Chapter 76: Ritsu's Accusation
Seeing Aburame Torune remain silent, Yamanaka Inoichi gritted his teeth and stepped forward. He walked quickly outside the tent, looked at the messenger ninja and said: "Lord Orochimaru isn't in the tent. Go quickly and search elsewhere in the camp. When you find him, tell him this good news and ask him to return quickly to take charge of the situation."
"Yes, Lord Inoichi."
The messenger ninja was from the Yamanaka clan and received Inoichi's order as though receiving imperial decree.
Yamanaka Inoichi proceeded to grab every ninja within his line of sight like press-ganging laborers, having them all join the search for Orochimaru, making sure to bring him back with utmost speed.
Inside the tent—
Aburame Torune and the others listened to Yamanaka Inoichi overstepping his authority and issuing orders outside.
Everyone looked at each other, using their gazes to complete silent yet turbulent exchanges.
Aburame Torune silently stood up from Orochimaru's seat and returned to sit in the chair belonging to him as deputy commander. Seeing this, everyone's eye contact became even more intense and passionate.
Aburame Torune appeared oblivious to these surging undercurrents beneath the surface.
Given the current situation, he understood that this time he most likely couldn't complete the mission Lord Danzo had assigned. Hyuga Ritsu's momentum had formed—he wasn't someone Torune could deal with using these barely adequate tactics. Orochimaru's earlier warning hadn't been an empty threat. Though Orochimaru probably hadn't anticipated Ritsu would establish such distinguished merit either.
Forget about losing control—Torune hadn't even managed to get his hands on the situation to begin with.
Even holding a secret order bearing the Hokage's seal, this thing ultimately required acknowledgment from the many key personnel on the eastern frontline to have any effect. Now that circumstances had changed, Yamanaka Inoichi acting on his own initiative without requesting instructions demonstrated how reluctant and superficial everyone's recognition of him was.
In this situation—
Remaining still was better than moving.
Having Orochimaru return was the best way to handle this. He himself had no confidence in properly dealing with Ritsu and the others' return, because he clearly understood that if they'd captured Suikazan Fuguki alive, their return to camp most likely meant they were coming to start trouble.
After waiting roughly over a minute, the tent flap lifted, and Orochimaru's figure appeared in everyone's view. Too concerned to worry about Orochimaru's mocking, cold smile, everyone rushed forward in unison saying: "Lord Orochimaru, please continue to take charge of the situation."
Only Aburame Torune sat alone in his seat without moving.
Orochimaru glanced at Torune sitting there like a wooden post, then paid him no further attention. Looking at the deferential crowd, he found it rather boring and shook his head, saying: "Since you still want me to continue taking charge, then all of you quickly move. Follow me to welcome the hero who established great merit!"
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"
Everyone answered swiftly.
At this moment, they feared Orochimaru would lose his temper and quit. If that actually happened, it would truly roast them all over a fire. After the storm passed, every single one of them would certainly face unpleasant consequences.
Fortunately, this worst-case scenario didn't occur. Though Lord Orochimaru's personality was somewhat cold and arrogant, he didn't throw petty tantrums and hadn't deliberately tormented them over Aburame Torune's earlier episode.
This made them resent Deputy Commander Aburame Torune even more. They knew that whenever Shimura Danzo got involved, even good things turned bad!
Everyone followed Orochimaru out of the tent. Aburame Torune also quietly followed along. This wasn't the time to act independently.
They followed Orochimaru to the camp entrance.
They saw Ritsu and Team Kakashi waiting there, along with the thoroughly bound Suikazan Fuguki and Ao's severed head that Ritsu had hung from a pole.
"Ritsu-kun, this time you're truly going to become famous throughout the shinobi world!"
Looking at Ritsu in white robes with wide sleeves and magnificent bearing, Orochimaru praised him with genuine sincerity.
Just as Aburame Torune had suspected, Orochimaru also hadn't anticipated Ritsu would achieve such abundant results. Multiple renowned elite jonin killed or captured—this blow would absolutely hurt the Mist ninja to their core, grievously injuring their strength!
With this outcome, the remaining war operations basically couldn't have any further reversals. The Mist ninja's defeat was now a foregone conclusion.
"Lord Orochimaru, this isn't solely my merit. If someone hadn't tipped off the Mist ninja—or rather, colluded with them—summoning so many Mist ninja experts to surround and kill me, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to counter-kill them!"
Ritsu answered with a smile.
However, these words prevented those preparing to smile along from managing it. Some, unable to control their facial muscles properly, twitched as though suffering from spasms.
Mixed in the crowd, Aburame Torune's heart rapidly sank.
As expected—
Ritsu had rushed back carrying the prestige of great victory precisely to start trouble.
"Ritsu-kun, such jokes shouldn't be made casually. One misstep and you'll be accused of framing your comrades." Orochimaru reminded him as though going through the motions.
"A joke? I truly wish this were only a joke. But unfortunately, the danger Kakashi and I encountered was no joke—it was a genuinely lethal crisis. If certain people hadn't misjudged my strength, they absolutely would have succeeded."
Saying this—
Ritsu kicked the prone Suikazan Fuguki beside him and declared loudly: "Precisely to prevent people from dismissing my accusation as a joke and glossing it over, I took tremendous risks to specifically capture Suikazan Fuguki alive. According to what I know, it was Fuguki who made contact with those bastards who sold out the village's interests for personal gain and grudges. From his brain, I believe we'll find much useful intelligence."
"Therefore, Lord Orochimaru, please uphold justice for me and for Kakashi's team!"
Ritsu issued his accusation with a serious expression.
Beside him—
Kakashi also called out loudly: "Lord Orochimaru, I want to know exactly who sold our intelligence to the Mist ninja, enabling them to precisely locate my squad. If the Hyuga clan head hadn't arrived in time to assist, our squad would have been completely annihilated this time. Therefore, please be sure to root out this garbage and scum who disregarded the village's interests for personal gain!"
Finishing—
Uchiha Aika, Hyuga Akiba, and Nohara Rin—who had regained consciousness but still looked pale—bowed their heads together and said loudly: "Please, Lord Orochimaru!"
This commotion—
Immediately caused an uproar among the surrounding spectator ninja.
The camp entrance was a place of traffic. Upon hearing news of Ritsu's triumphant return, many people had gathered to watch the excitement. Don't think this absurd—ninja had their own systems. They didn't have such strict military law. As long as they didn't intrude into several classified restricted areas, ninja weren't prohibited from wandering throughout the camp.
So at this moment, approximately fifty or sixty ninja had come after hearing the wind.
Hearing Ritsu and Kakashi's emotionally charged accusations, then seeing the captured Suikazan Fuguki and Ao's severed head held high, they believed about eighty percent of the accusations.
Immediately, popular sentiment surged like boiling water.
Some shouted that the garbage who sold out comrades' intelligence should be cut into a thousand pieces. Some clamored for Orochimaru to be sure to catch the traitor. Others demanded that Yamanaka Inoichi immediately read Suikazan Fuguki's memories.
Though these demands were diverse, the attitude was uniformly expressing support for Ritsu and his group.
Everyone was fighting desperately against the Mist ninja on the frontlines. Then you tell them someone sold their intelligence to the enemy? Whether emotionally or concerning their own interests, no one could accept this.