Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Hatake Sakumo had been ambushed by Iwagakure forces, suffering heavy losses. Now, they were being relentlessly hunted. Their current state was dire, and a rescue was essential.
"Wait…" someone in the command center called out, but there was no trace of Shinki left. He had already disappeared.
Nara Shikaku, still trying to process what had just happened, wondered aloud, "How did he know they were ambushed? How did he find out they were being hunted down?"
Before anyone could answer, Shinki was already on his way.
Back in the field, Jiraiya, who was still dazed after managing to contact the camp, let out a relieved sigh. "So… that means we're not going to die? Wait, Shinki is just a medical ninja. How is he going to rescue us?"
"Idiot," Orochimaru muttered, too drained to explain further.
Seeing Orochimaru's reaction, Hatake Sakumo chuckled weakly. "Orochimaru, I'm curious too. Mind explaining? We've got nothing but time right now."
Orochimaru opened his mouth, hesitated, but then relented for Sakumo's sake. "Shinki isn't just a medical ninja. He's incredibly strong. I'm not mistaken about this. He's created a large number of puppets, at least 500 of which are at the level of Jonin. Altogether, he has over a thousand puppets."
Orochimaru had previously hunted various powerful creatures as material for Shinki's creations, believing he could transform them into formidable puppets.
Sakumo's eyes widened as he processed the information. "Thousands of puppets… and at least 500 at Jonin level…" He drew in a sharp breath. Suddenly, the war felt almost pointless. With Shinki's puppet army, the battlefield could be transformed into a one-sided battle.
The thought left Jiraiya dumbfounded. He counted on his fingers, his face blank with realization. "Why didn't we send him to the frontlines sooner? If he'd been out there, we wouldn't be in this mess. Those puppets could scare the enemy senseless."
Even though it was only Orochimaru's account, those who knew him were aware he never exaggerated, especially not on serious matters.
Meanwhile, the search by Iwagakure forces intensified around the cave where the three were hiding. Leading the operation was Kitsuchi, whose orders were simple: find and eliminate the survivors. Konoha's most promising new generation had to be stopped before they matured further. This strategy of ambushing and eliminating talented young ninja was not new; all five great villages used it.
Konoha's preoccupation with the Sand Village had given Iwagakure an opportunity to strike.
At this rate, it wouldn't take long for Iwagakure to find the three. Orochimaru might have had some fight left in him, but Sakumo and Jiraiya were exhausted and badly wounded. Sakumo's bad luck had started earlier—after an encounter with Hanzo of the Salamander that left him injured. He had barely recovered before being thrust back into battle, only to be ambushed again.
Amidst the pouring rain, a massive eagle soared through the sky, heading directly for the cave.
Shinki had pinpointed the location of the trio through his puppet.
Looking down at the crowd of Iwagakure ninjas below, Shinki smirked. "Iwagakure doesn't play around. They either do nothing or go all in."
The scene was reminiscent of the ambush that had targeted Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya in the original timeline. Had it not been for Konoha's timely intervention, there might never have been any "Three Legendary Sannin."
Now, with Tsunade overseeing the village, history was repeating itself with Hatake Sakumo stepping into her place, and the outcome seemed all too familiar.
"Sometimes, being too famous is a curse," Shinki mused as he controlled the puppet's descent.
"Commander Kitsuchi, there's something in the sky!" a scout shouted.
The massive eagle dove down, drawing the attention of the Iwagakure forces. Abandoning their search, they prepared for whatever was coming.
"We're here. Get ready," the puppet crow in the cave signaled, its eyes glowing.
Orochimaru's face relaxed. Help had arrived, and it was fast. He hauled Sakumo up and shouldered the limp Jiraiya, who was too injured to move.
"Prepare for battle!" Kitsuchi barked, eyes narrowing as he scanned the sky. If this arrival was hostile, it could only mean reinforcements for their targets.
Shinki, undeterred by the rain, tossed a scroll and directed the eagle toward the cave.
"Watch out!" one of the Iwagakure ninjas shouted as the scroll descended rapidly. The group tensed.
The scroll unraveled midair, releasing dozens of figures onto the battlefield. Their glowing blue eyes shone ominously in the dark rain.
"What is this?" one Iwagakure ninja muttered. These figures wore their village's uniform, but something was off.
"Puppets?" another guessed. Then, recognition dawned. "Wait… aren't those Dayu and Jiro? But they're supposed to be dead!"
"Silence!" Kitsuchi's voice was stern. "These are not our comrades anymore. The enemy has turned their bodies into puppets!"
His words sent a wave of disbelief through the ranks.
The realization hit like a shockwave: Konoha had found a way to use fallen enemies as puppets. And if Shinki was behind this… Iwagakure had much more to fear.
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