[Translator's Note: Ahhh, my bad everyone! I just realized I've been calling Ōnoki's son "Akatsuchi" this whole time… but his real name is Kitsuchi. Akatsuchi isn't his son at all — he's just Ōnoki's super loyal jōnin. So whenever you saw Akatsuchi being mentioned as Ōnoki's son in earlier chapters, please know it was actually Kitsuchi. I'll be fixing it from here on. Thanks for sticking with me even when I mess up!]
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Taking advantage of the night, Kitsuchi led one thousand Iwa-nin and looked down at the enemy shinobi from above. After estimating the distance, he concluded that even if they threw shuriken or explosive tags from their position, they wouldn't be able to harm the enemy.
"Brothers, the time to achieve glory has come. Everyone, charge!" Kitsuchi, now committed, took the lead and jumped down.
Inside Rōshi, the Four-Tails Son Gokū suddenly spoke. "Rōshi, something's wrong. Those shinobi aren't real, they're shadow clones! It's a trap!"
Rōshi's heart tightened. He looked at Kitsuchi and the Iwa-nin who were already descending and shouted, "Fall back!" Seeing Kitsuchi about to land, Rōshi immediately activated his Lava Release Chakra Mode.
His body was covered in red chakra as he rushed forward at high speed. A red streak flashed through the darkness, quickly catching up to Kitsuchi and grabbing him by the collar. Kitsuchi struggled violently.
"Let me go! I need to fight!" Kitsuchi yelled.
Rōshi's expression was cold. He lifted Kitsuchi. "Kid, calm down. Look below."
Kitsuchi froze. 'That voice... Uncle Rōshi? And what did he say? Look below?'
He stopped struggling and turned his head toward the ground. Just as the Iwa-nin landed, the ground collapsed, and sharp spikes shot upward, impaling around two hundred shinobi instantly. The rest, having been a step slower, survived by stepping on their comrades' bodies.
"Do you see now, Kitsuchi? Because of your ignorance and arrogance, two hundred Iwa-nin have already died tonight. Do you still think you're right?" Rōshi muttered in midair.
Kitsuchi fell silent, staring at the corpses of his impaled comrades, his face flushing red. However, at this point, retreating would only invite ridicule. Since things had come this far, he might as well go all out.
"Full assault!" Kitsuchi gritted his teeth.
The remaining eight hundred shinobi stepped over their fallen comrades and charged toward the Konoha camp.
Suddenly, arrows shot out from the bushes, striking a large number of shinobi. Everything happened too fast. Blood splattered everywhere.
The shinobi at the back quickly formed hand seals and used Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall to block the arrows. Though they managed to block most, their reaction was slightly delayed, and many were still grazed.
Someone shouted, "The arrows are poisoned!"
The shinobi looked over and saw one of their comrades, who had just landed, lose all strength and collapse. The wound was on his thigh—not severe, but he was already unable to fight, lying helplessly on the ground.
As this shinobi fell, others who had been grazed by the arrows staggered a few steps before collapsing one after another.
Kitsuchi estimated around three hundred shinobi were affected. He took a sharp breath. In just one encounter, half of his Iwa-nin force had been incapacitated.
"Damn it! The Konoha shinobi are despicable, utterly despicable! Uncle Rōshi, please put me down. I need to fight alongside my men!" Kitsuchi pleaded.
Rōshi looked at him, calculating that as long as he stayed close, Kitsuchi wouldn't be in too much danger. He nodded and flew toward the Iwa-nin troops, releasing Kitsuchi.
As soon as Kitsuchi landed, he immediately checked on the injured shinobi. After confirming the poison only weakened them for a day without being fatal, he sighed in relief.
Unbeknownst to him, this was Orochimaru's deliberate plan. Not out of mercy, but because this way, the Iwa-nin wouldn't abandon their comrades, further reducing their combat strength.
Sure enough, Kitsuchi ordered three hundred shinobi to carry their poisoned comrades back to camp. The remaining two hundred continued the assault with him.
Kitsuchi formed hand seals, channeled chakra, and slammed his palms on the ground. "Earth Release: Mountain Sandwich Technique!"
The ground trembled as massive earthen walls rose, enclosing the Konoha shinobi's shadow clones. His eyes gleamed with excitement.
The walls closed in, crushing the Konoha border guards inside.
The guards simply smiled, formed hand seals, and—poof!—vanished in puffs of smoke.
Kitsuchi froze. 'Shadow clones? I wasted so much chakra just to crush shadow clones? And they even dispelled themselves! Damn it!'
Boom! The walls collided, but the Iwa-nin felt no joy. Instead, their hearts sank. Their captain's every move had been predicted.
'With only two hundred of us left, can we really inflict any damage on Konoha?' The Iwa-nin began to doubt.
Kitsuchi sighed. He knew morale was broken and was about to order a retreat when—
Orochimaru appeared. Smiling, he looked at Kitsuchi from a distance. "Kitsuchi, how was the gift I prepared for you? Satisfied?"
"Orochimaru... Very well. Using such underhanded tactics—aren't you afraid my father will personally wipe out every Konoha shinobi in this camp in retaliation?" Kitsuchi clenched his teeth.
Orochimaru paused, then burst into laughter. "Kitsuchi, are you joking? On the battlefield, victory is all that matters. What does 'underhanded' even mean?"
"Besides, during the previous war between Iwa and Kumo, did your side really fight head-on without any tricks? I doubt it." Orochimaru said coolly. 'I heard Kitsuchi was calm and collected during negotiations. Why is he so furious now?'
In truth, it wasn't Kitsuchi's fault. Losing two hundred shinobi before even seeing the enemy, then another three hundred poisoned, and three hundred more forced to retreat—only to crush shadow clones with his ultimate technique. How could he accept this? It was outright bullying!
"Enough talk, Orochimaru! Fight me!" Kitsuchi channeled chakra to his right arm, turning it to stone, and threw a punch.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. 'If I capture Kitsuchi, the war might end quickly. Ōnoki won't let his son stay in Konoha's custody for long. We can demand more reparations and resources...'
He drew the Kusanagi Sword and slashed at Kitsuchi's stone fist.
Kitsuchi smirked. 'A mere iron sword against my Stone Fist Technique? You're asking for death!'
He didn't dodge. The stone fist met the blade—
Orochimaru sneered internally.
The moment they clashed, Kitsuchi realized something was wrong. His stone-covered arm actually felt pain!
He immediately used the Substitution Technique and retreated. After ensuring he was safe, he examined his arm. Dispelling the Stone Fist, he saw a cut on his hand, blood dripping.
"Forgot to mention, Kitsuchi. This Kusanagi Sword is a divine weapon. Its sharpness can pierce even the hardest defenses. Your Stone Fist can't block it." Orochimaru said coldly.
Kitsuchi inhaled sharply. If this continued, he'd be worn down and killed! Orochimaru was no ordinary opponent. He glanced at Rōshi.
Rōshi nodded, preparing to intervene. Just then—
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