Konoha, Year 47 — February 10.
The eighteenth day since the outbreak of the Konoha–Kumogakure war.
After news of Yotsuki B's death reached Kumogakure, the Third Raikage flew into a rage. The very next day, he personally led his forces in another charge. With his Lightning Release Chakra Mode fully activated, that man was like a walking natural disaster—wherever he passed, Konoha's defensive lines teetered on the brink of collapse.
Yet it still ended in failure.
Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique flickered across the battlefield like a phantom, relentlessly pinning down the Third Raikage and preventing the so-called "strongest spear" from ever unleashing its full might.
Three days later, Kumogakure finally realized that a direct assault could not break through Konoha's defenses.
They changed tactics.
Their massive forces were split into smaller elite infiltration squads, scattered across weak points along the long front line, attempting to penetrate deep into the Land of Fire. Their objectives were clear: gather intelligence, sabotage supply lines, and create chaos behind enemy lines.
Konoha responded in kind.
On one front, Orochimaru remained at central command, overseeing the entire battlefield. The main forces on the front lines constructed a layered defensive network, increasing patrols and sentry density to compress the operational space of Kumogakure's infiltration teams.
On the other front, Shimura Danzō—who oversaw intelligence, infiltration, and counter-infiltration operations—personally supervised the effort. A silent yet far more dangerous shadow war unfolded across both the front and rear.
Root and ANBU elites were fully mobilized, engaging Kumogakure's infiltration units in a series of unseen battles across snowfields, forests, and valleys spanning hundreds of kilometers along the border.
Konoha's Northeastern Grand Camp — Command Headquarters.
Shinichi lifted the tent flap and stepped inside.
Under the lamplight, several staff officers were gathered around a map, speaking in low voices. Hearing the movement, they instinctively looked up. When they saw who it was, a trace of admiration flashed across their eyes.
In recent days, the Fourth Independent Combat Battalion led by Shinichi had barely had a moment's rest. Like a dagger driven deep into Kumogakure's territory, they struck again and again.
One day they wiped out a forward outpost.
The next, they eliminated a patrol squad.
The day after, they destroyed a supply depot on the front lines.
Swift as the wind—strike once, then withdraw.
Reports kept flowing back to headquarters, each one adding more weight to his growing record of merit.
Orochimaru stood before the map. Hearing the footsteps, he turned around. His golden, snake-like eyes settled on Shinichi, and a faint smile curved his lips.
"Shinichi-kun, perfect timing."
"I heard that on the southwestern front, Sunagakure's Pakura caused quite a bit of trouble for Konoha—gave Jiraiya quite the headache."
"Now I understand. I imagine the Third Raikage is feeling much the same right now."
Shinichi's expression remained unchanged. He gave a slight bow.
"You overpraise me, Orochimaru-sama. This minor contribution of mine is entirely thanks to the coordination and support of our comrades on the front lines. Without their efforts keeping Kumogakure occupied, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to operate so deeply behind their lines."
"Besides, if Minato-senpai weren't tied up with more important duties, if he were to personally carry out these missions, he would surely perform even better than I could."
This time, Orochimaru did not respond with his usual teasing remark about Shinichi's modesty.
He simply fell silent for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.
"After all… it's the Flying Thunder God."
"What a fascinating technique. Unfortunately… it's not something just anyone can learn."
After a few words of reflection, Orochimaru looked back at Shinichi. That familiar, unreadable smile returned to his eyes.
"However, if it's you, Shinichi-kun, you should be able to master the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"Many in the village believe your talent for ninjutsu development rivals that of the Second Hokage."
His smile deepened slightly.
"Even Sarutobi-sensei has mentioned more than once that you have the makings of a Second Hokage."
"Heh…"
Shinichi stood calmly in place, his expression steady.
"Orochimaru-sama jests. The Second Hokage's wisdom is not something I would dare compare myself to. As for the Flying Thunder God, if the opportunity arises, I will certainly do my utmost to learn it and live up to the Hokage's and the village's expectations and support. But for now, I still have much to improve. I would not presume to compare myself to those who came before."
Orochimaru said nothing. He simply studied him for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Shinichi-kun, today is your birthday, isn't it?"
Shinichi paused slightly, then nodded.
"Yes. Thank you for remembering, Orochimaru-sama."
"Happy birthday, Shinichi-kun."
Orochimaru's lips curled faintly as he spoke, then he reached to his waist and took out a scroll.
Bang!
A puff of white smoke burst forth, and a slender straight sword appeared in his hand.
The sheath and hilt were both pure black, devoid of any decoration or pattern. Its design was so simple it bordered on austere, yet it carried a weighty, restrained killing intent.
"Come to think of it, Shinichi-kun has been quite busy these past days, earning many merits for the village. As the commander-in-chief, I haven't really presented anything worthy to acknowledge that. I recall your blade was destroyed during your last infiltration mission."
At that, Orochimaru gently extended the sword forward.
"So, let this blade be your birthday gift."
Shinichi was momentarily taken aback, clearly not expecting such a gesture.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."
A moment later, as if coming back to himself, he extended both hands and solemnly accepted the sword.
