After that, Orochimaru turned his head back and fixed his gaze on the Six-Tails before him.
"The Jinchūriki has reached his limit."
He slowly licked his lips.
A black shadow appeared soundlessly at his side.
The newcomer was dressed in standard ANBU attire, wearing a black cloak and dark sunglasses, with a streak of purple-patterned oil paint at the corner of his right mouth.
It was none other than Torune Aburame, once the most outstanding genius of the Aburame clan.
But he also had another, far more resounding title—the Vice Commander of Root.
In terms of official position, he was theoretically on the same level as Orochimaru himself, serving as one of Danzo's most trusted right-hand men.
"Orochimaru, why was Kiyohara allowed to remain behind alone? Given his potential and Danzo-sama's emphasis on him, shouldn't his safe withdrawal have been prioritized?"
"Heh heh!"
Orochimaru chuckled softly, his voice tinged with amusement, as he turned to look at Torune Aburame.
Root operatives, like ANBU, possessed only code names and no real identities.
However, those with truly formidable strength often acquired a "name," or rather, a "title."
Torune Aburame was undoubtedly such a figure.
His mastery of controlling kikaichū for attack and infiltration was particularly outstanding even among generations of ANBU.
"Safety?" Orochimaru shook his head lightly. "Where does true safety exist for a shinobi? If he can't survive even this level of adversity, then his value ends here."
Did Danzo truly value Kiyohara as a person?
Of course not.
What he valued was the Magnet Release kekkei genkai within Kiyohara, and how much benefit Kiyohara could bring to Root—to Danzo himself.
That old fox claimed he was willing to become the darkness buried beneath the soil so that the great tree of Konoha could bask in more sunlight, letting its roots dig deeper.
But in reality, he was also seeking personal gain.
Danzo did devote himself wholeheartedly to Konoha—
Yet whether it was his Konoha, or everyone's Konoha, was another question entirely.
If one truly acted for Konoha, then what did it matter whether one became Hokage or not?
Orochimaru still remembered an elder named Maruboshi Kosuke—exceptionally strong, yet content to remain a genin for his entire life.
"Even if he dies," Orochimaru continued calmly, "I can still obtain what Danzo needs."
"As long as it doesn't affect Lord Danzo's grand plans," Torune Aburame said coldly.
The so-called "Root" had no names, no emotions, no past and no future.
In their hearts, there was only the mission.
Torune Aburame did not care in the slightest whether Kiyohara lived or died—only whether his life or death could yield enough value for Danzo.
"If he survives…" Orochimaru's eyes flashed with fervent heat.
"I wouldn't mind cultivating him into my direct subordinate. A future Hokage naturally needs the sharpest blade."
Torune Aburame fell silent for a moment.
"Understood."
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
He was well aware of Danzo's intention to support Orochimaru's ascent to Hokage, but such matters were not for subordinates like him to speculate upon.
"That old fox really wants to prop me up as a puppet," Orochimaru muttered, licking the corner of his mouth.
Danzo's plan was nothing more than placing Orochimaru as the Hokage in name, while he himself pulled the strings from the shadows—
Or perhaps forcing Orochimaru to step down later and hand over the position of Fifth Hokage directly to Danzo.
"Orochimaru!"
A distant shout snapped Orochimaru out of his thoughts.
"So, you've finally arrived, Jiraiya."
Turning his head, Orochimaru saw a massive toad bounding across the mountain range.
Standing atop its head was a towering figure nearly two meters tall.
"From Mount Myōboku~ Toad Summoner! Sage! Known far and wide as the Toad Sage—Gallant Jiraiya makes his entrance!"
With Jiraiya's exaggerated self-introduction and flamboyant gestures, he finally arrived at Orochimaru's side.
Orochimaru had long grown accustomed to Jiraiya's erratic behavior.
"If the two of us fight together, buying time won't be a problem," Orochimaru said flatly.
…
Kirigakure surprise assault force, temporary command post.
Higashino Noyama, the commander of the Kiri's flanking assault force, a stern-faced middle-aged man with a deep knife scar over his left eye, stood atop a slightly elevated rock, gazing toward the battlefield where chaotic white mist and crimson flashes of blood rose into the air.
Though his chakra perception was not as sharp as that of a specialized sensory shinobi, he could still clearly feel that chakra signatures in that area were fading at an abnormal rate.
"What's going on in Flank Area D?" he demanded.
