"Did you try using genjutsu?"
After listening to Pakura's report, Chiyo fell silent for a moment before asking in a grave tone.
The intelligence on Yagami was simply too troublesome.
When facing the Konoha Sannin, Chiyo had never felt this kind of pressure. No matter how strong they were, they still had visible weaknesses.
But the information on Yagami was like an impenetrable wall, giving off a quiet sense of invincibility.
"The two genjutsu specialists in our unit both tried," Pakura replied helplessly.
"But his speed is too fast. They didn't even get the chance to activate their techniques."
Whether genjutsu would even work on Yagami remained an unanswered question.
At his speed, the moment they tried to form hand seals, they were already cut down.
After Pakura finished speaking, a heavy silence settled over the command tent.
Everyone's emotions were written plainly on their faces.
Grim.
Unusually grim.
Yagami's abilities felt overwhelmingly complete—attack, speed, and defense all without obvious flaws.
It gave the Sand shinobi a splitting headache.
They couldn't defeat him in battle, and they couldn't restrain him if he chose to retreat. The sense of helplessness weighed on every heart in the tent.
"Report!"
At that moment, a sensory ninja burst into the command post, shattering the oppressive silence.
"Report to Chiyo-sama and the commanders—Konoha's numbers atop Kikyo Castle have increased. Their reinforcements have arrived."
After sweeping a glance across the room, the ninja bowed quickly as he delivered his message.
"Konoha moved fast…"
"I thought their reinforcements wouldn't arrive until tomorrow."
"Then taking Kikyo Castle will be impossible this time…"
Whispers spread through the tent.
Chiyo's expression darkened.
After hearing Pakura's earlier estimate of the forces inside Kikyo Castle, she had planned to launch an immediate assault and use their numerical advantage to rescue Ebizō.
But Konoha's reinforcements had arrived at the worst possible moment.
That single development overturned her entire plan.
The Sand forces were exhausted after their march. Ordering an assault now would be reckless. They no longer held a clear advantage in numbers.
Although Konoha's reinforcements must be fatigued as well, they held the defensive position and the advantage of terrain.
Under these circumstances, the chances of breaching Kikyo Castle were slim.
"…Rasa," Chiyo exhaled slowly. "Have the army stand down and make camp."
Since an attack was impossible for now, the troops needed rest and time to recover.
"We regroup and move at dawn."
"Yes, Chiyo-sama!"
Rasa acknowledged the order and immediately left the command tent.
At this point, he had yet to become the Fourth Kazekage. Like Pakura, he was still a rising talent within Sunagakure.
Atop Kikyo Castle, the arrival of Konoha's reinforcements quickly bolstered the previously stretched defenses.
The tension that had hung over the defenders lifted at once.
"Yagami cut down six hundred enemies by himself?"
Inside the gate tower, Orochimaru turned in visible surprise after hearing Yūhi Shinku's report.
"Yes," Yūhi Shinku confirmed with a nod. "And we captured Sunagakure's elder, Ebizō, at the end of the battle."
With Orochimaru's arrival and the main Konoha force now in position, he had assumed command of the Kikyo Castle front.
"I didn't expect him to be this strong…" Orochimaru murmured, his voice low and hoarse.
He had already been impressed when he heard Yagami had slain over a hundred enemies. That alone was an extraordinary feat.
But learning that Yagami had fought for an entire afternoon, surrounded by Sand shinobi and relying only on a blade…
Even Orochimaru found it difficult to believe.
"Where is Yagami now?" Orochimaru asked suddenly, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "I'd like to meet him."
"He should be resting in the pavilion on the western wall," Yūhi Shinku replied honestly. There was no reason to conceal something so trivial.
After learning Yagami's location, Orochimaru headed toward the western side of the castle.
From a distance, he spotted two figures seated inside the pavilion.
One was Kushina, whom he recognized immediately. Given his standing in Konoha, he was also aware that she was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
The other was a young man dressed in samurai-style clothing.
Yagami.
But as Orochimaru drew closer, he sensed an intimate atmosphere between them.
After a brief pause, he chose not to intrude.
Since they were both inside Kikyo Castle, there would be other opportunities to speak.
With that thought, Orochimaru quietly turned and left.
"Focus your chakra toward the center… can you feel it now?"
Inside the western pavilion, Yagami gently cupped Kushina's cheeks in his hands. With careful precision, he placed his fingers at her temples, guiding her through the fundamentals of Kagura's Mind's Eye sensory technique.
He was so focused on teaching that he didn't notice Orochimaru's brief visit.
"…I can feel something," Kushina murmured softly. "It's faint… like blurry shapes."
Her cheeks flushed beneath Yagami's touch, but she followed his instructions earnestly, concentrating on the flow of her chakra as she continued to practice.
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