They had gravely underestimated Konoha.
While other villages were locked in an arms race, Konoha remained peaceful and serene, appearing like a piece of tender meat ripe for the taking.
Yet no one expected the shinobi of this village to unleash such immense power when faced with invasion.
Especially...
The return of that man.
Baki lifted his head and gazed at the man standing atop the giant toad. He was still striking a ridiculous pose, proudly proclaiming to be a pervert.
It was truly hard to believe.
But he couldn't deny that this man was one of the three revered figures in the ninja world—the legendary hermit from Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya.
Never thought someone who rivals Orochimaru would have such a personality."
Kabuto Yakushi spoke in a clear tone, as if he were merely an observer rather than a participant in this war.
Baki turned his head and glared coldly at Kabuto. "Since our attack plan on Konoha has already failed, what's our next move?"
Kabuto smiled. He had anticipated Baki would ask that question sooner or later.
"I'm not the one who makes that decision. It must be made by Orochimaru-sama himself."
"You mean you didn't even consider the possibility of failure beforehand?"
Baki twitched his eyes slightly, staring intensely at Kabuto again.
Standing here inside this distant balcony, deep within its shadows, it was unlikely anyone noticed their intense confrontation.
Yet these two were, after all, just second-in-commands of their respective villages.
Kabuto rarely seemed affected by others' hostility, like a naive child unaware of conflict. He strolled toward the red railing beside the balcony and gazed outward.
Despite the smoke enveloping Konoha, there were still untouched spots of beauty left.
"Why would I even consider failure when the plan was flawless?"
"But the failure is right before your eyes! If you cannot provide Suna with a satisfactory response, then the alliance between Sunagakure and Oto will be broken."
"Haha." Kabuto chuckled lightly, then turned around, leaning against the railing with an innocent expression looking at Baki. "I can represent Orochimaru-sama in breaking an alliance, but can you truly represent Sunagakure?"
Baki froze—he hadn't expected this person to talk back to him like this.
But it was indeed true; he couldn't fully represent Sunagakure either. Yet how could someone so young become the right-hand man of Orochimaru?
From the way he spoke, ending an alliance seemed completely within his grasp.
That was an agreement between villages, potentially affecting the relationships between entire countries! How could he treat it so casually?
"Alright, alright then," Kabuto said, turning away from the subject, "Commander Baki, you should hurry back to Sunagakure now and prepare to organize our forces to respond to Konoha's next actions."
Baki frowned, puzzled. "Are you not afraid of what Konoha might do next?"
"Of course we won't be afraid. Although this war didn't completely destroy Konoha, it definitely left them severely weakened. The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi himself died during this conflict, so Konoha won't have the capacity to wage another war anytime soon. By the time they recover, who knows what changes might occur? Such things are uncertain fates, just like this recent defeat."
Kabuto Yakushi watched as a butterfly landed on his fingertip, momentarily stilling the world around him.
But then he tilted his head slightly toward Baki. "So let's part ways here. As for what happens next, let's just wait and see."
"You—" Baki started to say, almost ready to lash out in anger, but he had no grounds to protest.
Perhaps Kabuto was right. He couldn't truly represent Sunagakure Village. He was simply a man devoted entirely to serving Sunagakure.
Sighing inwardly, Baki said, "Please tell Orochimaru-sama that if Sunagakure finds itself in crisis, we expect the Oto ninja to fulfill their duty accordingly. After all, Orochimaru-sama surely understands what 'when one falls, the other suffers' means."
Kabuto didn't look at Baki directly, merely nodding slightly. "That goes without saying."
Seeing he'd managed to obtain a satisfactory answer, Baki activated his body flicker technique, vanishing from the spot instantly. He needed to hurry back to Sunagakure to organize their forces. Everything he'd said had been such a calm analysis.
Only after Baki had left did Kabuto gently raise his hand, releasing the butterfly into the sky.
"I can naturally speak for Orochimaru-sama because you'll soon discover your Kazekage has already perished by our hands. From the very beginning, Sunagakure would never become an ally of Oto ninja. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made such a decisive choice earlier."
Kabuto shook his head with a bitter smirk. "So where should I go next? Should I go meet that person who surprised me as well?" To be continued…
Chapter 203: Advisors
Finally, the last remaining Sand Village ninjas in Konoha evacuated this place; those who hadn't left were now only corpses.
The operation launched and led by the Oto ninja — the joint assault by Oto and Sunagakure against Konoha — had ultimately failed.
Yet for Konoha, this still remained a heavy blow.
Back on that same balcony, some trees still stood — remnants of the First Hokage's [Wood Release] techniques.
In the center among these trees, lay an elderly man with his eyes closed.
He wore the same black combat garb, strangely ill-suited for an old man like him.
Sunlight filtered through the branches and silhouettes of Konoha ninja onto his body. Somewhere from a tree dropped down a single leaf.
It fell carefully onto his face.
At some point, Genma Shiranui spat out the senbon he usually kept in his mouth, his lips pressed into a tight line. "Lord Third..."
"Hiruzen has truly left us," Homura Mitokado sighed deeply.
Inside the office building, the golden glow of the setting sun spilled through the windows in silence.
Koharu Utatane let out a sigh too, her furrowed brow flashing back to those youthful days with The Third. After all, they'd been on the same team since their youth. However, as time went by, both she and Homura Mitokado had grown nearly incapable of battle. Their chakra reserves had dwindled to a truly pitiful level. Chakra is the fusion of spiritual and physical energy. How could two elders, deep into their golden years, possibly withstand the toll of battle? Yet The Third, who should have long since retired from battle, continued to fight relentlessly for the sake of the Village.
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