Danzo was once again walking through the streets of Konoha after a long time.
Takeshi's promotion to Jōnin had already been confirmed, and his battlefield feats were being widely discussed in every street and alley. Yet Danzo's expression was far from pleased.
Not only did the corners of his mouth not curl upward with joy—they were actually starting to droop.
As for the reason...
Villager A:
"Did you hear? That genius named Takeshi is incredible! He single-handedly fought against three Jōnin from Kumogakure!"
Villager B:
"Really? That's amazing. Who is this Takeshi, anyway?"
That part of the conversation made the corners of Danzo's mouth twitch upward briefly.
But what came next broke him completely.
Villager A:
"You don't know Takeshi? He's the new disciple of the Third Hokage!"
Villager B:
"Ah, that explains it. No wonder he's so brave—he's the Third Hokage-sama's student!"
After hearing that, Danzo's mouth drooped two levels further.
And finally settled into that expression.
Unable to vent his frustration in public, Danzo stormed back to the Root base and finally released his pent-up resentment:
"Takeshi is my son! He's my son! He carries the blood of the Shimura clan in his veins—what does he have to do with that damn Hiruzen!"
...
On the other side, the senior leaders of Konoha who also caught wind of the rumors circulating in the village immediately guessed who was behind it—Danzo.
But they didn't oppose it. In fact, they allowed the rumors to spread unchecked.
It wasn't because Takeshi was Hiruzen's disciple. Rather, in times of war, shaping a heroic image was vital to morale. Especially since the frontlines against Kumogakure weren't going smoothly.
The clearest proof of that was the fact that even Genin were being dispatched to the front lines to handle logistical and supply missions.
...
"Secret Art: Crystal Ice Mirrors."
Bursting out from within an ice mirror, Takeshi swiftly dispatched a Kumogakure shinobi who appeared to be a Jōnin, then slipped back into the mirrors, reappearing from another angle.
In large-scale ninja battles, the front lines were usually filled with Chūnin and Genin. As a result, most fights were fairly repetitive—close-quarters combat with cold weapons and taijutsu.
For Chūnin and Genin, who lacked enough ninjutsu reserves and chakra, ninjutsu was only used in desperate, life-threatening situations.
But for someone like Takeshi, who could pick off targets with pinpoint precision, the absence of area-wide ninjutsu bombardments made it easier to identify and eliminate key enemies.
Naturally, the enemy Jōnin had similar goals. While they coordinated the battle from central positions, they were also hunting for high-value targets among the opposition.
After Takeshi took out three Jōnin, the Kumogakure shinobi finally noticed his presence flitting across the battlefield. They immediately summoned additional Jōnin for backup.
But for Takeshi, with his extreme mobility, this wasn't a real threat. After all, not everyone was as fast as the younger A. If he couldn't win, there was no point in fighting—just run.
He ducked under a dangerous punch and slipped into an ice mirror, vanishing and reappearing at another clash point.
The battle raged from dawn until dusk. Only when both sides had suffered significant casualties did they retreat back to their respective camps.
...
Inside Orochimaru's command tent, a Jōnin strategy meeting was underway. As the commander, Orochimaru was seated at the head of the table. Takeshi and other Root-affiliated ninja were not present.
"The casualty ratio isn't ideal. If we continue like this, we'll have a hard time holding our current positions."
Hyūga Hiashi, seated beside Orochimaru, reported with some pain the losses of the branch family. Lacking the right to learn the main family's secret techniques, the branch members had to face the brunt of the enemy's attacks—and even lay down their lives to protect the few main family members. It was infuriating.
Orochimaru ignored Hyūga Hiashi's complaints and turned to look at another seat—one that was empty.
That seat had been reserved for Sarutobi Sukuhi, the Jōnin formerly in charge of patrolling this area. Its emptiness meant only one thing...
"Sukuhi and the three Chūnin under his command have all been killed. The attacker was a Kumogakure Storm Release user named Kurka."
Nara Hōen, a Jōnin who had witnessed Sukuhi's final battle, spoke through gritted teeth, clutching his own wound.
"I see..."
Orochimaru's brows furrowed slightly at the news of Sukuhi's death. For the first time, his expression shifted subtly.
Just yesterday, another Jōnin from the former patrol team—Shimura Kazama—had encountered the Magnet Release user Toroi, who had only recently recovered from a serious injury. Accompanied by several members of the Shimura clan, Kazama had also perished in battle.
Now, the remaining Sarutobi clan members in this area had been wiped out by Kumogakure's forces...
In just a few months since the war began, all of the original border patrol ninja had been killed. This was very bad news for Konoha.
Compared to the reinforcements being sent in now, those original border shinobi had far superior combat experience and terrain familiarity. With them around, Orochimaru could formulate more aggressive strategies without worrying about morale.
With fewer cards in hand, he would now need to change the way he played the game.
Turning to the map behind him, Orochimaru began mentally crossing out several protruding front-line positions and drafted new defensive layouts.
With the current number of Jōnin, they should be able to hold this optimized line.
He thought briefly of the many recently promoted Jōnin who hadn't been invited to this meeting. Ultimately, Orochimaru still relied on these experienced veterans gathered inside the tent.
As for the newly promoted ones—they were unlikely to survive the war.
"Logistics are also under immense pressure. For some reason, the enemy has suddenly started harassing our supply lines, and many fresh academy graduates have been slaughtered."
As Orochimaru sketched new lines of defense in his mind, Akimichi Tōtō, the Jōnin in charge of logistics, was complaining to the others.
Since the start of the war, Kumogakure had never paid much attention to the supply convoys. But suddenly, they'd begun launching widespread infiltration attacks, massacring any isolated units they could find.
Newly promoted Jōnin. Danzo's son...
Hearing Tōtō's words, Orochimaru seemed to have an epiphany. His gaze turned toward the Kumogakure stronghold marked on the map.
"So that's it..."
He whispered softly, then began issuing orders.
"For now, we hold a defensive posture. I'll handle the rest."
He assigned tasks to everyone present. None of the veteran Jōnin objected. By this point, they were used to Orochimaru's command style.
He never explained his reasoning. Even if you asked him, he would ignore you completely and focus on his own business.
Unless you managed to pique his interest.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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