บท 171: Chapter 171: Tomb of Heroes
At the Konoha camp on the Iwa Ninja front line, Orochimaru lay on a large boulder just outside the base, dressed in his usual ninja attire, Jonin vest, and Konoha forehead protector. Eyes closed, he appeared relaxed, as if he had nothing to worry about.
And, in truth, he didn't. The enemy had grown wary of him after countless encounters. By now, every time Iwa or any other hostile force spotted him, they would retreat without a second thought. Even the most determined raiding parties would break off their attacks at the first sign of his presence.
So Orochimaru found himself with little to do. Days blurred together as he idly waited for an enemy who would never come close enough to fight.
As he lay there, a different kind of restlessness crept into his mind, memories of Tsunade. Her presence, her scent, her warmth… All things he missed more than he'd care to admit. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this sort of attachment to anyone.
"Am I… getting soft?" Orochimaru muttered to himself, looking up at the sky with a hint of self-criticism. "Missing a woman on the battlefield… the so-called tomb of heroes…"
But just as he was about to shake off the thought, his attention snapped to the sky.
"What…?"
His eyes narrowed as he saw a glint on the horizon. An emergency flare rocketed into the air from the far end of the camp, signaling an imminent attack.
"Enemy sighted!" someone yelled, causing the entire camp to stir.
"Who's setting off flares here?" grumbled one of the Konoha ninjas nearby. "This is our base. There's no way the enemy could get this close without a warning…"
But then, the ninja caught sight of Orochimaru standing beside the flare, and his doubts faded. If Orochimaru had signaled the alert, it was no mistake.
Following Orochimaru's gaze, the Konoha forces looked to the sky and froze in shock.
"What… what is that?"
"Ninjas… flying?"
Above them, dozens of airborne figures with metal wings hovered ominously, filling the sky over the Konoha camp. The sheer sight was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the most seasoned ninja. Humans weren't meant to fly, especially not in such numbers.
"This… this can't be possible, can it?"
Sitting nearby, Hizashi Hyuga activated his Byakugan. He focused on the strange metal wings attached to each figure, noting the flow of chakra.
"They're channeling chakra into those metal wings to stay airborne…" Hizashi murmured in amazement.
"Get down!" Orochimaru suddenly ordered, his voice cutting through the panic.
In an instant, the airborne shinobi unleashed a hailstorm of bullets and explosives from above, transforming the battlefield into a scene of chaos. Explosions tore through the camp, and Konoha ninjas scrambled for cover, but the sudden barrage caught many off-guard.
While Konoha ninjas tried to retaliate with kunai, shuriken, and other projectiles, the airborne ninjas were simply too fast. Their bullets rained down at speeds no traditional weapon could match, and the Konoha forces found themselves completely outpaced.
Through the smoke and fire, an airborne ninja caught sight of Orochimaru, standing defiantly by the boulder with his team gathered around him. Grinning, the attacker angled downward, aiming directly for him with his weapons primed.
Orochimaru's team scattered at his command, diving for cover, but Orochimaru himself stood his ground. His golden eyes shifted, the irises turning a vivid scarlet as he activated his Sharingan. Lightning crackled in his raised hand, building in intensity.
The airborne ninja scoffed at the sight. "Using Lightning Release from that distance? Pathetic. No matter how fast you think you are, you won't be able to hit me."
He was still mentally congratulating himself when Orochimaru's lightning surged forward, impossibly fast.
Zap!
The shock paralyzed the enemy mid-air, his eyes widening in disbelief as his body seized up. He began to plummet from the sky, utterly helpless.
"Earth Release: Quagmire!" Orochimaru murmured, forming a single hand sign.
As the ninja hit the ground, the earth beneath him turned to thick mud, swallowing him up before he had a chance to recover.
From a distance, one of Orochimaru's team members stared at the scene, stunned. "What… what just happened?"
---
Once the bombardment ended, Konoha's camp was left in ruins, smoke and flames rising from scattered fires. The air ninjas retreated quickly, vanishing over the horizon as swiftly as they'd arrived, leaving only destruction in their wake.
Aside from the one Orochimaru took down, none of the airborne ninjas were harmed.
"Sensei, what was that?" Nawaki demanded, running up to him. "Who were those guys?"
"Troublesome…" Orochimaru murmured, his gaze fixed on the retreating figures. "So they finally made their move."
The Land of Sky. An anomaly among the hidden villages, their ninja specialized not in traditional ninjutsu, but in mechanical technology and aerial combat. While most villages focused on honing their chakra techniques, these ninjas wielded modern weaponry—aircraft, bombs, and even machine guns.
In terms of pure technology, they were decades ahead of everyone else. Though Orochimaru himself had been dabbling in advanced weapons, he was nowhere near their level, not with the limited resources and time he'd had.
"Why did they retreat after just one attack?" Nawaki muttered, frustrated.
"They don't have unlimited chakra," Hizashi replied calmly, his Byakugan still active as he observed the remnants of the retreating force. "From the amount of chakra they used to stay airborne and launch their attack, I'd say they're likely headed somewhere nearby to refuel and regroup."
Orochimaru turned, a hint of surprise on his face as he looked at Hizashi. "Impressive insight, Hizashi. We'll investigate further, but first, we need to make preparations in case they return."
Taking a large scroll from his back, Orochimaru opened it and began issuing orders.
"Mita, go inform the camp commander to be on high alert for any possible Iwa reinforcements. We're vulnerable right now."
"Yes, sir!"
"Ishihara, Kazuki, distribute these scrolls to the Uchiha squad members in the camp. If they come back, we'll need everyone's Sharingan ready."
"Yes, sir!"
"Hizashi, stay with me. I'll show you how to use one of these scrolls."
As Orochimaru handed out the equipment, he began setting up defenses and preparing for a possible second wave.
War was never without casualties. The loss of life was inevitable, and he had no illusions about it. But as long as he could keep his team intact, the rest was just collateral.
Why was he fighting, really? Orochimaru found himself mulling over the question as he watched his team carry out his orders. He wasn't particularly loyal to Konoha. It wasn't for a sense of duty or love for his village.
But he also knew he couldn't afford to lose.
***
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