The training grounds of Konoha were already filled with shinobi.Green-vested ninja lined up in neat rows, while others circled the perimeter, keeping out nosy villagers and—more importantly—enemy spies.
Among the assembled forces, many faces were still young. Orochimaru stood at the front, his golden eyes lowered, lips pursed. Half the unit before him were little more than kids—students who had been shoved out of the Academy and into the world far too soon.
A year of missions had toughened them, yes. They had seen blood, felt steel against their skin, and learned not to freeze in the shadow of death. But running D-rank errands and surviving ambushes was not the same as stepping onto the battlefield. War was merciless. Orochimaru knew most of them wouldn't make it back.
Still, this was what the Leaf had left to give. Hiruzen's so-called "mercy" had been not throwing the kids onto the frontlines immediately—using them instead to guard the village until now. And in preserving that conscience, he had dumped the responsibility squarely onto Orochimaru.
Orochimaru, of course, didn't care.
"For Konoha. May our blades bring glory."
"For Konoha!" the chorus roared, voices eager and naïve, their eyes shining with excitement. None of them understood they were marching toward hell. Orochimaru didn't bother with a rousing speech. His nature was cold, but even he felt the faint sting of leading lambs to slaughter. Just a sting. Nothing more.
He was about to give the order to move out when a scuffle broke out at the perimeter.
"I want to see Captain Orochimaru! I want to fight on the frontlines too!"
Orochimaru's brows twitched. All the village's usable shinobi were already standing here. Anyone left behind was either too valuable for defense… or too useless for war.
A kneeling jōnin bowed before him. "Forgive me, Lord Orochimaru. It's only a genin with no talent whatsoever. I'll drive him out immediately."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed, amused. "Oh? Then why is a nobody genin worth a jōnin's attention?"
Cold sweat dripped down the man's temple. He cursed silently. Damn it, Maito Dai. Can't you just live quietly like a normal failure?
"Bring him here," Orochimaru ordered.
Soon, the jōnin returned dragging a man with thick eyebrows and a ridiculous smile.
"Maito Dai," Orochimaru said, licking his lips. "It's been a long time."
Dai dropped to one knee, startled but flattered. "You… still remember me, Lord Orochimaru?"
"How could I forget? Back at the Academy, your taijutsu was… impressive."
They had been classmates once, back in the Second Hokage's time. Dai had started in the elite Class A. But when Tobirama died, Dai's lack of ninjutsu talent saw him thrown into Class C and forgotten. Orochimaru sighed inwardly. How time flies.
"Please," Dai bowed deeply, forehead nearly touching the ground. "Let me fight for Konoha too!"
The escorting jōnin cut in, desperate. "Lord Orochimaru, he's worthless in ninjutsu. Just a taijutsu fool. His wife only just gave birth—please, don't let him throw his life away."
Orochimaru's tone was cold. "A pure taijutsu user on the battlefield… is less than cannon fodder." His yellow eyes glinted. Not everyone can be an Uchiha Jinzō, after all.
But Dai clenched his fists, refusing to back down. "That's not true. I can use ninjutsu now!"
The words earned snickers. He fumbled through hand seals in front of everyone—painfully slow, awkward, almost laughable. Weapons were drawn instantly; to form seals in front of the commander was practically a declaration of treason.
But Orochimaru lifted a hand, telling them to wait. He watched with interest.
Twenty seconds. That's how long it took Dai just to complete a single Transformation Technique. Any ordinary shinobi would've had their chakra collapse ten times over.
"Transformation!" Dai cried.
Poof! A puff of smoke—and Dai stood there as Orochimaru's exact double.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even those who knew Dai personally couldn't believe it.
"That's impossible!""His seals were so slow, the chakra should've scattered!""He cheated—how the hell do you cheat at Transformation Jutsu?!"
Their understanding of jutsu shattered before their eyes. Everyone knew slow seals meant failure. Everyone but Dai, apparently, who beamed with his trademark grin.
"Thank you for believing in me!"
Orochimaru, however, narrowed his eyes. That technique… there was something odd in the flow, a hint of foundational internal strength. It wasn't something a bottom-tier genin should even have access to.
It reminded him of an old comment: "I may just be average in taijutsu… but there is one man in this village whose body alone could overwhelm even the Third Hokage."
Orochimaru had dismissed it then. But now?
"Tell me, Dai-kun. Do you know Uchiha Jinzō?"
Dai's grin widened, thumb flashing up in his trademark pose. "Jinzō? He's incredible! A true genius!"
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips. Yes… perhaps this was worth investigating.
"If you wish to fight on the frontlines, Dai-kun, you'll need to prove yourself first."
The escort jōnin stepped forward at once. "Allow me to test him, sir."
Orochimaru's smile curved into something serpentine. "No. I'll be the one to test him."