Chapter 80: Why is Orochimaru here?
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As a squad leader, Sand Shinobi gritted his teeth in frustration as he tried to identify the ninja responsible for the disturbance. He knew it was the Yamanaka clan's secret technique, but he couldn't spot anyone.
After a while, he finally located the Yamanaka clan ninjas and saw a group of them lying on the ground behind the Uchiha clan. The hundred or so Uchiha clansmen surrounding them provided protection.
It was then that Shinobi realized his squad wasn't the only one in trouble. The situation was dire throughout the entire Suna camp. The chaos had spread, and he knew they were in for a tough situation.
It is a unique ability of the Yamanaka clan, who use it for intelligence-gathering, coordination, and combat purposes.
However, this technique also has some drawbacks, such as leaving the user’s original body vulnerable, having a limited range and duration, and causing physical and mental strain to the user.
The user can also experience the target’s pain, emotions, and memories, which can affect their mental state. Therefore, this technique requires skill, concentration, and caution to use effectively.
The Yamanaka clan's mind-transfer technique is undoubtedly a powerful jutsu, capable of turning the tide of any battle.
This is precisely why the clan formed a three-way alliance with the Akimichi and Nara clans, collectively known as the Ino-Shika-Cho.
Their combined efforts proved to be a force to be reckoned with, often inflicting severe damage on their enemies on the battlefield.
During battle, the Akimichi clan and other skilled ninjas take their place at the forefront to maintain the first line of defense. Alongside them, the Uchiha clan stands ready to form the second layer.
Despite the presence of civilian ninjas in the ranks, under the competent leadership of the Akimichi clan's ninjas, they quickly learn to defend themselves against any attackers. However, their adversaries, the sand ninjas, remain at a disadvantage.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoes across the battlefield, followed by thick smoke and dust.
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Kagawa was in a bad mood, and his morale was low after the short clash. Around one hundred Sand Ninja had fallen against Konoha camp.
"Where the hell are the puppet troops?" he bellowed. "They should have been here by now!" Kagawa couldn't be certain whether any of his people were dead or alive.
The plan had been to crush the Konoha camp with their puppet army, which was equipped with poison senbon.
They had the numbers on their side and expected an easy victory despite the annoyance of the Yamanaka and Uchiha clans. But he knew something had gone wrong.
Despite their plan, only a handful of puppeteers had shown up, and they had now fallen.
The rest of the ninja army was nowhere to be seen. Kagawa felt a chill in his spine as he realized something was very, very wrong.
In the midst of the chaos, Konoha Shinobi ambushed him from behind.
"What!" Kagawa sensed someone approaching.
"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms."
But he was a step late as the Konoha Shinobi struck him with gentle strikes.
"Two palms."
"Four Palms, Eight Palms, Sixteen Palms, Thirty-Two Palms... Sixty-Four Palms."
One strike after another landed on Kagawa. The only thing he could think about was how fast the punches were.
After he lauched the final blow, Kagawa managed to get a look at his enemy's face.
Shinobi had black hair and white eyes, which looked as if they were seeing through his soul.
Ryuichi, the Konoha shinobi, assumed a combat stance, not letting his guard down as he stared at the apparent leader of the Suna camp.
Kagawa gasped for air. The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms had hit him, leaving his chakra system blocked. Despite his pain, he still had a smirk on his face.
"Hey, Hyuga... Go to hell!"
He spat, clamping his hand over his mouth. Unbeknownst to Ryuichi, a puppet crept up behind him, poised to launch a sneak attack.
"How?" he wondered, panic creeping in. His Byakugan granted him 360-degree vision, yet he had been so focused on Kagawa that he hadn't noticed the two puppeteers.
“Puppet Technique: Senbon Barrage.”
The sand ninja puppeteer grinned as he manipulated his puppet to attack with a barrage of senbon.
Kagawa watched in delight as his squad men avenged him, but in war, the situation changed faster than one could predict.
Just as he was about to give the order to deliver the final blow, a gust of wind rushed past him. A pair of yellow, snake-like eyes met his gaze, and he found himself staring at the infamous Konoha ninja, Orochimaru.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands"
A technique that allows the user to summon several snakes from under their sleeve, deploying them against a target as a surprise. The snakes can attack or capture targets by biting or constricting them.
Kagawa heard a snake’s hiss as Orochimaru summoned snakes from under his sleeves.
Kagawa got a good look at the legendary Sannin—a pale-skinned ninja with long hair, an eerie smirk, and a kunai gripped firmly in his left hand. He muttered to himself, "Orochimaru... What is he doing here?"
Before he could contemplate the matter further, Orochimaru plunged the kunai into his heart. Kagawa fell to his knees, gasping for air, confusion and pain clouding his thoughts.
Why is Orochimaru here? He had given up on life; his chakra was sealed; he couldn't run, even if he wanted to.
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On the other side of the battlefield, Kaito gazed at the thirteen-year-old Baki with his piercing red eyes, a smile spreading across his face.
"You're pretty good, little boy!" he exclaimed, impressed by Baki's talent.
As a jōnin and a member of the Uchiha clan, possessing the two-tomoe Sharingan, Kaito was considered a genius among his peers. Most Shinobi would not last this long against him, yet this kid already did and was still fighting. Kaito couldn't help but hold high regard for him.
Meanwhile, Baki studied Kaito warily, as if he were confronting a formidable opponent.
"Was that your clan leader just now?" Baki inquired and was skeptical.
“Hey, yeah. Surprised?”
Kaito responded with a smug grin. He did not know what had happened, but judging by the shock on the child's face, he knew that his leader must have done something amazing.
Why didn’t Kaito know? Because Fugaku is moving ahead, leaving behind only a trail of destruction for Kaito and the Uchiha clan squad to follow.
Their primary objective was to defeat the puppet troops of the Suna camp, and with the help of Fugaku's clone, they believed they could hold the Suna camp.
Thanks to their Sharingan, they could effortlessly avoid the poison senbon and Suna's traps. They had gas masks and kept an eye out for enemy puppet squads.
Nevertheless, the defense line was too extensive to pinpoint the enemy puppet troops' exact location. As a result, they had to search all over the place.
To their surprise, they discovered that one of Fugaku's clones had already engaged the puppet troops. The Suna camp's puppet troops utilized techniques with hidden weapons and surprise attacks, and a puppeteer with a puppet was just like having two ninjas.
The puppets also had different roles and functions. If these deadly weapons entered Konoha’s camp, they would cause chao. Fugaku couldn’t let that happen.
Baki gritted his teeth and contemplated retreating. He knew that Fugaku was not only a formidable ninja but was also immune to poison. They had no chance against him.
Kaito seemed to anticipate Baki's thoughts as he smirked. "Come on, don't worry about our clan head. I'll play with you."
Soon, Kaito began to toy with Baki in a one-on-one duo. Despite Baki's determination and best efforts, the thirteen-year-old fell short against Kaito's advanced skills.