https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-459-Turning-the-Tide-with-Lightning-Edge/12558636/
Chapter 458: A Blazing Sun Rises on the Night Battlefield
Chapter 458: A Blazing Sun Rises on the Night Battlefield
When Mu Yue arrived at the conference room, only two people were inside: Commander Orochimaru and Deputy Commander Shikaku Nara.
"Now that everyone is here, let's begin the meeting," Orochimaru said after Mu Yue took a seat.
Mu Yue instantly realized that this meeting was no ordinary affair.
Usually, even for a small gathering, Orochimaru would notify other key members of the ninja forces. But this time, only the three commanders were present.
"Not long ago, our intelligence agents discovered a major hideout of Kirigakure," Orochimaru began, delving into the main topic of the meeting.
"Based on the information, we can almost certainly conclude that this hideout houses the main force of Kirigakure's ninja forces."
After finishing his statement, Orochimaru didn't continue further. Instead, he looked at Shikaku Nara and Mu Yue, giving them time to react and ponder.
Shikaku Nara furrowed his brows in thought and then spoke up, "Now that they know our movements while we remain unaware of theirs, I suggest we dispatch more ninjas to keep an eye on Kirigakure's actions and then conduct a probe."
He had probably guessed Orochimaru's thoughts. Konohagakure currently held the advantage in terms of combat strength, and with this new intelligence victory, Orochimaru was likely contemplating taking the initiative to launch a large-scale war to annihilate Kirigakure's forces.
However, Shikaku Nara believed that a full-scale offensive might not be the best course of action. The intelligence could be genuine, but it didn't rule out the possibility of a trap.
Previously, Orochimaru had intended to use an information gap to lure Kirigakure into a battle, but the encounter had changed the dynamics of the battlefield, prompting a shift in strategy.
If Kirigakure's reinforcement forces arrived, they might very well employ a similar tactic to lure Konohagakure into a trap.
"You're right. This could be the enemy's ploy to lure us in. I think we must carefully verify and confirm all the intelligence we've gathered recently. Kirigakure may have dispatched reinforcement troops from the Water Country," Mu Yue said thoughtfully.
Since Orochimaru was the commander, Mu Yue didn't elaborate further, choosing to be concise. He didn't think Orochimaru was the type to rush headlong into a battle without careful consideration.
Orochimaru nodded in agreement. His thoughts aligned with Mu Yue and Shikaku Nara. They could use this intelligence to probe, but they shouldn't gamble on the assumption that the enemy wouldn't be able to respond to a sudden attack.
Once the trio reached a consensus, they moved on to the specifics of the tactical arrangement. They discussed how to probe, which teams to select for the mission, and the plan of action afterward.
Mu Yue didn't interfere much in this part, mostly listening to Orochimaru and Shikaku Nara.
While his strength had increased significantly, Mu Yue was still an ordinary person just a few years ago. Expecting him to be adept at the practicalities of warfare might be asking too much, but he could certainly contribute to the theoretical aspects.
After the three of them finalized the offensive plan, Orochimaru immediately summoned over thirty squads of ninjas to form a probing team to scout around the enemy's stronghold.
Even though it was a probing attack, the target was the enemy's main force, so they needed a substantial number to avoid being overwhelmed.
In the following hours, Orochimaru, Shikaku Nara, and Mu Yue remained without sleep, awaiting the latest intelligence to determine their next course of action.
However, for ninjas of their caliber, staying awake for a day was not a challenging feat. Ninjas possessed far greater stamina than ordinary individuals.
But what they didn't anticipate was that before the probing action could yield any results, the Hyuga clan ninjas responsible for perimeter security sounded the alarm, reporting the enemy's large-scale offensive.
To prevent surprise attacks, ninjas from the Hyuga clan took turns maintaining vigilance around the Konohagakure camp, ensuring its safety.
"A large number of Kirigakure ninjas are heading in our direction! Their numbers exceed a thousand!" the sentinel ninja reported urgently.
