บท 167: Chapter 167
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Within three days, Homura brought a team of ninja reinforcements to the frontline camp.
Upon arrival, Homura learned that Tsunade had also come to the frontlines and had healed most of the wounded with her Slug Technique.
Homura breathed a sigh of relief and said to Tsunade, "Since you're here, you might as well stay. The village needs your strength now. However, since you're here, I'll have the medical team I brought go to the camp in the Land of Grass."
Just Tsunade alone was worth three medical squads, so there was no need for the medical team he brought.
"Tsunade, now is not the time for nonsense!"
Seeing Tsunade turn her head without responding, Homura spoke again, this time more sternly.
Tsunade frowned unhappily upon hearing this, but before she could retort, Yoichi spoke up first.
"Don't worry, Elder Homura. No one doubts Tsunade-sama's resolve to protect the village. She rushed here from the Land of Tea as soon as she heard about the war. Her actions have already proven everything."
Yoichi's words both countered Homura and pleased Tsunade, who felt understood. If she were being frivolous, she would have hidden away instead of coming to the battlefield to treat patients despite her hemophobia.
Tsunade then gave Homura a cold snort and said no more.
At this moment, Sakumo spoke up, "Elder Homura, what does the village plan to do?"
Although they had brought reinforcements, they were still at a disadvantage against the forces of the Hidden Cloud. However, with Yoichi here, a counterattack might be possible!
"The village has no specific plan. The command of the frontline is still up to you, Sakumo-kun."
Homura asked upon seeing Sakumo's expression, "How are your injuries?"
Hatake Sakumo replied, "Much better, thanks to Tsunade's medical ninjutsu. I should be fully recovered in five or six days."
This was the effect of a top-tier medical ninja. Normally, a penetrating shoulder wound that damaged the bone would take at least two months to heal. But Tsunade's medical ninjutsu shortened this recovery time tenfold, allowing Sakumo to recover in just five or six days.
"Orochimaru, Yoichi-kun, do you have any ideas?"
Orochimaru shook his head and said, "I don't have any specific thoughts. Let's see what Yoichi-kun plans to do." Since he had given up on becoming Hokage, Orochimaru had no intention of taking the spotlight. He could fill in the gaps, but he wouldn't take the lead.
"The camp we previously left behind should be too small to accommodate the Hidden Cloud. And although the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud have allied, it has only been for two months."
Yoichi rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "The Hidden Stone wouldn't mix with the Hidden Cloud. I'll find a chance to sneak in and only kill the Hidden Stone ninjas. This might be enough to break their alliance."
"No, that's too dangerous!"
Tsunade immediately objected upon hearing this, "How can you just go into the enemy camp? Even if you succeed, it will be hard to get out. That's a death mission."
Orochimaru chuckled at Tsunade and said, "If it's Yoichi-kun, it might be possible. But he needs to recover first and confirm the positions of the Hidden Stone. I can have the Hyuga and Yamanaka clans' ninjas get close."
Seeing that Orochimaru also agreed, Tsunade glared at him, "Orochimaru!"
"Tsunade, don't be hasty. I say this because I've seen Yoichi-kun's strength. He can do it. If Yoichi-kun succeeds in his sneak attack, he might scatter the Hidden Cloud. But to break the alliance between the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud, it's best not to kill any Hidden Cloud ninjas."
Orochimaru smiled as he spoke.
If Yoichi turned into a rampaging Godzilla, it might drive the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud closer together, possibly forming a tighter alliance for the next decade, continuously opposing Konoha.
Unless they had the power to wipe out both villages in one go, it was best to focus on splitting the two villages apart first.
Seeing Tsunade looking at him, Yoichi nodded and said, "I have a trump card. I can protect myself. The hard part is finding the exact locations of the Hidden Stone ninjas."
Tsunade now had over 85 points of affection for him. Although she constantly called him a brat, if something happened to Yoichi, she would be deeply affected, and her hemophobia would worsen.
To break through 90 points, he needed to fulfill his promise to Tsunade. After that, there would be no problem!
"I can use summoning snakes to send the Hyuga and Yamanaka clan ninjas in. If you want, Yoichi-kun."
"I'll pass. Have them confirm the locations first and summon me near the camp."
Yoichi shook his head. He guessed Orochimaru's method: having the snake swallow them and then crawl underground to release them.
The Hidden Cloud, lacking strong reconnaissance abilities like the Byakugan, would have a hard time detecting this method.
"Hmm, I might have another stealth method that could be smoother. But I need to ask first."
Yoichi said. Hearing Orochimaru mention summoning snakes, he thought of the stealth techniques of the three snake princesses in Ryūchi Cave, especially Ichikishimahime, whose invisibility could even hide her presence.
If not for the Sharingan seeing chakra, any chakra-bearing creature couldn't escape its sight, making it hard for him to detect Ichikishimahime.
And the Hidden Cloud had no Dōjutsu like the Sharingan. If Ichikishimahime could help him, killing those Hidden Stone ninjas would be even easier.
After discussing the details, Uchiha Yoichi decided to start the infiltration the next night. Orochimaru chose a strong ninja from the Yamanaka clan and one from the Hyuga clan.
These two ninjas needed to be strong, with long-range vision and mind transfer techniques. The previous messenger, Yamanaka Inojin, was strong but killed by the Hidden Cloud during the retreat.
