Soma scrutinized Kisame.
Even though their battle strategy had succeeded, Kisame's face showed no sign of joy. Besides exhaustion, there was a trace of urgent concern.
"Kisame, what's wrong?"
Kisame quickly took out the Sword of Wisdom.
"Soma, the Dragon Slayer is unresponsive."
Soma took the Sword of Wisdom.
In the next moment, a heavy sensation came over him. If the previous Sword of Wisdom had given off a vibrant feeling, now it emitted a gloomy, desolate aura.
But Soma was not too worried.
Such a change was something he had felt above the Skeleton Emperor. When the Third Mizukage delivered a full-force attack and consumed nearly all the soul energy, the Skeleton Emperor would exhibit this behavior. And as the Third Mizukage's soul power gradually recovered over time, the Skeleton Emperor's aura would also restore.
Genji had already described the situation on the battlefield.
Soma knew that when Kisame was on the brink of life-threatening danger, the Dragon Slayer had unleashed its power to protect him.
But such a burst of power certainly comes with a cost.
Kisame was concerned about this.
"Don't worry."
Soma handed the Sword of Wisdom back to Kisame and said.
"Dragon Slayer has just fallen into a deep slumber. As long as it's given enough time, it will recover."
"Before that happens, the Sword of Wisdom's abilities can still be used as usual."
"It won't have too much impact on your strength, Kisame."
Upon hearing Soma's response, Kisame relaxed his expression.
"That's good."
His concern was not for his own strength but for Dragon Slayer.
Dragon Slayer could be quite foul-mouthed.
However, Kisame had long considered Dragon Slayer his friend, partner, and ally, even though Dragon Slayer was just an awareness within the Sword of Wisdom, not a living being.
"Kisame, congratulations. You managed to hold off Orochimaru and then resist Jiraiya. Your reputation in the ninja world will surely soar, and no one of the younger generation can compare to you."
"Just like Minato Namikaze from Konoha back then."
Kisame shook his head.
"I'm still not strong enough."
"The existence of the Sword of Wisdom has already given me a tremendous advantage."
"But Orochimaru merely used Taijutsu and Summoning Jutsu to completely suppress me."
"And then Jiraiya's attacks were even more terrifying."
"I almost couldn't hold on."
"No, I didn't hold on."
"It was Dragon Slayer that saved me."
"I dragged down the Sword of Wisdom."
This made Kisame realize that while a powerful Ninjato can indeed provide a great boost to one's strength and make one's overall power very formidable, one must keep up with it as well. Otherwise, one becomes a weakness to the Ninjato.
"Kisame, you don't need to blame yourself too much. At your age, reaching this level of strength is already quite impressive. Jiraiya and Orochimaru are both top-tier Ninjas with long-standing reputations."
"Their strength ranks among the top in the entire ninja world."
"What you've achieved is already very impressive."
"You still have time, and you can continue to grow. In the future, you will certainly surpass them."
"Among the younger generation, Konoha's Hatake Kakashi, Hidden Rock Village's Kitsuchi, Hidden Cloud Village's Darui, and Hidden Sand Village's Baki are all far inferior to your performance."
"If they faced Orochimaru or Jiraiya, they would have been defeated long ago."
"Even holding on for a moment is a difficult task."
Kisame may have been defeated, but he held out for a significant amount of time.
Other Ninjas of his age simply couldn't have done it.
Of course, this is in comparison to normal Ninjas.
Ninjas like Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Sasuke, and Naruto Uzumaki, who have extraordinary abilities, are exceptions.
Just after joining the Akatsuki Organization, Uchiha Itachi defeated Orochimaru with a single Genjutsu.
At sixteen, Naruto Uzumaki had already developed the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
And Hidden Sand Village's Gaara, at sixteen, had already succeeded as Kazekage.
However, it's worth noting that Gaara when he first became Kazekage might not necessarily be a match for the current Kisame.
Gaara's attacks are almost all Ninjutsu, whether from Gaara himself or from Shukaku's Chakra.
The Sword of Wisdom can absorb all of these.
In Soma's view, Kisame is setting his standards too high.
After this battle, Kisame has lost twice. Both times he was at a disadvantage. In one fight against Jiraiya, he nearly lost his life.
However, the evaluation of Kisame in the ninja world has not only not decreased but has actually increased.
"Kisame's strength might have already touched the edge of Kage-level."
"Orochimaru and Jiraiya are seasoned top-tier Ninjas."
"To hold on for such a long time against them, considering Kisame's age, is actually a victory."
