Chapter 69: Orochimaru: Who is Sabotaging My Plans? - The White Eyed Princess of Konoha

Chapter 69: Orochimaru: Who is Sabotaging My Plans? While Hinata was busy demanding tolls near the central tower, Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru also met up in the Forest of Death. With a slightly playful expression, Kabuto said, “Lord Orochimaru, it seems your plan has failed.” Despite having the skills of a Jonin and having been a mole in Konoha for years, with ties to Sasori of the Red Sand, Kabuto wasn't yet fully trusted by Orochimaru. Hence, his tone wasn’t particularly respectful. In the original story, Orochimaru even specifically warned Kabuto regarding his demeanor. Orochimaru assumed Kabuto was talking about Sasuke and didn’t want to lose face in front of his subordinate. Licking his face with his tongue, he replied in a sinister voice, “There’s still a month before the Chunin Exams. There will be plenty of opportunities to get Sasuke.” Kabuto was surprised; he hadn’t expected even the task of enticing Sasuke to fail. “Heh!” Kabuto chuckled blandly, “Lord Orochimaru, I’m not referring to that.” “Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke are blocking the area near the tower. Gaara has already been defeated. If no one from the Sand Village passes the second exam, your plan might end here.” Orochimaru’s expression changed: Who is sabotaging my plans? This is the second time! The one clearly disrupting Orochimaru’s scheme was our very own Hinata Ōtsutsuki. If no one from the Sand Village passes the second part of the Chunin Exam, the Fourth Kazekage wouldn’t come to Konoha for the third exam, as he would have no face to show. Without the Fourth Kazekage's presence, Orochimaru wouldn’t be able to ambush him, and without the ambush, Orochimaru couldn’t approach the Third Hokage. This would lead to the collapse of the Leaf Destruction Plan—an entire chain reaction. Orochimaru knew Gaara was strong but hadn’t imagined he would be defeated so early in the exam. Orochimaru calmly asked, “I haven’t returned to Konoha for a long time. Although I've heard that the young girl from the Hyuga Clan is strong, I didn’t expect she could defeat Gaara.” Kabuto chuckled lightly, “Even I am not entirely confident against her. It's said that the Demon Zabuza was also defeated at her hands.” Orochimaru was surprised, “Oh? Is that information reliable?” The defeat of Zabuza by Team 7, which included Hinata, was not a secret in Konoha. Though rumors claimed it was Hinata who defeated Zabuza, most people likely believed that the credit actually belonged to Kakashi, with Hinata merely landing the final blow. Kabuto nodded, “The Anbu have confirmed it. It was definitely Hinata Hyuga who defeated Zabuza.” Orochimaru felt a bit frustrated. As long as Hinata guarded the central tower, the Sand Village’s candidates wouldn’t pass the second part of the exam. Even Gaara was defeated, after all. Even if Orochimaru could rescue Gaara and give him the needed scrolls, if he couldn't get past Hinata, he wouldn’t pass the exam. Unless Orochimaru or Kabuto intervened themselves... “Hehehehe,” Orochimaru laughed darkly, “Since that’s the case, I’ll personally meet this young Hyuga girl and give Sasuke a memory he'll never forget.” Kabuto cautiously suggested, “Lord Orochimaru, if you need to choose another vessel, I believe Hinata might be more suitable than Sasuke for you.” Orochimaru’s gaze turned icy as he eyed Kabuto, murder intent barely restrained, as he chuckled, “Kabuto, you may have your own thoughts, but you better not have designs on Sasuke.” Kabuto quickly lowered his head, submitting, “I wouldn’t dare.” Having spent years mingling among the strong as a spy, Kabuto had a profound understanding of personality and human nature. Orochimaru’s defeat by Itachi Uchiha might indeed be an unforgettable humiliation. However, considering Orochimaru’s pride, if he sought to regain his honor against Itachi, he would definitely not rely on the Sharingan's power. Kabuto was fairly confident about this. Orochimaru was a proud individual. Having been defeated by the Sharingan, he would not use its power to overcome an opponent. Thus, Kabuto speculated there might be more secrets about the Sharingan. For instance, the kind of power Itachi used to defeat Orochimaru. Orochimaru’s aspiration was to master every ninja art in existence. For that purpose, he sought immortality. While researching various forbidden arts, Orochimaru was also in search of the truth of the ninja world. For example, the legends of the Sage of Six Paths. In those legends, the names ‘Senju’ and ‘Uchiha’ originated from the Sage of Six Paths. In fact, during Orochimaru’s time with the Akatsuki, he had even glimpsed the rumored Rinnegan belonging to the Sage of Six Paths. “Kabuto, just do what you need to do.” With those words, Orochimaru slowly retreated into the shadow of the woods, gradually vanishing into darkness. A glint of cunning appeared in Kabuto’s eyes behind his glasses. His strength wasn’t yet enough for complete freedom, nor did he have as many research resources as Orochimaru. If he wanted to uncover everything, the only way was to fully commit himself to Orochimaru. “But... I also need to find an opportunity to test Sasuke!” ... ‘Boom!’ Yet another team of ninjas defeated, but unfortunately, they only found one scroll. It seemed their strategy was the same as Hinata’s group: to ambush other teams near the tower. A day and a night had passed since entering the Forest of Death, and Hinata, Naruto, and Sasuke had consecutively defeated over a dozen teams. Neji’s team reached the tower soon after Kiba’s group and, hearing Hinata’s demand for treating them to a month of meals, Neji agreed without hesitation. Now, the only Konoha ninja team left was the Ino-Shika-Cho. After intercepting another ninja team, Hinata saw their Leaf Village headbands and asked, “How many scrolls have you collected?” The three ninjas across from them were vigilant and kept silent. Hinata flaunted a handful of scrolls, saying, “I’m not here to rob you. I’m Hinata Hyuga; you must have heard of my name. If you agree to treat our Team 7 to a month of feasts, I’ll give you the scrolls you need.” One ninja asked, “Are you serious?” Hinata scoffed, “Do I look like I'm tricking you?” Taking out pen and paper, she seriously added, “Just leave a written agreement, along with your handprints and signatures.” Thus, another team of Leaf Village ninja passed the second exam. And Hinata secured herself another month of fine dining. Feeling slightly proud, Hinata thought that after the exams, her name, Ōtsutsuki Hinata, would be associated with ‘generosity and helpfulness.’ Which leading Jonin among the genin wouldn’t give her some face? That’s the power of connections! Suddenly, Naruto shouted, “Hinata, Sasuke, someone else is coming.” Hinata turned to see a Grass ninja approaching. “Byakugan!” Hinata frowned slightly—there was only one person nearby, and this Grass ninja... Darn, it’s Orochimaru! Hinata’s smile disappeared. Why was Orochimaru back again? Orochimaru licked his lips with his tongue, speaking in a playful tone, “It seems you've gathered quite a few scrolls! I happen to need one myself. In that case, let’s have a death match with the scrolls as the prize!” Hinata mimicked Orochimaru, sticking out her tongue only reaching her lips, asking curiously like a child, “How did you just do that—like this (Hinata licked her lips again). Your tongue is so long!” Orochimaru: “...”