Wave Country, Konoha Camp
After Seisuke and the others returned to the camp and settled in, he took Shisui and Kakashi to report to Orochimaru. However, Orochimaru showed little interest in the "brat" Shisui. After a cursory glance at Kakashi, he dismissed them, but kept Seisuke behind. "Lord Hiruzen mentioned in his letter that you completed Ryūchi Cave senjutsu training?"
"Mn." Seisuke didn't hide it. "Yes, I can use sage mode now."
Orochimaru eyed him with faint envy and nodded. "Good. I failed back then—couldn't withstand that terrifying chakra. You succeeded, which is excellent." As if settling an old score, he asked, "How much has sage mode boosted your power?"
"At least double."
"At least"—for Seisuke's base strength, even a double increase was terrifying. "Join the battlefield tomorrow. Test your power against Kirigakure," Orochimaru said, treating Kirigakure as mere experimental subjects in his eyes.
"Understood."
After Orochimaru inquired about sage mode's characteristics, he returned to his work. In the tent, Shisui and Kakashi checked their equipment. Though young, Shisui's talent surpassed even Itachi Uchiha's.
"Senpai." Shisui greeted Seisuke upon his return.
"Where's Asuma?"
"Asuma-senpai and the others went to handle matters."
"I see." Seisuke sat down. "Shisui, how does the frontline feel?"
Shisui thought for a moment. "The atmosphere is completely different from Konoha—more tense, and hardly anyone smiles."
"It's a battlefield." Seisuke sighed. "Everyone's become numb." Numbness made smiles meaningless.
"Kakashi, will you join our operation tomorrow or...?"
Kakashi set down a polished kunai. "I'll join you. What's the mission?"
"Break through Kirigakure."
"What?" Kakashi thought he'd misheard. Break through Kirigakure? What does that mean?
"Literal meaning. I'll be the main force tomorrow—Lord Orochimaru wants to see sage mode's power."
"Does that mean Lord Orochimaru will join the operation too?"
"Mn, probably. The opponent tomorrow won't be trivial." Only the Third Mizukage, likely making his final move, could warrant Orochimaru's personal involvement. The Third Mizukage had been bedridden recently, and while Yagura Kajiki now commanded the Kirigakure frontline, his strength and combat power lagged behind Orochimaru, the Sannin. Yagura hadn't reached his peak yet, and Orochimaru didn't take him seriously—only the Third Mizukage drew his attention.
"I see. Looks like we need to prepare well."
After finishing his kunai, Kakashi began adjusting his condition. Though Obito's Sharingan allowed him to use Chidori, as a non-Uchiha, he couldn't deactivate the eye, constantly draining his chakra. He needed to be in top shape.
Seisuke told Shisui, "You're still young. Don't follow us tomorrow. There will be other missions for you."
"Hai." Shisui nodded. Grateful just to be here, he accepted the arrangement.
The next day, hundreds of Konoha ninjas assembled. Led by Orochimaru, they marched across the sea toward the Land of Water, launching an offensive. Marching on the sea's surface naturally alerted Kirigakure. Kakashi and Seisuke took the vanguard, diving into the water, climbing ashore, and sneaking toward Kirigakure's camp.
Exchanging a hand signal, Kakashi lifted his forehead protector, revealing the scarlet Sharingan. Seisuke charged first, grabbing the nearest Kirigakure ninja and snapping his neck.
"Enemy attack!" The man managed a cry before Kakashi slit his throat with a kunai. Though he'd lost the White Fang blade inherited from his father, kunai still served him well.
"Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!" Two Kirigakure ninjas unleashed the jutsu. Kakashi observed their movements, instantly copied the technique, and activated it with near-identical speed using his "decade of single-hand practice" reflexes. The Water Fang Bullets clashed, and the surprised Kirigakure ninja was too slow to react, his throat pierced by Seisuke's follow-up strike.
Dropping the body, Seisuke said, "Kakashi, don't waste chakra copying jutsu—you don't have much to spare."
"I was just testing the Sharingan's power."
Kakashi knew better, yet charged into another group, dispatching them with ruthless efficiency. Seisuke wasn't idle either: snakes poured from his sleeves, binding and crushing several Kirigakure ninjas. Using heat sensing, he confirmed he and Kakashi had eliminated everyone here—the corpses' temperatures were fading.
"This area is clear. Asuma's team should be done soon." Just then, a signal flare rose into the sky. Seisuke waved his arm, and a fireball soared up, exploding mid-air. Bang! Bang! Bang! Signal flares burst sequentially, declaring the sneak attack's success.
On the sea, Orochimaru saw the flares and knew Kirigakure's outposts were eliminated. "Move out!" The main force accelerated. Crossing the sea without exposing themselves to Kirigakure's water releases was critical—securing the outposts gave Konoha enough time to land before Kirigakure could react.
Kakashi tossed aside his bloody kunai. "Next, enter Kirigakure territory?"
"No—defend. Kirigakure forces are approaching." Through heat sensing, Seisuke detected numerous faint thermal signatures in the distance—small but numerous, indicating the arrival of Kirigakure ninjas.
"Hide. Kirigakure always starts with the Mist Technique, which isn't friendly to your Sharingan." This was why Uchiha rarely ventured to Kirigakure: beyond the mist hindering Sharingan, Kirigakure's near-universal water releases clashed directly with the Uchiha's fire-based combat style.