Chapter 15
OROCHIMARU-The Snake Sanin
Summons were perhaps the most interesting and useful tool a shinobi could employ. Especially his own summons, which, much like the slugs summon of Shikkotsu forest and the Toad Summons of Mt. Myoboku, were legendary summons, bringing with them utility and prowess that were in a way second to none.
"Hahaha, interesting," he whispered as he uncovered one of his eyes, through which he was monitoring the counteroffensive that was said to be launched by Izuna Uchiha.
"It seems he has been keeping us all fooled," Orochimaru whispered as he shook his head, amused and impressed by the boy's audacity. He mist have known that many of them were keeping an eye on him, and so he had vanished into thin air, and they all had thought him to be a blunted weapon after his team's massacre.
They had thought him to be demotivated and done.
But the boy had been working hard in secret. Those moves and techniques—he could see the hours and hours of training that would have been needed to master them—the precision, the control—it was all now at a much higher level than a chunin.
The boy had single-handedly slaughtered Kumo's forces, and then there was the last attack. The little trap he had set for the boy, and yet the boy had emerged out of it unscathed, killing the Kumo-nin, despite his trap not working, despite being exhausted.
The boy won. The dust and the smoke had made it difficult for him to see how. But still, he had won, and that was no small feat. Not at all. One could even argue the case that the boy was ready to be a jounin, and to be a jounin at nine. That was something with no precedence. Even Namikaze, the genius he was, and Hatake's child, were in the double digits when they were ready for the title.
However, it seemed to him that the Uchiha boy had an edge on them. And even that in ways more than one. For if the boy had hidden himself even in the village, that spoke of intellect and a suspicion that went beyond normal.
Could it be that the boy suspected foul play in his team's demise? It would make things a lot interesting. And was that why Danzo was so adamant to rid himself of Izuna Uchiha?
"So, is this the power that you fear so much, Danzo?" he whispered as he stood up and headed towards the Kumo stronghold's main encampment, not bothered much by his failure. For the boy would hardly suspect him of this little ploy.
"Just what do you see with those eyes of yours? " If Danzo's guess was right and the boy did have the more advanced form of the Sharingan, the Mangekyo Sharingan, then it would make things even more interesting. Especially given how he had defeated the half-dozen Kumo-nin in the last place, even after the tempered seal had blown up.
The boy had defeated all those Kumo-nin in an instant. He had been able to make out, how. But it had happened in the blink of an eye, and that made Izuna Uchiha a threat. A grave threat.
As he walked forward, a whole unit of Kumo-nin lay there, all twitching in pain as poison littered the air, decimating an entire unit as he headed towards their main encampment.
"AHHHH!" a Kumo-nin jumped towards him from behind, his skin already peeling away as he swung his kunai at him from behind as Orochimaru walked towards the main camp.
THUNK!
"Finally, you are done, you damned snake," the man gasped out as blood gushed out of his mouth, as his kunai pierced Orochimaru's back, and as the Kumo-nin stood there laughing, Orochimaru turned his face towards him.
"Is that so?" and then the man's eyes widened as Orochimaru's body glew, and in a second blew up in a massive explosion.
"Now I cannot let a kid do all the work, now can I...."
"Shit, an exploding clo...."
BOOOOM!
BOOOM!
Smoke filled the area. Orochimaru emerged from the ground right in the middle of the main Kumo encampment, the one where the commander was stationed.
"Let's end this," and with that, Orochimaru bit into his thumb as he cycled through a set of familiar handseals. As he gathered chakra, the Kumo-nin finally felt his presence as their eyes widened in fear at the sheer amount of chakra he had gathered.
"Enemy behind the lines! Retreat...." one of them commanded. Some jumped away from him, and others went towards him as Orochimaru struck his hand on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu:....."
BOOOOOM!
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And the battle afterward was rather straightforward as Orochimaru decimated the main enemy camp until only a handful of Kumo-nin remained, including the one-eyed Commander, Dodai of the Rubber Release.
The man stood defiant as he led a small team of elites, as he stood there to face him as Orochimaru looked down on them from above his Giant Summon, Manda. That gluttonous beast had already devoured a dozen or so men and was eyeing the Kumo-nin infront with a hungry gaze as Orochimaru smirked.
"It seems to me that luck is on your side, Dodai," he commented in frustration as the man frowned. While none of them could sense the danger rushing towards them at breakneck speed, he could. And it was not something he was either ready or enthused to face.
The thundering chakra rushing towards them—he had felt it before, even faced it, and for all his strength, he knew that he was not yet a match for it. Not even if he was at his full strength, and right now, he had used up half his reserves destroying the Kumo camp.
"I do hope for your sake that we do not meet again, Dodai," and with that, he turned towards Manda.
"It is time to go, Manda," he hissed, and the snake hissed at first in frustration, yet one look from him and the snake turned around and began to retreat as Orochimaru whistled loudly, giving the signal for retreat.
And as Konoha's forces pulled back, the once major Kumo encampment was all but reduced to a shell of itself, as hundreds upon hundreds of men lay dead, with even more injured, poisoned and otherwise decommissioned.