"Bear in mind that the current Mizukage of Hidden Mist Village, Yagura, is not a match for Orochimaru in a one-on-one fight."
"What level will Kisame reach in the future?"
"The strongest Mizukage in history?"
Kisame sighed.
"But this time, the village suffered such heavy casualties. I watched them sacrifice one after another, falling one after the other, but I could do nothing. That sense of helplessness is very distressing."
"Soma, what do you think I should do to make up for this flaw?"
"Taijutsu Ninjas and Summon Beasts pose a significant restraint on me."
Soma pondered for a moment.
"There isn't a quick-fix solution. You can only improve slowly over time, just like my Forging Technique—step by step, through time and training, you accumulate."
In reality, it is not that Taijutsu Ninjas and Summon Beasts restrain Kisame. Rather, Kisame restrains Ninjutsu Ninjas.
Therefore, when facing Taijutsu Ninjas and Summon Beasts, Kisame can only rely on his own strength to fight.
Currently, Kisame's own strength is certainly inferior to Jiraiya and Orochimaru's.
Even if, during the battle, Jiraiya and Orochimaru's Ninjutsu had been "deleted."
"But there is a method that can help you get through this stage."
Kisame's eyes lit up.
"What method?"
"Trust in your comrades."
Soma asked, "Kisame, are you familiar with Ryukame?"
"Hoshigaki Ryukame? My cousin?"
"Exactly."
"We were close when we were young, but as we grew up, we gradually had less contact."
"Ryukame is currently developing a swordsmanship style called Stable Rock Style. It has very good effects against sword-wielding Ninjas and Taijutsu Ninjas, and it can complement your situation perfectly."
"Stable Rock Style?"
"It uses the Broad Sword as the main combat tool, focusing on both offense and defense, excelling in defensive counterattacks."
Kisame's brow furrowed slightly.
"Can I learn this Stable Rock Style?"
"If you want to attack and defend simultaneously, it is possible, but it will require a significant amount of time and effort, just like improving your basic attributes and abilities."
Soma said, "Instead of learning Stable Rock Style, you might be better off spending your time on Chakra Absorption Technique, Water Release, and Taijutsu."
"The efficiency might be higher that way."
Kisame thought for a while.
"Soma, you're right, but can they withstand Taijutsu attacks of Jiraiya and Orochimaru's level? Especially considering the immense power of those huge Summon Beasts."
Soma smiled.
"One person might not be able to withstand it, so what if it's two people? If two can't do it, then three."
"And, while they are indeed skilled in Stable Rock Style, it doesn't mean they won't use Ninjutsu."
Kisame nodded.
Confirming that Dragon Slayer was fine eased Kisame's mind. He then detailed the war to Soma, focusing on Orochimaru and Jiraiya's abilities, experiences, strategies, and techniques.
"Indeed, they are Sannin. They are incredibly strong."
"Each one has the strength of a Kage."
...
Konoha.
"Sarutobi-sensei, Minato, I'm sorry. I've let you down."
Jiraiya did not return to Konoha; instead, a handwritten letter from Jiraiya arrived.
The mission against the Mist Village failed.
However, life in Konoha still had to go on.
Jiraiya led a portion of Konoha Ninjas to the northeastern border of the Land of Fire, facing off against Ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village.
Orochimaru led a portion of Konoha Ninjas to the northwestern border of the Land of Fire, confronting Ninjas from the Hidden Rock Village.
The remaining Shimura Danzo continued to fight against the Hidden Mist Village, just as before.
But the situation in Konoha had deteriorated significantly compared to before.
In a major battle, the Hidden Mist Village suffered severe losses, but Konoha's losses were also substantial.
In this situation, fighting on three fronts was extremely difficult. There was immense pressure in terms of numbers, stamina, and morale, forcing them to continually retreat.
Jiraiya looked at the Hidden Cloud Ninjas across from him and recalled the previous battle with the Mist Village forces.
He had exerted absolute pressure on Fuguki. But just as he was about to kill Fuguki, Ao appeared.
After switching opponents, just as he was about to kill Kisame, the Sword of Wisdom unleashed its hidden power.
As a result, the entire operation failed at the last moment.
That power shocked Jiraiya.
For a moment, he didn't react in time, and when he realized it, it was too late to respond.
The immense explosive force forcibly pushed his attack back and sent him flying over a hundred meters.
Gamagoro, who was even closer, suffered devastating damage.
This made Jiraiya feel deeply guilty.
He couldn't ensure the success of Konoha's mission.
Kisame, Ao, and Fuguki—he could have killed them all.
But he sacrificed Gamagoro.
