Among all the proud shinobi across the ninja world, Orochimaru undoubtedly ranks among the top.
He could hear the dissatisfaction in the voice of the jōnin behind him, but he didn't care enough to respond, nor did he consider it worth explaining.
Aside from the jōnin who spoke, a few of the others accompanying them seemed to grasp what Orochimaru was planning.
But understanding... did not mean acceptance.
At that moment, Orochimaru was unaware that this decision of his, this prideful refusal to explain, was precisely what would cause him to lose the trust of Konoha's people in the future. All that would remain was fear.
Another Konoha jōnin stepped forward and spoke to him:
"Orochimaru-sama, please, give the order."
"They need our support."
Orochimaru remained unmoved, his gaze cold as it scanned the battlefield. In his raspy voice, he murmured:
"Soon."
At that moment, Hizashi was leading the retreat of the Konoha forces.
Tension. Unease. Fury. Killing intent. Reverence.
These emotions surged among the Konoha shinobi behind Orochimaru as Hizashi and his squad became surrounded. The pressure mounted.
Their eyes locked onto the Suna ranks entrenched across the battlefield. All it would take was a single command, and they would descend like wolves.
When Hizashi suddenly charged toward Dōzan, the emotions boiling beneath the surface finally erupted, and at that exact moment, Orochimaru gave the order:
"Kill them."
He gave the command with chilling nonchalance, pointing toward the Sand shinobi.
And the Konoha shinobi behind him—
Exploded.
A full-force explosion of fury.
"Kill…!"
"Avenge our fallen comrades, slaughter the Sand!"
"Kill them all!"
The sudden war cry reached Dōzan just as he was lunging at Hizashi. Startled, he turned toward the sound.
From the rear, he saw a wave of Konoha shinobi surging toward them.
The Suna forces were now the filling in a deadly sandwich, caught between the two flanks.
If they weren't careful, they'd be completely wiped out by the pincer attack.
Hizashi landed a solid punch that forced Dōzan to retreat, then shouted to his comrades, his voice like a war horn:
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
"With me, kill them all! Leave no Sand shinobi alive!"
Hizashi's cry reignited the spirit of the Konoha forces, who just moments ago had steeled themselves for death.
"Yes, Hizashi-sama!"
"Kill them!!!"
"Slaughter them!"
The battlefield became a roaring chorus of fury and vengeance.
The Sand shinobi, realizing they were now under a two-pronged assault, quickly descended into panic.
"Why does Konoha still have reinforcements?!"
"We're finished… their reinforcements are here!"
"What do we do?!"
Panic rippled through the Sand ranks like wildfire.
But Dōzan, as their commanding officer, knew he couldn't afford to falter. He had to remain the anchor.
"Don't panic!"
"Even if Konoha has reinforcements, we will still emerge victorious!"
"Kill them all!"
Dōzan tried to rally them with a thunderous shout, but it was already too late. The new wave of Konoha shinobi had arrived in full force, burning with vengeance, and their fury unleashed overwhelming strength.
Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!
Earth Release: Great Mud River!
Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!
Ninjutsu lit up the battlefield in waves of destructive power. Shinobi from both sides began to fall.
But the tide was turning.
Suna began to falter under the unrelenting assault. Their defeat became inevitable.
From afar, Orochimaru saw the desperation etching itself across Dōzan's face. Without hesitation, his figure blurred and disappeared.
It was time for the Sand to learn what despair truly meant.
Beyond the Konoha frontlines, in the squad led by Shikuro, Veigar stood among them, having just used the Flying Raijin Technique to slay Hiroshi. His chakra was nearly depleted once again.
But he didn't retreat.
After downing three soldier pills, despite their awful taste, Veigar surveyed the battlefield where Konoha and Suna forces clashed in deadly melee. He didn't step back.
Instead, he picked up a fallen ninjatō from a corpse and charged toward the enemy.
His targets: Suna's genin and chūnin.
With chakra reserves running dangerously low, Veigar wasn't about to challenge any jōnin. He wasn't stupid, he had no intention of dying here.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Even with minimal chakra, Veigar's speed was terrifying. The Suna genin didn't even have time to react before their throats were slashed or their hearts pierced.
Veigar darted through the battlefield like a shadow, cutting down low-tier Suna shinobi with brutal precision. Wherever his blade flashed, lives were extinguished.
In just over ten seconds, he had slain nearly twenty enemies, clearing an entire section of the battlefield.
"Veigar-sama!"
Several Konoha shinobi who had been cornered by Suna forces looked at him with awe and gratitude.
Veigar gave them a brief nod.
"This battle isn't over. Follow me."
"Yes, sir!"
His presence was like a surge of adrenaline injected straight into their hearts.
And then he charged again.
"Kill, kill, kill!"
"Follow Veigar-sama, kill them all!"
For Veigar, cutting through genin was like a tiger rampaging through a flock of sheep. With him in the lead, the tide surged.
More and more Konoha shinobi gathered behind him.
Suna shinobi began to fall like wheat beneath a scythe.
Some Suna jōnin wanted to intervene, but they were all entangled with equally capable opponents and couldn't break away.
"Kill!"
"Kill them all!"
"Don't stop! Keep killing!"
Slowly but surely, Konoha began to gain absolute dominance across the battlefield. And Veigar's momentum only kept growing.
From a short distance away, Jubei, a Suna jōnin, was engaged in a fierce duel with Yamashi. When he saw Veigar darting through the battlefield like a wraith, his eyes narrowed.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
Jubei wanted to go after Veigar, but Yamashi wouldn't allow it.
After all, Yamashi's strength was no less than his own.
Clang.
Their blades clashed once more. As they passed by each other, killing intent flared in their eyes.
Boom. Boom.
Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Yamashi summoned clones and slid his sword back into its scabbard, preparing for his next move.
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