Chapter 177: Orochimaru's Strategy
In less than a day, the news of Tsunade and Hoshikawa killing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and the subsequent retreat of Kirigakure spread throughout Konoha.
Both ninja and ordinary villagers cheered for such a decisive victory. Tsunade's fame grew even greater, but as it was already immense, this was merely the icing on the cake.
The biggest beneficiary was Hoshikawa . By single-handedly defeating Kushimaru Kuriare, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, many people revised their assessment of him.
He was now being hailed as the true number one of the younger generation, with a reputation exceeding that of Minato Namikaze in his prime.
Among the ninja clans, the Hyūga clan was the most ecstatic.
Their investment in Tsunade had proven to be a resounding success.
The only thing that Hyūga Hiashi felt was a slight pity was that Hoshikawa had stolen their thunder.
If a Hyūga ninja had discovered Kirigakure's main base, it would have been perfect.
As it was, their contribution was merely considered an "accomplishment of followers" rather than an essential "aid in time of need."
But there was no appreciation without comparison.
The thought of the Uchiha clan's miserable situation made Hyūga Hiashi want to smile.
The two clans, both the "eyes" of Konoha, had always been rivals.
The success of the Hyūga's investment in Tsunade starkly contrasted with the Uchiha's failure in investing in Orochimaru.
Though the Uchiha were forced into that investment.
This news naturally didn't just circulate within Konoha; it reached all the other hidden villages and the Land of Frost.
Konoha's main camp in the Land of Frost.
Orochimaru frowned, looking at the map before him.
In the past half-month, he had suffered several setbacks at the hands of Kumogakure.
The biggest one was being ambushed by Ay and Killer B, resulting in the loss of over a hundred ninja, including many Jōnin.
Orochimaru had actually seen the ambush coming.
But because of Danzō Shimura's relentless urging, coupled with his own confidence in his abilities, he played along—only to underestimate Kumogakure's resolve to deploy two completely transformed Jinchūriki at once.
The terrifying power of the transformation came at a heavy cost to his forces.
However, it wasn't without gains.
Orochimaru had secretly acquired numerous Sharingan eyes.
Just then, footsteps sounded.
Orochimaru didn't need to turn around to know it was Danzō Shimura. No one else dared to enter his tent without being announced.
"Orochimaru!"
Danzō Shimura stopped, his tone laced with irritation.
"What is it?"
Orochimaru glanced at him. "Did Kumogakure make a major move?"
"Not Kumogakure. It's Tsunade!"
Danzō Shimura said with a gloomy expression.
"What did she do?"
Orochimaru asked unhurriedly. "Did the Seven Ninja Swordsmen die again?"
"They're all dead!"
Danzō Shimura said with deep resentment. "Now Kirigakure has retreated. Tsunade has gained massive merit, and our situation is precarious!"
Orochimaru was slightly taken aback.
He knew the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were no match for Tsunade, but for them to be completely wiped out in less than half a month was beyond his expectations.
"I knew we shouldn't have taken the Kumogakure front!"
Danzō Shimura regretted volunteering to command the front line during the Jōnin meeting.
Their thought process at the time was simple.
First, to snatch the commander position from Tsunade, preventing her from gaining more merit, while allowing Orochimaru to claim the sole credit for repelling Kumogakure.
Second, they believed the A-B Combination, whom Minato Namikaze could contain, was no big deal.
Since Minato Namikaze was Jiraiya's student, they naturally underestimated the power of the next generation.
"If you had gone to the Kirigakure front, all that merit would be yours now."
Danzō Shimura sighed.
"There are no 'ifs' in this world."
Orochimaru said without batting an eye. "Things haven't reached their worst yet. Why are you so panicked?"
"Do you have a plan?"
Danzō Shimura quickly asked.
"Not yet."
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "But no matter how long it takes, defeating Kumogakure will surpass Tsunade's accomplishment."
Danzō Shimura frowned.
Kumogakure was the strongest force and the hardest nut to crack.
However, subduing them would undoubtedly yield the greatest rewards.
But Danzō Shimura couldn't afford to lose, and Orochimaru's lack of confidence made him immensely anxious.
"What did the Old Man say about the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki?"
Orochimaru, of course, wasn't concerned with Danzō Shimura's emotional state.
He was participating in the war simply to acquire more experimental materials.
As for the Hokage position, he would do his best and leave the rest to fate, giving Danzō Shimura a simple answer.
After all, losing the competition to Tsunade wasn't that shameful.
