Karot Is Exposed

The Cloud Ninja jonin noticed Karot's terrifying strength.

"We can't let him keep running rampant. Let's go deal with him."

One jonin spoke to his companions. If one jonin couldn't handle him, then they'd add a few more.

"Right."

Lightning Release, Fire Release, Earth Release—the three jonin unleashed their most powerful ninjutsu, hoping to wipe Karot out completely. The three techniques struck him from three different directions.

When the effects of the ninjutsu faded, Karot was still standing there, completely unharmed, without so much as a scratch.

"Impossible. I sensed that my ninjutsu had worked."

The Cloud Ninja jonin stared in disbelief. He knew his senses couldn't be wrong. It was like he'd seen a ghost.

Karot smiled faintly.

"You're not wrong. Maybe there's a possibility that smoke means no damage?"

The three Cloud Ninja didn't understand Karot's Dragon Ball reference.

"Taking out the Cloud Ninja with taijutsu alone is too slow. Looks like I'll have to reveal a little more of my strength."

Karot thought to himself. He stretched out his right hand, palm facing the sky, and a circular blade floated above it.

As soon as Karot made his move, the enemy felt a deathly fear. Their hair stood on end. If they didn't stop him, they would pay a terrible price.

"Stop him! Quickly!"

The leading jonin shouted.

"Energy Disc!"

Karot called out and swept his hand forward. The Energy Disc shot from his palm. The Cloud Ninja who had just stepped forward had no time to react before his body was sliced in two. The other two Cloud Ninja immediately skidded to a halt, eyes wide with disbelief.

Karot wasn't about to give them time to react. He controlled the Energy Disc, bringing it back around for another attack.

"Watch out! Get out of the way!"

The leading Cloud Ninja warned his companion, but he was a moment too late. One of the man's arms was severed.

"Argh!"

The Cloud Ninja clutched his bleeding arm, his face contorted in pain.

"Oh, you dodged. That was within expectations, though. But it won't be so easy for you next time."

Karot stretched out his hand, and another Energy Disc appeared. The two discs hovered above his head. He moved his finger, and both discs flew toward the Cloud Ninja.

The Cloud Ninja unleashed ninjutsu to block them, but it was useless. His techniques were sliced apart, leaving him no choice but to rely on his speed to dodge. It was only a stopgap measure.

The threat of death loomed over him. If he couldn't resolve the crisis before him, he would die sooner or later. He retreated while trying to think of a way out.

"Argh!"

The battlefield was filled with cries of agony. No need to ask—the Energy Discs were doing their work. Karot controlled them as they carved a path of destruction through the battlefield. More and more ninjas gathered around him, while the number of Cloud Ninja rapidly dwindled.

There was no escape. The leading Cloud Ninja stood before Karot. He had tried everything to fight the Energy Discs, but nothing worked. His Chakra was nearly depleted, and there was no hope of getting away.

"Would you tell me your name, so I can die without regrets?"

The Cloud Ninja gasped. He had used too much Chakra, and his body could no longer withstand the strain.

"Hatake Karot," Karot replied.

Then Karot fired a beam of light from his finger, piercing his opponent's heart. It was the last shred of dignity Karot could grant him: an intact corpse.

"Interesting."

Orochimaru had naturally noticed the battle on Karot's side. He and his teacher had insisted that Karot be brought along. He had long coveted the power Karot wielded.

"Since I've already revealed myself, I might as well reveal even more."

With that thought, Karot raised his hand.

"Karot's Wave Cannon!"

Countless Ki Blasts shot from Karot's hands, perfectly homing in on their targets. The sight stunned everyone on the battlefield. It was an outright slaughter. Every explosion meant another Cloud Ninja had been wiped out, as the blasts covered the entire battlefield.

More than a hundred ninjas—Genin, Chunin, and jonin—lost their lives to Karot's single attack.

The ninjas present couldn't believe what they were seeing. They stared at Karot, who was stealing the show.

"Is this Genjutsu?"

All the Cloud Ninja instinctively assumed it was. What they were seeing went beyond their imagination and challenged everything they knew. Was this even ninjutsu?

The Konoha side, meanwhile, was buoyed by the sight. They weren't going to waste such a good opportunity. Under the leadership of Konoha's jonin, they began to counterattack.

"Well done, Karot."

Matsushita Hokuto came to Karot's side and praised his outstanding student without reservation.

"We'll leave the rest to you, Sensei. I'm a little tired."

Karot's face was pale. He sank weakly to the ground, looking as if he'd overused his power. It was his first time using such a massive amount of Ki, and he hadn't been able to control it well. Taijutsu was still his greatest strength, and he also needed his Ki to sustain the system.

"Then get some rest. Sanada, keep an eye on Karot."

With that, Matsushita returned to the battlefield.

Karot's display had raised Konoha's morale, and their fighting strength rose with it. Under the pressure of life and death, Konoha's ninjas adapted to the atmosphere of battle and naturally learned to use their strength more skillfully.

The Cloud Ninja were driven back step by step, their casualties mounting.

"You've brought out my competitive streak."

Seeing Konoha's morale soar, Orochimaru finally felt at ease. He had also meant to use this skirmish to train his troops. The elite had to be tempered by the fires of war. If they were weeded out here, then it was simply their fate.

It wasn't fair to call Orochimaru heartless. A real battlefield was even more brutal than this. This was child's play by comparison.

"I'm done playing with you."

Orochimaru, who had been held back by the Cloud Ninja all this time, began to get serious.

"Summoning Technique!"

A huge cloud of smoke appeared, and a giant serpent with purple markings emerged on the battlefield. Orochimaru's summoning beast, Orochimaru's Snake, had arrived.

"Orochimaru, you know what it costs to summon me. Where's my offering?"

The moment Orochimaru's Snake appeared, he demanded an offering from Orochimaru. The snake pit didn't have delicacies like this.

"Hmph. You can eat the Cloud Ninja wearing those forehead protectors."

A glint of greed flashed in Orochimaru's Snake's eyes.

"But first, we have to deal with the jonin in front of us."

Orochimaru's Snake flicked his tongue.

"Just these three? Easy."

With that, Orochimaru's Snake opened his jaws and lunged at the Cloud Ninja before him.

The Cloud Ninja had sensed that something was wrong when Orochimaru summoned Orochimaru's Snake. A giant summoning beast with powerful attacks was more than they could handle.

"All Cloud Ninja, retreat!"

The Cloud Ninja knew they couldn't win and decisively chose to withdraw. Once a war began, ending it was no simple matter.

The Cloud Ninja had already been caught in Konoha's grasp. Getting away now would be no simple matter.

"Trying to run? You should've asked whether I, Lord Orochimaru's Snake, would allow it!"

Orochimaru's Snake continued his assault on the Cloud Ninja, his enormous jaws hungrily swallowing anyone in his way. The Cloud Ninja suffered heavy casualties in an instant.

Knowing escape was impossible, the Cloud Ninja chose to stay behind and cover the retreat. One by one, they charged at Konoha's ninjas with Explosive Tags attached to them, prepared to die. They slowed Konoha's advance and bought their comrades time to withdraw.