Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan flared red as his hands rapidly formed seals.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive fireball surged forward, roaring toward the Kusanagi ninja whose body was still partially merged with the ice mirrors.
"Tch. How annoying."
The Ice Release user had been prepared. His mirror sank into the ground just as the fireball closed in, and the ice wall along the fireball's path vanished with it.
Meanwhile, just after Kakashi had taken down one of the enemy ninja, his instincts screamed a warning. He quickly countered,
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
Rumble!
A solid stone wall erupted from the ground, intercepting the fireball just in time.
Kakashi turned toward the origin of the flames. With the chakra-rich mist and walls cleared, it was easy to identify the caster.
"Sorry about that," Shisui said awkwardly. "I'll handle the mirrors!"
With the mist, mirrors, and terrain interference, their visibility was poor and close-range fighting dangerous. Unless they broke through the technique, they'd just keep getting dragged into a war of attrition.
"I'm counting on you." Kakashi nodded. He trusted Shisui—and after that misfire, he knew Shisui would act carefully.
"Susanoo!"
At Shisui's command, a radiant green Susanoo burst forth from his body. First a skeletal frame, then layers of muscle, sinew, and ethereal armor cloaked it. Even though it manifested only from the waist up, its strength was overwhelming.
With a single swing of its spiral blade, it tore a massive hole through the dome of ice mirrors—shattering the jutsu in an instant.
"Kuh…!"
As the fog lifted, the Ice Release ninja appeared on a nearby treetop, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. Two other Kusanagi ninja stood beside him.
"That chakra... The Uchiha's forbidden dojutsu?"
He clicked his tongue in frustration. "Figures. Just my luck to run into someone like this…"
Kakashi prepared to advance, but just then, the Hyūga ninja handling surveillance appeared beside him.
"Captain, two more enemy squads are approaching."
Kakashi frowned but made a swift decision.
"We're pulling out. Now."
They were deep in enemy territory, and there was no telling how many reinforcements the enemy had. Their mission wasn't to win a battle—it was to protect the samurai and get them safely home.
"Understood!"
The emerald glow of Susanoo vanished. Moments later, the Konoha ninja retreated into the jungle with the Iron Country warriors in tow, vanishing into the trees.
The enemy didn't pursue.
"Tch. You took your sweet time getting here." The Ice ninja growled as two more figures landed beside him.
"Hmph. You signaled too late."
A large man with two red dots on his forehead punched a nearby tree. A bone blade shot out from his arm, blasting a hole clean through the trunk.
"Because of you, I missed out on a real fight."
---
Two Days Later – Hokage's Office
Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi narrowed his eyes as he finished reading the mission report.
"Ice Release users? From Kusanagi?"
"Yes," Kakashi confirmed. "The reinforcements also included a ninja with Shikotsumyaku—the bone pulse. Likely from the Kaguya clan of Kirigakure. They're probably missing-nin, now working with Kusanagi."
He'd suspected as much. Even during their retreat, he'd slowed down, leaving traps behind. The enemy hadn't taken the bait—clearly, they were experienced.
One of the Hyūga in his squad had previously fought Kirigakure's bloodline users during the war. He recognized the support squad's captain on sight. That kind of coordination hinted at a deeper connection between the Grass and Mist villages.
"Could be a full-scale defection," Kakashi added.
Hiruzen didn't respond immediately. He took a long puff of his pipe, smoke curling between his fingers.
"You're dismissed, Kakashi."
After the jonin left, Hiruzen turned to the other figure in the room.
"What do you think?"
"I think the Land of Grass has allied with the bloodline clans from Kirigakure," Orochimaru said, licking his lips. He'd already heard as much from the Lamp God. And Kabuto's intel confirmed the Akatsuki's involvement behind Kusanagi.
"Unlikely," Hiruzen muttered. "There's major civil unrest in the Land of Water. The bloodline clans and regular ninja are tearing each other apart. The Mizukage has been holed up for half a year—there's no unified leadership in Kirigakure."
That was true. If it hadn't been separated from the mainland by ocean, the other villages would've already capitalized on its instability.
Orochimaru tapped his chin. "Then perhaps it's the bloodline clans themselves who sought out Kusanagi."
"That, I believe." Hiruzen exhaled slowly. "But the timeline doesn't add up. The Iron Country only fell ten days ago. How did they organize a cross-border alliance in that time?"
The answer was obvious: Obito. No one knew Kirigakure better, and with him pulling the strings, it was all too easy.
But Orochimaru kept that to himself.
Instead, he smiled.
"We can discuss that later. For now, what matters is bringing the Iron Country's remaining warriors to Konoha—and convincing them to cooperate with my research."
"I've already arranged for their reception," Hiruzen replied, giving him a sidelong glance.
"The persuasion is your responsibility."
"That won't do." Orochimaru chuckled darkly.
"If I approach them directly, the high mortality rate will scare them off. But if they come to me—desperate, determined, willing to pay the price—then they'll endure the process."
Hiruzen's expression darkened. "You really are… despicable."
"Like teacher, like student." Orochimaru smiled.
"Why don't you leak some details to Mifune and the others? Let them know the bloodline clans have taken control of Iron Country. Show them how difficult it'll be to rebuild. Then... offer them Konoha's support—just subtly enough."
"That'll weed out the weak." Orochimaru's grin widened.
"The ones left standing… will come to me on their own."
Hiruzen stared at him for a long moment.
"...I'll make the arrangements."
"I'll be waiting," Orochimaru said, turning to leave.
But just before stepping out, he paused.
"Oh—and watch Danzo. He's been... restless lately."
_____________________
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