"Did Konoha deploy an elite squad to counterattack? How many people are there?"
Beside him stood Momochi Zabuza, his face wrapped in bandages with only his eyes exposed, silently standing guard with his eyes closed.
A sensory shinobi hurried over to report, "Commander Higashino, based on forward reconnaissance, there seems to be only one person."
"One person?" Higashino Noyama's brow furrowed beneath the scar.
"One person caused this level of chaos? How many of our people has he killed?"
"Judging from chakra disappearance and screams, at least twenty-five, mostly chūnin and genin," the sensory shinobi replied, disbelief evident in his voice.
"His combat pattern is extremely cunning. He uses an invisible summoned beast capable of spraying lime powder to create confusion. His own speed is extremely fast—he targets weak defensive points, strikes once, and immediately withdraws, never lingering."
"Trash."
Higashino Noyama spat the word coldly, unclear whether he was cursing the fallen subordinates or the Mist jōnin who failed to stop the enemy.
"Do we know who he is? When did Konoha produce such a skirmish-and-assassination specialist? Uchiha? Or Hyuga?"
The sensory shinobi hesitated. "From the description, black hair, black shinobi blade, excels at Body Flicker Techniques, and can use magnet—"
"That would be Magnet Release user Kiyohara, wouldn't it?" Zabuza spoke up.
He had seen the name mentioned in intelligence reports previously sent back by Mei, someone who had shone brightly in the battle at the Uzushiogakure, adept in Magnet Release and kenjutsu, frighteningly fast, a rising generation worthy of vigilance.
"Kiyohara? Never heard of him," Higashino Noyama shook his head with habitual disdain.
He only acknowledged renowned powerhouses.
So what if this brat had Magnet Release?
The strength of a bloodline limit had always depended on its wielder.
"A brat who only preys on the weak. A true strong man points his blade at stronger foes. This scavenging hyena lurking on the edges is nothing more than someone abusing speed and tricks to disrupt our formation."
He stopped paying attention to the "hyena." The chaos on the flank had to be suppressed quickly, or the entire surprise assault plan would be affected.
Otherwise, how could he answer to the higher-ups upon returning to the Village of Bloody Mist?
In Kirigakure, mission failure often meant an end more cruel than death.
"Mitsuryuu Sora," Higashino Noyama commanded.
"Yes."
A figure appeared silently behind him.
The man was lean and compact, dressed in standard Mist ANBU-style attire, with a uniquely shaped shinobi blade strapped to his back. Half of his exposed face was cold and expressionless.
He was one of the reserve members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, an elite among jōnin, particularly skilled at combining Water Release with the "Mist Body Flicker Technique" to perform "Water Flow Shunshin," his speed ranking among the best in Kiri.
If not for the fact that four of the legendary seven blades had been seized by Konoha, he might still have had a chance to compete for an official seat among the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
"The chaos in Area D—end it," Higashino Noyama ordered.
"That brat named Kiyohara—dead or alive doesn't matter, but restore order in Area D within ten minutes. We don't have time to play cat and mouse with a rat."
"Understood. I'll return in ten minutes."
Mitsuryuu Sora replied succinctly. His form flickered, dissolving into a pool of clear water that seeped into the ground. In the next instant, he reformed within a narrow stream dozens of meters away, rushing toward Kiyohara's battlefield at astonishing speed.
Wherever he passed, faint traces of water vapor lingered in the air.
Higashino Noyama continued issuing orders to the communication shinobis, adjusting deployments in other areas to compensate for potential gaps in Area D, his expression dark and grim.
…
Beyond the mountains behind the retreating forces, more than ten kilometers away from the battlefield—
At this distance, only a Tailed Beast Bomb could possibly reach.
While everyone else was retreating, several Yamanaka clan shinobi were sweating profusely, focusing all their efforts on sensing the chaotic chakra fluctuations ahead.
Their mission was not only to monitor the overall situation and prevent enemy infiltration, but also to "record" the battle as much as possible.
By sensing intense chakra eruptions, sudden extinguishments, and the movement trajectories of certain distinctive chakra sources, they would later compile statistics on unit performance and individual achievements.
Battle merit statistics formed the basis for post-war rewards, punishments, and promotions. Team results were attributed collectively, but individuals who caused massive casualties in clearly defined areas were often tallied separately.
Kurenai, Shiranui, and Kakashi who had just withdrawn and was receiving basic treatment along with Rin, were all gathered here, anxiously awaiting news.
