Chapter 75: Aburame Torune—Finished Before He Even Began
Without a doubt, the secret order was genuine.
Everyone could confirm it.
However—
They would have preferred it to be a forgery. If it were fake, today would merely be an inconsequential farce. Everyone could disperse and go back to enjoy a comfortable nap.
But now, no matter how many times they examined it, they couldn't find any flaws. According to the order, they would next need to confine Orochimaru temporarily for reflection, then assist Aburame Torune in commanding the thousands of Konoha ninja on the eastern battlefield.
The secret order stated clearly: if Aburame Torune determined that Orochimaru was unable to fulfill his duties as Supreme Commander for any reason, he could temporarily assume those responsibilities. The order placed all judgment authority entirely in Torune's hands.
In other words—
As long as Torune wished it, he could actually use any reason lacking concrete evidence to strip Orochimaru of his power at any time. This was the authority the Hokage had granted him.
"Does anyone have further questions?"
Aburame Torune asked loudly.
Everyone looked at each other, their expressions as heavy as if their mothers had died. No one wanted to be the first bird shot down by offending Orochimaru, yet they had to obey the Hokage's orders. They were caught in this torturous dilemma.
Fortunately—
At this moment, Orochimaru asked with a smile: "Torune, you prepared to make me leave from the very beginning, didn't you?" He didn't appear angry about the secret order.
"Orochimaru, rest well for a few days! I'm only acting temporarily. Your contributions and achievements won't be affected in any way."
Aburame Torune avoided answering directly, merely advising Orochimaru to rest.
Seeing this, Orochimaru shook his head and said: "I suspect this is Danzo's unauthorized decision again. So, Torune, let me remind you—be careful you don't lose control of the situation!"
With that—
He swept his sleeves and departed.
Fortunately, though he left, he didn't take anything with him. The seals and documents on the desk remained complete. As long as the people in this tent acknowledged Torune's position, his orders could be immediately executed.
"Do you still have any questions? If so, speak up. If not, are you all standing there like wooden posts planning to disobey orders?"
Looking at everyone standing motionless like mannequins, Aburame Torune pressed them again, his eyes revealing traces of brutal ferocity.
"Deputy Commander Aburame, if you have any orders, please issue them. We will certainly follow proper procedures."
Yamanaka Inoichi sighed and reluctantly stepped forward to respond.
Following Inoichi's statement, the others also spoke up one after another, but they all learned from him, latching onto the phrase "follow proper procedures." The subtext was obvious: if you follow the rules, we'll obey you. If you plan to act recklessly, we won't play along.
Aburame Torune didn't care.
He'd employed this trump card he'd hoped to avoid using, forcibly seizing the highest command authority over the entire eastern frontline battlefield, precisely because indirect methods could no longer achieve his goals. He needed to use this authority to accomplish his purpose.
"There's a matter requiring immediate attention right now."
Sitting in the chair that had belonged to Orochimaru, Aburame Torune said in a heavy voice.
Yamanaka Inoichi and the others' hearts sank.
"May I ask Deputy Commander Aburame what matter this is?"
Yamanaka Inoichi asked carefully.
"The Hyuga clan head and Team Kakashi defied orders, abandoned their mission, and fled back to camp. They're currently outside requesting entry. According to the rules, what should be done?"
"Abandoned their mission?"
Yamanaka Inoichi's expression turned ugly, as though he'd eaten a pound of bitter herbs—his mouth bitter, his heart even more so. He'd known Torune's power grab meant nothing good. Sure enough, the man had barely sat down before starting trouble.
The Hyuga clan head and Team Kakashi defied orders? Abandoned their mission and fled back to camp?
Was this real or fake?
Everyone looked at each other. Finally, all eyes focused on one person—the camp's judge advocate, responsible for punishing ninja who committed errors.
At this moment, the judge advocate's face was truly black as the bottom of a pot. But who told him to be unlucky enough to take on such a thankless job that only earned others' resentment? Under Aburame Torune's stare, he spoke:
"If it's true, then according to wartime management regulations, any ninja who abandons a mission and flees back, delaying frontline operations, depending on the severity of the offense, could face punishment ranging from imprisonment at minimum to execution at maximum."
"Very good. Then let's proceed accordingly! First, detain Hyuga Ritsu and Team Kakashi. Then, based on the consequences their abandonment of duty caused, render final judgment."
Aburame Torune issued the order just like that.
No one moved.
"Are there still questions?"
Aburame Torune asked coldly.
But just then—
Waves of clamor came from outside, cheers echoing as lively as a festival.
Aburame Torune's brow furrowed tightly.
What was all this commotion about?
In the next second, someone stood outside the tent and reported loudly: "Lord Orochimaru, good news! Tremendous news! The Hyuga clan head captured Suikazan Fuguki alive and killed numerous Mist ninja jonin including Kirishima Shinya, Ao, and Biwa Juzo! The Mist ninja have truly suffered grievous losses this time!"
After these words finished—
The tent fell silent as death.
Yamanaka Inoichi and the others first showed shocked expressions, then joy spread across their brows. Each of them breathed a great sigh of relief. This way, Deputy Commander Aburame's order had absolutely no need to be executed.
Or more accurately, Aburame Torune's scheme as deputy commander had completely failed. Regardless of whether Torune's target was Ritsu or Team Kakashi, with Ritsu establishing such tremendous merit, even if he had abandoned his mission, there was nothing to pursue.
Aburame Torune sank into silence.
This situation fell completely outside his expectations. When he'd received news that Ritsu and Team Kakashi had returned to camp, he'd immediately judged that those Mist ninja incompetents had failed again and let Ritsu escape.
But in his view, this matter still had room for manipulation. If he couldn't use the Mist ninja to eliminate Ritsu, then the next best thing was to seize on Ritsu's error of abandoning his mission and fleeing back to camp to impose punishment.
He never imagined the Mist ninja would be incompetent to this degree. Not only did they fail to kill Ritsu, they actually let him counter-kill so many of them—even Suikazan Fuguki was captured alive!
This made his mood extremely heavy.
Because he was the one who'd contacted Suikazan Fuguki to deal with Ritsu. Although he'd been very careful not to leave any evidence, Fuguki himself was the best evidence. Simply searching Fuguki's brain could confirm that someone had indeed been selling Ritsu's intelligence.
When that happened, once an internal investigation began, they'd inevitably need to throw out a scapegoat of sufficient weight to quell the storm.
"Lord Orochimaru, the Hyuga clan head is requesting an audience now, saying he has very important matters to report to you!" The messenger ninja outside the tent continued.
Aburame Torune remained silent, not saying a word.
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