After smoothly entering Iwagakure with Yifan, ‘Yidan’ seemed to be overcome by the alcohol, his steps faltering.
Yifan, true to his good brotherhood, let out a customary complaint before helping the drunken cat back to ‘Yidan’s’ residence.
"You get a good night's sleep. I'll go turn in the mission."
"As for the reward, I'll bring it to you after you've sobered up tomorrow!"
After settling ‘Yidan’ into bed, Yifan skillfully pulled the covers over him and reminded him.
‘Yidan’ chuckled and waved a hand at Yifan.
"Heh heh…"
"I'm not drunk, just a little sleepy!"
"Close the door for me when you leave, thanks!"
As soon as he finished speaking, ‘Yidan’ passed out with his mouth agape.
Yifan shook his head with a wry smile, got up, and opened the window a crack to let some of the alcohol fumes dissipate. He cast a helpless glance at the deeply sleeping ‘Yidan’ before turning to leave and submit the mission.
The footsteps gradually faded, and the snoring in the room slowly stopped.
Orochimaru opened his eyes, a smile he couldn't hide playing on his lips.
"A perfect infiltration!"
He threw off the covers, got up, and used a shadow clone to replace himself in bed.
A slight activation of the Body Reanimation Secret Technique immediately expelled the alcohol from his system.
Leaping onto the rooftop, Orochimaru transformed into a small snake and slithered through the gaps in the house into the neighbor's residence.
"Huh? Did a snake get into the house?"
"Looks like I'll have to renovate the house after my next mission."
"Hmm…"
After a rustling sound, the ninja living next door to ‘Yidan’ opened his door and blended into the crowd on the street.
"The Four-Tails, Roshi, shouldn't be in Iwagakure, so no need to worry for now."
"Then, who could be the Fifth-Tails Jinchūriki in Iwagakure? I'm really curious!"
Orochimaru, disguised as an Iwagakure ninja, squinted his eyes and ambled aimlessly through the not-so-crowded streets.
…
It was still daytime, so Orochimaru had no intention of making his summoned snakes work for nothing. Instead, he used the ability of Dark Chakra to carefully discern the emotions of the people passing by.
Where fear or anger emerged most strongly, that was where Orochimaru would focus his observation.
He sensed worried emotions and went to investigate. It was a group of children worried about failing the genin exam this year. Orochimaru gave the children an encouraging smile and moved on with a flourish.
"Wow! That ninja just smiled at me!"
"I'm sure I'll pass this graduation exam!"
"Mochizuki, stop bragging, that ninja smiled at *me*."
"Nonsense, Honoka, you're as shameless as ever. He clearly smiled at me!"
"It should be me, Ōishi, who passes the graduation exam this time. If you disagree, let's have a one-on-one at the training grounds!"
The two little sprouts named Mochizuki and Honoka were immediately provoked, their heads held high in defiance.
"Let's go! Whoever's scared will swallow a thousand rocks!"
…
After searching for a while, he ruled out several locations where negative emotions arose for various odd reasons.
For instance, a little girl who had been stung by bees and was fleeing in a panic, unwilling to let go of the small yellow flower she clutched.
Or a genin who had accidentally smashed his father's beloved teapot while practicing ninjutsu in the yard, now looking distressed and trying to figure out how to dispose of the evidence.
And so on…
Although Orochimaru had wasted several trips, he had indeed gotten a good taste of the daily lives of the people in Iwagakure.
Finally, a target with a palpable surge of fear was detected. Orochimaru's lips curved into a smile as he slowly chewed on a skewer of meat bought from the street and walked towards it.
The crowd ahead became unusually dense. Orochimaru squeezed to the back of the throng and peeked. The crowd was divided into two groups. Those on the periphery were retreating, watching a middle-aged man surrounded in the center, their eyes filled with anger and fear.
As the man advanced, the Iwagakure residents in front of him retreated like he was a plague, yet they still refused to clear a path.
"Monster, go back to your den! Do you want to kill more innocent people?"
A civilian, with eyes blazing with deep-seated hatred, gathered the courage to let out an angry roar at the man.
Seeing someone take the lead, the surrounding onlookers seemed to have found a backbone and chimed in.
"Monster, you're not welcome here!"
"Scram!"
"Get out of the village!"
…
The piercing shouts made the man's lowered head tremble slightly, his fists clenching and unclenching.
But in the end, the man endured it all.
The man slowly raised his head, a difficult, humble smile on his ashen face. His lips moved, murmuring softly:
"I just... wanted to buy some food!"
But the man's humble gesture was met with even deeper malice.
"Pah!"
"No one will sell you anything!"
"Think about the villagers you killed! We wish we could eat your flesh and drink your blood!"
The man lowered his head, closed his eyes in pain, and silently comforted himself.
"I am a ninja who inherits the Will of the Earth, and my will is as firm as a rock!"
"Strength and anger should not be vented on these ignorant commoners!"
"From the day I became a Jinchūriki, I was prepared to endure all of this!"
"I cannot get angry…"
Orochimaru felt the suppressed terror within the man's heart. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and a wisp of Dark Chakra silently seeped into the man's body from the ground.
"Look!"
"These are the villagers you were willing to become a Jinchūriki to protect. They have completely forgotten your contributions to the village!"
"Your constant concessions only make them treat you worse!"
"Unleash your anger! Ninjas are born to be superior to ordinary people!"
"Don't suppress your hatred. Even if you kill all these ignorant ants, the Tsuchikage-sama will not punish you for it!"
Intense negative emotions, fueled by the influx of Dark Chakra, rapidly festered in the man's heart.
Orochimaru's seductive voice echoed continuously in his mind. The man clutched his head in pain and squatted on the ground, gritting his teeth to resist the erupting rage and lust for slaughter within him.
Seeing that the Fifth-Tails Jinchūriki was still holding on, Orochimaru sneered inwardly and subtly expanded the scope of the Dark Chakra's influence.
The anger of the incessantly scolding Iwagakure villagers intensified. Some of them, seeing the man crouching on the ground with his head in his hands, could no longer suppress their hatred and began throwing things at him.
"Stop pretending to be pitiful! You damned monster!"
"Beat him to death…"
The Dark Chakra continued to spread within the man's body, finally reaching the fragile seal.
"Let me add a little more fuel to the fire!"
"Fifth-Tails, Kokuō, experience this hard-won moment of freedom!"
Orochimaru's gaze was cold as he manipulated the Dark Chakra to smash through the seal, unleashing the ferocious beast imprisoned within.
"Roar!"
"I am not… a monster!"
"You are the damned ones…!"