Spirit Transformation Technique

After the four of them talked for a while, Jiraiya and Tsunade were called away by someone from Konoha's Ninja World who had come to deliver a message. It seemed there was some major operation to discuss.

After Beichen Haotian left, he went to rest. After fighting for several days in a row, his mind had been under extreme tension. To be honest, it was exhausting.

Konoha, command camp.

The central area of the camp was under extremely tight security.

Even some of the ninjas patrolling the perimeter were Elite Chunin. The closer one got to the center of the camp, the stronger the ninjas stationed there became.

At this moment, inside a large wooden building in the center of the camp, most of Konoha's Jonin had arrived.

Fugaku Uchiha, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, a representative of the Uchiha Clan, a representative of the Hyuga Clan, and Shikaku Nara, the representative of Ino-Shika-Cho, sat around a round table.

Around the table were roughly thirty chairs, all occupied by Konoha's Jonin.

"All right. Since everyone is here, let's begin the discussion." Hatake Sakumo sat upright in his chair like a pine tree, his expression solemn and his voice stern.

"With Konoha's strength, defeating Sunagakure won't be difficult. The difficult part is defeating Sunagakure while preserving as much of Konoha's effective strength as possible. Shikaku and I discussed it briefly and decided to launch a frontal feint, while secretly sending a large number of Jonin skilled in assassination deep behind enemy lines to cripple Sunagakure's upper and middle ranks."

"In terms of the number and quality of Jonin, Sunagakure is slightly inferior to us. To put it bluntly, even if we traded one for one, Sunagakure couldn't withstand the losses. Without the command and coordination of its upper and middle ranks, the Sand Ninja would inevitably be crushed by Konoha's assault."

"Of course, this plan is somewhat risky. If things go wrong, Konoha could suffer the consequences. But we have no other choice. That Third Kazekage is too cautious. Shikaku and I set up numerous traps, but he never fell for any of them. The sooner this war ends, the better. The other ninja villages are watching from the sidelines. If Konoha drags this out too long, they may well jump out and take a bite out of us."

Hatake Sakumo spoke at length from his chair, and a rare trace of worry appeared on his stern face.

"It's a good plan and worth trying. Assassination? How interesting." Orochimaru's hoarse voice rang out, carrying a certain chill.

"Is there really no other way? Going deep behind enemy lines is simply too dangerous for Konoha's ninjas." Jiraiya spoke with deep concern.

"If we want to end the battlefield in a short time, then setting the Jinchuriki aside, this is the fastest and simplest method." Shikaku analyzed rationally.

"Misguided compassion, Jiraiya. How can there be no bloodshed or sacrifice in war? Taking out one Sunagakure Jonin can save the lives of many Konoha ninjas. The range of Sunagakure's ninjutsu has always been extensive." Orochimaru spoke sternly.

Hearing this, Jiraiya immediately fell silent. He glanced at Tsunade and noticed that she was seemingly, intentionally or otherwise, looking at Dan with concern. His heart suddenly ached.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru both had a point. In that case, everyone could offer their opinions, and they would make the final decision by vote. They would see what everyone chose. Hatake Sakumo raised his hand, signaling that they could speak.

Konoha's education had undoubtedly been highly successful. Since its founding, countless ninjas had shed blood and sacrificed their lives to protect Konoha, never fearing the ninjas of the other villages. Under these circumstances, most of the Jonin expressed their agreement, while the rest remained silent, which could barely be considered tacit approval.

"Since that's the case, then it's decided. We will issue the orders now!" When Hatake Sakumo said they were going to issue orders, everyone straightened their posture. Even Orochimaru and the Uchiha ninjas were no exception.

"Order: form the Special Assassination Action Squad. Orochimaru will serve as squad captain, with Fugaku Uchiha and Dan Katō as the two deputy captains. Hyuga Clan will serve as captain of the intelligence and reconnaissance team, providing intelligence support to the assassination members. Tsunade will serve as captain of the support team, responsible for holding off Chiyo under normal circumstances. If anything changes, she is to immediately lead her people to support the assassination squad."

"On the front lines, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and I will lead the remaining Jonin in launching a feint, creating an opportunity for the assassination squad to enter enemy territory. Orochimaru and Shikaku will be responsible for selecting the specific members of the assassination unit. Everyone, for the sake of ending the war as soon as possible and for Konoha, I am counting on you." Hatake Sakumo stood and bowed to everyone.

"Yes! We will certainly live up to your expectations!" The highest-ranking leader at the scene had stood up, so how could anyone remain seated? Everyone stood and answered with firm expressions.

Konoha was still highly united at this time.

"Then the meeting is adjourned. Go make your preparations." Hatake Sakumo spoke with decisive efficiency.

Given Beichen Haotian's current status and strength, he naturally had no access to such secrets. However, the somewhat tense atmosphere around him still allowed him to sense that Konoha was probably about to make a move.

Sure enough, the orders came down the next day. Konoha's two major armies began launching fierce attacks against Sunagakure.

