Chapter 94: The Surprise Attack of the Sand Shinobi! (Thanks to Blood Cross for the generous donatio
Chapter 94: The Surprise Attack of the Sand Shinobi! (Thanks to Blood Cross for the generous donation)
"Enough!"
Orochimaru spoke, and with his words, the tense standoff between the two sides immediately dissipated, as if it had all been a mere illusion.
"Old sly fox!"
"Little fox!"
Both sides inwardly sneered at each other. The entire display had been an act. Everyone knew that no one would actually make a move here, so they had to put on a show of readiness to 'act' at any moment, but they would never truly engage.
Whoever made the first move would be the laughingstock, because Orochimaru would never allow it. Did they think he was soft? Brutality and cold-bloodedness were his trademarks.
"This matter ends here. I will not tolerate any more trouble in the camp!"
Orochimaru delivered his final verdict. He had given them a chance, and since they couldn't handle the situation with Tang Ping, it was over.
"...Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" 3
The three men, despite their reluctance, had no choice but to comply. Of course, Orochimaru didn't cut off all their hopes. He forbade them from causing trouble in the camp, but outside the camp was fair game. Orochimaru wanted to see how Tang Ping would handle the pressure.
If he had to save Tang Ping, he might as well have him 'studied'... right?
After dismissing the three, Orochimaru warned Tang Ping.
"If you don't leave the camp, they won't dare to cause you any trouble!"
He didn't like these greedy individuals, but he couldn't say much due to his teacher's influence.
"Thank you for the warning, Lord Orochimaru!"
Tang Ping thanked him and left. No matter what, Orochimaru hadn't betrayed him; he just hadn't protected him. But that was Tang Ping's own choice. If he didn't want to ally with Orochimaru, he couldn't blame him for not intervening when he was in trouble. Orochimaru was clear in his dealings, giving as much as he got, and owed him nothing. Orochimaru wasn't a good friend, but he was an excellent 'boss.'
After this incident, Tang Ping found himself in conflict with the three clans. Fortunately, he was no longer a regular Chunin, and Orochimaru had enough influence to keep him in his position and preserve his means of earning money.
As soon as he returned to his tent, Hyuga Aozuki and Yamashina Koji arrived.
"Should I go 'pay them a visit'?"
Hyuga Aozuki's face was a mask of calm, but her eyes were cold and terrifying. Her strength had grown with her age, and taking on a few Jonin was no problem for her. Even if they were from the village's elite clans, she didn't care.
"No need!"
Tang Ping rejected Hyuga Aozuki's impulsive suggestion. Acting now would be too obvious, unless he planned to abandon Konoha and run away with his earnings. Even Danzo wasn't that reckless.
Instead, he had more pressing concerns.
"Is everything ready over there?"
He was referring to the 'laboratory' in the Land of Rivers. What used to be a 'surgery room' had been upgraded with the money he had earned, now capable of conducting experiments and research.
"It's complete!"
Hyuga Aozuki nodded. However, the laboratory had drained their resources, leaving them nearly bankrupt. If not for their steady income, they wouldn't have been able to sustain the expenses.
"Koji, you—!"
Just as Tang Ping was about to give specific instructions to Yamashina Koji, he instinctively frowned and looked west.
Boom, boom!
A series of explosions echoed from the distance, growing louder and closer.
No need to say it.
Trouble! This is a ninja military camp with nearly a thousand ninja stationed here. It's impossible for a Sand shinobi squad to get close.
The situation is clear—definitely the Sand shinobi army has arrived.
The question is... why?
Right now, the Iwa shinobi are attacking from the north. If the Sand shinobi were to attack now, they would be acting as a shield, drawing fire for the enemy.
This is precisely why Konoha has shifted its forces to the north instead of the southwestern front.
Whoosh, whoosh!
With a few leaps, Dou Hei Ping reached the top of the camp's wooden wall and looked toward the west.
By now, quite a few shinobi had gathered here, and more were rushing in from nearby training areas.
Dou Hei Ping and his two teammates found a corner to observe the situation.
Let the tall ones handle it. He’s just a Chunin; it’s not like he has to take the lead, right?
No way!
Even if the Sand shinobi do attack, he’s confident he can escape unscathed, so he’s not too worried.
But before he could get a clear view, a messenger ninja found him.
"Uchiha Dou Hei Ping, Orochimaru-sama orders you to assemble at Training Ground 12!"
The messenger delivered the command directly.
Damn!
Dou Hei Ping cursed inwardly.
While he likes to show off, he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight at a time like this.
Isn’t it better to just quietly farm strength and accumulate power?
But with Orochimaru’s order, how can he stay low? This is definitely the treatment of a top-tier shinobi.
"Both of you, wait here and act together with me!"
After arranging his teammates, he headed for Training Ground 12.
He arrived quickly.
By now, the training ground was already filled with several shinobi.
Orochimaru wasn’t wearing his usual attire but instead had on a tight-fitting bodysuit with a light armor covering most of his body, standing on a raised platform.
This was the standard outfit for the battlefield.
On the battlefield, the strongest fear is "stray bullets."
While they can prepare for the enemy’s strong attacks, stray bullets with no intent to kill can appear at any time, even challenging Kage-level shinobi to dodge. Thus, wearing defensive gear is entirely reasonable.
There were only about a dozen Jounin in this training ground, with the rest being Special Jounin—these were the camp’s top combat forces and command layer.
And a Chunin like Dou Hei Ping was definitely the most eye-catching.
But no one found it odd.
In the shinobi world, only strength matters!
With strength, no one would object, whether you’re a Chunin or even a Genin.
"The Sand shinobi have launched a full-scale attack. Our mission is to intercept them and buy time for others to retreat... Let’s move out!"
Orochimaru’s orders were simple and clear.
Their task today wasn’t to engage the Sand shinobi head-on but to delay and obstruct them, giving others time to retreat.
Unless someone’s brain is waterlogged, they wouldn’t think that a thousand shinobi could stand against several thousand Sand shinobi.
Do they really think Konoha shinobi are all "Ip Man," capable of taking on ten at once?
Of course, retreating without even engaging in combat would invite criticism.
But Orochimaru doesn’t care about that.
As one of the Sannin, a disciple of the Hokage, and a Kage-level shinobi, he has the confidence to ignore such criticism.
Whoosh, whoosh!
One by one, elite squads assembled and rushed out of the camp, heading toward the continuous explosions to the west.
They needed to halt the enemy’s advance.
Otherwise, if the Sand shinobi broke through the defenses, it would be much harder for others to retreat.
Before long, these squads encountered the incoming Sand shinobi.
(End of Chapter)
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