Orochimaru abruptly stood up, his brows furrowed in concern. The turn of events had caught him somewhat off guard.
The Byakugan was powerful and convenient, but it had its limitations. Compared to traditional sensory ninjutsu, the range of the Byakugan was relatively limited. Even a well-trained Hyuga jonin could typically only see within a radius of about three and a half kilometers.
For a small team, this range was more than sufficient to prepare for many situations. However, in a large-scale ninja battle involving over a thousand combatants, being able to see the enemy meant that both sides were already in dangerously close proximity, leaving little room for strategic maneuvers.
"Why have we suddenly fallen into such a significant intelligence disadvantage?" Orochimaru wondered.
He had initially assumed that Kirigakure had received reinforcements and was planning to use a luring strategy against Konohagakure. But he hadn't expected Kirigakure to uncover their main base of operations.
Although they had intentionally revealed the location of their camp once before, Orochimaru had swiftly changed locations after altering their strategy. He had even dispatched teams to set up two decoy hideouts to divert attention.
Logically, if Kirigakure hadn't found even the decoys, how could they have suddenly discovered the true hideout, hidden in the deepest recesses? It couldn't simply be attributed to luck.
"Are you two pulling the strings behind the scenes again?" Mu Yue immediately suspected the involvement of Black Zetsu and Uchiha Madara.
Kirigakure might not possess such formidable intelligence capabilities, but Uchiha Madara and his cohorts certainly did. The White Zetsu was the most formidable intelligence ninja in the ninja world.
Mu Yue suspected that Uchiha Madara and Black Zetsu found him a thorn in their side and wanted to eliminate him through this war.
Even if he survived, should the Konohagakure ninja forces suffer heavy casualties, the ensuing fallout would keep Mu Yue occupied, creating more opportunities for Uchiha Madara and his allies to exploit.
"It seems neither side intends to let the other have a peaceful night. Let's prepare for battle," Orochimaru said as he stepped out of the tent.
The proximity to Kirigakure left no room for devising elaborate strategies against the enemy. From here on out, it would be a test of the raw power of their respective teams.
Mu Yue and Shikaku Nara followed Orochimaru out.
The Hyuga ninjas on sentinel duty had sounded the emergency signal at the first sign of trouble. Inside the camp, ninjas who had been resting sprang into action, preparing for the impending clash.
"Wake up, everyone! Something big is happening," Kakashi was the first to rouse, quickly getting to his feet to alert the others.
"I will create a world where everyone is a jonin."
Obito's eyes snapped open, and he quickly got out of bed without asking any questions.
"Let's go find Teacher Mu Yue," said Itachi, seeing the anxious expressions on the faces of the ninjas around them.
No matter what happened, seeking Mu Yue's guidance couldn't hurt.
The other disciples nodded in agreement.
Coincidentally, Mu Yue had just finished gathering the Fire Style Squad, and with her Byakugan, she precisely located Kakashi's group and instructed them to follow the Fire Style Squad in their mission.
After drawing the Clear Sky, Mu Yue informed Orochimaru of the jutsu's effects, explaining that it was a new Fire Style secret technique he had recently developed.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru assembled eighty percent of the Fire Style ninjas in the Ninja Forces to form the Fire Style Squad. The members of this squad usually performed tasks with ordinary ninjas but would follow Mu Yue's command in significant battles.
For secrecy, only Mu Yue, Orochimaru, and Shikkaku Nara knew about the effects of Clear Sky within the Ninja Forces.
Even the members of the Fire Style Squad were unaware of it, as Mu Yue had never used it in front of them.
"Orochimaru, are you surprised? Did you think your intelligence ninjas won? It was just an illusion we fed you," Houji Yagura said mockingly as he knocked away the incoming kunai with his hooked iron bar.
Although the overwhelming victory in the intelligence department had caught him off guard, he still boasted to dampen the morale of the Konoha forces.
"Is that so? Have you ever considered the possibility that I might desire a grand battle even more than you?" Orochimaru countered with a cold smile.
