Orochimaru, having long grown accustomed to Jiraiya's antics, remained unfazed, giving him only a half-smile.
But Shinki had his limits.
Jiraiya, with his shameless persistence, could be a nuisance, especially when he loitered too close. To make matters worse, he hadn't bathed or changed his clothes for days, probably after spending all his money entertaining young women.
Shinki sighed, surrendering to end the annoyance.
"Stop pestering me. I know how to make special types of puppets, and Orochimaru wanted to collaborate on that. On the battlefield, using enemy corpses as material for puppets can be quite effective. Do you understand now?"
"Special puppets?" Jiraiya repeated, scratching his head, trying to grasp what made them unique.
*Yes, very curious, aren't you? Well, I'm not telling you anything more,* Shinki thought, shifting away. "Get lost," Orochimaru snapped, cutting off Jiraiya's attempt to get more information.
"Alright, alright," Jiraiya backed off, knowing Orochimaru wasn't above making him regret pressing further.
---
The second support team was moderate in size, comprising about five or six hundred ninjas. The situation in the Rain Country hadn't yet escalated to the point where thousands were needed. Transporting supplies slowed the group's progress, even though medical supplies were secured in sealing scrolls carried by Shinki. Basic supplies, however, had to be transported on carts due to the high cost of sealing scrolls.
The 15 medical ninjas selected to join Shinki were under his supervision. If the war worsened, more would be sent.
After being rebuked by Orochimaru multiple times, Jiraiya finally took the hint. During a rest stop, he ran to the river, cleaned up, and changed into fresh clothes. Free of the strange odor, he returned to Shinki, who was more tolerant than Orochimaru when it came to chatting.
"Shinki, aren't you going to greet your clansmen?" Jiraiya asked, noticing the presence of Hyuga members among the group.
Shinki glanced at them, a faint smile on his lips. "Do you know the Hyuga clan's hierarchy?"
"The main family and the branch family, right?" Jiraiya replied, scratching his head.
"Yes, but it's more complex than that," Shinki said, raising a finger. "There's the main family, followed by the elders of the branch family, then the branch family, and finally, those with degenerated bloodlines—four distinct levels."
"Ah, I get it," Jiraiya said, only to frown moments later. "Wait, that doesn't make sense. Aren't the branch elders still part of the branch family? Why treat them as a separate level?"
"Because in order to become an elder of the branch family, one must make significant contributions. Regular branch members can't usually attain that position. The elders are often main family members who, due to inheritance rules, have been marked with the Caged Bird Seal. They don't identify with the branch family," Shinki explained.
"They may be branch elders in title, but their loyalty lies with the main family."
"Now it makes sense," Jiraiya said, stunned by the harsh reality. That was why, when issues arose affecting the branch family, its elders often sided with the main family.
"But if they're marked as branch family members, why remain loyal to the main family?" Jiraiya's confusion deepened.
Shinki looked skyward. Jiraiya, puzzled, followed his gaze but saw nothing.
"Because even if they're considered branch family, their Byakugan purity is high. If the opportunity arises, their descendants might be accepted back into the main family," Shinki continued.
"Ah," Jiraiya muttered, still digesting the information. Orochimaru listened intently.
The main family's numbers were limited, and finding suitable pairings each generation grew more challenging. These high-purity branch families often became candidates for main family marriages. Over time, this careful arrangement made main family pairings increasingly complicated.
Jiraiya's head spun. *Are all big families this complex?* He felt relieved for being a civilian ninja, spared from such tangled legacies.
"Not all clans are like this," Shinki clarified, seeing Jiraiya's bewildered expression. "In Konoha, and even across the ninja world, only the Hyuga clan maintains such a strict structure. The Uchiha clan, for example, doesn't have these kinds of rules."
"Many clans even encourage marriages outside their circle, like the Senju clan," Shinki added with a smirk, recalling the Senju clan's strategy.
"The Senju clan used to favor marrying women from the Uzumaki clan. This led to resentment because they always took the most talented and beautiful women."
This practice was indeed cunning, earning a reputation that couldn't be called anything but sly.
"Wait, so the Senju married within their clan too, right?" Jiraiya asked, puzzled by why that would cause resentment.
"Idiot," Orochimaru interrupted, unable to hold back. "Why do you think the Uzumaki were resentful?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened as realization dawned. The Senju clan cunningly secured the best of the Uzumaki clan, leaving them feeling taken advantage of.
"Oh, that's sneaky," Jiraiya muttered, even he found it a bit underhanded.
"Exactly," Shinki agreed.
Jiraiya, ever the joker, managed to brighten moments with his naive questions. Orochimaru sometimes snapped at him, only for Jiraiya to retort with playful jabs. But when Jiraiya pushed too far, Orochimaru would leave with a cold glare, muttering that he wouldn't engage with fools, leaving Jiraiya yelling in frustration.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 150 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss