"What?"
" Orochimaru's team was attacked by Sand Ninja from an unknown location and couldn't arrive in time?"
"Was it that old woman Chiyo who led those Sand Ninja attacks?"
Orochimaru is injured?
As Shin'un and his group approached the tent entrance, Nara Shikahito's surprised shout reached their ears.
After understanding the meaning behind Nara Shikahito's words, Shin'un's expression changed drastically, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
No wonder Orochimaru arrived later than them; it turns out he was attacked by Sand Ninja on the way, who hadn't received the intelligence.
Shin'un's expression was solemn. He was about to lift the curtain and enter the tent to inquire about Nara Shikahito's details when Yūichi and Shiina Kō reacted even more strongly behind him.
Upon hearing that their teacher had been unexpectedly attacked by Sand Ninja, and that the leader was none other than Chiyo, a renowned puppeteer, the two unconsciously showed a hint of anxiety on their faces. They rushed forward, lifted the curtain, and rushed inside.
Upon seeing this, Shin'un was taken aback, then followed with a sigh as he entered the tent.
"What happened? The teacher was attacked by Sand Ninja?"
What exactly happened?
"Is the teacher injured?"
"..."
Rushing into the tent, Yūichi and Shiina Kō went straight to Nara Shikahito in the center of the tent and asked him anxiously.
Inside the tent, a Konoha, Jonin wet, stood before Nara Shikahito, holding a small piece of paper in his hand. He had clearly just been reporting to Nara Shikahito the details of Orochimaru's attack.
Just then, Yūichi and Shiina Kō burst into the tent, clearly interrupting their conversation. The series of questions they then asked left Nara Shikahito completely astonished.
Shin'un entered the tent and saw Yūichi and Shiina Kō blocking Nara Shikahito's side, asking him questions. He quickly stepped forward and pulled the two away.
"You two, calm down."
Upon hearing Shin'un's words, Shiina Kō immediately looked anxiously at Shin'un beside him.
" Shin'un, didn't you hear me just now?"
"The teacher is injured."
"Yeah, right," Yūichi chimed in from the other side, "And the Sand Ninja are led by that old hag named Chiyo."
"That's a ninja who became famous even before the teacher, and he's also a puppeteer."
The two surrounded Shin'un, attacking him from both sides, making a racket that gave Shin'un a headache.
Shin'un turned his head and looked at the two people beside him.
Shin'un could understand why Orochimaru was so anxious about Shiina Kō.
I never expected that Yūichi, who seemed like a psychopath just a few days ago, would actually care so much about his teacher.
After a moment's thought, Shin'un suddenly realized.
According to the Second Hokage, the Uchiha is both an inherently evil clan and a clan that loves the most deeply.
Although Orochimaru's naturally cold and venomous aura makes him seem unapproachable, he is actually very responsible and loves Konoha. He also teaches his disciples everything he knows.
They will spend time and energy helping Shiina Kō modify her Water Release Ninjutsu to better suit her, and they will try to help Yūichi improve his Fire Style. They will also unconditionally open up their personal Ninjutsu reserves accumulated over the past ten years to the three of them.
From the experience of leading and commanding troops during wartime to how to better hide during infiltration, Orochimaru always taught him everything he knew without reservation.
In addition, although most Uchiha members may seem crazy, they will remember if you treat them well. However, their inherited pride prevents them from actively expressing their feelings for others.
Of course, Yūichi exception. He's often very carefree, just like Obito before he turned evil, completely abandoning the aloofness typical of the Uchiha...
"Alright, you two calm down."
Shin'un, somewhat helplessly, continued to urge the two people beside him to calm down.
"Don't let anxiety cloud your judgment. A strong person like a teacher won't easily make a mistake."
"Furthermore, Chiyo, the leader of the Sand Ninja Village, is almost fifty years old this year and has long passed her physical peak. Although a puppeteer's fighting style is not greatly affected by age, a ninja's strength will inevitably begin to decline."
Shin'un sighed and continued:
"So the teacher will be fine."
"Really?" Shiina Kō and Yūichi exchanged a glance, both with a hint of uncertainty in their eyes.
Shin'un looked at the two people in front of him, who seemed to be blinded by the news, and said helplessly:
"Whether it's true or not, you'll find out by listening."
"I told you to calm down. Do you think you'll get the results by just circling around Nara and delaying the Jonin's reports?"
After speaking, Shin'un pointed to the Jonin holding the note and looked at Nara Shikahito on the other side.
"Besides, you probably just received this news yourself."
"Yes." Seeing that Shin'un had silenced his two teammates, Nara Shikahito finally spoke up.
" Jonin Minekawa just received a message from Orochimaru and immediately came to report to me."
"I just heard the news that Orochimaru was attacked and injured, and your two teammates rushed in."
At this point, Nara Shikahito glanced at Yūichi and Shiina Kō beside Shin'un.
Upon hearing this, Yūichi and Shiina Kō immediately felt a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry~~"
Shiina Kō pulled Yūichi along to bow and apologize.
"It's alright, after all, you two are Orochimaru's disciples."
Seeing the two bow and apologize to him, Nara Shikahito couldn't possibly make things difficult for Orochimaru's disciples, so he immediately smiled, shook his head, and changed the subject.
Immediately afterwards, Nara Shikahito turned to look at the Jonin waiting on the other side.
"Alright, now that Jonin Hirakawa, you can give a detailed report from the beginning."
"Yes!"
Upon hearing the order to report again, the Jonin unfolded the slip of paper in his hand, preparing to decipher the densely packed coded messages written on it, word by word.
"First, about a few minutes ago, the communications team I was in charge of received Ninja Hawk from Lord Orochimaru."
"After taking the letter from Ninja Hawk's leg, I immediately rushed here to Lord Nara."
At this point, the Jonin finally looked at the note in his hand and began to decipher it.
The letter was mailed at 4:00 AM on February 17th, Konoha Year 36.
After saying this, the Jonin looked up and said, " Lord Orochimaru sent this letter early this morning."
The letter's contents are roughly as follows.
"At 2 AM, Chiyo of Sunagakure led over a thousand Sand Ninja and over five hundred puppeteers in a surprise attack on our forces."
"The patrolling ninjas and sentries in the surrounding area failed to provide timely warnings. By the time the Hyuga ninjas discovered it, Chiyo had already led her puppeteer unit to close in at a rapid pace to within 600 meters and attacked our medical and supply units. Meanwhile, over a thousand Sand Ninja attacked from the outer perimeter."
"After two hours of fighting, the losses were heavy."
"The medical team has only two seriously injured medical-nin left, most of the logistical supplies have been destroyed, and more than 500 ninjas have been killed or wounded. On the Sand Ninja side, apart from the damaged puppets, only more than 200 ninjas have been lost."
"Also, I was injured after fighting Chiyo, but my life is not in danger; I only have three or four broken ribs."
" Chiyo's right arm was severed by me, and her fighting ability is expected to decrease by more than half in the future."