"I will make good use of this blade and not fail the intention behind your gift."
"Heh… go get some rest."
"Yes."
Shinichi gave a bow, turned, and lifted the tent flap as he stepped outside.
"What a charming child… heh…"
Orochimaru murmured softly. Then he tilted his head slightly and glanced at the sleeve of his right arm.
A pitch-black snake slipped its head out from within the sleeve. Its triangular head swayed faintly, its forked tongue flicking in and out, yet its gaze remained fixed on the direction Shinichi had left.
"What do you think?"
The black snake did not respond. Its tail merely flicked twice, while those vertical pupils continued to stare at the tent flap for a long time without withdrawing.
Watching its reaction, the smile on Orochimaru's lips deepened.
From the very first time he had met Higashino Shinichi, aside from sensing the aura of a kindred spirit—and the ambition hidden beneath that boy's mask—there had been something else.
Something vague, indescribable.
A strange sense of familiarity… and trust.
The feeling made no sense. It was almost absurd.
Orochimaru had lived for so many years and met countless people. Never had anyone given him such a sensation.
If he hadn't repeatedly checked his own chakra to confirm he hadn't fallen under any genjutsu, he might have suspected that some external force had influenced him.
And now, after repeated contact over this period of time, Orochimaru had come to a conclusion.
There seemed to be a unique presence surrounding Higashino Shinichi.
It had no form, no substance, yet it existed as naturally as breathing—subtly causing others to feel goodwill and lowering their guard without realizing it.
What intrigued Orochimaru even more was that this presence did not seem to be limited to humans.
He lowered his gaze toward the black snake in his sleeve.
This little creature was usually extremely quiet. Aside from feeding and combat, it almost never showed itself.
Yet every time Higashino Shinichi appeared, it would behave exactly like this—unable to wait to poke its head out, staring in that direction endlessly.
As if something about that boy was drawing it in.
Orochimaru extended a hand and gently stroked the snake's head.
"You find him interesting too, don't you?"
The snake flicked its tongue, whether in response or simply out of instinct—it was impossible to tell.
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze, licked his lips, and looked back at the map before him. In the depths of those golden, serpentine eyes, his interest grew even stronger.
"Heh…"
Interesting.
He's becoming more and more interesting… a kindred soul, indeed.
…
Returning to his own tent, Shinichi finally drew the straight blade Orochimaru had given him and examined it.
The blade was long and perfectly straight, its entire length gleaming with a cold, razor-sharp, snow-white sheen.
Shinichi studied it for a moment. Then, in the next instant, a thought stirred in his mind—he infused fire-nature chakra into the blade!
The sword in his hand seemed to awaken, letting out a faint hum. The originally white blade turned red at a visible speed, like iron heated in a forge.
Immediately after—
Whoosh!
A blazing, dense crimson flame erupted from the blade, surging upward and wrapping around it like a ribbon of fire, flickering with intense heat.
The Kusanagi Sword!
The very blade that Uchiha Sasuke would wield in the future had now been given to him by Orochimaru as a birthday gift.
"Excellent sword!"
Shinichi sensed the internal changes within the blade. Fire-nature chakra flowed through it freely, smooth and unobstructed, with almost no delay or loss. Its affinity and conductivity for chakra were simply outstanding.
Even more remarkable was that under such intense heat and energy infusion, the structure of the blade remained completely stable—showing no signs of softening or melting. Its physical strength and elemental resistance were astonishing.
"I'll call you Flowing Cloud Blade."
Shinichi withdrew his chakra. The flames died out, and the blade returned to its original snow-white color.
Orochimaru possessed two Kusanagi swords. One of them, the Sword of Kusanagi: Kū no Tachi, had the ability to extend and contract freely with unparalleled sharpness.
This Flowing Cloud Blade lacked those properties, but it possessed two extremely outstanding traits—extreme hardness and exceptional chakra conductivity.
In the original timeline, Uchiha Sasuke had wielded this very sword from start to finish, using it as the medium to unleash various derivatives of Chidori.
Shinichi sheathed the blade and placed the Flowing Cloud Blade at his side. Then he quickly formed a few hand seals.
Bang!
With a soft pop, white smoke rose and dispersed. A translucent slug, roughly the size of an adult, appeared inside the tent. Its soft body occupied nearly half the space.
"Oh, it's Shinichi-chan."
The slug's voice was gentle and soft.
"Is something the matter…? Oh, right—so it's already that day?"
Before finishing her sentence, she realized it herself.
A few days ago, when Shinichi had summoned her to assist in treating Konoha's wounded, she had told him to summon her again on this date—she had something to pass on to him.
"Happy birthday, Shinichi-chan."
Her voice carried a smile. Then she leaned forward slightly and expelled a small, delicate storage scroll from her mouth.
"Inside are gifts Tsunade-sama, Shizune-chan, and Kurenai-chan asked me to deliver to you. They've all been thinking about you."
"Thank you for the trouble, Slug-sama."
Shinichi nodded and stepped forward to take the still slightly damp scroll.
"It's no trouble. Seeing Shinichi-chan safe and well, growing another year older—I'm very happy."