Now, Jiraiya not only lacks the courage to face the village, Hiruzen, and Minato, but also cannot face Mount Myoboku.
It had been a long time since Jiraiya had experienced such a complete and utter failure.
"The Hidden Mist Village raid failed, and I bear the responsibility. So this time, I must firmly hold you back to atone for my mistakes."
"I won't allow Konoha to suffer any more losses."
"I, Jiraiya, hereby swear!"
"As long as I am here, you shall not advance."
In comparison, Danzo's pressure was somewhat lower.
The Mist Village Ninjas, after a major battle, were mostly in poor condition.
Fuguki, Ryukame, Ao... all were in such a state.
Only Raiga maintained a relatively good condition.
Moreover, in terms of numbers, Danzo's army had only a slight advantage in this matter.
It was incomparable to the Hidden Cloud Village or Hidden Rock Village.
After all, in the previous great battle, the Hidden Mist Village had suffered numerous casualties.
"Orochimaru-sama, it's bad. The Hidden Rock Ninjas are advancing again."
Orochimaru's face was grim and unpleasant.
Previously, when facing Kisame, Orochimaru felt he was about to take down Kisame, but suddenly there was a swap of opponents.
The almost-defeated Kisame became Jiraiya's opponent.
Orochimaru's opponent turned into the reinforcements, Ao.
An unusual fire dragon severely injured him.
To Orochimaru, the injury was minor.The hit to his reputation was the big issue.
It was unacceptable for someone of his stature as one of the Three Sannin to be heavily injured by a mere Jonin from the Hidden Mist Village.
Currently, Orochimaru was not yet the "scientist" version of himself from the original storyline.
The "scientist" Orochimaru would no longer care about worldly "trivialities," honor, or face. If he couldn't win, he would simply run; "research" had become the only thing Orochimaru pursued.
Orochimaru wanted to deal a heavy blow to Ao to regain the situation.
But at that moment, Jiraiya issued a retreat order.
Orochimaru wanted to buy some time, at least to get a chance to counterattack Ao.
However, Jiraiya invoked Sarutobi Hiruzen.
This forced Orochimaru to retreat as well.
Thus, the situation, which could have been—Ao heavily injuring Orochimaru, with Ao unable to withstand Orochimaru's counterattack, and Ao losing the battle—changed to this: Ao heavily injuring Orochimaru, with Orochimaru unable to resist and fleeing.
In the former scenario, Orochimaru could still maintain his strong image.
But in the latter, Orochimaru suspected that there were probably countless people in the ninja world laughing at him.
Those people had no idea of his and Ao's true strengths and only judged based on superficial and brief results.
Orochimaru felt he had suffered significant losses in the village affairs.
The position of Hokage was lost just like that.
What was initially promised as a fair competition, based on ability, was quickly undermined when Minato Namikaze secretly took the "backdoor."
In this great battle, he also suffered greatly.
He put in a lot of effort, endured severe blows, lost face, and became a stepping stone for Ao.
"Is such a village really worth all that I have sacrificed?"
A thought emerged in Orochimaru's mind.
"Everything is false, everything is deception…"
"Only science does not deceive."
"The more effort you put in, the greater the reward."
"There is no backdoor dealing."
"There is no external pressure."
"And, it's interesting. The rewards you can gain far surpass the killing and fighting between these Ninjas."
"Perhaps I should step down from the position of a combat Ninja."
"War is unfruitful"
...
Hokage Building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Minato Namikaze stood by the window, overlooking the entire village.
Both were in a bad mood.
Both had grim expressions.
"Lord Third, let me go to the battlefield! The village's situation is dire now, and I want to fight for the village."
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head.
"With the village's current situation, even with you, Minato, on the battlefield, it wouldn't change things. After all, we are facing attacks from three fronts; you can't simultaneously support all three battlefields."
"Moreover, the village needs you as Hokage."
"Our operation this time was indeed too naive."
"The most crucial part of the intelligence we received about the Hidden Mist Village was false. The Hidden Mist Village's reinforcement speed was much faster than we anticipated."
Minato Namikaze frowned.
"Lord Third, this is something I also don't understand. The false intelligence must have been deliberately provided by the Hidden Mist Village, but if Hidden Mist Village is doing this, their own casualties and losses are also severe."
"Is it worth it for them to put us in a worse situation just to achieve their goals?"
"Sacrificing themselves and us to benefit other Ninja villages?"
"Could they all be madmen?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze flickered.
"The people of the Hidden Mist Village are indeed mad, but this time, it is highly likely that there is a third party hidden in the shadows."
"Third party? Lord Third, who could it be?"
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