"Senior Shintoku, how's the situation over there?" Rin asked worriedly.
Yamanaka Shintoku, a middle-aged Yamanaka shinobi, slowly spoke with his eyes closed. "Lord Jiraiya has arrived and is now fighting alongside Orochimaru-sama against the Six-Tails Jinchūriki. The situation has stabilized for now, but the Six-Tails' power is formidable. The two sannin are mainly buying time for the main force to withdraw."
"Then what about the flank?" Kurenai couldn't help but interrupt, her fingers unconsciously twisting together, ruby-like eyes filled with concern.
"Kiyohara has he withdrawn successfully?"
Shintoku frowned deeply.
The battlefield was far too chaotic—how could he possibly devote much attention to a single chūnin?
He shook his head. "The flank is far from here. The chakra signals there are mixed with massive Water Release fluctuations and explosions—extremely chaotic. I can only sense intense fighting and a large amount of chakra disappearing in a short time, but I can't accurately tell who it belongs to."
"However, I can help contact someone."
As he spoke, he began performing a special communication ninjutsu unique to the Yamanaka clan.
It allowed information to be transmitted across long distances, and even broadcast within a specified range.
Soon, Shintoku established contact with Hyuga Natsu, stationed several kilometers ahead.
At intervals, members of the Hyuga clan or other sensory shinobi were stationed as nodes.
The Yamanaka then relayed information through these nodes, forming something like a dark map with distinct transmission points.
This system was critically important in large-scale operations.
It was through this method that Konoha could preserve its fighting strength even while fighting on multiple fronts.
"Kiyohara… I'll try," a crisp female voice responded.
Hyuga Natsu, a young female shinobi of the Hyuga branch family and a graduate from the same class as Kiyohara had answered.
Main family members had already retreated with the first wave, while branch family members were required to stay behind in batches, covering the retreat and gathering intelligence.
Taking a deep breath, she formed hand seals.
"Byakugan!"
Veins bulged around her eyes as her vision instantly pierced through layers of trees, earth, and stone, projecting toward the distant flank battlefield.
A few seconds later, her body trembled slightly.
"I see him—it's Kiyohara!" Natsu exclaimed in shock.
"He suddenly summoned a huge chameleon and charged straight into the Kiri formation! Then—so much lime powder! The Mist shinobis are in total chaos!"
All of this was relayed through Shintoku.
"How is he?!" Kurenai asked urgently.
Shintoku's relay sped up, almost as if Natsu herself were speaking.
"He's moving inside the mist—so fast, I can barely see him! The Mist shinobis are falling one after another under his blade—
The jōnin try to chase him, but he always evades them and goes after other chūnin and genin—
Wait—the mist is dispersing! His summoning beast seems injured, its movements are slowing!"
"And then?" Genma couldn't help asking.
He knew Kiyohara's methods well, Kiyohara always liked to call himself a 'traditional-style shinobi,' gleefully throwing lime powder everywhere.
He even claimed that this was true ninjutsu.
"Did Kiyohara get surrounded?" Rin asked nervously.
"The remaining Mist shinobi are fighting Kiyohara again!" Shintoku relayed rapidly.
Everyone's expressions shifted.
Surely Kiyohara wouldn't—
Even without using chakra, relying solely on taijutsu, his stamina should be nearly exhausted by now.
"And then?" Kakashi asked calmly.
"And then—all those Mist shinobi died!" Shintoku blurted out.
Kurenai: …
Kakashi: …
Rin: "..."
Genma: "…"
"What's the situation now?" Kurenai stared at Shintoku.
This senior always spoke in halves—it was maddening.
"It looks like another Mist shinobi has arrived, rapidly approaching Kiyohara's area… and Kiyohara… Kiyohara is—looting the corpses!"
Even Shintoku, who was relaying Natsu's words, couldn't quite keep a straight face.
No matter how greedy someone was, this was ridiculous.
Did he really have nerves of steel?!
…
Flank battlefield, outer edge.
The choking white mist formed by lime powder had grown thin and patchy under wind and ninjutsu interference, losing its original concealment.
The invisible chameleon bore several new wounds, blood staining its color-shifting skin as it cast a weary glance at Kiyohara.
After spraying one last small burst of lime powder to disrupt the vision of a distant Mist chūnin, it was voluntarily dispelled by Kiyohara, vanishing in a puff of white smoke.
(End of Chapter)