"Fufufu, then good luck on your own. I'll be off." Orochimaru laughed, then turned into a puff of white smoke and vanished before Sōkyū Hatake.
"Take care, Orochimaru-sensei," Sōkyū Hatake said cheerfully.
A feeling of being cared for rose in Sōkyū Hatake's heart.
Sure enough, this was the most comfortable way of doing things.
"Next... it's hunting time!" After watching Orochimaru leave, the smile slowly faded from Sōkyū Hatake's lips.
He was still on the battlefield, and lingering too long would increase the risk of exposure!
So Sōkyū Hatake intended to stay hidden, a hunter capable of killing an enemy at any moment!
A steady stream of noise continued to reach him from the battlefield, making one thing clear to Sōkyū Hatake.
They were still at war. Mercy toward the enemy was cruelty toward oneself!
So...
In a dark corner, Sōkyū Hatake lay prone in the grass while several Sunagakure ninja moved warily outside.
They all had the same plan.
An ambush!
War was never about victory in a one-on-one fight, but victory as a whole!
And to achieve victory, any means were acceptable, and every scheme served that goal!
"Captain, Xiaohe and Brother Yan disappeared in this direction just now. When we arrived, there were clear signs of a fight!" a Sunagakure ninja said cautiously.
"Did they encounter ninja from Konoha?" the lead Sunagakure ninja asked, his eyes scanning their surroundings warily.
"Probably, but the scene was clearly cleaned up. It's hard to tell whether they were Konoha ninja from the traces alone!"
"Still, our two villages are practically the only ones in this area now. Whether it was them or not, Konoha will have to answer for this!" the lead Sunagakure ninja said coldly.
"Yes! But Lord Third Kazekage is on the front lines right now.