"That's just like you, Orochimaru!"
In the rear camp at Konoha's border, Tsunade shrugged after hearing Orochimaru's entire plan. She had no objections to the plan itself, but she strongly disagreed with the Third Hokage sending Danzo and his Root to "protect" her.
Tsunade held resentment toward the two elder advisors and even her teacher, the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. But Danzo? She outright despised him.
"As expected of Lord Orochimaru! This not only ensures the plan is carried out smoothly but also forces the Iwagakure spies hidden within Konoha to expose themselves.
By eliminating the spies and revealing the information about Hokge assistant Danzo, Iwagakure will be forced to act quickly.
With limited time, Iwagakure won't be able to make thorough preparations or gather precise intelligence."
Shizune looked at Orochimaru with admiration, realizing the deeper strategy behind his plan.
Iwagakure must be feeling torn right now.
If they send an assassination squad to kill Tsunade, they must act quickly. But with such urgency, their arrangements and movements will be far from perfect.
Since they were already prepared and had made predictions about Iwagakure's plans, it would be easy to deduce Iwagakure's setup and roughly estimate the timing of their attack.
If Iwagakure chose to wait instead, allowing time for intelligence gathering and executing a well-structured plan, by the time everything was in place, Danzo and his Root shinobi would have already arrived from Konoha.
This would make the assassination attempt much more difficult. Especially considering that once Konoha received intel, they would make countermeasures, possibly missing the best opportunity.
Acting now could mean falling into a trap.
Not acting could mean missing a golden opportunity.
After all, on a battlefield as brutal as this, Tsunade's presence was far more valuable than even a Kage.
Capturing her would be ideal compared to killing her, but that was far easier said than done.
"Prepare yourself. Before Danzo and the others 'successfully' arrive, Iwagakure will likely launch an 'offensive.' You need to be ready," Orochimaru said confidently.
"Are you sure that Onoki will follow your plan?" Tsunade clenched her fists.
"I understand that old man. He's cautious, but he's not afraid to take risks—so long as the benefits are great enough!
Your arrival has stabilized Konoha's border defense forces and prevented their total collapse. That alone is enough to make Onoki take this gamble.
What I can't predict is how much of his forces he'll commit this time." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel_fіre.net
As someone who had clashed with Onoki multiple times, Orochimaru believed he had figured out the Tsuchikage's mindset.
Thanks to his ability to read people, he had repeatedly managed to break the deadlock despite being at a disadvantage.
He had successfully held back the Iwagakure army at the Land of Fire border, preventing them from marching straight to Konoha.
In the following days, Iwagakure launched a relentless assault, seemingly intent on breaking through Konoha's battered yet resilient defense forces in one decisive push.
Among them, the army led by Higashi Shibito executed an unexpected raid, using sheer force to push Konoha's First Defense Unit—led by Miyamura Yagiri—into a desperate situation.
On a battlefield where blades clashed in close combat, Namikaze Minato—known to the world as the Yellow Flash—had just eliminated an Iwagakure squad that had infiltrated deep into the Land of Fire to disrupt supply lines. He had used his Flying Thunder God Technique to wipe them out.
Now, he quickly scanned the intelligence scroll delivered by a communication toad.
"Another mission, Minato-sensei?"
A masked, silver-haired youth carrying a short blade spoke upon noticing the familiar communication toad and the scroll in Minato's hands.
After surviving countless battles, Kakashi's aura had become even sharper—like a finely honed blade.
In the past two years, under Minato's deliberate guidance, his strength and battle experience had improved by leaps and bounds.
According to Minato, Kakashi's current skills and experience were already enough to qualify him as a Jonin.
A young boy wearing goggles, with the Uchiha clan emblem on his clothes, reluctantly turned his gaze away from Nohara Rin and looked at Namikaze Minato, groaning.
"Don't be like that, Obito! The situation on the battlefield isn't in our favor. As a mobile squad, it's our duty to provide support wherever needed," Rin said with a smile, trying to comfort him.
Through the trials of war, Rin had changed from the gentle girl she once was into someone with a more resolute presence. Her strength had also improved on the battlefield.
Though she couldn't compare to the genius Kakashi, she was already a qualified medical-nin who had mastered multiple medical ninjutsu.
"I'm not complaining," Obito quickly reined in his grumbling, scratching the back of his head. His tone instantly returned to normal, even carrying a hint of warmth.
"I need to go support Miyamura Yagiri."
Minato had already read the mission scroll. Orochimaru had detailed everything without omission, so Minato fully understood what he needed to do—arrive at the defense unit where Miyamura Yagiri was stationed as soon as possible and make an appearance in front of the Iwagakure forces.
"Are we leaving right away?"
Kakashi, after organizing his waist pouch and checking his ninja tools, ration pills, and healing tags, stood up and asked.
"Yes! Since the situation is urgent, I have to head there immediately. While I'm gone, as usual, Kakashi, you'll be in charge of the team."
Minato stepped forward and patted Kakashi on the shoulder. This wasn't the first time he had temporarily entrusted the squad to Kakashi, and Kakashi had always fulfilled his responsibilities as a team leader well.
The impact of Sakumo's death and the extreme beliefs it had instilled in him had gradually been reshaped over the years.
At the very least, Kakashi now cherished his two teammates. Even though he couldn't help but throw sharp remarks at one of them from time to time, making the other explode in anger, Minato could see that their bond had deepened significantly over the past two years.
"That's not fair, Minato-sensei!"
Obito, standing to the side, immediately started his usual complaints and grievances upon hearing this.
Minato Namikaze watched the three of them bicker with a gentle smile, then reached out to ruffle Obito's hair.
"If nothing unexpected happens, Kakashi will soon be promoted to Jonin. He might even become the youngest Jonin in Konoha's history. You have to work hard too, Obito!"
"Are we following the original plan and going to support other locations, Sensei?" Kakashi asked Minato to confirm their next move.
Since Minato had been assigned an urgent mission, their original task would either have to be abandoned or completed by them alone.
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