"He didn't agree."
Danzō Shimura said with dissatisfaction.
Kumogakure had deployed the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails. Logically, Tailed Beasts should be countered by Tailed Beasts, so Konoha should deploy the Nine-Tails.
In his opinion, Hiruzen Sarutobi's refusal showed a complete disregard for their old teammates' friendship—it was despicable.
He had tirelessly worked for Konoha and for Hiruzen, only to be met with such heartlessness in the end!
"That's his style. He won't deploy the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki until the very last moment."
Orochimaru mused. "Ask him to transfer Sakumo Hatake's team over here."
"Sakumo Hatake?"
Danzō Shimura looked surprised. "Aren't you afraid he'll steal your credit?"
Orochimaru's lips twitched.
This old man completely failed to grasp the situation.
Was this about stealing credit? Whether they could even gain credit was the real question. "I'm the commander. It won't be easy for him to steal credit."
Orochimaru shook his head. "Besides, he isn't my real target."
"Not him?"
Danzō Shimura suddenly paused. "Then who is?"
"Asuma Sarutobi."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "He is the key to getting the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki transferred to us."
"You always have a way!"
Danzō Shimura's eyes lit up, and he smiled along.
Land of Earth, Iwagakure Tsuchikage Tower.
"Father."
The burly Dōtō walked in. "We just received intelligence regarding Konoha and Kirigakure."
"The results are in after only half a month?"
Ōnoki, seated in the Tsuchikage chair, raised an eyebrow.
"It is certainly surprising."
Dōtō handed him the scroll. "Please take a look."
Ōnoki opened the scroll and began to read.
Soon, an expression of shock appeared on his face.
"These Seven Ninja Swordsmen are rather unworthy of their reputation."
Ōnoki put down the scroll, shaking his head. "I thought Kirigakure would consume more of Konoha's strength."
His original plan was simple: when the clam and the oyster fight, the fisherman profits.
Once either Kumogakure or Konoha couldn't hold on, Iwagakure would sweep in and reap the rewards.
He had viewed Kirigakure's involvement as a good helper for draining and pinning down Konoha.
But now, it seemed they were useless, retreating in disgrace in less than half a month.
"What should we do now?"
Dōtō looked at Ōnoki and asked.
"In the end, we must choose a target."
Ōnoki pondered. "Who do you think we should attack?"
"Kumogakure."
Dōtō thought for a moment and explained. "Konoha is a battlefield for all four nations. The other hidden villages will not stand by and let us take it."
"True."
Ōnoki smiled, adding, "But if we attack Kumogakure, Konoha and Sunagakure will not stop us. They might even help."
"They won't stop us initially, but later on, it's hard to say."
Dōtō said with hesitation. "Konoha and Sunagakure won't be happy for Iwagakure to occupy Kumogakure."
"That is true. Therefore, we must be fast."
Ōnoki nodded.
"When should we mobilize the troops?"
Dōtō asked.
"We cannot move directly against Kumogakure. They are highly wary of us right now."
Ōnoki said solemnly. "First, we send troops to feign an attack on Konoha, creating a false impression. Then, we pivot to attack Kumogakure and defeat them quickly!"
"Father is brilliant!"
Dōtō's face instantly showed admiration.
"As for when to move the troops, we wait a little longer. Konoha's pressure on Kumogakure is not yet sufficient."
Ōnoki stroked his beard, saying with a knowing look. "When Kumogakure relaxes their guard against Iwagakure, that's when we can strike."
Time quickly moved to September.
Since Kirigakure's retreat, the island had become calm and peaceful.
Aside from patrol duties, there were no other missions, making for a very leisurely time.
But for Hoshikawa , Nohara Rin, and Yūhi Kurenai, this was the perfect time to train and learn jutsu.
"You got this, Kurenai!"
Nohara Rin clenched her fists, her expression gentle.
"Don't worry! I'm definitely going to beat him this time!"
Kurenai stared at Hoshikawa across from her and let out a light huff.
"Is that so?"
Hoshikawa looked at her adorable expression. "What happens if you lose?"
"If I lose, I lose!"
Kurenai said self-righteously.
"Shall we begin now?"
Hoshikawa asked with a smile.
He hadn't even thought about what to do with Kurenai if he won.
"Let's go!"
Kurenai took a deep breath, her expression becoming extremely serious.
Undoubtedly, they were sparring.
But it wasn't a normal spar; it was a training exercise focused on the Hiding in Mist Jutsu.
