The Advantage Was Still Mine

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

The gates of Mount Tenmoku Base stood wide open. Sunagakure Ninja poured out, led by Rasa, whose face had gone utterly dark.

Behind him came five powerful Sunagakure Jonin, with ten Elite Chunin close at his side. The remaining five Chunin and thirty Genin formed ranks farther back, their Chakra ready to erupt. A murderous air swept across the mountain road.

Rasa fixed 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 deceived from the start.

The Konoha investigation team had never left the Land of Rivers. Instead, they had used Shalin's false report to slip past layer after layer of security, reach the outskirts of Mount Tenmoku, and even infiltrate the base. Sunagakure had noticed nothing until the alarm went off.

Rasa thought of how he had relaxed in the false belief that everything was settled and even ordered everyone to prepare for withdrawal. Rage threatened to spill out of him, and he cursed his two subordinates' incompetence.

Useless fools!

And that Shalin! Naturally gifted at concealing his presence? Not a single flaw? Bullshit. He was played for a fool and never even knew 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 pinnacle of Sunagakure's younger generation, he had no chance of defeating Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, alone.

But I'm not fighting alone!

With that thought, Rasa settled on a strategy.

"Everyone, listen up!"

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

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

The five Sunagakure Jonin stepped forward as one, their powerful Chakra surging. The ten Chunin formed ranks and cut off every route of retreat Orochimaru had.

Rasa knew better than to be careless. According to Shalin's report, Nara Tsukimi looked young but possessed the terrifying burst of speed to kill a Chunin instantly. His age was no reason to underestimate him.

Shalin had been fooled, but it was the only intelligence Rasa had. Better to take it seriously than dismiss it.

Besides, even if Tsukimi could kill a Chunin in an instant, he was still young. Under a prolonged assault by dozens of Sunagakure Ninja, his Chakra would eventually run dry, and they would wear him to death.

"The rest of you, attack Nara Tsukimi together!"

Against these two opponents, the best course was to use their superior numbers to split the battlefield and overwhelm each target. Rasa would leave no room for surprises.

He surveyed his abundant forces, absolute confidence shining in his eyes.

Yes. The advantage is still mine!

At his command, the Sunagakure Ninja split up and darted in from every direction. Two encirclements formed in an instant, separating Tsukimi from Orochimaru.

Surrounded, Tsukimi showed no trace of panic. He remained composed, studying Rasa as he had since the man rushed out of the base.

Rasa was much younger than in the original story, but he was already remarkably self-controlled. He had looked ready to explode when he realized he had been played, yet he had managed to contain himself.

Impressive!

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

Let's see if you can keep that up.

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

Hum!

With a faint vibration, Tsukimi's figure blurred where he stood. He had already activated Flash Step, and he shot forward as a black shadow.

Flash Step brought Tsukimi's speed up to that of a top Jonin. The Genin and Chunin could not react fast enough to track him. Every attempt to lock on or aim went wide.

Wind Release and Earth Release Ninjutsu rained down, all striking the spot where Tsukimi had stood. Dust billowed, but not one attack touched the hem of his clothes.

"How can he be so fast?!"

The five Sunagakure Chunin trying to block him stared in horror. Tsukimi flickered unpredictably through their vision, impossible to pin down.

After briefly dodging away to open some distance, Tsukimi launched a fierce counterattack. Standing around and taking hits was not his style.

The power of the Crab Shadow Squad gathered swiftly. A layer of special Chakra appeared over his hands, and he unleashed Armor-Piercing Taijutsu, driving a precise, brutal punch into a Sunagakure Chunin.

Crack!

A sharp snap rang out. The Sunagakure protective gear on the Chunin's body might as well have been paper. His bones and organs shattered under the blow, and blood gushed from him. He collapsed before he could even scream.

Before the others could react in terror, Tsukimi flickered again. Flash Step brought him in close; Shadow Shaping called forth the Blade Squad, and a cold gleam flashed. A keen blade sliced through the air at a tricky angle and cut cleanly across another Chunin's throat.

The group fell into chaos. The remaining Sunagakure Ninja hurriedly changed formation, standing back-to-back to cover one another as they advanced in layers, trying to restrict Tsukimi's movements through sheer numbers.

Tsukimi blended the abilities of three Shadowkhan squads perfectly, combining speed, armor-piercing force, and killing strikes. His rhythm of attack and defense never faltered.

Dozens of Sunagakure Ninja closed in from every side. Their formation looked formidable and airtight, yet Tsukimi toyed with them and kept them pinned down single-handedly.

Every attack missed, and their defenses broke again and again. Despite outnumbering him, the Sunagakure Ninja could only take the beating. They could not touch his clothes, while more of them kept falling.

The main battlefield on the other side was locked in a stalemate. Rasa and his five Jonin and ten Chunin kept Orochimaru tied down.

Gold Dust filled the air. Countless sharp grains formed a deadly net, sealing off Orochimaru's movements from every direction. Earth Release and Wind Release Ninjutsu came without pause, coordinated by Jonin with expert precision in a ferocious assault.

Yet Orochimaru remained unruffled. 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 Sunagakure Jonin all they could handle. Only Rasa could hold his ground and strike back.

In battles below the level of those surpassing Kage Level, large Summoning Beasts held immense tactical value. During the Konoha Crush in the original story, just 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 joined forces against the Split Dog—a fight jokingly called the Anbu's finest hour. The value of Summoning Beasts was plain to see.

Now Orochimaru stood atop a great snake's head, his cold laughter drifting across the battlefield. Excitement and amusement filled his golden, slit-pupiled eyes.

"Sunagakure's elite fighters are rather interesting."

Both battles raged on, yet the tide was strangely one-sided.

Rasa kept Orochimaru occupied but could not break away to help. The Sunagakure forces swarmed Tsukimi, only to find themselves helpless against his elusive movements and varied Shadowkhan abilities. No matter how long they fought, they could make no headway.

As he fought, Tsukimi spared some attention to survey the battlefield. Once he confirmed that all the Sunagakure Ninja were tied up here, he slipped aside from a sweeping slash and silently gave the order.

All right. They can begin inside, too!