The subsequent cleanup became exceptionally simple. The remaining dozen or so Suna ninja had their chakra sealed by Hyūga Harano and were put under guard, awaiting a hefty ransom from the Land of Wind.
The one hundred fifty-plus captured rogue ninja from the Suna side were disbanded and incorporated under the command of Asō and Asaoka.
To these rogue ninja—who served whoever fed them or paid them—it made little difference whose command they were under, as long as they could survive and earn money. None of them resisted, allowing the Konoha ninja to integrate them into Asō's and Asaoka's ranks!
Although the Konoha side had achieved victory, the drawback of their previous prolonged disadvantaged position became apparent: out of the three hundred rogue ninja brought along, many were dead or wounded, leaving barely over a hundred still fit for use.
While the Konoha Jōnin all survived, albeit with numerous injuries, the casualties among the thirteen elite Chūnin, including Orochimaru, were somewhat heavy.
Half of the six Anbu elite Chūnin were dead. The rest of them looked pale, not only from exhaustion due to continuous high-intensity combat but also from rapid blood loss. Their clothes were stained crimson with the blood of both enemies and themselves, and all were significantly wounded.
One junior from the Uchiha clan and one from the Hyūga clan, who were brought along for experience, had also died. Orochimaru glanced over, noting that the two he had saved—Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Norichika—were indeed sharp enough to have survived.
Noticing Orochimaru's gaze, Uchiha Fugaku and Hyūga Norichika returned a look of gratitude.
With the battle over, Hyūga Harano routinely reported the casualty status to Sarutobi.
In a mere half-hour, during this battle that was not necessarily grand in scale but certainly brutal and bloody, nearly half of the thirteen elite Chūnin Sarutobi had brought were killed, and the rest were seriously wounded. This left Sarutobi feeling a little downcast. However, as the future Ninja Professor (Sandaime Hokage), he quickly composed himself, instructing his subordinates to clean the battlefield and asking for details about the course of the battle.
When Sarutobi heard about Orochimaru's combat performance and record, he nodded repeatedly, looking at Orochimaru with unconcealed admiration!
Orochimaru, having reined in his killing intent, appeared very humble. He smiled, picked up his weighted vest from the ground, and began treating his own wounds with Cooling Powder.
After taking care of his own injuries, Orochimaru didn't keep his supplies to himself. He knew that these Konoha elites were all talented individuals, and an act of kindness now would surely yield a hundredfold return in the future.
He first handed several packets of Cooling Powder to Sarutobi, and then distributed the rest to the Konoha troops.
As Orochimaru expected, when he handed the incredibly effective Cooling Powder to the Konoha ninja, he was met with unanimous gratitude.
The six surviving Anbu Chūnin, who had witnessed Orochimaru's battle up close, even had a glint of admiration in their eyes.
They were still quite young, around sixteen or seventeen, an age when they deeply craved power and admired strength. Seeing that Orochimaru, despite his young age, possessed astonishing power and was also willing to help them in their time of injury and difficulty, it was only natural for them to admire and revere him.
Sarutobi looked on, his eyes filled with satisfaction at Orochimaru's actions.
Orochimaru noticed the thoughts of everyone and smiled slightly, continuing to gently and kindly help the Konoha ninja treat their injuries.
Sarutobi's look of surprise after using the Cooling Powder was noticed by Aokita and Aokino.
These two brothers weren't burdened by the usual Jōnin arrogance and didn't treat the powerful Orochimaru like a child. Based on their prior shared experience in battle, they approached him familiarly, asking for more of his Cooling Powder and making small talk.
Although Orochimaru was young, having been familiar with numerous forbidden and secret jutsu in his past life, the insights and knowledge he revealed about ninjutsu often made the Aokita and Aokino brothers' eyes light up, making the conversation exceptionally cordial.
Any ninja who could become a Jōnin was naturally not ordinary. Along with their strength, their hearing was also excellent.
Hyūga Harano and Uchiha Tomosuke eventually joined Orochimaru's side as well. Though they did not completely abandon their great clan pride, their actions clearly indicated their request.
Orochimaru didn't mind, distributing the Cooling Powder like a benevolent young monk.
With this round of favors given, the unity and morale within the Konoha unit increased further. With such an outstanding disciple, Sarutobi, the squad leader and teacher, naturally earned even greater respect and trust from the Konoha ninja!
Orochimaru, who was busy spreading "favors," suddenly paused. Sarutobi and the other Jōnin also instantly tensed up.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!—
Four dark shadows flashed and landed a meter in front of Sarutobi, bowing respectfully and kneeling on one knee.
The four figures, wearing various white animal masks, were entirely cloaked in large, black trench coats. Their hoods concealed their faces so thoroughly that only hints of their hair color were visible. Yet, the cold, dark aura they exuded could not be hidden even in the sunlight, causing a chill to run through the hearts of those nearby.
Orochimaru's dark-golden pupils focused—Anbu personnel!
The four Anbu members respectfully addressed Sarutobi: "Lord Sarutobi, we have urgent information to report!"
Sarutobi looked around. The Konoha ninja were gathered on a gentle sand dune, resting and treating their wounds. The rogue ninja in the distance were cleaning the battlefield and guarding the Suna prisoners.
He nodded and said to the four Anbu, "Speak, what is it?"
"Lord, Hanzō of the Salamander has arrived in the southern Land of Rivers. Barring any accidents, he is now inside the third stronghold you intend to attack. Furthermore, Hanzō of the Salamander has already been informed that you, Lord, are personally leading this operation!" the Anbu reported.
The Konoha ninja all heard the report and were instantly shaken. Hanzō of the Salamander, the Kage-level powerhouse who founded Amegakure (Village Hidden in the Rain) in a minor nation, had gained a fearsome reputation in the ninja world in recent years!
Orochimaru was surprised but not entirely unexpected. He looked toward Sarutobi.
Sarutobi's gaze was solemn but confident. He stood up proudly, looking toward the direction of the third stronghold. The imposing pressure unique to a Kage-level powerhouse was subtly released.
In the third stronghold, Hanzō of the Salamander seemed to sense something. His heart stirred, and he, too, stared back in the direction of Sarutobi's location at the second stronghold.
"Lord Sarutobi, what should we do now?" Aokita and Aokino approached Sarutobi and asked.
Hearing the Aokita and Aokino brothers, Sarutobi pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "Let's go. We'll return to Maeda Take's estate for now, and I will meet Hanzō tomorrow."
Then, Sarutobi seemed to make up his mind and commanded with a serious tone, "Fourth Squad is now immediately integrated into the unit. We will proceed jointly with the Land of Rivers mission. Everyone, gather the spoils and prisoners, and return immediately!"
Orochimaru looked in the direction Sarutobi was facing, his eyes flickering with thought.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 10 chapters in advance!