At this moment, the command tent was brightly lit, and the atmosphere was even grimmer than outside.
In the seat of honor, Orochimaru's golden snake eyes swept over the people who had arrived one after another.
Shikaku Nara stood beside him, his brows tightly furrowed as his fingers unconsciously tapped against the table.
Representatives from the other major clans and the unit commanders had also taken their places.
"Is everyone here?"
Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and direct, without the slightest pleasantry.
"We have just received urgent intelligence from Mount Kikyo, delivered by a summoned beast."
"Hidden Sand's main force, numbering over three thousand, launched a full-scale assault at dusk under the personal command of Chiyo and Ebizo!"
"The front line is in critical condition. The first, second, and third defensive lines have all been breached, with severe casualties! The Mount Kikyo fortress has urgently requested Konoha's aid!"
A collective gasp rose from inside the tent.
Mount Kikyo was a vital barrier guarding the northwestern entrance to the Land of Fire. If it fell, the Hidden Sand army would be able to march straight into the heartland of the Land of Fire.
"How could it have happened so quickly?"
A Hyuga Clan jonin could not help asking, "Wasn't Hidden Sand still regrouping in Kikyo City earlier?"
"Yeah, and the timing of the attack is strange too. Why launch it at dusk?"
"The intelligence indicates that after plundering Kikyo City's wealth and strategic supplies, they used a new type of poisonous mist and puppet coordination tactics. Combined with Rasa's Magnet Release, which altered the terrain across a wide area, they caught us completely off guard."
"The Explosive Tags and various traps our defenders had prepared in advance were practically rendered useless."
"As for why it was so sudden, they probably wanted to use the cover of darkness to facilitate a surprise attack."
Shikaku Nara took over in a deep voice. His tone retained its usual calm, but it could not conceal his profound concern.
"Frontline commander Shinku Yuhi has judged that Chiyo is going all out, intending to settle this in a single battle and take Mount Kikyo completely!"
"Although Mount Kikyo has already gathered all of Konoha's shinobi forces in the northern Land of Rivers, they have likely been badly hit by this surprise assault. Even Jonin Shinku was seriously injured by that gold dust shinobi, Rasa."
"Fortunately, we have already sent Inoichi to lead a thousand-man advance force to the battlefield. As long as they can hold Hidden Sand back for three days, our main army will be able to arrive in time to reinforce them."
A cold glint flashed through Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils.
"There is no time to hesitate. The Mount Kikyo defensive line could be breached at any moment. What condition are the five thousand main-force shinobi, who rested during the day, in?"
The jonin responsible for preparations immediately replied, "Reporting to Lord Orochimaru, their rest is complete, supplies are sufficient, and they are ready to enter battle at any time!"
"Very good."
Orochimaru abruptly rose to his feet, releasing an overwhelming aura.
"Pass down the order: the entire army breaks camp immediately! Destination—Mount Kikyo! Forced march! We must reach the battlefield before noon on the fourth day!"
"Marching at night?" someone cried out softly.
Night marches were extremely risky, especially when the enemy situation was unclear.
"We have no time to wait until dawn. Besides, they have rested long enough!"
Orochimaru's voice was resolute.
"The sooner the main army arrives, the better our odds of victory!"
"Nara, arrange the marching route and formation. The Hyuga Clan will handle reconnaissance and vigilance throughout the journey. The Aburame Clan will clear out any traps that may exist. If anything blocks the shinobi army's path, pull it out—even if it is only a blade of grass!"
"The Inuzuka Clan will handle tracking and countertracking those disruptive ambush units! As for the Uchiha..."
"Baiyun Zaojian will command Uchiha Ran's squad, working with a thousand-man garrison force to hold off and eliminate Hidden Sand's southern-route forces."
"Yes!"
All the commanders answered in unison, with no further objections. Once the war machine began to move, its efficiency was astonishing.
Of course, this had little to do with Uchiha Ran and the others. Orochimaru had considered that his future disciple was injured, so he simply decided to let him settle his vendetta here first.
In his view, every Uchiha was proud and arrogant. Uchiha Ran, who had nearly been killed by a Hidden Sand puppeteer, would definitely not pass up the chance for revenge.
And he would cleverly grasp Orochimaru's intentions, feel gratitude toward him from the bottom of his heart, and slowly be molded into Orochimaru's shape.
But Orochimaru had clearly miscalculated this time. When Uchiha Tetsuka hurriedly told the matter to Uchiha Ran, who had only recently awakened—
Uchiha Ran on the surface: He slammed the wooden bed hard, filled with resentment that his injuries had kept him from going to the battlefield and earning glory.
Uchiha Ran in reality: He hid his upturned lips behind his little fist, while inwardly bursting with joy!
"What?! Staying behind?!"
"Cough, cough..." Uchiha Ran suddenly sat up from the crude wooden bed, the large movement pulling at his wound. (Though it had actually healed for the most part, he still had to keep up the act.)
He smashed his fist against the bedboard, producing a dull bang, and his face instantly filled with indignation and fury.
"Outrageous! Because of this little injury... this little injury! With the great battle at Mount Kikyo imminent, I, Uchiha Ran, can actually... actually only stay here and watch?!"
"Lord Orochimaru has underestimated the resolve of the Uchiha Clan!"
His voice trembled just enough, proof that he was forcefully suppressing his rage.
His dark eyes flashed with the light of "humiliation," his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, as though he had suffered an enormous injustice.
His acting was so exquisite that even he almost believed it.
Uchiha Daosui, who knew him well, seemed to notice something and hurried forward to support him, afraid that he might tear open his wound with such excessive movements.
"Captain Ran! Calm down! Your injury has not fully healed yet! That was a puppeteer's deadly poison—it nearly took your life! Lord Orochimaru ordered you to remain behind because he was considering your physical condition too!"
The simple-minded Uchiha Inada nodded repeatedly, concern written across his face.
"Yeah, yeah, Captain. Mount Kikyo is very likely where the main forces will fight their decisive battle. It is incredibly dangerous."
"If you go now and your injury flares up, or the remaining poison affects your performance, that would be truly dangerous! Staying here to recover your strength is the wise choice."
Tetsuka looked at his "agitated" captain with a trace of consolation and shared hatred.
"Daotian and Daosui are right. Besides, Captain Ran, who says staying behind means you cannot earn glory?"
A sharp glint flashed through his eyes. "Lord Orochimaru's order is for us to cooperate with Jonin Baiyun Zaojian and lead a thousand garrison troops in holding off and eliminating Hidden Sand's southern-route forces!"
Daosui immediately caught on, and his eyes lit up.
"That's right! That sinister puppeteer who ambushed you with poison needles and toxic smoke! He is very likely among the southern-route forces!"
Daotian eagerly added.
"Exactly! Captain Ran, you nearly died at his hands. Shouldn't that blood debt be repaid? Rather than heading to Mount Kikyo to fight alongside the main army, it would be better to remain here and drag that bastard out yourself! With our Sharingan, we can make him taste the Uchiha Clan's fury!"
The three of them spoke one after another, their core idea completely aligned.
Recovering from his injuries was important, but revenge was even more important! Remaining behind was not punishment—it was an excellent opportunity to personally settle a private grudge!
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