Unlike their previous tentative attacks, which had probed the enemy's strength through minor clashes, this time they were different. Although it was not a full-scale assault, Konoha's ninjas seemed to transform into rabid dogs. Whenever they encountered the Sand Ninja, they attacked without a word, no longer caring about strategy, ambushes, or reinforcements.

Konoha's sudden, violent assault initially caught Sunagakure off guard and made them suffer a minor loss.

Afterward, Sunagakure recovered and engaged Konoha head-on, resulting in fierce clashes between the two sides.

The battle lasted five days. During that time, the dual-blade ninjas took turns entering the fray, smoke filled the battlefield, and explosions rang out without end. Although Konoha held a slight advantage, its losses were not small either.

On the sixth day, some of Sunagakure's Special Jonin and Jonin began disappearing and dying for no apparent reason.

Most frightening of all, some Sand Ninja died directly inside the camp. Their bodies showed no wounds, yet their breathing had stopped and their faces were deathly pale.

On the seventh, eighth, and ninth days, Sunagakure's losses gradually increased. At the same time, Sunagakure finally realized that an elite assassination unit from Konoha was inside its ranks, slaughtering the Sand Ninja like mad.

Sunagakure command center.

The Third Kazekage sat expressionlessly, listening to the reports from Chiyo and the others. As he listened, his fists gradually clenched, and fury seemed ready to burst from his eyes.

"Lord Kazekage, based on my examinations and the compiled results from my subordinates, most of the dead ninjas were killed by snake venom or a special method. The snake venom was undoubtedly Orochimaru's work. As for the special method, after sending word back to the village to consult the archives, we found some clues as well." Young Chiyo stood on the ground and reported to the Third Kazekage. At this time, Chiyo was in the prime of her youth. In terms of beauty, she was only slightly inferior to Tsunade, nothing like the old woman she would become later.

"What did you discover?" the Third Kazekage asked, forcing down his anger.

"They should have been killed by the Forbidden Jutsu called the Spirit Transformation Technique, invented by the Second Hokage. Because the bodies were located in our territory and we had no time to dispose of them, we only discovered this after carefully examining them." Chiyo's face also grew solemn when she mentioned the technique.

The Spirit Transformation Technique? What kind of Forbidden Jutsu is that? the Third Kazekage asked in confusion.

"This technique can animate one's own soul, make it manifest in reality, and allow it to travel through space regardless of distance to carry out assassinations. It can control the body and enter another person's spiritual world. It is an extremely terrifying Forbidden Jutsu. According to legend, only the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, knew how to use it. I never thought someone else in Konoha had learned it."

"Does this technique have any weaknesses?" the Third Kazekage asked, his face so dark it seemed water might drip from it.

"It does. While using this technique, the host's body becomes exceptionally weak. If we can find the user's real body, we can easily kill them."

"Good. A weakness is good enough. Send out all sensory-type ninjas, all of Root, and one-third of the remaining Jonin. Tomorrow, we will defend and not attack. Even if we have to search every inch of the ground, we must find that damned assassination unit. Especially the Konoha ninja who can use the Spirit Transformation Technique. Kill him at any cost. Remember, at any cost!" the Third Kazekage said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage."

"All right. Go make the preparations."

"Yes!"

At night, the bright moon was mostly covered by dark clouds. At this moment, in a remote, uninhabited valley behind Sunagakure, a twenty-man Konoha ninja unit was resting. Some were eating, some were taking a brief nap, and some were chatting.

"Dan, your Spirit Transformation Technique truly deserves to be called a Forbidden Jutsu. Your assassinations are completely silent, and your results are even more impressive than mine. Your strength isn't bad either. You can barely be considered worthy of Tsunade." Orochimaru spoke, his hoarse voice adding a chill to the small valley.

"Lord Orochimaru is too kind. The only thing Dan is fairly good at is the Spirit Transformation Technique. I'm not as well-rounded as Lord Orochimaru. Besides, my results can't all be credited to me. Without my comrades protecting me, I probably couldn't even protect myself." Dan Katō spoke very humbly, his tone gentle.

"Hahaha, Dan, you're the truly modest one. But speaking of which, it's clearly become much harder to succeed over the past two days. It seems Sunagakure has noticed us. The real test is about to begin. We must not only cripple the enemy's pillars as much as possible, but also do everything we can to return alive. Everyone, be even more careful during the operations ahead." By the final sentence, Orochimaru's voice had grown noticeably louder, and everyone heard him.

The other ninjas indicated that they had heard Orochimaru. At this time, although Orochimaru was cold, he still retained quite a bit of humanity. His tone was icy, but it contained a measure of concern.

An hour later, Orochimaru rose and said coldly, "Continue the operation."

With that, he leaped into the night first. His pale yellow vertical pupils gleamed with a cold light in the darkness—the light of his desire for prey and blood.

Thanks for the recommendation tickets, Zhuhán Wàndāndàn! China Literature Group has received the signed contract, and I'm quite happy, so here's another chapter! Thank you for all your support, dear readers. Without every bit of your support, signing a contract would have been...? Impossible. It would never have happened in this lifetime...