Homura had no objections. He found this plan feasible and didn't require too many ninjas. Success would bring benefits, and failure wouldn't be too costly.
After leaving the meeting tent, Tsunade followed Yoichi back to her resting tent and suddenly asked, "Brat, are you making me win a bet?"
"You too, Tsunade-sama."
Yoichi tilted his head and smiled, "Don't play too much and forget what a ninja should do. When I become Hokage, you'll be my assistant, working from dawn till dusk!"
"Hmph, big talk, brat!"
Tsunade snorted coldly and entered the tent, but Yoichi's words made her feel a bit more at ease.
That night, Yoichi went outside the camp and used the summoning technique.
With a puff of smoke, a white-dressed girl charged at Yoichi, looking like she had a big grudge.
But Yoichi wrapped himself in lightning and said to Ichikishimahime, "If you want revenge, wait a bit. I have something important to ask you!"
Ichikishimahime, taken aback by Yoichi's sudden serious expression, floated in the air with her arms crossed and asked, "What is it?"
"I need your invisibility ability. Can you lend it to me or help me sneak in?"
Upon hearing Uchiha Yoichi's request, Ichikishimahime angrily put her hands on her hips, "Human wars have nothing to do with me. I refuse!"
She almost got tricked by this human. What's so important about this!
"Just consider it a favor. I'll owe you one. You can ask for anything."
"Really?"
"Except eating me, and I won't send others for you to eat either!"
"Then what use are you!?"
"Then I'll ask the other two snake princesses. They seem easier to talk to."
After saying that, Uchiha Yoichi prepared to summon Shinya and have it reverse summon him to Ryūchi Cave.
But upon hearing this, Ichikishimahime quickly floated in front of him and said, "What use are they? I'm the best at invisibility. Fine, you owe me one. I'll help you this time."
"But you won't master it in a day. Call me out when you need help again."
"Then I'll call you tomorrow."
With that, Yoichi ended the summoning technique. Ichikishimahime tried to say something but was sent back.
...
The next day.
Orochimaru had found the ninjas, the strongest from the Hyuga and Yamanaka clans in the camp. After explaining the mission, they prepared for the night.
Ninjas wouldn't sleep too deeply, ready to fight at the slightest movement.
But night was better than day, providing some chance of a sneak attack, unlike the day when there was no chance at all.
Near dusk, Orochimaru, Yoichi, Yamanaka Kenji, and Hyuga Shinichi traveled for hours to the vicinity of their previous camp.
Earlier, they had used the Byakugan to avoid a Hidden Cloud patrol team. Going further would mean more patrols.
Uchiha Yoichi stopped and said, "It's up to you now, Orochimaru-senpai. I have a following method."
He then used the summoning technique to summon Ichikishimahime.
"You... Orochimaru?"
Ichikishimahime, seeing Orochimaru and Yoichi's gesture for silence, coldly snorted and didn't make a fuss.
Orochimaru didn't expect Yoichi to summon a Ryūchi Cave snake princess. But it made sense; Ichikishimahime had the best invisibility skills among the three snake princesses. Orochimaru had passed the second test by fulfilling her request.
Orochimaru then summoned two special snakes and said to Kenji and Shinichi, "Endure this."
The snakes swallowed the two ninjas, then shrunk to three feet long and burrowed underground.
"Let's follow them."
Yoichi said to Ichikishimahime. He wondered how she would help him with invisibility.
"Stay within my Sage Chakra."
Ichikishimahime floated onto Yoichi's back like a backpack, releasing Sage Chakra to make them invisible.
Even in Sage Mode, Orochimaru couldn't sense them.
"Not even Sage Mode can detect them. Yoichi-kun, you're perfectly invisible."
After Orochimaru spoke, it remained silent.
"Already gone?"
Wrapped in Ichikishimahime's Sage Chakra, Yoichi felt nothing unusual, though her presence on his back was odd.
The snake princess had no human propriety, hugging tightly, and Yoichi could clearly feel her.
Ichikishimahime occasionally flicked her snake tongue at his neck, making Yoichi grip her sock-covered foot in warning before continuing.
When they got close to the camp, the snakes found a hidden spot just patrolled and released Kenji and Shinichi.
Covered in mucus, they knew the method was effective, but Yoichi preferred not to use it.
Hyuga Shinichi activated his Byakugan, and Yamanaka Kenji used a clan secret technique to link their minds, sharing Shinichi's vision with Yoichi.
Shinichi's Byakugan could see two kilometers, covering most of the camp. If they didn't find the Hidden Stone ninjas here, they'd search around the camp.
Luckily, after a while, Shinichi located the Hidden Stone. At the same time, Yoichi knew their location.
With the location set, he moved into the camp.
Invisible, scentless, and undetectable, Ichikishimahime's ability made Uchiha Yoichi a ghost.
Avoiding the Hidden Cloud, Yoichi approached the Hidden Stone tents.
About sixty ninjas, no more than three per tent. Killing one would alert the others, but none were his match up close. Once alarmed, they'd just be targets.
Planning his approach, Uchiha Yoichi entered a tent.
"Who?"
Lightning Blade severed a throat instantly.
"Enemy!"
Seeing their comrade fall, the other two shouted and tried to form seals.
Too slow!
(End of Chapter)
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