Hearing the number reported by Tsunade, the four advisers in the Hokage's office were stunned.
Twenty thousand? What kind of force was that?
In the Fourth Great Ninja War, the combined army of all five major nations totaled only 80,000. Even if Konoha was the strongest of the five villages, its own forces barely surpassed 20,000.
But Orochimaru alone had 20,000 troops?
How was that even possible?
Hiruzen and the others were utterly shocked. anwhile, Danzo's initial surprise quickly turned into growing ambition.
Twenty thousand clones, combined with Konoha's original forces, which were slightly over 20,000, could completely overwhelm any of the major ninja villages.
Orochimaru… just how far ahead had this man planned?
"When did he start developing this?" Hiruzen asked cautiously.
Though he had never personally seen cloning technology, he had at least heard of it. He knew it was capable of replicating soldiers, but producing an army of 20,000 was not sothing that could be accomplished overnight.
Tsunade, not intending to withhold information, revealed everything she knew about Orochimaru's preparations. After all, Orochimaru himself had approved her to share these details.
As Tsunade explained, Hiruzen found himself at a loss for words.
Nearly twenty years of developnt?
And these clones were all at jōnin-level strength?
After hearing the full account, Hiruzen criticized Tsunade for not reporting this earlier. But back when Orochimaru had first begun building his own village, it was under the guise of helping orphans and the displaced.
At that ti, how could Tsunade have possibly exposed the truth?
Most of Konoha's higher-ups reacted with growing concern. Only Danzo saw this as an unprecedented opportunity.
After all, why had Danzo valued Orochimaru so highly when they were younger?
It was because Orochimaru was different. Unlike the others, whether it was Hiruzen, Jiraiya, Tsunade, or Minato all of whom preferred peaceful resolutions, Orochimaru was a pragmatist.
Danzo had always struggled to relate to those who pursued peace. In Orochimaru, he had found soone who aligned more closely with his vision of strength and control.
When Orochimaru left the village, Danzo believed his own ambitions of becoming Hokage had been crushed. But Orochimaru's recent alliance with Tsunade gave him renewed hope.
And now, this revelation…
"If he truly has 20,000 troops, along with the Edo Tensei army and his own abilities, he could destroy any major nation!"
"Damn it… is there no way to stop him?" Hiruzen murmured, rubbing his temples as his headache grew worse.
---
In the forests east of the Land of Fire, twelve-year-old Kabuto lay on the ground, panting heavily.
Covered in dirt and blood, Kabuto was bruised and exhausted, his battered appearance a testant to the intense battle he had just endured.
"Here, drink this," Orochimaru said, sighing as he handed Kabuto a recovery potion.
"Th-Thank you, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied weakly, taking the potion and drinking it gratefully.
Orochimaru, however, had already shifted his attention. Rising to his feet, he walked toward the Kirigakure ninjas lying on the ground ahead.
Except for i, all the Kirigakure ninjas were unconscious, either severely or slightly injured, and bound tightly by vines.
i herself was restrained as well, the vines coiled around her like a predator holding its prey. Though she remained conscious, she was completely defenseless, her strength utterly drained.
She looked like a cornered animal, her once-fiery spirit subdued.
As Orochimaru approached her step by step, i closed her eyes in despair, resigning herself to death.
But to her surprise, the expected pain never ca.
Instead, she felt a hand lift her chin gently.
Startled, she opened her eyes to see Orochimaru's face inches from hers, his lips curved in a sly, mocking smile.
A wave of humiliation surged through her.
"Your strength isn't bad," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "But there's still much you're lacking."
"Just kill already!" i spat, turning her head away. She had given up resisting, but her pride burned.
Kirigakure hadn't wanted to fight this war, yet they were forced to obey the Fourth Mizukage's commands.
Her mission had been little more than a symbolic show of force. Every ti she led her team to "attack," Konoha had responded half-heartedly, seemingly understanding that Kirigakure had no real intention of fighting.
It had always been the sa—until today.
Who could have guessed that this ti, she would encounter Orochimaru of all people?
"Kill you?" Orochimaru's smile widened. "Hehehe… that would be too boring."
Swish!
Orochimaru raised his hand, and the vines binding i unraveled, retreating back into the ground.
For a mont, she was stunned. But before she could react, Orochimaru struck her abdon with his palm.
Bang!
"Fire Release: Infernal Lock!"
A searing heat coursed through i's body, spreading from her abdon and robbing her of strength.
Her legs buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her stomach in pain.
"What… what is this?" she gasped, her voice trembling as she felt her chakra vanish.
"This is a sealing technique I learned during my travels in the Land of Grass," Orochimaru explained casually. "It suppresses your chakra. If you stray too far from , the seal will activate, and you'll be burned alive."
"You… what do you want from ?" i asked warily, a sense of dread washing over her.
Orochimaru's lips curled into another smile.
"I'm heading to the Land of Water. You'll act as my guide."
"What? You want to betray my village? Don't even think about it!" i snapped, gritting her teeth in defiance.
Like most Kirigakure ninjas, she didn't fully understand the reasons behind Orochimaru's defection from Konoha. However, she did know that during this war, Orochimaru had used Edo Tensei to help Konoha achieve victory.
To her and her comrades, it seed as though Orochimaru's betrayal was a ruse, that he was secretly still loyal to Konoha.
Orochimaru chuckled at her resistance. "I have no interest in your village's secrets. My trip to the Land of Water is to save Kirigakure, not destroy it."
"Save Kirigakure? Don't make laugh!" i retorted, clutching her stomach as she forced herself to stand. "Kirigakure doesn't need an outsider like you to save it!"
Her hand reached for a kunai, which she gripped tightly before slashing at Orochimaru without hesitation.
But she was no match for him.
Without her chakra, her strength and speed were that of an ordinary person. Orochimaru sidestepped her attack effortlessly, grabbing her wrist and stopping her mid-swing.
"If you attack again," Orochimaru warned, his voice cold, "I'll kill all of your companions."
"You…"
Orochimaru released her wrist, then reached down to remove her ninja pouch, tossing it aside.
"If you want to end your own life, go ahead. But if you do, Kirigakure will truly be dood…"
*****
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