Foggy weather affects most ninja, including the user.
After all, without the Byakugan, the user doesn't inherently have an advantage in the dense fog.
This requires the user to undergo intensive training over a long period to adapt to foggy conditions.
After two weeks of learning, both Hoshikawa and Kurenai had mastered the Hiding in Mist Jutsu, and they were now training. Their rule was simple: in the dense fog, whoever tagged the other first was the winner.
Furthermore, they couldn't use any offensive jutsu, but they could use existing sand and stones on the ground.
Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu! (Water Release: Hiding in Mist Jutsu!)
Hoshikawa and Kurenai formed hand signs simultaneously and exhaled large volumes of dense mist.
The fog enveloped them both.
Nohara Rin strained her eyes.
Though she couldn't see clearly, she was anxious about the outcome.
However, Kurenai had lost every time before; she hadn't won a single match.
Once shrouded in mist, Hoshikawa 's normal visibility was less than a meter.
At this point, he had to rely on hearing the wind and locating the position.
When ordinary ninja are covered in mist, they often panic and make noises.
The user can then use these sounds to launch a sneak attack.
Hoshikawa stood in place, listening. As expected, there was no sound.
But he wasn't worried.
Based on his knowledge of Kurenai, she would be the first one to lose patience.
A moment later, a sound of a small stone hitting the ground suddenly came from Hoshikawa 's left.
At the same time, he heard faint footsteps, quickly followed by another small stone.
Using the sound of the stones to cover the footsteps?
Hoshikawa raised an eyebrow.
After losing so many times, Kurenai had finally summed up some experience.
But unfortunately, he could clearly distinguish between the two sounds.
This was thanks to his Sensor Ninja abilities.
As a sensor ninja, this was one of the basic skills.
Hoshikawa silently stepped forward.
Soon, he located Kurenai moving slowly.
He thought for a moment and circled behind her.
Just then, Kurenai suddenly turned around.
But Hoshikawa was one step faster, retreating backward.
Kurenai gritted her teeth.
Hoshikawa understood her, and she understood Hoshikawa .
She was certain Hoshikawa was nearby. She thought the sudden turn would bait him out, but it had no effect.
Now, things were slightly awkward.
As Kurenai was deep in thought, she suddenly heard the sound of a stone hitting the ground behind her.
She instinctively started to turn but stopped.
Hoshikawa wouldn't expose his location that easily.
He must be... in front!
Kurenai quickly lunged forward but found nothing.
The next second, her shoulder was tapped.
"Darn it!"
Kurenai's expression froze. She turned around, looked at Hoshikawa , and angrily punched him twice on the arm.
"I'll let you win next time."
Hoshikawa held her small hand, smiling.
"I don't need your pity!"
Kurenai glared at him.
Although she kept losing, her progress was visible to the naked eye. Winning or losing made no real difference to her.
"Want to go again?"
Hoshikawa gently stroked the back of her hand.
"One time a day is enough."
Kurenai shook her head. "I need the rest of the time to practice Genjutsu and Water Release."
She had been rejected from the attack on the Kirigakure main base because her strength was insufficient.
Now, she was determined to quickly gain the strength of a Special Jōnin or a Jōnin.
"Okay."
Hoshikawa let go of her hand, casually used a Wind Release jutsu, and blew the dense mist away.
"Who won?"
Nohara Rin asked curiously.
"It doesn't matter who won!"
Kurenai cleared her throat.
Nohara Rin instantly realized Kurenai had lost to Hoshikawa again.
A completely unsurprising result.
"Hoshikawa , come here."
Just then, Tsunade emerged from the main tent, waving them over.
The three quickly walked up to her.
"I just finished discussing with Maki and the others from Sunagakure. They will stay here to guard the island, and we will return to Konoha."
Tsunade looked at them, smiling.
"That's wonderful!"
Kurenai said excitedly. "We can finally go home!"
Hoshikawa breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been wanting to leave this island for a long time. Daily sea views and seafood were starting to get tiring.
Konoha was much better.
"Pack your bags. We'll leave tomorrow morning."
Tsunade finished, then instructed Nara Suzaku to pass the message along.
Immediately, cheers erupted from the Konoha ninja in the camp.
The Sunagakure ninja, however, looked on with envy.
The situation dictated their actions.
They dared not leave.
What if Kirigakure returned and attacked Sunagakure?
Konoha was powerful and could respond quickly, but they couldn't risk it now.
.......
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