Only I can make Konoha Village great again.

The Hidden Mist ninjas were thrown into chaos.

They tried to escape, but found that there were traps everywhere and Konoha ninjas everywhere.

No matter which direction they ran, their companions would step into traps, and countless ninjutsu would rain down on them from above.

Deadly poison, illusion techniques, and the Five Elements Ninjutsu relentlessly reaped the lives of the Hidden Mist Ninja.

Especially the Fire Release technique; in this forest, the Fire Release technique ignites a great fire, and the scorching heat is so intense that breathing it will burn your throat and lungs.

The Uchiha ninjas went berserk, unleashing their Fire Release techniques amidst the sea of ​​fire, achieving unprecedented results.

On this sticky, damp battlefield, in a place filled with rivers and lakes, using Fire Release against the Hidden Mist ninjas, who are all masters of Water Release, is practically suicide!

The Uchiha, who were most skilled in Fire Release techniques, were forced to fight using only ninja swords and kunai. One can imagine the frustration they felt.

It's been so long, so long since I've had such a satisfying attack!

Every time the Uchiha ninja launched an attack, their favor towards Orochimaru increased.

For the Uchiha, who were filled with love, this was incredibly moving. They became Orochimaru's loyal followers even before the battle ended.

With just a flick of Orochimaru's finger, they could charge forward and fight the Third Hokage to the death!

It wasn't just the Uchiha who thought this way; all the Konoha ninja on the eastern front thought this way, and they had long been fed up with it.

Even the two extremely rare Sarutobi ninjas didn't think Orochimaru was their savior!

Orochimaru was oblivious to all of this; he was busy fighting.

"Summoning Jutsu: Ten Thousand Snakes!"

Amidst a tremendous roar, a massive, blue-black serpent emerged from the white smoke.

Having been trained to be obedient, Manda made no demands, and simply opened its enormous mouth, sweeping towards the Hidden Mist ninja.

Since Orochimaru wouldn't give it to him, and he didn't dare to take it, he decided to do it himself and fill his belly.

As always, Yamanaka Chukyu did not participate in the battle. He was under great tension and issued orders in a rapid-fire manner, directing the Konoha ninja to adjust their battle lines and drive the Kirigakure ninja to escape along the predetermined route.

That road was riddled with traps, which could effectively reduce the enemy's manpower.

At the same time, countless thoughts covered the battlefield, stirring up the emotions of the Hidden Mist ninjas and plunging them into panic and fear from which they could not extricate themselves.

But what Yamanaka Hatsukyu didn't expect was that the Kirigakure ninja was so terrified that he suddenly and without warning slashed at his companion with his ninja sword.

The Hidden Mist ninja who was slashed seemed to have been prepared, raising his long-prepared kunai to block the attack and launching a counterattack simultaneously.

The infighting among the Hidden Mist ninjas was rampant, even throwing the fleeing groups into chaos.

What's even more bizarre is that the other Hidden Mist ninjas turned a blind eye to this, and no one stopped them, as if it were the proper thing to do.

These are the ninjas cultivated by Kirigakure's "Village of Blood Mist" policy.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

The Kirigakure Jonin shouted orders, but they didn't intend to lead the Kirigakure ninja out of the trap zone. Instead, they wanted to use them as cannon fodder to attract the attention of the Konoha ninjas, and then take the opportunity to escape.

Orochimaru's lips curled into a mocking smile, a chilling killing intent flashing in his golden eyes: "Trying to run now? Too late."

As he spoke, he appeared next to a shouting Kirigakure Jonin, and the Kusanagi sword instantly pierced the Kirigakure captain's throat, silencing his voice.

The Hidden Mist Jonin made a gurgling sound as the kunai in his hand fell limply to the ground.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru had already gone to find the next Jonin from Kirigakure.

With the Kirigakure Jonin who attempted to take command killed, the Kirigakure ninjas became even more chaotic.

Some fought back desperately, some tried to feign death to get through, and some tried to turn around and run away, but no one chose to surrender.

That's fine, because Konoha ninjas don't need to distinguish between different targets when they kill, and they won't have any psychological burden.

happy!

