Chapter 205
2-in-1-chapter
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"I understand your concerns. Just do your best. I'll keep the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki under close watch myself—if anything happens, I'll suppress it immediately... Right, since you've been lacking real-world application, this is a good chance to gain firsthand experience with sealing both a tailed beast and a Jinchūriki. As long as you don't kill the Eight-Tails host, you're free to experiment however you like."
"Yes, yes! Please rest assured and leave it to us, Honored Advisor to the Hokage! Our theoretical foundation is more than solid—what we've lacked is hands-on application. This time, we'll definitely leave behind detailed, usable documentation for future generations!"
The elderly men—already well into their later years—grinned from ear to ear, their wrinkled faces blooming like chrysanthemums as they beamed with joy.
Just as one of them lifted a foot to go share the good news with his companions—
"Oh, one more task for you: look into how Kumogakure managed to produce what they call a 'perfect Jinchūriki.'"
"The method for producing a perfect Jinchūriki? Understood."
The old man nodded seriously. After waiting two seconds and seeing no further orders, he took off at a half-jog to rejoin the others. Five or six seconds later, a deafening cheer erupted from the group, complete with loud, unrestrained flattery like "The Advisor to the Hokage is brilliant!"
Rēn watched for a few seconds, confirming that the sealing work on the Eight-Tails seemed stable for now. No longer concerned with the researchers, he tilted his head back and looked past the beach umbrella overhead toward the darkened sky. Snow was falling heavier now, pure white flakes descending from the void. Fortunately, the wind wasn't strong—if it turned into a blizzard, that would be a real headache.
"It's getting a little too slow."
"What is?"
Shisui was seated beside Rēn. After overusing Susanoo in the battle against the Eight-Tails, even with Samehada replenishing his chakra, the strain hadn't fully resolved. Once Susanoo dissipated, his entire face had been streaked with blood.
The amount of blood loss had been so severe that some even worried it might have started draining his brain.
At the moment, Shisui had no strength left for work. He was simply sitting there, resting and recovering. He and Rēn had each taken a seat, and since Rēn had told them to go pitch tents for the wounded, someone—quick-witted and resourceful—had pulled a sealed beach umbrella out of a scroll and popped it open.
And so,
The strange sight of two people sitting under a beach umbrella in the middle of a snowstorm had come into being.
"On the way here, we spotted some signs of movement. I thought they might've been Kumogakure's scouts, so I had Shibi take a team to investigate… but they haven't returned yet. It's taking too long."
Rēn frowned, thoughts turning. Could it really be that guy—Uchiha Obito?
"If it wasn't Kumogakure… then you mean?"
Shisui raised an eyebrow.
He too had immediately thought of that bastard who called himself Uchiha Madara.
"Not certain. I can only say it's possible." Rēn's frown deepened, and he stood up abruptly. "No, I need to go check personally. If it really is that man, Shibi and the others could be in danger. We've already driven back Kumogakure—if the Aburame clan head is lost now… that would be a disaster."
"I'll go too."
Shisui tried to rise, struggling.
But Rēn gave him a cold, unrelenting glare. "Don't get in the way, Shisui. In your current condition, what can you do? Just stay here and rest properly. Someone, hey—Tetsuka, go find Elder Fugaku and ask him to come over."
Uchiha Tetsuka, having been roped into the task, scurried off to find Uchiha Fugaku.
Not long after, Fugaku arrived—he had been leading a team in cleaning up the battlefield and collecting the bodies of fallen Uchiha clan members. Although the former clan head also possessed Susanoo and the dōjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan, compared to Shisui, who had pushed his eyes nearly to the point of exhaustion, Fugaku's body was still holding up.
Even after the battle ended, he hadn't rested. He had volunteered to assist in clearing the battlefield.
Of course, part of the reason was to avoid dealing with Rēn directly. Fugaku wasn't eager to discuss his Mangekyō Sharingan, though it seemed that confrontation was now unavoidable. When he received Tetsuka's summons, he let out a long internal sigh but still made his way over as quickly as he could.
However—
"Elder Fugaku, please hold the line in my place for now. There's something I need to take care of."
Rēn's words caught him off guard. Wasn't this supposed to be about the Mangekyō Sharingan?
Just as he was about to respond, Yamanaka Mokuren came sprinting over and stopped in front of Rēn. His breathing was uneven, but he forced himself to speak in one breath, rushing out the words:
"Advisor to the Hokage—Clan Head Aburame has sent a request for aid. They've encountered the rogue shinobi Orochimaru! They're asking for immediate reinforcements!"
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Aburame Shibi felt that his luck today was truly awful.
He had expected this mission to be a simple matter—tracking down a few spies planted by the Cloud shinobi, something that should have been handled with ease. He'd planned to wrap it up quickly and then head to the frontlines. Of course, he hadn't been careless. Kumogakure had no shortage of powerful shinobi, and being caught off guard in an ambush was nothing new in war.
That very caution had ended up saving their lives.
They had expected to find Cloud operatives, but instead were nearly annihilated by Orochimaru's sudden attack. Thankfully, the four of them were all Jōnin, each well-versed in sensory techniques, and they had detected something wrong just in time. Otherwise, Orochimaru would have wiped them out in a single strike.
What they hadn't expected—
Was that it would be Orochimaru, the S-rank rogue shinobi.
He was the only S-rank traitor ever produced by Konoha.
As a former member of the Legendary Sannin, once a candidate for the Fourth Hokage's seat, Orochimaru's strength was something Shibi understood all too well. During the Second Shinobi World War, Shibi had once served under him. During the Third, he had witnessed Orochimaru in battle firsthand.
Orochimaru's power was not something they could resist.
The four of them were no match for him.
Whether Hyūga, Aburame, Yamanaka, or Inuzuka—each possessed either a kekkei genkai or a secret clan technique. But Orochimaru had been born and raised in Konoha. As a former supreme commander who had led forces in war, he had needed to understand the capabilities of various shinobi in order to lead effectively. These bloodline limits and clan jutsu were no secret to him.
While every clan had ways of keeping their techniques hidden, Orochimaru still had a broad knowledge of what each ability could do, even if he didn't fully grasp the underlying principles.
And that alone was enough.
He didn't need to know the inner workings of their kekkei genkai or secret arts. As long as he understood the effects and practical uses, it was enough for him to develop countermeasures against each of them in combat. And that's exactly what was happening.
Whether it was the Gentle Fist, or the insects, or the Yamanaka clan's mental techniques, or the Inuzuka clan's combat style in coordination with their ninken—none of them could function as they should in the face of Orochimaru.
"Huff… huff… Captain Shibi, I'm nearly at my limit!"
Hyūga Kamon, a young Jōnin from the Hyūga clan, launched a Vacuum Palm. The blast punched through the falling snow but didn't so much as graze Orochimaru. At most, it slightly slowed his advance. Kamon coordinated his retreat with Yamanaka Santen and Inuzuka Sai, fighting while fleeing.
"Hold on. Santen already sent the signal for support."