Not only were the Leaf ninja stunned — even Shigure's own teammates were in disbelief.
"Us? Five people against the Sand's main force?" Hatake Kusuo asked again, as if to confirm he'd heard correctly. "Shigure, are you sure you're not joking?"
"Yes… Even Shigure-kun must get tired sometimes, right?" Orochimaru added, his golden eyes narrowing. "You've already created a hundred shadow clones… you must have used up a great amount of chakra."
Shigure laughed boldly and turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, do you know why I'm still standing here?"
"Why…" Orochimaru paused, then his pupils contracted in sudden realization.
"Could it be… you've actually inherited the power of Ryūchi Cave?" Orochimaru sounded truly astonished. He knew the difficulty of that inheritance better than anyone. Though he himself had visited Ryūchi Cave and signed contracts with serpents, he had never attained senjutsu. However, he knew very well what Sage Mode meant.
"Don't worry — I'm commanding this battle. I'd never gamble with my comrades' lives." Shigure's eyes grew determined as he looked toward his companions.
Hizashi spoke first, his voice full of conviction. "I believe in Lord Shigure. He must have his reasons!"
"I believe him too!" Hyūga Akane declared. She had already witnessed Shigure create miracle after miracle.
"I don't have to say anything, do I? You can't do it without me anyway," Hatake Kusuo said, grinning as he rested his sword across his shoulder.
"I'm an employee — I follow my boss," Kakuzu said simply. He had seen Shigure's strength firsthand, and after being defeated so easily by him, he could only trust that Shigure never acted without a plan.
"But… Lord Sarutobi told me…" Orochimaru started, though Shigure immediately cut him off.
"I know what Sarutobi-sensei means. He's still worried about me. If there's a serious flaw in my strategy, then, Senior Brother Orochimaru, I'll have you convince me."
He smiled faintly, his tone softer. "Sarutobi-sensei has really gone to great lengths — maybe to train me, or maybe to protect me. I understand his concerns. But my resolve won't change. Our team will act as a surprise attack squad, eliminate the Sand's main force, and force them to withdraw from this war before it even begins!"
White Fang's suicide, Mito's death — and soon, the Third Kazekage would fall, turned into a puppet by Sasori. Perhaps Sunagakure's invasion of the Land of Rivers was an attempt to divert its internal conflicts, Shigure thought silently.
Orochimaru's expression turned serious. "You're convinced this conflict will escalate into a Great Ninja War? If that's true, then eliminating the enemy before they spread is indeed the best approach."
"In a war that affects the entire ninja world," Shigure said, "I believe even you, Lord Orochimaru, would employ extraordinary measures to destroy your enemy. You're the boldest of the Sannin, after all."
"At a time like this, holding the line may seem prudent, but what if this battle is merely the prelude to the Third Great Ninja War? If we don't eliminate the opponent from the very start, we'll lose the initiative completely!"
"Precisely because our enemies are shrewd Sand elders and strategists, we must strike without hesitation or mercy! This is war!" Shigure's tone turned cold — his words nearly as cutting as a blade.
Orochimaru and the others around him fell silent. They could all sense his iron will.
"This boy…" Orochimaru muttered, half-impressed, half-amused. "He's full of surprises, every single time."
Finally, he smirked. "Alright then. Let's give the Sand a painful lesson — together, senior and junior brothers alike."
The moment was so rare that even Shigure couldn't believe it was happening. Orochimaru, showing genuine camaraderie, extended his hand.
Shigure smiled and took it.
"Depart!" Orochimaru commanded. He led Konoha's main force to set up near the Land of Rivers canyon, close to Konoha's western border.
Using his Observation Eye, Shigure surveyed the canyon and immediately detected the explosive tags planted underground. His shadow clones were already hidden — perfectly positioned, yet intentionally leaving behind small traces to lure the enemy in.
"Disruption squad — use Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!" Orochimaru ordered.
"Clever move!" Shigure praised.
"Why?" Kusuo and Akane both asked.
Kakuzu, the most experienced among them, explained in his deep, steady tone. "The Hidden Mist will interfere with Sunagakure's sensory ninja. At the same time, it makes our 'careless traces' more visible. They'll think they found us — and walk straight into the trap."
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru, one of the Sannin," Hizashi said admiringly.
"Now, split the forces!" Orochimaru commanded next, dividing the main army into two groups — the smaller one would circle behind the Sand's flank for a surprise assault.
"Our Leaf surprise attack squad! Move out!" Shigure ordered.
"Good luck, Shigure," Orochimaru said, nodding deeply.
The two exchanged silent understanding before parting.
Shigure's five-man team followed the detachment, moving northward, then crossing the canyon to reach the western side of the Land of Rivers. But halfway through, an issue arose.
"Because the mist's range is so large, my sensory detection can't locate the enemy anymore… I'm afraid we might lose our chance to flank them," the sensory-type ninja reported.
"I'll handle it! Byakugan!" Hyūga Akane activated her Byakugan, her pale eyes shining. Even through the dense fog, she could see several kilometers ahead.
"In addition to the Byakugan, there's another method!" Hatake Kusuo bit his finger. "Summoning Jutsu!"
A flash of smoke revealed a pack of ninja hounds — the faithful companions of the Hatake clan.
"Find them," Kusuo commanded. "Track the Sand ninja by scent."
One of the dogs raised its paw and pointed toward the two o'clock position.
Seeing this, both Hizashi and Shigure smiled faintly — their team had matured tremendously.
"It seems the enemy has already reached the Land of Rivers canyon. Wait for the explosion tags to detonate — then attack from behind with full force! This battle will be ours!" Shigure ordered. The ninja dogs stayed behind to serve as guides.
"Our surprise attack squad — move out! We'll bypass the Sand unit and head straight for their main camp!" Shigure announced.
The five of them advanced westward at full speed. Even though they'd successfully bypassed the Sand's front-line forces, no one knew the exact location of the Sand's main base.
"The location of the Sand's main camp… I'll find it," Shigure said confidently.
Channeling his chakra, he opened his Observation Eye once more. The world lit up before him — everything within dozens of kilometers instantly fell under his perception. Focusing his chakra, he narrowed its vision into a distant thread, scanning far across the landscape.
After a few moments, his eyes widened slightly.
"So that's it… it's here."
--
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