The leader of the Ninja looked at Sora in disbelief.
The kunai he had thrown at Sora had struck true—or so it seemed. Yet, Qianyu's body became translucent and reappeared on the other side of the battlefield.
There were clear signs that he had fallen under an illusion.
But... when had the illusion taken hold?
The Ninja leader's body trembled as he recalled the moment Sora had attacked him with the Qi-Type Fire God Slash. At that instant, he had seen Sora's spinning Sharingan.
With a grim expression, the leader muttered, "So that's it... I was caught in a Sharingan genjutsu back then."
Sora nodded, a faint smirk on his lips. "Exactly. It seems you've only now realized when it happened. I told you I wouldn't kill you outright, so of course, I left myself a contingency plan.
But to be honest, I don't usually rely on illusions. I prefer straightforward combat. This is actually the first time I've used genjutsu on someone."
The Ninja leader, face darkened with frustration, replied, "Impressive. If you had more chakra, I, an Elite Jōnin, might truly have fallen to you. But your chakra reserves are too low, and your genjutsu's effectiveness is severely diminished.
Normally, illusions cast through ocular jutsu can only be broken when someone disrupts the victim's chakra flow. However, there's another way to break it!"
A kunai gleamed in his hand before he drove it into his own thigh.
The sharp pain snapped the Ninja leader out of the genjutsu.
He yanked the kunai free and glared coldly at Sora. "You've run out of options now, haven't you?"
But the smile on Sora's face only grew brighter. "Me? Out of options? No… you're the one who's out of options."
A calm voice came from behind the Ninja leader. "Tatsuji, you've lost to my disciple."
The speaker was none other than Orochimaru, who appeared behind Tatsuji like a shadow.
Tatsuji didn't dare attack. He let out a heavy sigh instead. Orochimaru's arrival left him with no room to resist.
With a bitter smile, Tatsuji said, "The strength of a Great Ninja Village truly runs deep. The legendary Sannin, Konoha's White Fang, countless powerful bloodlines, and secret techniques… And now, even your newer generations have reached such heights.
Since your disciple didn't kill me, it seems he wasn't lying. I have no choice but to live according to your plan. But make no mistake—small villages like ours have no real voice in these matters."
Orochimaru's tone remained calm as he replied, "I have no intention of humiliating you. Even if you cooperate with us, a full-scale war between Konoha and Kumogakure won't spill over into your Yugakure."
A faint glimmer of hope lit up Kuroiwa Tatsuji's weary eyes. "What exactly do you want from Yugakure?" he asked cautiously.
Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed. "We will retreat immediately. Afterwards, you will ensure that Kumogakure withdraws its forces from Yugakure and restores your village's neutrality."
Tatsuji frowned deeply. "I already told you—our small village holds no sway. Kumogakure has already established a presence here. It will be difficult to make them leave."
Orochimaru's voice turned cold and threatening. "Konoha's forces came here with one goal—to strike at Kumogakure. Yugakure is merely collateral.
That alone should give Kumogakure a reason to withdraw from your village. And let me make one thing clear—if we discover that even a single Kumogakure shinobi remains in Yugakure in the future… Konoha will return. And when we do, our attacks will focus solely on your village."
Tatsuji understood Orochimaru's intent.
Tatsuji's attack on Yugakure had caused severe losses to the village. Now, Yugakure had every justification for demanding that Kumogakure withdraw its forces, citing that the village could no longer sustain such damage and needed to return to a neutral stance.
After all, Kumogakure had failed to fulfil its initial promise to protect Yugakure's shinobi and civilians.
The reasoning was clear: Kumogakure had failed Yugakure, leaving the village to fend for itself against Konoha.
Despite this, Tatsuji was consumed with grief and anger, for he had realized the full scope of Konoha's strategy.
This wasn't just an attack on Kumogakure—it was also a calculated move to force Yugakure to abandon its alliance with Kumogakure.
If Yugakure sided with Kumogakure, Konoha would continue to target the village.
Orochimaru, observing Tatsuji's expression, guessed that the leader of Yugakure had misunderstood the true purpose behind Konoha's attack. But he saw no need to explain. The plan had already succeeded.
For the sake of his village's survival, Kuroiwa Tatsuji would have no choice but to restore neutrality and demand Kumogakure's withdrawal.
Orochimaru himself would make sure that all Kumogakure shinobi stationed in the Land of Hot Water understood the consequences of defying Konoha.
Once Konoha's forces withdrew, they could immediately begin advancing their front lines. The sudden attack on Yugakure, followed by a swift repositioning, would convince Kumogakure that Orochimaru had brought reinforcements to the Land of Hot Water. This alone would ensure that Kumogakure refrained from making any hasty moves.
Turning to the small toad perched on his shoulder, Orochimaru said, "Relay the message. Tell everyone to regroup at the entrance to Yugakure. The plan is complete—we're retreating."
In the distance, Namikaze Minato watched the scene quietly. His gaze lingered on Sora, his expression complex, before he turned to support the other shinobi.
Orochimaru approached Sora and extended a hand to him.
Using Orochimaru's arm for support, Sora slowly stood, his legs trembling with exhaustion.
"Can you still move?" Orochimaru asked.
Sora shook his head. "My body is completely overdrawn. I can barely stand, let alone walk."
Without a word, Orochimaru turned around and crouched, offering his back. "Get on. I'll carry you."
Sora blinked in surprise, momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to offer such assistance.
Without hesitation, Sora climbed onto Orochimaru's back, allowing the older shinobi to support him.
As Orochimaru carried him forward, he spoke calmly, his tone carrying a hint of approval. "You performed admirably in this mission, especially against Tatsuji. While he's only the leader of a small ninja village like Yugakure, he's still an Elite Jōnin.
If you had more chakra, you might have defeated him outright. Regardless, this was a solid effort. The battlefield is the best place to grow stronger. Each fight is a battle for survival, and your first experience has already set you on the path of improvement."
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sensei," Sora said sincerely. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Sensei, would you say Tatsuji is one of the weaker Elite Jōnin?"
Orochimaru nodded. "That's correct. Yugakure lacks the resources and heritage of a Great Ninja Village. A typical Elite Jōnin from Yugakure is no match for someone like me or Jiraiya.
At the highest levels of power, the gap between shinobi depends less on raw skill and more on access to exceptional ninjutsu, secret techniques, and bloodline abilities. Kuroiwa Tatsuji relies on relatively common techniques—ones that are well-known and widely spread throughout the ninja world. Because of that, you were able to keep up with him in combat."
Sora sighed, his voice tinged with frustration. "I see. Still, Tatsuji's experience in battle is undeniable. I was confident that my Fire God Slash would take him down, but I never expected him to come up with a counter so quickly."
Orochimaru's voice turned sharp as he warned, "Sora, remember this—no shinobi in the ninja world is to be underestimated. Treat every battle as if it's life or death because one careless mistake can cost you everything."
"Yes, I understand, Orochimaru-sensei. I'll remember that," Sora replied with determination.
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