At that moment, Fugaku Uchiha could scarcely believe the scene his Sharingan showed him.
But even after he rubbed his eyes, the sight before him remained unchanged.
Beside Kakkō's corpse stood Chihane, blue lightning flashing over his body and a black aura swirling around him, like a Demon God of Asura who had stepped out of hell. Fugaku Uchiha etched that sight deep into his memory. He would never forget it for the rest of his life.
If Orochimaru had been the one to act, Fugaku Uchiha would merely have marveled at his tremendous strength.
But because it was Chihane, all Fugaku Uchiha felt was profound awe and astonishment! After all, Chihane was far too young!
"Let's go, Lord Fugaku. It's time to head back! We might have to support the battlefield shortly."
Chihane found a Sealing Scroll on Kakkō's body. After checking it and confirming that it contained the supplies, he took it back to Fugaku Uchiha and spoke softly to him.
Then he headed toward Uchiha Kōtan, who was still locked in a genjutsu battle with the Iwa shinobi.
"Chihane, aren't you afraid of dying?"
Watching Chihane's retreating back, Fugaku Uchiha could not contain his astonishment and asked.
No matter how strong Chihane was, he was still a child. Did the battlefield not frighten him?
"Disasters always come one after another. That's how the world works. Will someone come to save you just because you find an excuse? If I die here, it only means this was all I amounted to as a man."
Chihane paused without looking back and calmly voiced what was in his heart. Then he continued toward Uchiha Kōtan.
After hearing Chihane's words, Fugaku Uchiha was so overwhelmed by the presence he exuded that he stood rooted to the spot, unable to recover for a long time.
"To think he has that kind of resolve. It looks like this man's era is truly about to begin."
Only after Chihane had killed the Iwa Shinobi Special Jōnin Sumashi did he finally come to his senses and murmur those words.
He was already prepared to discuss matters with Uchiha Kageyama once they returned to camp and firmly bind the clan's rise to Chihane and his master.
He believed that a man with such resolve and talent, who had already turned part of that talent into strength, was certain to have a bright future.
Iwagakure's frontline headquarters
"Orochimaru, who gave you the courage to attack our Iwa Shinobi encampment? Do you think those two thousand shinobi behind you are enough?"
That morning, the moment Orochimaru led Konoha's army across the border, Iwa Shinobi scouts spotted them and notified Kitsuchi, resulting in the current standoff.
Seeing Orochimaru dare to launch a surprise attack with only two thousand shinobi, Kitsuchi laughed mockingly. Weren't they simply throwing their lives away?
"Heh! What if you add my Uchiha Clan? Would that be enough?"
Standing to Orochimaru's left, Uchiha Kageyama opened his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, his eyes brimming with a sinister aura, and sneered at Kitsuchi across from him.
Kitsuchi's heart jolted. The Uchiha Clan was known as the foremost clan in the shinobi world, with over a hundred jonin alone. If they had two top-tier fighters, they could establish a village of their own and turn the Five Great Shinobi Villages into six.
"So the Uchiha Clan has joined the war? Haven't you always been Konoha's pampered, caged canaries? You haven't appeared on a battlefield in forty or fifty years. Why not hide away with that title of the shinobi world's foremost clan? Must you come out and ruin the last scrap of your reputation?"
But he could not undermine his own side's morale on the battlefield, so Kitsuchi smiled and taunted Uchiha Kageyama.
"Hmph! We'll see what you can do besides run your mouth."
It was nothing more than a cheap provocation.
If Kitsuchi thought he could anger Uchiha Kageyama so easily, he was sorely mistaken. Though Kageyama always spoke of his clan's glory, he had no intention of buying it with Uchiha lives on the battlefield. He understood their purpose today very well. They only needed to stall for time; there was no reason to sacrifice the clan's shinobi just to satisfy his pride.
"Enough, Kitsuchi. Stop running your mouth. Do you think we came here today just to chat with you?"
Orochimaru took over the conversation, making a show of preparing to fight. After all, if they seemed too peaceful, Kitsuchi would certainly grow suspicious of their intentions.
But if possible, he did not want a battle either. The problem remained the same: Konoha had too few shinobi, and every death meant one fewer. Attacking and defending were two entirely different matters!
"Then, Orochimaru, are you prepared to leave all two thousand of your shinobi here?"
In truth, Kitsuchi was also stalling and keeping track of the time. Kakkō's squad should arrive any moment, and three elite jonin could completely change the situation.
Although they currently had more shinobi than Konoha, the course of a war was never decided by the rank and file. They had fewer than half as many jonin as Konoha.
But the arrival of three elite jonin would change things. Each could match several ordinary jonin, enough to alter the course of the entire battle.
Both sides continued trading words and quietly buying time until a shinobi suddenly appeared behind Orochimaru.
"Lord Orochimaru, Lord Chihane and the others have returned."
The shinobi slipped behind Orochimaru and spoke softly to him.
Orochimaru and Uchiha Kageyama exchanged a glance, each seeing relief in the other's eyes.
"Kitsuchi, we came to give you two gifts. Accept the first one!"
Orochimaru breathed a sigh of relief, then called out loudly to Kitsuchi.
With that, Orochimaru signaled to the Konoha Ninja army behind him.
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!" ×1,000
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!" ×300
"Wind Release! Great Breakthrough!" ×1,000
The Konoha Army behind him unleashed a Combined Ninjutsu. Fire rode the wind, and wind fed the fire as the attack surged toward the Iwa Shinobi Army.
"Bastards! Use Earth-Style Wall, quickly!"
Kitsuchi glared furiously at the Konoha Army opposite him. He had never expected Konoha to fight so underhandedly. They had been talking perfectly normally, only to attack without warning-and with such an enormous combination ninjutsu.
"Earth Release! Earth-Style Wall!" ×3,000
"Earth Release! Earth Flow Rampart!" ×40
Rows of tall, imposing earthen walls instantly rose before the Iwa Shinobi Army.
But caught off guard, how could they fully block the ninjutsu the Konoha Ninja had prepared in advance? Despite their desperate efforts, great swathes of shinobi were swallowed by the flames.
At last, the flames faded and the earthen walls crumbled away. The Iwa Shinobi position was littered with dead and wounded, but the entire Konoha Army had vanished.
"Orochimaru! I swear I'll kill you!"
Kitsuchi roared in fury. At the same time, Orochimaru's mention of two gifts flashed through his mind. This was only one. What was the other?
"Has Kakkō's squad arrived?"
It suddenly occurred to him that Kakkō's squad should have arrived long ago. Why had they still not appeared? Had something happened?
"There's no sign of Jonin Kakkō! He probably hasn't arrived yet."
After checking the camp, the shinobi Kitsuchi had called reported back to him.
"Go search along their route! Hurry! Go!"
The ominous feeling in Kitsuchi's heart grew stronger, and he immediately sent shinobi to search for Kakkō and the others along their route.
Before you continue