At this point, the Konoha ninjas had gained a complete advantage, and the battle entered a phase of decisive victory.

Yamanaka Chukyu no longer gave orders, but instead monitored the battlefield to prevent large groups of Kirigakure ninja or Kage-level ninja from Kirigakure from suddenly joining the fight.

The battle ended completely an hour later.

The Konoha ninjas on the eastern front, who had been led away by Orochimaru, looked at the corpses of Kirigakure ninjas scattered on the ground, breathing in the blood-soaked air, their faces filled with the joy of victory.

The Konoha ninjas who came from Konoha were also happy, but more than that, they were dissatisfied.

Is that all the Hidden Mist ninjas there are?

Not enough!

Especially the Konoha ninjas who were experiencing Yamanaka Hatsugu's command for the first time were in high spirits and filled with the urge to continue fighting.

Looking at their comrades, they saw in each other's eyes a longing for victory and glory.

Then they turned their attention to Orochimaru and Yamanaka Hatsukyu:

"Lord Orochimaru, isn't it our turn to attack?"

"Lord Chu Jiu, lead us to continue the fight!"

Orochimaru stood in the center of the battlefield, scanning the Konoha ninja around him, ignoring their eager expressions of wanting to fight again.

He raised his hand and ordered, "Clean up the battlefield, treat the wounded, and tally the casualties..."

"Then, retaliate."

Orochimaru's voice remained completely calm; in his eyes, this victory was utterly insignificant.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"

The Konoha ninjas responded loudly and immediately began clearing the battlefield, treating the wounded, and burying the corpses of the Hidden Mist Village.

Yamanaka Chukyu walked up to Orochimaru and said, "Orochimaru-sensei, you stay here and keep watch. I'll take some men to the front to confirm the attack route."

Orochimaru nodded: "Go ahead, but don't mess around if you encounter Yagura."

Yamanaka Hatsukyu pouted in dissatisfaction. How could he be compared to Mitarashi Anko?

Am I such a fool who doesn't know what's important?

An hour later, the Konoha ninjas finished cleaning up the battlefield and rested for more than ten minutes to recover some of their chakra and stamina.

Orochimaru left behind the exhausted ninjas on the eastern front and led the reinforcements from Konoha eastward to launch a counterattack against the Hidden Mist ninjas.

Yamanaka Chukyu had already planned the route ahead, and the Konoha army suddenly plunged in along the weak points of the Kirigakure ninja, instantly shattering Kirigakure's defenses.

The Hidden Mist ninjas, caught in the chaos, were helpless and unable to withstand the fierce attacks of the Leaf Village ninjas.

The Konoha ninjas, with high morale, charged forward like tigers descending a mountain, roaring as they attacked the Kirigakure ninjas, forcing the enemy into a retreat.

In just one day, the Konoha ninja swept through the area, recapturing all lost territory, reclaiming occupied strongholds, and driving the Kirigakure ninja directly into the sea.

Orochimaru and Yamanaka Hatsukyu stood on the beach, watching the remaining Kirigakure ninjas flee in disarray by wading through the water, and called a halt to the Konoha ninjas' attack.

Orochimaru rubbed his chin and said, "How could it be so simple?"

Yamanaka Chujiu pouted and said, "I didn't expect it to be this easy either."

Orochimaru shook his head and said, "You don't need to take command this time. I can win even if I take command, but the losses will be slightly greater."

"How did Shimura Danzo manage to create a stalemate, even getting overwhelmed by Kirigakure?"

"He was bad before, but not this bad."

Yamanaka Hatsukyu guessed, "Perhaps, maybe, possibly, Shimura Danzo's mind isn't on the eastern front, but on Konoha."

"Either he's been scheming and plotting too much, and his brain has deteriorated..."

Orochimaru: "..."

"Maybe, but that doesn't matter anymore."

"Tomorrow, we'll attack the Land of Waves, and then march on the Land of Water!"

Yamanaka Chujiu nodded emphatically: "Yes! Conquer the Land of Water!"

The surrounding Konoha ninja cheered, "Conquer the Land of Water! Defeat the Hidden Mist Village!"