Despite their current predicament, Orochimaru remained calm. He knew that the true deciding factor in war was the strength of the ninja forces, and no amount of scheming could overcome sheer power.
With Mu Yue's Clear Sky jutsu weakening the enemy, even if the Kirigakure ninjas had greater numbers, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Konoha ninjas. Orochimaru was more concerned about the powerful individuals from Kirigakure than their overall forces.
If they had a jinchuriki, things could get tricky.
Swish!
Houji Yagura suddenly burst into action, appearing beside Orochimaru and swinging his iron bar at him.
Orochimaru expressionlessly raised his right hand, and a thick, giant snake burst out of his sleeve, blocking the iron bar.
Shikaku Nara quickly formed hand seals and used his Shadow Secret Technique, sending shadows toward Houji Yagura.
"Water Style: Water Cannon Jutsu!"
Kagerou Ganrou, of course, wouldn't stand idly by and let Shikaku Nara's attack succeed. He formed a gun shape with his hand and aimed it at Shikaku Nara's head, unleashing the secret technique of the Kagerou clan.
Drops of water, as fast as bullets, shot out from Kagerou Ganrou's hand and sped toward Shikaku Nara.
The Water Cannon was not only fast but also required no hand seals. Shikaku Nara barely dodged the attack with Choji Akimichi's timely support.
"Shadow Clone Multiple Snake Hands!"
The next moment, countless snakes burst out of Orochimaru's left sleeve and surged toward Houji Yagura.
Houji Yagura calmly gathered a water rope and swung it, knocking all the incoming snakes away.
At that moment, the Konoha and Kirigakure ninja forces clashed, with both powerful individuals and average ninjas engaging in battle.
However, the Konoha ninjas' morale was low. They had been ambushed again, and their enemies outnumbered them, making it hard to stay optimistic about the outcome, even though the fight had just begun.
"There are so many enemies, Rin. Be careful," Obito said worriedly amid the battle.
Bang!
Wildflower Rin gathered her chakra and threw a Blast Punch, causing blood to splatter from the Kirigakure ninja in front of her. Compared to Obito's group, Wildflower Rin was indeed weaker.
But if you compared her to an ordinary person, Wildflower Rin was a genius. It was rare to see a 10-year-old special Jonin.
"You too, Obito," Wildflower Rin replied gently.
Obito swallowed and focused ninety percent of his attention on the battle, using the remaining ten percent to keep an eye on Wildflower Rin's condition.
"Could this be the battle?" Itachi wondered, looking at the chaotic battlefield under the night sky, his heart filled with concern for Mu Yue.
Mu Yue, the master of the Flying Thunder God, had the ability to retreat at any time, but Itachi knew that she would never abandon her comrades.
Just then, a blindingly bright light pierced through the darkness and descended upon the battlefield, rapidly ascending and growing brighter until it hung high in the sky like a blazing sun, illuminating the entire battlefield and turning night into day.
All the ninjas on the battlefield, whether from Kirigakure or Konoha, wore bewildered expressions.
Even the well-traveled Houji Yagura was puzzled. In his decades of life, he had never encountered such a situation.
He knew of jutsu that could make it rain, but he had never heard of one that could create a miniature sun to light up the battlefield.
"What's going on? Why did the sky suddenly become so bright?"
"I think it's Teacher Mu Yue's jutsu."
Some ninjas who were close to Mu Yue earlier recalled the glowing orb she had summoned.
"Something's wrong! My Water Style jutsu has weakened!" A Kirigakure ninja discovered that his Water Style techniques had lost their potency.
No ninja would be unclear about the effects of their jutsu; even a genin wouldn't make such a mistake.
"Huh? My Fire Style jutsu suddenly became stronger."
On the other hand, Konoha ninjas who used Fire Style jutsu found that their techniques had mysteriously strengthened, even though their chakra amount and nature transformation hadn't improved.
PS: The exhausting move is finally over today. I'll try to write more in the coming days.
(End of Chapter)
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