Chapter 144: In Pursuit of the Enemy
Orochimaru looked at the fifty-two ninja before him. After narrowing his eyes and thinking, he decisively gave his command: "The three members of the Eighth Squad, excluding Aokiya, will follow the medical ninja to protect the forty medical personnel and continue to the Western Front. You must arrive within the mission's allotted time, or you will be expected to commit honorable suicide! As for the rest of you, you will follow me. We must eliminate this Sand Ninja squad that has penetrated deep into our country's heartland!"
Orochimaru's words were like a large stone thrown into a calm lake, immediately stirring up great confusion among the medical ninja, who did not understand his order.
Orochimaru said nothing more, simply looking coldly at the bodies strewn across the ground.
The group discussed among themselves, but when they, like Orochimaru, looked at the scattered corpses, they calmed down and thought things through. Unanimously, every medical ninja now looked at Orochimaru with a new measure of admiration and respect.
They understood the difficulty of Orochimaru's decision. Any enemy squad capable of passing through strictly blockaded war zones and infiltrating the nation's interior must possess great strength. This meant that by making this choice, Orochimaru and the others were heading toward one mortal danger after another.
Not only that, but Orochimaru was also tasked with delivering them, the medical ninja, to the front line.
Yakushi Tenshu was astonished by Orochimaru's judgment. He wasn't surprised by the order itself; he fully understood the value of his medical corps and the immense boost in sustained combat ability and survival rate that they would bring to the entire Western Front.
On the battlefield, a second lost, or even a slight imbalance in power, could determine the outcome of an entire engagement, let alone the huge impact that forty Konoha medical ninja would have on the Western Front.
Orochimaru's decision was a wise and cruel one. Furthermore, Yakushi Tenshu vaguely sensed that this decision had the potential to change the entire trajectory of the Western Front battle.
A moment of silence fell over the area.
The Anbu ninja, being the elite of Konoha and dedicated to following orders, accepted Orochimaru's decision without any complaint.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" The group answered in unison, their expressions showing unprecedented respect.
Orochimaru nodded, then continued speaking calmly: "Good, begin the operation!"
Swish, swish, swish! Following Orochimaru's command, the forty medical ninja, along with the three Anbu ninja, plunged into the forest in the direction of the Western Front.
As Yakushi Tenshu entered the woods, he couldn't help but turn his head. Through the gaps in the leaves, he took a deep look at the figure of Orochimaru standing proudly in the clearing, his eyes filled with a complicated, unspeakable emotion.
The remaining group, including Chi and Orochimaru, totaled eleven people. Three were Jōnin, and the rest were all Elite Chūnin, making for a formidable team.
After Orochimaru and the others buried the villagers' bodies, he slowly revealed his final plan: "Once we eliminate this Sand Ninja squad that has raided behind enemy lines, I have a way for us to impersonate them and return to the Sand Ninja's rear, turning the tables to deliver them a 'grand gift'—one that could change the entire situation on the Western Front! Believe me, when this is done, you will be the heroes of all Konoha!"
Orochimaru's words were a heavy shot of adrenaline for the group. Everyone's eyes burned with anticipation and fighting spirit.
Jiraiya, who had been left behind by Orochimaru and was already excited, became practically uncontrollable upon hearing the plan: "Oh yeah, we'll be heroes, ha ha! Stupid Sand Ninja, prepare to face the wrath of Lord Jiraiya!"
Jiraiya's antics quietly dispersed the last trace of solemnity in the squad. Everyone looked at Orochimaru with eyes full of confidence and excitement.
Their eyes all conveyed the same message: they believed Orochimaru could lead them to create yet another miracle.
Brilliant light shone in Orochimaru's dark-golden eyes. With utter confidence, he commanded: "Sakumo, summon your ninja dogs and search for any remaining clues within a ten-mile radius!"
Hatake Sakumo nodded, swiftly forming the summoning hand signs. With a boom, a thick plume of white smoke slowly dissipated, revealing five large ninja dogs. At Sakumo's command, they instantly shot out in all directions.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, pulled out a detailed map of the Land of Fire and began studying it carefully, estimating the likely path of the raiding Sand Ninja squad.
In less than five minutes, four of the ninja dogs returned, shaking their massive heads—adorned with Konoha headbands—in frustration. There were absolutely no remaining clues, indicating the enemy was well-prepared.
Just then, the last ninja dog finally arrived, late, but bringing surprising good news for Orochimaru and the others.
Orochimaru stood by an ordinary towering tree, watching the ninja dog's actions.
The large black ninja dog went to a pile of rotten leaves and dug out a dead, mottled lizard about one meter long.
Orochimaru's powerful spiritual energy swept over it, keenly detecting a subtle, residual fluctuation of unusual Chakra.
Orochimaru smiled with realization. The lizard was clearly killed by being caught in the jutsu used by the village-slaughtering Sand Ninja.
However, the lizard's tenacious life force had significantly prolonged the dissipation time of the Chakra fluctuation, finally allowing Orochimaru and the others to seize this minute flaw.
Orochimaru looked back at the position of the lizard and the direction corresponding to the clearing. He then cross-referenced it with the map. His dark-golden eyes suddenly focused on a single point on the map: To-machi.
To-machi was the largest logistics hub for the entire Western Front, making it the clear destination for the enemy's raiding ninja.
Now certain of the enemy's objective, Orochimaru immediately pointed to the icon for To-machi on the map and stated: "By comparing this clue to the location and direction of the clearing, I can confirm that the enemy raiding squad is heading toward To-machi, the largest logistics hub on our Western Front. From now on, we must sprint at full speed toward To-machi. We must intercept them before they arrive!"
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" The group roared their assent, their battle spirits blazing.
They shot off like black shadows, plunging into the depths of the unknown forest. They didn't know what dangers awaited them, only that they had to kill this Sand Ninja squad that had raided the heart of the Land of Fire.
Rustle, rustle, rustle! The strong wind whipped the leaves, as if an aura of killing and bloodlust was quietly descending upon Orochimaru and his team.
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