The slug gently swayed her feelers.
"Then I'll be going back now. The battlefield is dangerous, so please take great care."
"I understand. Thank you for your concern."
With a bang, the slug vanished into white smoke, and the tent fell silent once more.
Shinichi opened the storage scroll. There were three gifts in total. He first looked at the ones from Shizune and Kurenai.
Shizune's gift was a portable medical emergency kit she had personally assembled, tailored for battlefield use. The medicines inside were neatly categorized and clearly labeled, and it also included a card with a carefully written message of well wishes.
Kurenai's gift was a hand-knitted scarf. The color matched the dark tones he usually wore. There was also a note attached, with lines like "I heard it's very cold in the northeast—take care of your health," and "I heard the fighting is dangerous—stay safe."
Shinichi looked at them for a moment, then carefully put away these two gifts filled with the girls' heartfelt intentions, setting them aside.
Finally, his gaze fell on Tsunade's gift—a heavy, ancient-looking ninjutsu scroll.
Shinichi took it out and slowly unrolled it. The first thing that came into view were three bold characters:
Yin Seal.
What followed was a dense and detailed record of the secret technique's training principles, steps, chakra circulation pathways, and seal construction methods, accompanied by both text and diagrams—exceedingly thorough.
On the inner side of the scroll, there was a familiar line of handwriting, written by Tsunade herself:
"Look it over first. When you get back to Konoha, I'll teach you personally."
After studying it for quite some time, Shinichi closed the scroll and placed it on his knees. His gaze drifted toward the tent flap outside, which fluttered noisily in the cold wind.
He had come to this world eleven years ago.
…
Meanwhile.
Kumogakure Main Camp — Command Headquarters.
Bang!
With a thunderous crash, the Third Raikage slammed his massive hand onto the table. The intelligence scrolls and maps spread across it jumped from the impact.
"Higashino Shinichi…"
The Raikage's tiger-like eyes swept over the name that appeared again and again in the reports.
"Has this brat turned our rear lines into his personal hunting ground for racking up merit?!"
"We can't let him run wild like this any longer! I'll go myself—twist that kid's head off and avenge B!"
"Raikage-sama, please calm down!"
Dodai, who had been standing at his side, immediately stepped forward to dissuade him.
"You are the supreme commander of the army. You must remain at the center and oversee the entire battlefield. How can you allow yourself to be tied down by a single brat from Konoha? That would only give them an opening!"
Seeing that the Raikage's expression remained dark, he quickly added: "Besides, reinforcements are on the way. Troy and Yugito have already departed from the northwestern border and are advancing at full speed. They will arrive at the front line within three days at the latest!"
Hearing this, the Third Raikage's fury eased slightly.
Troy—one of Kumogakure's top jōnin. Like Sunagakure's Third and Fourth Kazekage, he possessed the Magnet Release kekkei genkai, capable of perfectly integrating that power with his ninja tools and combat style. His strength was among the very best.
Accompanying him was Yugito Nii, the Two-Tails jinchūriki.
Previously, the two of them had been stationed at the northwestern border together with the Third Raikage's son, Yotsuki A, keeping watch against any possible movement from Iwagakure—until it was confirmed that Iwa would remain inactive for the time being.
Now that Kumogakure's offensive against Konoha had stalled, Yotsuki A continued to hold the border as a precaution, while Troy and Yugito had been ordered to rush over with an elite force from the northwestern front.
Their purpose was clear: reinforce this front and break the deadlock.
"But…"
The Third Raikage was about to say more when a low, slightly hoarse voice suddenly spoke from the corner of the tent, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Uncle, I'll go."
Hm?
The Third Raikage, Dodai, and the other elite Kumogakure jōnin in the tent all turned toward the source of the voice.
The speaker was none other than the Third Raikage's nephew—the Eight-Tails jinchūriki of Kumogakure.
Blue B.
"For the next few days, we can slow down our offensive against Konoha. Let the main forces rest. I'll personally lead a squad and deal with this Higashino Shinichi who keeps harassing us."
"Once Troy and the others arrive, we can launch another large-scale offensive against Konoha. At that point, we'll be able to break the stalemate in one go and push the front line deep into the Land of Fire."
"B, you right now…"
"Uncle, I'm fine."
Blue B shook his head.
The Third Raikage looked at him, his expression complicated.
Blue B was his nephew, and also the "B" he had personally chosen—meant to form the next generation A-B combination alongside his son, A.
But this child…
After becoming the Eight-Tails jinchūriki, something in his mindset had changed. He had become extremely sensitive.
Even though he was the Raikage's nephew, and the Raikage himself had issued orders ensuring no one in the village would dare show him disrespect…
Blue B remained overly sensitive. Even the most ordinary looks from others would cause him to overthink—sometimes it was just his imagination, sometimes perhaps not.
But whether real or imagined, it had prevented the coordination of the Lariat technique from ever being completed. Because of that, the Raikage had been forced to select another "B" to take his place.
After a moment of silence, the Third Raikage finally spoke: "…Very well. We'll proceed as you suggested. I'll have the staff coordinate the detailed deployment with you shortly."
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