join patreon.com/worldoffanfiction for advanced chapters and to support the daily update
The next morning, the wind roared, and the sun shone brightly for thousands of miles. No Chen arrived at the Third Hokage's office early. After kicking open the door, No Chen was astonished to find that the Third Hokage and his beloved disciples, the "Sannin," had been waiting for a long time. Jiraiya, especially, looked at No Chen with resentful eyes, giving No Chen goosebumps all over.
That exasperated look seemed to say, *You damn well came so late on purpose, didn't you?! Making me endure the Third Hokage's old man's verbal assault for so long!* Completely ignoring the downcast Jiraiya, No Chen's gaze went straight to the Third Hokage. His clear eyes were as calm as water, untainted, his deep pupils radiating strong confidence. His exceptionally indifferent demeanor was like a powerful shot in the arm, easing the somewhat tense atmosphere. "A child favored by the heavens." Orochimaru nodded secretly, his snake-like eyes faintly showing appreciation. He, too, was influenced by No Chen's aura, and his somewhat uneasy heart relaxed considerably.
Orochimaru sat closest to the Third Hokage. Not yet having betrayed Konoha, he was naturally fiercely loyal to the village. If not for Minato Namikaze's sudden rise, the position of Fourth Hokage would have fallen to Orochimaru. It was not difficult to see how much the current Third Hokage trusted Orochimaru. "No Chen, sit." The Third Hokage nodded with satisfaction, pointing to the remaining empty seat beside the Sannin, gesturing for No Chen to sit there. He felt that the more he looked at No Chen, the more pleasing he became. As a commander, one not only needed the talent for strategic planning and the courage to command the land, but also the ability to stabilize the emotions of one's subordinates and re-unite fragmented hearts. This was even more important than the first two. As the saying goes, "where there's life, there's hope."
The morale of the people is the foundation of everything. If morale crumbles, even if Konoha survives, its destruction is only a matter of time. The Third Hokage could only sigh that in times of chaos, heroes emerge, and amidst the great waves, peerless monsters appear. Perhaps after this great battle, the "Sannin," once renowned, would become a thing of the past. This slowly rising new star would dominate this era! Just like Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju, one could only mention Uchiha Madara when referring to Hashirama Senju, and vice versa. "Jiraiya, report the news from the front lines." Seeing No Chen seated, the Third Hokage's gaze fell on Jiraiya.
Seeing Jiraiya's downcast face, he suddenly straightened his expression, his anger flaring up. His tone sharply dropped, and he cursed: "Quickly explain the detailed focus of Sunagakure's attack!" "I, I understand!" Jiraiya quickly stood up, picked up the battle report from the front lines, and just as he was about to read it aloud, his already dejected face became even more so. Clearly, the intel sent was yet another report of battle failure. Looking at Jiraiya's pained and conflicted expression, No Chen secretly chuckled. If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, he would definitely burst out laughing! "Well, our front line has been breached again. Sunagakure's front-line troops have likely, likely already broken through to the Kikyo Pass area."
With that, Jiraiya lowered his head in shame, not daring to look into the Third Hokage's eyes. As the chief commander of the operations against Sunagakure, he could be said to be the culprit of the defeat. Kikyo Pass was already deeply encroaching into Konoha's heartland. "Sit down, Jiraiya." Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage's face remained normal, speaking without joy or sorrow. His tone didn't convey much blame; he knew this couldn't be blamed on Jiraiya. The opponent was essentially deploying three Kage-level powerhouses simultaneously. Jiraiya, with two fists, was no match for four hands. This was not his fault. "Orochimaru, do you have any good strategies to break the current stalemate?" The scene was exceptionally quiet.
The Third Hokage could only look at Orochimaru with an expression of seeking help; among his three disciples, Orochimaru's mind was still the most intelligent. "Hmph, what good strategy could that dead snake have!" As soon as the Third Hokage's words fell, Jiraiya immediately retorted without hesitation. Although his voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, no one present was an ordinary person, and it clearly reached everyone's ears. Orochimaru and the Third Hokage, of course, splendidly ignored Jiraiya. Tsunade looked as if she had seen it all before, clearly well-accustomed to such exchanges. After all, while Orochimaru and Jiraiya were good partners, they also had a certain competitive relationship. "At present, all we can do is dispatch ninjas to resist, and they must be the most elite." After a moment of contemplation, Orochimaru said in his raspy voice, leaving Sunagakure unchecked was impossible.
All they could do now was send elite ninjas to slow down the enemy's advance. Hearing this, the Third Hokage nodded; he also thought the same. He inevitably looked towards No Chen. Almost all of Konoha's high-level combat forces were burdened with heavy missions; only No Chen was free. "I have no problem resisting Sunagakure." No Chen spoke plainly, his tone filled with absolute confidence. For No Chen, it was truly not a difficult task to defeat a mere Kazekage. "However, even if I repel the invading ninjas, it's only treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Simply inflicting pain on them is meaningless. 'Wild grass never burns out; it sprouts again with the spring breeze.' I'm sure you all understand this simple truth without me having to explain it." A chilling voice, carrying boundless killing intent, spread outwards. The surrounding temperature dropped to freezing point.
Looking closely, one could only see No Chen's indifferent small face etched with an evil smile, his handsome features covered in frost, his raw killing intent making one feel intimidated. "It's better to break one finger than to injure ten. We must completely break Sunagakure's backbone, so that they never again dare to challenge Konoha!"