Qifeng's loose tongue had come true.
But the big shots inside the tent had not heard it.
There was no helping it. The enemy had already struck at their doorstep. If they did not hurry out and contain the ambush, this Advance Force would likely suffer heavily.
They all sprang out of the tents.
As Orochimaru walked out, he gave Qifeng a long, meaningful look.
Qifeng smiled awkwardly.
Then he followed the others out of the tent.
He had really just said it casually. Who would have thought the iwa-nin were actually planning to do this? It made things extremely awkward for him.
After all, this Konoha Advance Force consisted of highly experienced shinobi. There was no reason they would not inspect the surroundings before setting up camp, only turning to construct the camp after confirming there was truly no danger.
Especially since the Advance Force included several Hyuga Clan shinobi. Under the Byakugan's sweep, ordinary shinobi had nowhere to hide.
"Damn it! What were the sensory ninja and the Hyuga Byakugan doing? Did they not notice anything at all?" Uchiha Shin roared the moment he stepped out of the tent.
Hyuga Hanjian's expression was ugly, but he did not argue.
This time, the Hyuga truly bore an inescapable responsibility.
Orochimaru did not rage. With a cold expression, he took in the entire camp, roughly assessed the situation, and calmly issued his orders.
"All Konoha Ninja, abandon all supplies and gather in front of the command tent!
Jonin on the outside, Chunin on the inside. Taijutsu shinobi on the outside, ninjutsu type and Genjutsu type shinobi on the inside. Lightning Style Ninjutsu and Earth Style Ninjutsu, prepare yourselves!"
Orochimaru's words reached the ears of every Konoha Ninja.
The previously panicked Advance Force immediately found its backbone upon hearing him. The panic on their faces gradually faded as they slowly gathered toward the command tent.
"We almost suffocated down there. The Hyuga Byakugan really is troublesome. To avoid them, we had to burrow underground like rats and hide for so long!"
The iwa-nin's sudden appearance had indeed dealt the caught-off-guard Konoha Advance Force a devastating blow. After emerging from the ground, they all wore savage smiles and struck without mercy.
Such humiliation had paid off. The ambush had inflicted severe casualties on the shinobi within the Konoha camp.
But with Orochimaru present, they still could not afford to let their guard down.
Looking at Orochimaru, surrounded by Konoha Ninja in the distance, Tu He, commander of this iwa-nin Advance Force, revealed a cold smile. "Orochimaru is leading them this time? Then Konoha will definitely taste the pain of defeat!"
He had made the decision to arrange this ambush. To evade the Byakugan and the sensory ninja, they had gone to great lengths.
They had concealed themselves as deep underground as possible, within the rock strata.
As Iwagakure, which had prepared for so long, their Advance Force was likewise ready. Their objective this time was simple.
Cripple Konoha's Advance Force, perhaps even wipe it out entirely, and set a proper example for the war across the Shinobi World!
Before long, the experienced Konoha Advance Force had finally gathered near the command tent, confronting the iwa-nin standing not far away.
The ground was littered with shattered rocks, burning tents, and dead comrades.
Every Konoha Ninja was covered in dirt and dust, but after the initial panic, their eyes now burned with bone-deep hatred.
This ambush had cost Konoha far more than they had imagined.
But it did not matter.
Because they had Orochimaru!
The Cold Sovereign, Orochimaru!
There was no need for excess words. Once they met on the battlefield, only the cruelest slaughter awaited.
Orochimaru took the lead, charging at the iwa-nin first.
Konoha had suffered severe losses this time, and he could not escape responsibility. In that case, he only needed to make the iwa-nin suffer even worse losses.
In truth, retreating now might have been the better choice.
If Qifeng had been the one deciding, he would have retreated without hesitation. After that ambush, a considerable gap had already opened between the two sides in terms of numbers.
But no one on Konoha's side, including Orochimaru, suggested retreating.
Because once they fell back, behind them lay the completely exposed Land of Fire!
They could not retreat from this battle!
Tu He's expression changed as he said in a deep voice, "Earth Release!"
"Earth Style: Earth Flow River!"
The iwa-nin coordinated flawlessly. As Tu He's voice fell, the iwa-nin standing at the very front almost simultaneously formed hand seals.
A row of them crouched and slammed their palms against the ground.
Rumble!!
Massive earthen walls rose side by side, forming a broad, sturdy barrier between Konoha and the iwa-nin.
The iwa-nin stood atop the earthen wall, using its advantage in elevation to unleash all manner of offensive ninjutsu.
"Summoning Ninjutsu!"
Bang!
A massive purple serpent surged up beneath Orochimaru's feet, carrying him toward the iwa-nin at even greater speed.
Like a sharp greatsword, it forcibly tore a huge breach through the iwa-nin's defensive line.
Manda charged wildly, relying on its massive size to ignore the iwa-nin's ninjutsu attacks. It thrashed its body frantically and, by itself, threw the iwa-nin's tightly organized defenses into complete disarray.
The iwa-nin had wanted to rely on their numerical advantage and fight Konoha as a group.
That was the iwa-nin's strength.
Without exaggeration, in the entire Shinobi World, if Iwagakure claimed second place in coordinated combat, group warfare, and teamwork, no one would dare claim first.
But a powerhouse like Orochimaru was simply unreasonable.
He had forcibly shattered the iwa-nin's tactics, dragging them into a direct confrontation with Konoha and individual combat.
That was Konoha's strength.
Following Orochimaru's breakthrough, the Konoha Ninja rushed after him, swiftly finding opponents as though pairing off for duels and destroying the iwa-nin's advantage as thoroughly as possible.
However, Konoha was ultimately still at a disadvantage.
The iwa-nin's individual combat ability might not have been as strong, but that did not mean they lacked it. Besides, they still held a substantial advantage in numbers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The next moment, four Elite Jonin among the iwa-nin surrounded Orochimaru. Including Tu He, their commander, there were five in total.
Such a formation was not enough to threaten Orochimaru, but it was sufficient to restrict his movements.
On top of that, after charging about and enduring repeated attacks due to its massive body, Manda finally could not hold on any longer and dispelled the Summoning Ninjutsu, leaving Orochimaru alone to face the siege of five iwa-nin Elite Jonin.
"Hmph, iwa-nin."
"Orochimaru! Today, your arrogance will pay the price!" Tu He mocked.
Orochimaru's cold serpent eyes were filled with icy light as his hoarse, low, magnetic voice sounded. "You alone are not enough! Bring that old fool Ōnoki here, and perhaps you might stand a chance."
"Arrogant!"
Ōnoki was the Third Tsuchikage. Soldier against soldier, general against general—Kage should fight Kage!
Orochimaru lightly licked his lips. "Whether I'm arrogant or not, you'll find out soon enough."
The moment Konoha and the iwa-nin clashed, an exceptionally brutal collision erupted.
Every Konoha Ninja unleashed all his strength, fighting as if death meant nothing. Even if they died, they would drag several iwa-nin down with them.
Yet among the many Konoha Ninja, there was still one exception.
For example, Qifeng was currently crouching behind a rock, wiping away cold sweat. As he caught his breath, he silently put away the corpse beside him.
Whether it belonged to Konoha or the iwa-nin.
He kept repeating to himself, I'm just a corpse collector. I'm only responsible for collecting corpses.
Before you continue