Only a few minutes later did they realize the reason for the quick withdrawal of the enemy forces. As Dodai stood there helplessly, suddenly, lightning struck the ground. The eyes of the Kumo-nin widened as the towering figure of the Raikage emerged from the cloud.
"Where is the enemy?"
0000
KUSHINA UZUMAKI
For the first time in a year, the village was filled with joy, pride, and excitement as news of their massive victory against Kumo reached it. The change in their demeanor and expression was obvious as Konoha celebrated the rise of a new hero.
No—not the rise. But the re-emergence.
Many in the village had begun to doubt her student, begun questioning the talent and prowess of the boy genius that was Izuna Uchiha. They had thought his career over as he and his team suffered such a massive setback on their first major outing.
However, the boy reminded them rather quickly why Kumo had been so quick to target him and why he was as feared as he was.
The Devourer and a thousand more monikers were being given to him as word about his deeds reached the village. Konoha faced imminent danger from two fronts—The North and the West, manned by Kumo and Iwa, respectively.
Of the two, Kumo was the one most prepared for their offensive. Their massive offensive force had nearly hamstrung their defensive efforts for months, and with their massive offensive force gathering, an attack from them was even more imminent than Kumo's, who were further away.
But all that advantage had been decimated in a single night, as the combined attack from Izuna and Orochimaru-sama of the Sanin broke Kumo's camp, dealing them heavy losses, losses that would take them months to recover buying Konoha valuable time as they chose their offensive.
"That will shut down those old coots," she commented as she found herself in the Uchiha district, having come to celebrate this joyous news with her only friend.
"I do hope so," Mikoto added as she sat beside her on the porch, and she seemed somewhat proud and yet more worried. And she was as well, for this would just paint a bigger target on his back.
"Don't worry so much," Kushina cut in as she slapped her friend slightly on the back.
"Izuna-kun will be just fine. He is made of far sterner stuff than people realize. I doubt he has not even used a couple of his trump cards yet," and she knew that for certain.
"I just hope that they will return safely, both of them," Mikoto added as she turned to face her.
"Speaking of that, I believe I have some news of mine own," her friend began as Kushina frowned as she saw Mikoto reach for her belly, as she smiled at her.
"I believe I am with child once more," she said. For a second, the words did not register, and when they did, her eyes widened.
"Wow! Third time," she gasped in joy as Mikoto nodded with a flushed face.
"Yes, I had been feeling sick for a few days and suspected it. So, I visited the hospital, and it was confirmed. I am pregnant again," and Kushina hugged her friend.
"I am so happy for you," she whispered as Mikoto smiled.
"I know that is why you are the first person outside of Fugaku to learn the news," and she smiled warmly at that, proud of the importance she gave her.
"Damn, I am going to be an aunt again. It's going to be so fun," she balked, and Mikoto nodded.
"Yes, but I do hope that the war would end before he is born," she heard her wish, and saw her face shift as she looked to the sky softly.
"This war, it has already taken two of my children. I can just hope that it ends before this one is born," and that was her hope as well.
And the hope of any mother whose child was on the battlefield.
"Indeed," and as she found herself looking at her friend's flushed face, she found herself somewhat envious of her. Envious of her privilege of a family, something that she lacked.
She had Minato, but she wanted a child of her own. Someone who shared her blood, Uzumaki's blood.
Perhaps it was time, though. She had improved a lot over the years, and her hold over the Kyuubi was now as solid as Mito-sama, and yet she knew that the village would not let her.
Not until this was still going on.
"I hope so as well that this all ends soon," she added as she looked to the skies and imagined the future she wished for.
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0000
FUGAKU UCHIHA
Fugaku smiled as he read the latest report and directive from the Village and felt proud of his son's achievements. Izuna had broken the back of Kumo's offensive, giving Konoha a chance to counterattack, and now, with Kumo on the backfoot, the village wished for them to expand their advantage.
"Make Preparations," he spoke to his second in command as he burnt the order.
"Our orders have changed," he informed all the unit commanders gathered in his tent. Most of them were from the Uchiha clan, and they were stationed a bit below from where Izuna's camp was and were holding their own line against the Kumo's forces.
"We will be receiving reinforcements from the village soon," he informed them.
"Our next mission is to launch a surprise offensive against the second host that is being prepared from Kumo. Failure is not an option," he announced sharply because he understood just how important this offensive was for them.
This was their moment. Konoha's moment. With this counterattack, they could take Kumo out of this war, and with only Iwa and Kiri to deal with, Konoha would be in a better place to negotiate from a place of power.
Their forces were well-rested and better equipped than Shikaku Nara's unit and had only faced smaller skirmishes.
"But, sir, the enemy's line on this side is still intact. Wouldn't it be better to attack them from the Shikaku Nara's camp," a commander asked, and it was a legitimate question and observation.
"Kumo will be making the same assumption," he answered and saw the men's eyes widen in realization.
"That is why they will try to shore up their defense on that side, giving us the opportunity to strike their second host with a surprise. The decision is made, and you all have your orders. Prepare accordingly. The offense will begin in a week...."
0000
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