When the Anbu of Konoha arrived, all they could do was watch as Raikage and the Jinchuriki ran away. Looking over at Uchiha Sogetsu, he had collapsed, and Elephant felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit upon seeing this scene.
Konoha's hope, the hero who had saved everyone, was now lying on the ground.
How did it come to this?!
At this moment, Elephant felt immense regret and hatred for himself. Why hadn't he been more forceful earlier?
If only he had been a bit more insistent and had followed through, maybe this wouldn't have happened! But unfortunately, there's no such thing as a pill for regret.
Elephant picked up the unconscious Uchiha Sogetsu and ran toward the Konoha headquarters without stopping, repeatedly muttering, "Hang in there! You must hold on! Konoha can't be without you, Lord Sogetsu! You absolutely cannot have an accident!"
Soon, carrying Uchiha Sogetsu on his back, Elephant burst into the Konoha camp, shouting for medical ninjas.
Several medical ninjas surrounded the unconscious Uchiha Sogetsu, conducting detailed checks. Various instruments were attached to his body, and medical jutsu maintained his vital signs.
"What on earth happened?!"
Elephant was pacing anxiously, sweat covering his forehead.
He couldn't bear to imagine how devastating it would be if Konoha lost another hero.
"Lord Elephant…"
After the examination, a medical ninja hesitated, his expression complicated.
"Speak!"
Elephant's gaze was fierce.
"After the examination, Lord Sogetsu's body… has a very serious illness." The medical ninja gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "It seems to be a blood-related disease, likely caused by Lord Sogetsu's Sharingan, and he is on the verge of blindness."
"What did you say?!"
It was like a thunderclap, leaving Elephant's mind blank. "No, no way! This must be a lie!"
He couldn't believe that such a powerful person could suddenly fall ill and be on the brink of blindness.
"It must be your mistake!" Elephant could no longer hold back. He rushed up and grabbed the medical ninja, his face twisted in rage as he shouted, "Check again! Check it thoroughly! Otherwise, I'll take your life!"
"Let him go, Elephant."
At that moment, the unconscious Uchiha Sogetsu woke up and weakly spoke.
"Lord Sogetsu, you're awake?"
Elephant dropped the medical ninja and rushed to the bedside, looking at Uchiha Sogetsu's pale face, his heart heavy with bitterness. "I'm sorry, Lord Sogetsu. If we could have just held on a little longer back then, maybe you wouldn't be this exhausted!"
He blamed all the faults on himself.
"No, you did very well, Elephant." Uchiha Sogetsu's face was pale as he weakly raised his hand to pat Elephant's shoulder, offering comfort. "Don't blame anyone else. I understand the side effects of these eyes, but I have no regrets. At least this power can protect everyone, and that's worth it."
Elephant's eyes were slightly red and sore as he held back his sorrow, tightly gripping Sogetsu's hands. "No, you did well, Lord Sogetsu."
"Don't speak of my matters to anyone else."
Uchiha Sogetsu said softly, "Konoha is in great danger right now. We must not let them find out, understand?"
"Yes, Lord Sogetsu."
Elephant fought back tears and nodded in response.
"The Cloud Shinobi have been temporarily repelled." Uchiha Sogetsu took a deep breath and continued, "There are still the Sand Shinobi, Mist Shinobi, and Rock Shinobi to worry about."
"Lord Sogetsu, please rest for a while!"
Elephant couldn't bear to see him dragging his weakened body back to the brutal front lines of war.
"No, it's not time to rest yet."
It was clear that Uchiha Sogetsu wouldn't agree, stubbornly insisting, "Elephant, I know my own body. My eyes are going blind quickly. I want to make one last contribution to Konoha while I can still see. I don't want to lie in bed, and I absolutely can't lie in bed!"
As he spoke, he pushed himself up from the sickbed again.
"I still have things I must do!"
Uchiha Sogetsu's actions made Elephant unable to hold back any longer, tears streaming down his face.
"But if you use those eyes again, your body won't be able to handle it!"
At that moment, Elephant wished desperately that this young man could take a break, even for just a day. He didn't want him to be so exhausted or to drag his sick body into the cruel front lines of war.
"Just a little more… one last effort."
Uchiha Sogetsu managed a faint smile, trying to reassure Elephant. "Trust me, the war will be over soon."
Orochimaru returned to Konoha from the front lines and headed straight for the Hokage building.
He pushed open the familiar wooden door and, after several months, walked back into the office, only to find everything had changed.
"I didn't expect that after all the fighting, this position would end up being yours," Orochimaru said, hands tucked in his sleeves, wearing a white kimono. His narrow eyes squinted as he examined the young man before him. "Speak up. You called me back for something?"
Sitting in the Hokage's seat, Uchiha Sogetsu cleared his throat twice, a weak flush on his face. "Orochimaru, if you're willing, I can let you sit in this position."
"No."
Orochimaru's expression was unchanged; he seemed unfazed. "Right now, I have no interest in the Hokage position."
In the past, hearing this might have excited him or left him at a loss, even a bit pleased.
But after experiencing so much, Orochimaru suddenly felt that spending his limited life on the boring pursuit of power was a waste.
"Cut the nonsense. Let's get to the point. Why did you call me back?" Orochimaru fiddled with his nails, lacking enthusiasm.
"The situation at the frontlines with the Rock Shinobi is complicated. If I'm not there, that old fox will definitely seize the opportunity. If we delay too long, something big will happen."
"I called you here to ask for your help with something."
Uchiha Sogetsu coughed a few times, blood pooling in his palm. "What do you think we should do to end the war in Konoha now?"
"The side effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan are that serious?"
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened as he noticed the blood on Sogetsu's palm, his brow furrowing. "Given your current condition, using that power again will lead to problems quickly, right?"
Though he wasn't deeply versed in the research on the Sharingan, years of conducting human experiments allowed him to see the issue Sogetsu was facing.
"It doesn't matter."
Sogetsu waved his hand dismissively. "Orochimaru, how do you think we can quickly end the war?"
"Delay."
Orochimaru replied calmly, "To win, we can only drag things out, until they collapse or an opportunity arises."
"True, but the problem is Konoha can't hold out much longer."
Sogetsu spoke hollowly. "So, I plan to end the war as soon as possible."
"How will you do that?"
Orochimaru became a bit interested and asked curiously.
"With this."
Sogetsu placed a prepared scroll on the table, his gaze fixed on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru approached, opened the scroll, and his pupils constricted. "This… The advisor won't agree to this. Are you crazy?!"
"No. But"
Uchiha Sogetsu nodded and said, "To end the war quickly, we can only use this method!"
"Hehe, interesting."
Orochimaru licked his lips, excitement flashing in his eyes as he looked at him with curiosity. "I didn't expect the Uchiha clan to produce someone as bold as you."
"Are you willing to do it?"
Uchiha Sogetsu stared directly into his eyes, waiting for Orochimaru's answer.
"Ha, why wouldn't I dare?"
Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile, and a hint of madness crossed his handsome face. "If you dare, why shouldn't I? The Edo Tensei technique is just right. I want to see the legendary Wood Release for myself!"
********
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