Chương 116: Return
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The teams, along with the Hokage and Karin, returned to Konoha, the atmosphere weighed heavily with the aftermath of the battle. As they all filed into Tsunade's room, the solemnity of the situation was punctuated by the crisp clacking of the Hokage's sandals against the wooden floor.
The room was large, but the crowd made it seem smaller. Tsunade sat at the head of the room, a stern expression on her face. Next to her were her students, Karin and Sakura. Jiraiya, the Toad Sannin, was standing off to the side, his arms crossed and a grave look in his eyes. The Jounin Sensei of the five teams were there, and Team 7 — Koushin, Naruto, and Hinata — were seated in the corner. Ino was nestled in Koushin's arms, the usually playful man silent and pensive as he held her close. The air was thick with tension, the kind that comes after a brutal battle and an uneasy victory.
Shikaku, the Nara clan head, was also in the room. His keen insight and strategic mind were invaluable in discussing the day's events.
There was a silence as Tsunade surveyed the room. "Thank you all for your hard work today," she began, her voice resonating in the quiet room. "We managed to push back Orochimaru's forces, but this is far from over. We need to understand what happened today, and how we can better prepare for the future. It is regrettable for Utakata and Roshi to escape while we were dealing with the snake, but our major focus should be on Orochimaru right now"
Iroha was the first to speak up. "Orochimaru's strength is undeniable," he began, his Hyuga eyes steely. "We must find a way to counteract his Sage Body and Sharingan."
Kakashi nodded, his uncovered eyes thoughtful. "His tactics are also not to be underestimated. He used Kabuto's infiltration to disorient us and divide our forces. We'll have to find a way to guard against such ploys in the future."
Amid the sober discussion, Koushin's voice echoed, carrying a hint of his usual joviality. "Well, we can't very well put a 'no snakes allowed' sign at the entrance, can we?" His comment elicited a few chuckles, lifting the oppressive mood momentarily. Yet, his eyes remained serious. He was fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
Kurenai interjected, "We also need to consider his knowledge of genjutsu. It's a significant advantage he holds over us."
"Speaking of advantages," said Shikaku, "we shouldn't ignore our own. Koushin's ability to see through his illusions are mighty useful. We should devise plans around them."
"Koushin," Shikaku began, turning his gaze towards the man holding Ino, "this ability you have to see through illusions—do you think you could teach it to others?"
Koushin gave a light-hearted chuckle, a soft smile playing on his lips as he shifted Ino's weight in his arms. "Sorry, Shikaku, I'd love to play teacher," he replied, a hint of irony in his tone, "but this one's special, something unique to my summon realm. It's not something I can pass on."
There was a small murmur of disappointment that echoed around the room, but it was quickly followed by a nod of understanding. The shinobi of Konoha were no strangers to unique abilities and bloodline limits.
"But we're not completely defenseless," Jiraiya chimed in, leaning against the wall with a serious look on his face. "We can still strengthen our defenses against genjutsu, and improve our response tactics."
"Indeed," Tsunade agreed, glancing at Sakura who nodded in silent acknowledgment.
Kakashi was the next to speak. "We need to discuss Orochimaru's abilities in more detail. His Mangekyo Sharingan, his Sage Body, and of course, his Edo Tensei. Each of these are threats on their own, and combined, they're even more dangerous."
The room was silent for a moment as they absorbed the gravity of the task ahead. Orochimaru's power was not to be underestimated, but neither were they.
"Let's start with the Sage Body," suggested Iroha, his face set in a stern expression. "Unlike traditional Sage Mode, Orochimaru doesn't need to stay still to gather nature energy. He seems to have a near limitless supply of chakra because of it. We need a way to disrupt that flow or limit his chakra usage."
"Disrupting nature energy flow is dangerous," interjected Kakashi, "an uncontrolled burst of nature energy could cause catastrophic damage."
"Then we'll need to focus on evasion and striking when he's vulnerable," Asuma suggested, his hands moving to his beard in thought. "We saw in our battle that even Orochimaru couldn't maintain the sage body while simultaneously defending against multiple attacks."
"His Mangekyo Sharingan is also a threat," Kurenai spoke up, her red eyes intense. "It gives him incredible genjutsu capabilities and an advantage in predicting our movements."
"I'm no Uchiha," Koushin quipped, "but I've tangled with Sharingan before. Unpredictability is our friend there. It's harder to predict movements if they aren't linear or formulaic."
"That's true," said Kakashi, smiling slightly under his mask, "and we have enough wild cards in our ranks to keep Orochimaru on his toes."
Their discussion shifted towards the topic of Edo Tensei. This jutsu allowed Orochimaru to bring back the dead to fight on his behalf, a tool he used to horrifying effect.
"We need to be prepared for any shinobi Orochimaru might have acquired for Edo Tensei," Tsunade stated gravely. "That means studying past opponents and devising strategies for each one."
"This isn't an ideal solution," Shikaku voiced, "but we might need to consider destroying the bodies once they're reanimated."
There was a brief, somber silence in the room. They all understood the weight of what Shikaku was suggesting. It was a difficult prospect, emotionally and morally, but it was a grim reality they had to face.
"The way I see it," Koushin said, his voice steady and calm, "we're going to have to fight like hell and keep adapting. Orochimaru isn't going to make it easy, so we'll have to make it even harder for him."
Despite the grim nature of the conversation, Koushin's words, true to his nature, managed to lighten the mood just a bit. There were nods of agreement and even a few small smiles.
"We have a long road ahead," Tsunade announced, standing up and looking around at the determined faces. "But we're shinobi of Konoha. No matter how strong the enemy, we won't back down. We'll prepare, and we'll protect our village and people. This is our duty."
Tsunade studied the note, her face hardening with frustration. She clenched her fists tightly, crumpling the parchment in her hand. "Damn," she muttered under her breath, "Akatsuki is after the Two-Tail's Jinchuriki."
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