Facing the overwhelming and terrifying momentum of the Konoha forces, Asō and Asaoka turned ashen. Cold sweat poured from their foreheads as they hurriedly explained, "Lord Sarutobi, esteemed Konoha Jōnin, we are simply people who take money to do jobs for others! We had no idea what Lord Maeda Take was thinking!"
"That's right, Lord Sarutobi, we are innocent!"
...
After listening for a while, Sarutobi stepped forward.
Orochimaru had played the 'bad cop' for him, so Sarutobi naturally took the stage to play the 'good cop.' He gave Orochimaru a silent look of approval, then smoothly said, "Enough, Orochimaru. This is not the time for internal strife!"
"Yes, Master Sarutobi!" Orochimaru turned and bowed.
Asō and Asaoka looked at Sarutobi's retreating back with deep gratitude, sighing in relief simultaneously.
Everyone then turned their attention back toward the stronghold.
Seeing the terrain—nothing but sand dunes providing zero cover for hundreds of meters—and the incredibly powerful defensive force inside the stronghold, Sarutobi felt a bitter pang. He knew they couldn't retreat. If they pulled back, burdened by over three hundred rogue ninja, they would only be chased down and gradually devoured by the enemy's numerous Jōnin. Moreover, the mission would be a failure, and the brutal consequences that followed were something Sarutobi could not bear.
With no other choice, Sarutobi had to issue the command for a full-scale assault.
"Kill!" Over three hundred ninja of varying strengths shouted a single, bloodthirsty roar.
The sound was like thunder cracking on flat ground. A staggering surge of killing intent, gathered from over three hundred ninja of varying strengths, rushed toward the stronghold without reservation, like a towering tsunami.
The three hundred-plus ninja, rousing the chakra throughout their bodies, charged toward the stronghold like an ocean tide.
...
Inada Fujino was a highly talented Suna ninja, and he worked incredibly hard. At the age of forty-five, in the last phase of his ninja prime, he finally achieved Kage-candidate level strength.
He was satisfied with this.
Sitting in his chair, a bored Inada Fujino couldn't help but think about his future plans. He intended to retire from his village duties after completing this final S-rank mission—guarding the stronghold in the Land of Rivers—and return home to spend time with his wife and teach his son.
With this thought, his wife's gentle face and his son's adorable smile surfaced in his mind.
A warm, happy smile appeared on his lips as he reminisced.
Suddenly, Inada Fujino sensed a powerful aura lurking not far from the stronghold. Immediately following this, an extremely powerful surge of killing intent instantly descended, covering the entire stronghold. A loud, aggressive battle cry was heard from a distance, followed by the sharp warning shout of one of their own sentries: "Enemy attack!"
Fujino instantly felt as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown on him. He shivered and his body stiffened. He frowned slightly upon seeing the panicked expressions of his subordinates.
Fujino was, after all, a forty-five-year-old ninja who had survived the First Great Ninja War.
Undisturbed in the face of crisis, he displayed a cool combat mentality and excellent command ability.
He rose from his seat and commanded in a deep voice: "Egawa, Tanai, Kawa, gather all the Jōnin! Quickly integrate all the Suna ninja, along with the rogue ninja, and come with me to meet the enemy!"
"Yes, Lord Inada!" The three Jōnin subordinates bowed in response and rushed out to execute the order.
They were, after all, ninja of a major nation. Once directed by a powerful commander, their disciplined military prowess was excellent. In just ten breaths, all the Suna ninja were ready, lined up in formation behind Inada Fujino, awaiting orders.
On the other side, not far from the Suna formation, four hundred rogue ninja also formed a loosely arranged, slightly crooked formation, waiting for Fujino's command.
By the time his subordinates reported that all the ninja had been assembled, Inada Fujino had already been observing the enemy from the lookout tower for a long time!
He easily recognized the resolute-faced man with the mighty aura at the front as Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Kage-level powerhouse of Konoha who had been famous since the First Great Ninja War.
The several powerful Jōnin closely following Sarutobi each made Inada Fujino's heart sink. He recognized the blood-red Sharingan of the Uchiha clan and the distinct white pupils of the Hyūga clan.
Even though Fujino knew his side had double the number of Jōnin, he was still apprehensive and had no confidence in the upcoming battle.
Hearing his subordinates' report, Fujino turned back to look at the fifty elite Suna ninja in the neat formation and nodded. However, he curled his lip in disdain at the four hundred rogue ninja on the side. In his opinion, these rogue ninja, with their inferior strength and weak fighting spirit, were an insult to the title of ninja!
In the crucial moment, Inada Fujino didn't go too far. He merely glanced at the rogue ninja, then released the formidable aura of a Kage-candidate level powerhouse and shouted, "Charge!"
The sky-high killing intent generated by the two ninja armies slammed into each other like two surging torrents.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!—
Strong convection currents suddenly surged up across the sand dune terrain for hundreds of meters. Yellow sand filled the air, buffeting the sporadic patches of green grass.
...
When Sarutobi and his companions saw the four hundred-plus rogue ninja and the fifty elite Suna ninja—composed of thirty-plus Suna Genin and ten-plus Suna Chūnin—charging out, they all cursed inwardly, unrestrainedly sending their regards to the eighteenth generation of Maeda Take's ancestors!
Upon seeing the sudden appearance of so many strong enemies, whose strength far exceeded their own, Orochimaru was quite excited. He licked his lips, curious about the potential effect of applying the core principles he had just grasped from the self-created ninjutsu in a real combat situation.
Sarutobi's sharp gaze quickly scanned the enemy's formation and strength. The powerful enemy force meant Sarutobi couldn't immediately devise a good strategy. Hardening his resolve, he turned and ordered, "Listen, Konoha Jōnin! The Kage-candidate level powerhouse is mine! You all do your best to hold off the remaining nine Jōnin. When I return, that will be our moment of victory!"
"Yes, Lord Sarutobi!" The four Konoha Jōnin responded in unison.
"If you cannot hold out until I defeat the Kage-candidate and return, then scatter and run for your lives!" Sarutobi continued, his voice heavy.
The hearts of the Konoha ninja sank. Asō, Asaoka, and the three hundred-plus rogue ninja were thrown into turmoil. If it weren't for the previous intimidating effect of Sarutobi and Orochimaru, the group would have dissolved into chaos, with many likely defecting or fleeing the battle.
Orochimaru silently followed right behind Sarutobi. A wicked, awe-inspiring, demonic arc curved at his crimson lips. The dark-golden eyes fixed on the opposing Suna and rogue ninja grew increasingly bloodthirsty and cold. His entire body was shrouded in a formidable, bone-chilling killing intent, as if wrapped in ten thousand years of cold ice!
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