Sora sensed a force of approximately eighty ninjas up ahead. Realizing the scale of the threat, he immediately deactivated the Flame Thunder God technique and signalled a halt. The Konoha shinobi from the rear hadn't caught up yet, leaving him momentarily isolated.
Frowning, Sora began to analyze the situation.
'Why are there so many shinobi ahead? Could Kumogakure have anticipated our breakout and stationed reinforcements here?'
But something didn't add up. If Kumogakure had planned for this, there would have been no reason to send those fourteen shinobi to intercept them earlier. As he sharpened his sensory perception, Sora noted that among the eighty or so shinobi, at least twenty were Jōnin.
Quietly, Sora decided to investigate. He approached stealthily, remaining hidden to observe the group ahead.
When the shinobi came into view, Sora's eyes widened slightly.
'Konoha forehead protectors? They're Konoha shinobi.'
Surprised but unwilling to let his guard down, Sora created a Shadow Clone, which stepped forward to confront the group.
The Shadow Clone called out, "Are you the Konoha shinobi sent to support Yuno Kuni?"
Most of the shinobi in the group recognized Sora immediately. From among them, a man with spiky, pineapple-shaped hair stepped forward and addressed him.
"You're Sora, right? We are the Konoha support force sent to Yuno Kuni. I'm Nara Shoji, the acting commander of this unit."
Sora's clone scrutinized them carefully before asking, "How did you arrive so quickly?"
Nara Shoji replied, "Hokage-sama informed us that the situation in Yuno Kuni was dire. We mobilized immediately, minimized rest periods, and advanced at full speed to get here as soon as possible. Where are Orochimaru-sama and Jiraiya-sama now? Do you know?"
Sora's attention shifted to a black-haired shinobi with white eyes among the group. Without hesitation, he addressed him directly.
"Are you from the Hyūga clan? Can you use the Byakugan? Activate it now!"
The Hyūga shinobi frowned in response to Sora's blunt tone. The Hyūga clan, being the second most prominent in Konoha, was proud of its heritage, and this command grated on the shinobi's sense of pride. He hesitated, clearly displeased at the demand.
Nara Shoji noticed Sora's bloodstained clothing and dirt-covered body, along with the strong scent of battle lingering around him. It was clear that Sora had just been fighting. Understanding Sora's caution, Shoji turned to the Hyūga shinobi and spoke calmly.
"Shouji, activate your Byakugan. Sora is just verifying our identity."
The Hyūga shinobi, though still unhappy, obeyed the acting commander's order. Gathering his chakra, he activated his Byakugan, veins protruding around his eyes as his vision expanded.
Satisfied, Sora dismissed the Shadow Clone Technique, allowing his real body to step out from the shadows.
Nara Shoji looked at him with mild surprise. Sora's level of caution was unexpected but justified, given the circumstances. It made sense that Sora wouldn't reveal his true self until he had absolute certainty about their identity.
Sora addressed Nara Shoji seriously. "I am the commander of the Konoha forces currently stationed in the Land of Hot Water. Kumogakure attempted to surround and eliminate us. I tore an opening in their encirclement and led our troops out. They're still behind me. I need you to move quickly and intercept them."
After Sora's explanation, many in the support force exchanged glances and muttered among themselves, their expressions carrying hints of contempt. It was clear that some among the support forces were unimpressed by Sora's tone or approach, but he paid no attention to their reactions.
Many among the support force thought Sora was exaggerating.
With Orochimaru and Jiraiya present, why would leadership fall to a 13-year-old? To them, Sora being in charge was nothing short of absurd. Seeing Sora alone now only deepened their suspicions—it looked as though he had abandoned the others and escaped on his own.
Most of the Konoha shinobi already had a poor opinion of Sora. They quickly assumed he had fled the battle, leaving his comrades behind.
But Nara Shoji thought otherwise.
First, it was Sora's composure. As a leader, staying calm under pressure was crucial. Sora's demeanour had been steady and unflinching, even when verifying their identities moments ago. An escapee wouldn't have maintained such control.
Second, there was Sora's background. Though not well-liked in Konoha, there was no denying his identity as Orochimaru's disciple. While it might seem unusual for a 13-year-old who had only recently joined the battlefield to lead, being trained by one of the Sannins suggested he had extraordinary talent.
Shoji immediately issued a decisive order. "Everyone, move to retrieve our comrades at once!"
Leading his forces, Shoji advanced to provide support.
Thanks to the path Sora had carved through the unformed Kumogakure encirclement, more than twenty Konoha shinobi had managed to break free. However, the Cloud shinobi were in pursuit, forcing the survivors to flee under constant threat.
When Shoji's reinforcements arrived, they quickly organized a counterattack. Faced with over eighty Konoha shinobi, the pursuing Cloud shinobi panicked and retreated in disarray.
As the situation stabilized, Sora observed the reinforcements closely. He noticed that most of them were from Konoha's prominent ninja clans. It appeared that all the village's civilian shinobi had already been assigned elsewhere, leaving only members of the ninja clans available for deployment.
Konoha was composed of many ninja clans, both large and small, meaning that clan shinobi often outnumbered civilian shinobi. Additionally, the skill gap between them was significant. Clan shinobi often possessed secret techniques passed down through generations, giving them a considerable edge over their civilian counterparts.
The arrival of reinforcements brought a wave of relief. Many of the surviving shinobi wept openly, overwhelmed with emotion. They no longer had to endure the relentless high-intensity combat that had pushed them to their limits.
When the reinforcements learned that Sora was truly the commander of the survivors and that his efforts to clear a path had saved so many lives, they were stunned. Their earlier doubts gave way to astonishment.
Meanwhile, Sora rested against a tree, finally allowing himself a moment to relax. His body and mind had been under constant strain since arriving in the Land of Hot Water. The brutal combat and tactical decisions had pushed him to his limits.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya soon joined the main force. After hearing Shoji's report, Orochimaru gave a slight nod. "You've done well. Your support arrived just in time. With your help, our plan has been a complete success."
Shoji turned to Orochimaru, curious. "What exactly was the plan?"
It was Jiraiya who answered, outlining the operation's details. As he listened, Shoji felt his scalp tingle.
'This is insane,' he thought.
No wonder the surviving shinobi had cried upon seeing the reinforcements. Under Orochimaru's command, the number of Konoha shinobi had dropped from over ninety to barely twenty. Nearly seventy had been lost.
Shoji couldn't deny that Orochimaru's plan had been extremely risky. But its effectiveness was undeniable—their current position was now only six kilometres from the border.
Six kilometres might not sound like much, but it was a critical distance. Being this far from the border gave them strategic breathing room and the ability to consolidate their position. If they had remained at the border, even with reinforcements, advancing further would have been a monumental challenge.
What shocked Shoji even more was learning that the plan had been devised by none other than Sora. Orochimaru, who had based the entire operation on his disciple's strategy.
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