The Advantage Was Still Mine

Tsukimi and Orochimaru emerged from the shadows of the dense forest, one behind the other, no longer bothering to suppress their Chakra signatures.

The gates of the Mount Tenmoku base stood wide open. Sand Hidden Ninja poured out, led by Rasa, whose face had darkened to its limit.

Behind him came five powerful Sand Hidden Jonin. Ten Elite Chunin followed close at his sides, while the remaining five Chunin and thirty Genin formed ranks at the rear. Their Chakra was primed, and a murderous air swept across the mountain path.

Rasa locked his gaze on the two figures ahead. Only now, seeing them with his own eyes, did he fully realize that Shalin, the sensory Ninja he had sent out, had been fooled from start to finish.

The Konoha investigation team had never left the Land of Rivers. Instead, they had used Shalin's false intelligence to slip past layer after layer of security and reach the area around Mount Tenmoku. They had even infiltrated the base itself. Sand Hidden had remained oblivious until the alarm went off.

Rasa thought of how he had relaxed his guard, lulled by the false belief that everything was settled, and had even ordered everyone to prepare for evacuation. Rage threatened to spill out of him. He could not help cursing his two subordinates for their incompetence.

Useless fools!

And that Shalin—naturally gifted at hiding his presence? Flawless, my ass. He got played for a fool and didn't even know it.

Rasa forced down his anger and made himself stay calm. He knew his own strength. Though he wielded Magnet Release Gold Dust and stood at the peak of Sand Hidden's younger generation, he had no chance of winning against Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.

But I'm not fighting alone!

With that thought, Rasa settled on his tactics at once.

"Everyone, listen up!"

His voice rang out coldly as Gold Dust slowly swirled around him.

"All Jonin and the ten Elite Chunin, surround Orochimaru with me!"

At his command, the five Sand Hidden Jonin stepped forward in unison, their powerful Chakra surging. The ten Chunin formed a battle line, cutting off every route Orochimaru could take.

Rasa knew better than to be careless. According to Shalin's report, Nara Tsukimi might look young, but he possessed the terrifying speed to kill a Chunin in an instant. His age was no reason to underestimate him.

Shalin had been deceived, but for now, that report was all Rasa had. Better to treat it as true than dismiss it.

Besides, Rasa reasoned, even if Tsukimi could kill a Chunin in an instant, he was still young. Under a sustained assault from dozens of Sand Hidden Ninja, his Chakra would eventually run dry. Then they could wear him down and kill him.

"All remaining Ninja, attack Nara Tsukimi!"

Against these two, the best answer was to use their numbers: split the battlefield, overwhelm each opponent, and leave no room for surprises.

Rasa looked around at the ample forces under his command, absolute confidence shining in his eyes.

Yes. The advantage was still mine!

At the order, the Sand Hidden Ninja split into groups and darted in from every direction. In moments, two encirclements had formed, separating Tsukimi from Orochimaru.

Surrounded, Tsukimi showed no trace of panic. He remained composed. He had been studying Rasa ever since the man charged out of the base.

Compared to the original story, this Rasa was much younger, but he already had a deep reserve of self-control. After discovering he had been played, he had looked ready to explode. Tsukimi had not expected him to rein it in.

Impressive!

Clap, clap, clap! Tsukimi applauded, his gaze full of admiration and... mockery.

Let's see if you can keep that up.

As for being surrounded, Tsukimi knew exactly what Rasa had done. Rasa had not underestimated him, but he still had not taken him seriously enough. Against speed they had no answer for, numbers meant nothing.

Hum!

With a faint tremor, Tsukimi's body blurred where he stood. His feet were already moving with Flash Step, and he shot forward like a black shadow.

With Flash Step boosting him, Tsukimi could match the speed of a top Jonin. The Genin and Chunin simply lacked the reflexes to track him. Every attempt to lock on or take aim missed.

A barrage of Wind Release and Earth Release Ninjutsu crashed down, all of it striking the spot where Tsukimi had just stood. Dust billowed, but not a single attack touched the hem of his clothes.

"How can he be so fast?!"

The five Sand Hidden Chunin trying to block him stared in horror. In their eyes, Tsukimi's figure flickered unpredictably, his exact position impossible to pin down.

After a brief evasion opened some distance, Tsukimi launched a fierce counterattack. Taking hits without fighting back was not his style.

The Crab Shadow Squad's power gathered rapidly, coating his hands in a layer of special Chakra. He unleashed a brutal armor-piercing strike that landed squarely on a Sand Hidden Chunin.

Crack!

A sharp snap rang out. The Chunin's Sand Hidden protective gear might as well have been paper against that punch. His bones and organs shattered in an instant. Blood gushed out, and he fell heavily to the ground before he could even scream.

Before the other Sand Hidden Ninja could react, Tsukimi flickered again. Flash Step brought him in close, and the Blade Squad's Shadow Shaping took form. A blade flashed cold, slicing through the air at a vicious angle and cleanly across another Chunin's throat.

The group fell into chaos. The remaining Sand Hidden Ninja hurriedly changed formation, standing back to back to cover one another. They advanced in layers, trying to use sheer numbers to squeeze away Tsukimi's room to move.

Tsukimi's three Shadowkhan abilities worked together seamlessly, combining speed, armor-piercing force, and lethal strikes. His rhythm of attack and defense left no openings.

Dozens of Sand Hidden Ninja closed in layer by layer. Their formation looked overwhelming and airtight, but in truth, Tsukimi toyed with them and kept them on the back foot the entire time.

Every attack missed, and their defenses broke again and again. Despite outnumbering him, the Sand Hidden Ninja could do nothing but take his blows. They could not even touch his clothes, while their comrades kept falling.

The main battlefield on the other side had also reached a stalemate. Rasa, five Jonin, and ten Chunin kept Orochimaru tied down.

Gold Dust filled the air. Countless sharp grains formed a killing net that sealed off Orochimaru's movement from every direction. Earth Release and Wind Release Ninjutsu came without pause, backed by the Jonin's precise coordination. The assault was furious and relentless.

Yet even under such an intense siege, Orochimaru remained unhurried. He summoned three great snakes from Ryūchi Cave. They were not top-tier Summoning Beasts like Manda, but their enormous bodies and venomous fangs still gave the five Sand Hidden Jonin all they could handle. Only Rasa managed to hold his ground and counterattack.

In battles below the level beyond Kage Level, large Summoning Beasts had tremendous tactical value. During the Konoha Crush in the original story, a few summoned snakes had left several elite Konoha Ninja, including Ibiki Morino, helpless until Jiraiya stepped in. During Pain's Assault, several Anbu had teamed up against the Split Dog, a fight jokingly called the Konoha Anbu's finest hour. The value of Summoning Beasts was plain to see.

Now Orochimaru stood atop a great snake's head, his chilling laughter drifting across the battlefield. His golden, slit-pupiled eyes gleamed with excitement and amusement.

"Sand Hidden's elite fighters are rather interesting."

Both battlefields were locked in fierce combat, yet the situation was strangely one-sided.

Rasa had Orochimaru tied down and could not break away to help. Sand Hidden's forces swarmed Tsukimi, but his elusive movement and varied shadow abilities countered them completely. They could make no headway.

As he fought, Tsukimi spared a little attention to survey the battlefield. Once he confirmed that all the Sand Hidden Ninja were occupied here, he turned sideways to avoid a sweeping blade and silently gave the order in his mind.

All right. They can start inside now, too!