There Are No Eternal Secrets

Dusk had arrived, and the roaring torches were already lit, crackling and popping, which only served to highlight the silence within the conference room.

Orochimaru spoke with casual ease, as if the enemy he described were not one of the top ninja villages in the world, but mere stray cats and dogs.

It was not out of arrogance; this confidence was forged through the life-and-death battles Orochimaru had endured.

The reputation of the Sannin had spread early on, establishing him as one of the world's preeminent powerhouses, and now, years later, his strength had reached even greater heights. Last night, he had turned the tide of battle single-handedly, once again proving his prowess, and with the strategies provided by the Genie, he felt fully capable of controlling the battlefield.

Inside the conference room, the squad leaders of Konoha turned pale at his words, staring in astonishment at the head of the table.

The power of Kumogakure was known to all; last night, even with the advantages of terrain and morale, Konoha had only managed to gain a slight edge, failing to crush them completely.

And that was not even the full combat strength of Kumogakure.

Furthermore, the problem of the fortress remained; even if it were only partially constructed, the surrounding area would undoubtedly be riddled with countless traps, sealing techniques, and barrier formations.

Under such unfavorable terrain, to defeat an enemy with a superior force while being outnumbered was simply impossible!

However, despite clearly understanding the disparity in strength, the Konoha ninja in the room could not help but feel their blood boil at Orochimaru's posture.

War, after all, meant death, and ninja were human too; even if they carried the Will of Fire, they were still different from the tools of Root.

On the battlefield, who wouldn't want such a powerhouse to lead them, turn the situation around, and achieve victory?

Especially the captains of the Uchiha clan; they naturally admired strength, and seeing Orochimaru perform like this, they wished they could take his place.

Unfortunately, limited by an education that stopped at the womb, they could not recite classical phrases like "A real man should ride this carriage."

For a moment, the room was filled with excitement, more intense than the roaring torches.

Of course, no one dared to speak out of turn; if there was no way, there was no way, and everyone kept their eyes fixed on Orochimaru.

Among them, Fugaku looked worried; he understood the inside story of this war and feared that Orochimaru's methods would be too cruel, causing excessive losses to his clansmen.

But unexpectedly, and perhaps even suspiciously, the method Orochimaru proposed was not particularly ingenious—it was simply a trade of pieces.

The Fourth Raikage and the two Jinchuriki, the three most powerful combatants on the Kumogakure side, were directly excluded by Orochimaru; the Konoha forces only needed to destroy the Kumogakure fortress, and for this, Orochimaru had arranged additional assistance.

The people in the room looked at each other; if things went as Orochimaru planned, they indeed had a chance to win in one fell swoop.

But... what about the Raikage and the Jinchuriki? Did Orochimaru intend to take on three by himself?

Judging from last night's battle, Orochimaru might be able to hold off the two Jinchuriki, but the Raikage was simply impossible.

If there were no fortress to destroy, the Raikage could break through and leave at any time, and Orochimaru's Yamata no Orochi form would never be able to stop him.

Faced with the skepticism of the crowd, Orochimaru offered no explanation, merely using his prestige to suppress the voices of dissent.

This was the most convenient and fastest method, provided that failure was not an option.

After the meeting ended, the crowd dispersed to prepare for the coming battle, leaving only Shisui behind.

Shisui stood where he was, his face showing confusion, but the question that reached his ears made his expression change.

"Shisui, you should have a way to resist a Jinchuriki in Tailed Beast mode, right?"

Orochimaru curled his lips and got straight to the point, "You have awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, haven't you?"

Hearing this, Shisui's expression shifted, and he smiled bitterly, "How did Lord Orochimaru discover it?"

After awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, Shisui had been cautious due to the delicate relationship between the Uchiha and the village, never using it in front of others; he couldn't imagine where he had slipped up.

However, Orochimaru had pointed it out in one sentence, clearly possessing concrete evidence.

"There are no secrets that last forever."

Orochimaru smiled, not dwelling on whether Shisui admitted to awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan, but instead asked, "Shisui, what is your take on this war?"

Shisui was contemplating the consequences of exposing his Mangekyo Sharingan in front of Orochimaru, and he was slightly stunned by the question.

This war was Kumogakure taking advantage of Konoha's weakened state following the Nine-Tails Incident, hoping to suppress Konoha and perhaps even ignite a wider ninja world war to carve up Konoha completely.

The high-level meetings of Konoha had already discussed this clearly; why was Lord Orochimaru asking this again?

Shisui pondered for a moment, connecting the Mangekyo Sharingan with the Nine-Tails Incident, and felt a chill in his heart. He quickly stood up and denied it, "Lord Orochimaru, the Nine-Tails being controlled has absolutely nothing to do with me!"

Orochimaru said calmly, "But it definitely has something to do with the Uchiha and the Mangekyo Sharingan, doesn't it?"

Shisui was speechless for a moment, but Orochimaru changed the subject and said, "However, the Third and I both believe that most of the Uchiha are innocent."

Before joy could appear on Shisui's face, Orochimaru continued, "And for the other ninja and villagers of the village to believe that, the Uchiha clan needs to prove it themselves."

"This war is the opportunity."

Orochimaru spoke without reservation, recounting the deal he had made with the Third and Fugaku Uchiha.

Shisui's expression flickered, and he sighed, "The clan leader... he actually agreed."

"Forced by the times, he had no choice but to agree. The village can trust the Uchiha once, but if the mastermind strikes again, how would that be explained?"

Orochimaru said slowly, "Beneath a lighthearted word of trust lie the flesh and bones of the villagers; the village cannot afford that."

"Therefore, the Uchiha clan must prove themselves, defining the Nine-Tails and future attacks as foreign invasions rather than a rebellion from within."

"This is the stance the Uchiha must stand firm on!"

Shisui heard this, and after thinking through the events of this period, the expression on his face returned to calm. "What would you like me to do, Lord Orochimaru?"

"That depends on your choice."

Orochimaru glanced at Shisui and spoke, "Are you willing to part with this pair of Mangekyo Sharingan?"

"To the village, the heavy losses of the Uchiha clan or the loss of a pair of legendary forbidden eyes—either could prove the Uchiha clan's determination to protect the village."

"There is no need to say more, Lord Orochimaru."

Shisui's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "I naturally have no attachment to this pair of Mangekyo eyes."

With Shisui's intelligence, he could naturally see that this so-called choice was nothing more than a joke; when Orochimaru planned the operation against Kumogakure, he had already factored these Mangekyo eyes into his calculations.

Shisui had no objections to this; he did not covet the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan, and if it could serve the village and his clan, he was willing to give them up.

It was just that, being manipulated to such an extent, he inevitably felt a bit of resentment in his heart.

"You seem to have some misunderstandings about me."

Orochimaru chuckled, "Even without you, I have other ways to hold off a Jinchuriki."

"Jiraiya is already prepared in Konoha, and I possess the ability to summon him to the battlefield."

"It is just that the duration of the summon is limited, and the later stages of the war will require your clansmen to use their flesh and blood to hold the line."

"They are the ones who truly have no choice."

"So, what is your answer?"