Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

The Next Day

Daimyo's Mansion

Chiba looked at the Daimyo of the Land of Tian in front of him. His attire was extravagant, but his physique resembled that of a pig.

It was unfortunate, Chiba thought, as the maids flanking the Daimyo were stunningly beautiful, with well-proportioned figures.

"Lord Daimyo, I am Orochimaru, a Jōnin from Konoha. The mission you issued in Konoha to eliminate the bandits will be handled by me," Orochimaru said calmly.

The Daimyo's gaze swept over the three-person team, lingering on Nawaki. His face turned sour, and he snorted with displeasure.

"Is it just the three of you? Don't blame me for saying this, but sending a child along is disrespectful to me. Does Konoha look down on my request?"

The Daimyo gestured disdainfully at Nawaki, his tone laced with irritation.

Nawaki, visibly confused, felt anger rising. Just as he was about to retort, Chiba placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down, Nawaki," Chiba whispered, his tone low but firm, enough to make him reconsider his reaction.

Nawaki glared at the Daimyo but, feeling the pressure from Chiba's grip, eventually swallowed his words.

Ignoring the Daimyo's hostility, Orochimaru maintained his composure. "There's no need for concern, Lord Daimyo. Since I've accepted this mission, I guarantee its completion. Two hundred ordinary bandits are hardly a challenge."

The Daimyo narrowed his eyes. "Ha! Fine, you've heard the details and know the risks. If you lose your lives underestimating the enemy, that's on you."

The disdain in the Daimyo's tone was evident. In his eyes, three people—one of them a mere child—had no chance against over 200 bandits. He expected them to fail, but that wasn't his problem.

"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Daimyo. We'll take care of it. Now, if you'll kindly provide the location of the bandits, we'll be on our way," Orochimaru said with a polite smile.

The Daimyo gave a dismissive wave to one of the maids. She bowed and disappeared momentarily, returning with a beautifully crafted box.

"The map with the location is inside this box. Take it," the Daimyo said flatly.

Orochimaru accepted the box and gave a slight nod. "Thank you, Lord Daimyo. We'll take our leave now. Farewell."

Without waiting for a response, Orochimaru gestured to his students, and the three of them exited the mansion.

Outside the Mansion

"That pompous fat man!" Nawaki complained, his voice filled with indignation. "Chiba, did you hear the way he talked about us? He clearly looks down on us!"

Chiba shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, to be fair, you do look like a child. He wasn't entirely wrong."

Nawaki turned red with anger. "Damn it, Chiba! You're not so different from me!"

"Not so different?" Chiba grinned, gesturing with his hands to show their height difference. "Look at me. I'm taller, stronger, and more mature. People probably think I'm sixteen or seventeen, while you barely reach my chest."

"You bastard, Chiba!" Nawaki yelled, his anger boiling over. He clenched his fists, ready to lunge at Chiba.

Before he could act, Orochimaru placed a hand on his head, stopping him in his tracks.

"Enough," Orochimaru said firmly. "Now is not the time to quarrel. We need to focus on the mission. Let's return to the hotel and plan how to handle the bandits."

Though still fuming, Nawaki backed down, shooting a glare at Chiba.

"Just wait, Chiba. One day, I'll be taller than you."

Chiba smirked. "Sure, Nawaki. Maybe in your next life."

Orochimaru sighed in exasperation. His students were clearly not paying attention. With a sharp burst of killing intent, he silenced them both.

"Shut up, both of you!" Orochimaru growled, his chakra flaring.

Chiba stiffened under the pressure, and, instinctively, he unleashed a wave of Conqueror's Haki.

Buzz!

The sudden impact stunned Orochimaru. His mind wavered, and for a moment, he felt disoriented.

The unexpected power had come from Chiba. If Orochimaru hadn't realized the source, he might have assumed it was an enemy ambush.

"Chiba-kun, what was that?" Orochimaru asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and fascination.

Regaining control, Chiba quickly responded, "I apologize, Orochimaru-sama. That was a secret technique passed down within the Uchiha clan. I couldn't help but use it just now."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with interest. "As expected of the Uchiha. Such a powerful Yin Release secret technique."

Unbeknownst to him, Conqueror's Haki wasn't part of the ninja world's traditional chakra-based techniques, but Chiba decided to let Orochimaru believe otherwise.

Looking down, Orochimaru noticed Nawaki lying unconscious on the ground.

"Chiba-kun, your power is impressive. Most people wouldn't be able to resist it. It seems we may need to adjust our strategy."

Orochimaru hoisted Nawaki onto his back. While he was impressed by Chiba's abilities, he decided to keep this "secret technique" as a trump card unless absolutely necessary.

Later That Afternoon

When Nawaki regained consciousness, the group was already on their way to the bandits' hideout.

Nawaki looked puzzled. "What happened? One moment, I was arguing with Chiba, and the next thing I knew, I blacked out."

Both Orochimaru and Chiba remained tight-lipped, offering no explanation. Nawaki's curiosity only grew, but he decided not to push the matter further.

With their plan in place, the three of them pressed forward, ready to confront the bandits.