments… this place suits you perfectly."

Orochimaru signaled Kabuto to stand down, then rasped,

"This place is far too hidden for someone to stumble upon. So… you came here specifically for me?"

Kaede nodded. "Talking to smart people is so much easier."

"What do you want from me?" Orochimaru asked evenly.

Instead of answering, Kaede studied him with interest.

"That arm… it belonged to Itachi, didn't it?"

"Tsk, tsk… to be driven to this state by a rogue ninja — you really are declining."

Orochimaru's expression hardened. "How do you know that?!"

Kaede smirked. "That disgusting trace of ocular power clinging to you gives it away."

"To be so easily caught in a simple ocular technique… you've perfected your reincarnation jutsu, haven't you?"

Those words froze Orochimaru in place.

The Living Corpse Reincarnation Technique was his greatest secret — how could Kaede possibly know?

And more importantly…

What did being caught by Itachi have to do with that technique?

Seeing the suspicion in Orochimaru's eyes, Kaede chuckled.

"So you still haven't realized the flaw in your reincarnation technique."

Orochimaru steadied himself and asked, "It's true, I only perfected it a few days ago. Can you explain?"

Kaede's tone was arrogant.

"The reincarnation technique allows the user's soul to transfer into new bodies indefinitely, granting the so-called eternal life."

"But there's no such thing as a perfect jutsu. Once you begin, your soul will start to erode — until it is completely extinguished."

"Worse still, you can't stop once you've started. If the body you take rejects your soul, the erosion happens even faster."

Orochimaru's face darkened.

So that was why he had been so easily caught by Itachi — his soul was already fraying from within.

"Damn it… I need to fix this flaw immediately!"

Still, he knew the immediate threat was Kaede himself.

If Itachi could make him kneel in an instant, this man could likely kill him just as quickly.

"What do you want, Kaede?" Orochimaru asked gravely.

Kaede narrowed his eyes.

"Orochimaru… do you crave to know the truth of the world? Do you crave eternal life?"

Orochimaru's eyes widened — could Kaede have mastered something greater than the reincarnation technique?

Kaede repeated softly, "Do you desire immortality?"

Orochimaru's lips curled into a sly grin. "No… I desire to become a woman."

(End of Chapter)

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