"You should've seen the look on his face—so many expressions in an instant."
Behind the Senju Clan estate, the afternoon sun warmed everything gently.
When Orochimaru heard Senju Yukika had returned safely, he immediately came seeking his disciple.
Indeed, Yukika looked far more relaxed than Orochimaru had expected.
He lounged in a sun chair, soaking up the sunlight, while a seven- or eight-year-old girl fanned him, her small brow furrowed in indignation.
No doubt she was the Two-Tails Jinchūriki!
They'd only been apart a few days, yet Orochimaru keenly sensed that Yukika's aura had shifted again—he now seemed steadier, more decisive.
That didn't surprise Orochimaru. Unlike his easy infiltration into the Land of Lightning, returning had required far more cunning to slip past the defenses.
He didn't ask Yukika for details, but he guessed it hadn't been simple.
Battles foster growth.
Yukika's spirit burned even brighter than before.
"Even if you hadn't told me, I could've guessed," Yukika grinned.
He'd long since unraveled Sarutobi Hiruzen's little schemes along the way.
Using the Hidden Cloud's troops to trap him?
Too bad.
Even without his abnormal detection nerves, Senju Yukika wouldn't have marched into the Cloud's Intelligence Division to deliver himself on a platter.
That was a high-level assignment—caution was non-negotiable.
As for Hiruzen's expression? It must have felt like eating dirt.
All that intricate plotting, blown apart—and Yukika had still brought back the Cloud's Jinchūriki right in front of everyone.
Such merit—even if he hadn't grabbed any intel from the Intelligence Division, what harm was done?
He wasn't dead, nor was he a prisoner. That alone stung Hiruzen more than anything.
"He told everyone you were dead—and said it so convincingly."
Orochimaru's voice slowed as he spoke. He clearly meant to remind Yukika of something—and stake his own claim.
"There was an ambush in the Intelligence Division. He naturally assumed I was killed."
Yukika nodded calmly.
An ambush!
Orochimaru's eyes flashed with anger. Smart as he was, he'd hated admitting the mission had been leaked, but the evidence lay in front of him.
Orochimaru had been played!
"But I never went in."
Yukika gave Orochimaru a reassuring look. "And I left my forehead protector at their entrance."
A forehead protector?
Orochimaru's brow lifted, then he thrust a thumb up in admiration.
Brilliant!
If an enraged Raikage discovered that protector in front of the Cloud's gates, he'd surely march on Konoha demanding answers.
And the Cloud—forced into helplessness—would have a target to vent their rage.
The so-called secret mission would no longer be secret.
The higher-ups leaked Yukika's mission to the Cloud—and Yukika returned the favor by leaking their secrets to the Cloud.
That was retaliation.
A retaliation the Hidden Leaf could not absorb.
Whatever the Raikage's next move, Yukika didn't care.
He had his own plan.
"How do you intend to handle her?"
Orochimaru glanced at Yugito and asked suddenly.
A Jinchūriki's presence was inherently sensitive.
And Orochimaru, who truly understood Yukika…