My Techniques are a bit off

"Ninja-sama, when can I leave?"

The boy, despite his dirty clothes, sat across from Link with an air of politeness, almost giving off the impression of a well-mannered upbringing.

"Did you come from the war zone?" Link asked.

"Y-yes," the boy replied, lowering his head.

Link slid 1,000 ryō across the table. "Tell me about what you've seen."

The boy clutched the money and slowly began recounting his experiences.

In the chaos of the battlefield, distinguishing between ally and foe was nearly impossible. Ninja, with their exceptional stealth and deception skills, could easily infiltrate or manipulate situations. The response? A merciless policy: attack anyone not clearly on your side.

Not just ninja from the Land of Rivers, but also from the Land of Rain, Sunagakure, and even Konohagakure, along with numerous rogue ninja, were all active on the battlefield.

In addition, wandering ronin scavenged the war zones, often engaging in atrocities beyond simple killing. Death had become a mundane reality.

In short, even if the war stopped, the scars it left behind would remain unhealed.

"The peace of the great nations is built on the sacrifices of smaller ones," Link recalled Nagato's words from the manga.

Although the context was different, the sentiment was similar. Maintaining powerful ninja villages required constant resources, and simply controlling a single revenue source (like Sunagakure's gold dust) wasn't enough to sustain them.

Ninja were this world's soldiers, and ninja villages were military organizations. While low-level missions seemed harmless enough, high-level A-rank and S-rank missions often revolved around warfare, espionage, and assassination, far beyond just protecting nobles.

One of the primary descriptions for A-rank missions was participating in wars requested by other nations. Other key tasks included protecting VIPs or eliminating enemy ninja squads.

Even a civil war could generate enormous demand for ninja services.

Demand was what justified the existence of ninja villages.

In that sense, Danzo's actions—whether inciting wars or pursuing other hidden agendas—aligned with the cold, pragmatic logic underpinning the survival of all ninja villages.

"You can go," Link said finally, his voice calm. He didn't try to argue or sympathize. He simply saw the world more clearly now.

He wasn't like Jiraiya, an idealist chasing peace, nor Nagato, a realist relying on destructive power to create short-lived calm. And he certainly wasn't Naruto, who acted instinctively, admitting he didn't know how but still pushing forward.

He was an observer.

While they spoke, Link's shadows had already dealt with the three returning Otogakure ninja outside.

As the boy fled with the money clutched tightly in his hands, Link began interrogating the captured ninja with genjutsu, extracting similar information from all three. Once done, he swiftly eliminated them and used Earth Release to bury their bodies before silently leaving the scene.

The rattling of a cell door echoed as an unconscious experimental subject was tossed into a dimly lit cell. Kabuto Yakushi locked the door and returned to his notebook, jotting down notes meticulously.

Experiments involving Orochimaru's original specimen at the northern base had yielded significant progress. Early test subjects implanted with both curse marks and tissue from the original had begun surviving the procedures. The curse marks seemed to stabilize the natural energy drawn to the tissue.

However, even with this balance, they lost their original powers, as seen with Kimimaro's failed use of the Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse). The issue lay in the fundamental incompatibility between chakra and the foreign natural energy introduced by the experiments.

This was a shocking revelation—chakra, the foundation of all ninja techniques, seemed to hinder the absorption and use of natural energy in these experiments. Orochimaru proposed a new approach: completely abandon chakra control and focus on implanting curse marks and tissue into ordinary, non-chakra-using individuals.

An intriguing theory, Kabuto thought, his pen pausing mid-note.

Suddenly, he turned toward the sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway.

"Link-kun, it's been a while."

Kabuto's voice remained calm, though his eyes darted warily toward the shadows that surrounded him.

So many shadow clones… He's grown even stronger. Lord Orochimaru's interest in him was well-founded, Kabuto mused, feeling a rare sense of unease.

"Ah, it's you," Link said, standing at a safe distance with his summoned, Fugaku Uchiha, guarding his flank. "Is Orochimaru not here?"

Kabuto pushed his glasses up, his calm voice tinged with sarcasm. "Are you here because of the tricked experimental subjects? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Lord Orochimaru doesn't use deceitful methods."

He paused, a small smirk forming. "And I personally despise coercion."

"Is that so?" Link's tone remained neutral as Fugaku stepped forward, his three-tomoe Sharingan gleaming ominously in the dim light.

Kabuto froze. The narrow corridor, the overwhelming number of shadows, and the addition of a Sharingan-wielding opponent made escape seem impossible.

"Well..." Kabuto raised his hands in mock surrender, a hollow smile on his face. "I know a great many things, Link-kun. Perhaps we can strike a deal? Let me go, and I'll share my knowledge."

He's grown far stronger… Maybe, just maybe, he might even be able to kill Lord Orochimaru someday, Kabuto thought.

But for now, he had no choice but to stall for his life.

~~~

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