Uchiha Kagami's words landed like a bombshell in Orochimaru's mind, causing him to momentarily lose his customary calm and composure.
After a while, Orochimaru gradually regained his cool. He knew that Konoha was now inevitably mired in a two-front war, but the silver lining was that the current Konoha, compared to three years ago, had many more excellent young talents and far more confidence.
In his urgency, Orochimaru dispensed with formalities, firing off a barrage of piercing questions that went straight to the heart of the Land of Water's mobilization: "How many troops has the Land of Water sent? What is Konoha's response? Will we need to secretly recall some elite ninja? What are the reactions of the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning?"
Those present, seeing Orochimaru regain his composure so quickly and immediately pinpoint the key issues, nodded approvingly in silence.
Uchiha Kagami's tone softened, though it still carried a hint of worry: "The Land of Water deployed two Semi-Kage level powerhouses, forty elite Jōnin, five hundred Chūnin, and over a thousand Genin (Lower Ninja), launching a fierce attack on our eastern border.
However, thanks to significant investment in intelligence work over the past few years, we were somewhat prepared, preventing the Land of Water from making immediate inroads. It's a standoff along the border.
As for the higher-ups' decision, they feel the Western Front's situation is currently good. They will likely recall some Chūnin and Genin, but whether the Jōnin are moved is still up in the air.
The Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning have both issued peace statements. They remain neutral, adopting a 'sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight' attitude, seemingly ready to watch the entire spectacle of the Second Great War unfold."
Orochimaru quickly calculated the situation in his mind after hearing Uchiha Kagami's report.
For a time, silence descended upon the tent, and the atmosphere was extremely tense.
Over the years, Konoha's forces on the entire Western Front still only had two Semi-Kage level fighters—Uchiha Kagami and Uchiha Fushō—but the number of powerful Jōnin had increased to seventy. Chūnin had grown to eight hundred, and Genin now numbered a terrifying four thousand.
This was an incredibly powerful force, one capable of destroying a small country ten times over.
On the Sand Ninja's side, while they had also continuously reinforced their troops over the last three years, their strength was relatively weaker. However, the Sand Ninja later spent heavily to dispatch another Semi-Kage level powerhouse, leading their elite Puppet Brigade to the front line, which brought the two sides back to a level of parity.
Of course, Konoha still held the overall advantage in strength, preventing the Sand Ninja from daring to launch a massive army-level battle involving over a thousand ninja.
The Land of Water's entry into the war immediately put Orochimaru on high alert. Since the Western Front would inevitably have to recall some forces, the corresponding shift in power meant the Sand Ninja might make a move.
Having grasped the key points, Orochimaru's mind cleared up. After exchanging further opinions with Uchiha Kagami and the others, discussing countermeasures and plans for dealing with the Sand Ninja, he finally left the tent.
The Wind Shadow's Decision
Meanwhile, far to the west on the Ninja Continent, in the uniquely architectured Sunagakure (Hidden Sand Village) nestled in the heart of the desert, Nagai Hōsai, clad in the deep-blue robes of the Wind Shadow (Kazekage), also received news that the Land of Water had directed its forces toward Konoha.
Leaning back in his leather chair, toying with the intelligence scroll in his hands, his black eyes flickered with an unreadable light.
Unlike three years ago, when he launched the Second Great Shinobi War, the current Nagai Hōsai had thick, dark circles around his eyes that, while concealed, were still faintly discernible. His aura would occasionally fluctuate, highly unstable, putting immense pressure on those nearby.
Yet, despite this profound pressure, a simply dressed woman stood calmly by his side: Chiyo, the Elder of Sunagakure.
After reading her own copy of the intelligence, she couldn't help but ask: "What is your assessment of the Land of Water's mobilization?"
"Excellent. It's exactly what I hoped for—a great opportunity for us to break the current stalemate!" Nagai Hōsai replied with a smile. He paused, seemingly having made a momentous decision: "I plan to go to the front line myself."
Chiyo was shocked, a deep look of thought in her eyes. She sensed an underlying meaning in Nagai Hōsai's words and cautiously asked: "Is its power growing stronger?"
Nagai Hōsai dropped his smile, his voice carrying a sense of reckless abandon: "Yes. It seems we still underestimated the power of the Tailed Beast! The seal has grown weaker over the past two years. I've been sleeping less and less, feeling my body being gradually eroded. I don't have much time left.
I will use whatever time I have left, while I can still control myself, to do my last duty as the Wind Shadow. If we can invade Konoha again, with Konoha fighting a war on two fronts, we will surely have enough time to assimilate the captured territory. If I can achieve this, I will have no regrets when I go to meet the First Kazekage above!"
Chiyo looked mournful and remained silent.
The All-Out Attack
Three days later, Konoha recalled fifteen elite Jōnin, one hundred fifty elite Chūnin, and eight hundred Genin.
At this very moment, the Sand Ninja, who had been entrenched in a three-year standoff and stable war period, seized the opportunity and violently launched an all-out offensive.
Nearly ten thousand ninja from the two nations engaged in a fierce slaughter across the vast forest. Deafening explosions and blasts were everywhere, along with severed limbs and bloody flesh. The surging killing intent scared away all birds and beasts for thousands of kilometers, and the clouds in the sky for hundreds of kilometers all dissipated.
Orochimaru, accompanied by his ten Gold Snake and Black Snake group guards, plus the Konoha squads led by Jiraiya, Tsunade, Blue Bird, and Sakumo—a total of around fifty Konoha ninja—slashed and charged across the battlefield, looking for a weak point in the Sand Ninja lines to breach.
The ink-black Muramasa screamed through the air like wailing ghosts, instantly slicing two Chūnin level Sand Ninja in half at the waist.
Orochimaru instinctively twirled the sword before turning to see that Jiraiya and the others had easily turned this small encounter into a growing advantage. Only then did he cast his sight toward the very center of the battlefield.
That was the zone where the Semi-Kage level powerhouses from both sides were fighting, a wide area cleared in the middle of the massive front line. Soldier clashed against soldier, commander against commander, fighting fiercely and causing blood and flesh to fly everywhere.
Uchiha Kagami and Uchiha Fushō were respectively engaged with the two Sand Ninja Semi-Kage powerhouses. Although they held an advantage, they couldn't finish the fight quickly.
The final Semi-Kage level opponent was, as usual, being jointly held back by the powerful Jōnin leaders: Nara Shikahira, Akimichi Torobu, and Yamanaka Ryuji.
What the Sand Ninja didn't realize was that Orochimaru, who had never faded from their sight over the past three years, had never once revealed his true strength. No one knew the extent of Orochimaru's growth over those three years!
Standing on the vast battle line, Orochimaru's lips curved once again into that elegant, sinister smile.
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