After finalizing the necessary arrangements, Orochimaru delegated the remaining tasks to his deputy and personally led the Third Squad on their mission.
Uchiha Kiyo had a nagging feeling that he had forgotten something important.
In the early days of the Second Shinobi World War, Orochimaru had taken command of several squads on reconnaissance and assault missions.
Now, the Third Squad, under his leadership, departed from the Konoha camp and moved toward the Sand Shinobi station.
Half a day later, they arrived ten kilometers from their target.
"We're close now. Be careful," Orochimaru instructed in a hushed tone.
"We've entered Sand Ninja's perimeter. Their station will be heavily trapped, and patrols will be frequent. Avoid triggering anything."
It was common sense that every major stronghold—whether Konoha's or an enemy's—would be surrounded by layers of defensive measures.
Without proper intelligence from spies, infiltrating an enemy camp directly was nearly impossible.
To avoid setting off any traps, the four of them reduced their speed significantly.
At that moment, Uchiha Kiyo's expression suddenly shifted.
He had just remembered something crucial.
In the original timeline, Nawaki Senju had died after falling into a pit filled with explosive tags during a mission—an event that had happened with Orochimaru present.
His heart pounded.
Wait… not this time, right?!
For a brief moment, worry flashed across Kiyo's face, but then he reconsidered.
Nawaki had been training under him for years and had even received extra instruction from Orochimaru.
With that knowledge and experience, surely he wouldn't be careless enough to fall for such a trap again?
"Kiyo, what's wrong?"
Orochimaru had noticed his sudden shift in expression, assuming he had sensed something.
"Ah, nothing," Kiyo quickly covered up. "I just had a thought about a ninjutsu concept, but it's a bit complicated."
Orochimaru gave him a sharp glance.
"Put that aside for now. We're in enemy territory, and we can't afford distractions. Stay focused."
Kiyo forced a neutral expression and nodded.
There was no point in explaining his concerns—it would sound too far-fetched, and Orochimaru wouldn't believe him anyway.
Besides, with Nawaki's improved abilities, the likelihood of him repeating his past mistake was slim.
Reassured, Kiyo turned his attention back to their surroundings, scanning for potential threats as they advanced.
---
"Take Nawaki and Shō and retreat! I'll handle them!"
Orochimaru's sharp command cut through the tension.
The Third Squad had been conducting reconnaissance when they unexpectedly ran into a Sand Ninja patrol.
Ordinarily, a patrol team wouldn't pose a significant threat, but they had failed to eliminate them before a distress signal was sent.
Moments later, Sand Ninja reinforcements arrived.
Recognizing that his students would be at a severe disadvantage in this confrontation, Orochimaru made a quick decision—he would engage the enemy alone while the rest of them withdrew.
With his skills, escaping afterward would not be an issue.
"Nawaki, Shō—move!" Kiyo barked, striking a Sand Ninja with a swift blow before dragging his teammates toward the Konoha side of the battlefield.
Their objective was simple: put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Sand Ninja camp.
They didn't need to return all the way to the Konoha base—just exiting the enemy's operational zone would be enough.
As they fled, Kiyo relied heavily on Earth Release jutsu, using a series of techniques to obstruct the pursuing enemies.
This was a result of his years of practice—he had optimized several B-rank Earth Release techniques, reducing their hand seals to just three.
However, there was a drawback.
While reducing the number of seals sped up activation, it also made chakra control less precise. The resulting jutsu were slightly weaker than their full-seal versions.
But at this moment, power wasn't the priority—buying time was.
Several earth-style techniques in quick succession created barriers and slowed the enemy's pursuit.
Under Kiyo's cover, Nawaki and Shō managed to escape the immediate threat zone.
Even as they ran, Kiyo kept an eye on the enemy force.
There were six pursuers—five elite Chunin and one special Jonin, based on their movements.
This wasn't a situation they could fight their way out of.
Unlike the Rain Ninja patrols they had encountered before, these were Sand Shinobi from one of the Five Great Nations. Their formations were tight, their tactics disciplined, and their skill levels high.
The risk was too great.
The last time, Kiyo had been forced into combat to rescue Sarutobi Shō, but this time, fighting was unnecessary.
He wouldn't take the risk.
Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, Orochimaru had no intention of dragging out the fight.
Unlike their previous skirmishes, where he had been gathering experience, this time he wanted to end things swiftly.
With a flicker of hand signs, he created two shadow clones.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A massive earthen dragon surged forward, intertwining with a water dragon, while powerful wind currents amplified their force.
The sheer pressure in the air made it difficult to breathe.
The Sand Ninja opposing him tensed.
"This technique… it's reminiscent of the Third Hokage's style," one of the older Jonin muttered grimly.
He had fought in the First Shinobi World War and had seen Hiruzen Sarutobi's devastating elemental combination techniques firsthand.
Now, his disciple, Orochimaru, was proving himself a worthy successor.
The twin dragons roared through the battlefield, crashing toward the Sand Jonin.
A deafening explosion followed.
Even a kilometer away, Kiyo and the others felt the tremor beneath their feet.
The ground shook violently.
Kiyo's eyes widened in shock as he turned toward the source of the explosion.
"Damn… is that the power of a top-tier Jonin?"
The sheer magnitude of the blast was overwhelming.
It wasn't just powerful—it was on the level of natural disasters.
"For someone like Orochimaru, who hasn't even reached the Kage level yet… this is already insane," Kiyo muttered to himself.
Just imagining a battle between actual Kage-level shinobi—such as Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Kazekage, or even legendary figures like Hashirama Senju—made his mind reel.
Was that level of power even something humans could achieve?
For a brief moment, doubt flickered in his heart.
But only for a moment.
Kiyo clenched his fists.
No matter how overwhelming it seemed, he refused to believe it was beyond his reach.
Meanwhile, back at the battlefield, the Sand Ninja who had been pursuing them had stopped, stunned by the scale of Orochimaru's attack.
The power gap between a Jonin and a top-tier Jonin was becoming painfully obvious.
Not only Kiyo, but Nawaki, Shō, and even the Sand Shinobi themselves stood in awe at the sheer devastation unfolding in front of them.
The battlefield was changing.
And so were those who fought upon it.
NOTE FROM AUTHOR :
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 45+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/HACKDWORLD