The oil lamp cast a faint glow, causing the tent's shadows to flicker rapidly. Every second that passed felt heavy with apprehension.
Tsunade paced back and forth in agitation, her usual composure gone. She finally halted and turned to Orochimaru, her voice tense. "If it were only the two of us, what chance do you think we have to stop the Third Kazekage from sealing the One-Tailed Shukaku?"
Orochimaru paused his communication with the reconnaissance snakes, then took a breath before responding. "With us two, plus our summon beasts, maybe it's fifty-fifty. But our intelligence on the Kazekage is incomplete. The situation favors him. Real chances of success might be lower."
Tsunade's shoulders slumped. "Still, it's a Tailed Beast. We can't allow the Sand shinobi to seal Shukaku. If we stop the Kazekage, countless ninjas might be spared on the battlefield."
Orochimaru shook his head, his voice low but calm. "Don't forget, a Sand shinobi strike team lies in wait nearby. They intend to ambush the convoy once we divide our strength."
Tsunade scoffed. "With so few Sand shinobi? Do you really think they'll dare to strike directly?"
"They might not attack normally," Orochimaru said, "but their commander is a cautious Jonin, mid to upper elite. He has waited for this moment. The rebirth of Shukaku is the perfect distraction. Once we dispatch elite ninjas after the tail beast, they'll strike. Ordinary ninja are useless against a Tailed Beast, so their strategy relies on drawing off our elite. Once they draw away a portion of our strength, do we still have the upper hand against their ambush?"
His words struck hard. Tsunade hesitated.
"So they're gambling everything," she murmured. "Are they not afraid we will succeed in stopping the Kazekage?"
Orochimaru nodded slowly. "It isn't the Sand village doing the gambling. It's the Kazekage himself. He sealing Shukaku means he thinks he alone can stop anyone who tries to interfere. To him, no one stands a chance."
His voice was grim, but that was the truth. Even Orochimaru, Tsunade, or Jiraiya standing alone would be crushed by the Third Kazekage's power. They had felt that many times—from the horrors of Hanzo and their former teacher, the Third Hokage. The gap in strength was like an abyss separating them.
Orochimaru's eyes glinted faintly. A cold thought flickered in his mind: one day, I must kill a Kazekage. Just to experience what it feels like.
Tsunade was unaware of the fleeting darkness crossing his glance. To her, the next decision could change the course of war.
If she allowed the supplies to be lost in favor of stopping the seal, the Sand shinobi would likely succeed. Their food crisis would ease, and they'd survive longer. If they ignored the seal and let the Kazekage succeed, Konoha would face unimaginable losses if the Sand ninja deployed Shukaku later.
Time offered no easy answers. "What do we choose?" Tsunade asked quietly.
Orochimaru didn't hesitate. "I choose to act. I'll try to stop the Kazekage."
Tsunade nodded, resolute but cautious. "If anything goes wrong because we abandon the supplies, you share the responsibility with me."
He shook his head immediately. "Only me. You must stay and guard the convoy. I will confront the Kazekage by myself."
"Do you know what you're saying?" Tsunade nearly laughed in disbelief. Orochimaru, always composed, now spoke as though he had lost every tether to fear. She half thought it was an illusion, perhaps some trick of illusionary ninjutsu.
"I know." Orochimaru answered calm as a breeze. "If I ordered all the ninja to storm out after him, what chance would they have in the Gobi Desert against the Kazekage and a Tailed Beast? Few would survive. So I come alone, accompanied by exactly one partner. That way the convoy remains defended, and the risk is minimized."
At that moment, someone called from outside the tent: "Orochimaru-sensei?"
Hayashi appeared at the entrance, breathless from urgency. "You see, the person I want is here."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a thin smile. He gestured Hayashi in to wait.
Tsunade glared, stunned. "You're out of your mind. How old is he?"
He looked back at her, eyes hard. "You underestimate him, Tsunade. You still treat him like a child. But don't forget—Hayashi has already brought down a Tailed Beast in the Land of Rain. A feat neither you nor I can claim now."
Tsunade hesitated. "I know about Lightning Release. But it isn't raining tonight. How can Hayashi possibly use Kirin?"
Orochimaru sighed softly. "Tsunade, you need to pay attention to how much he's grown. I'm not saying this because of you... Stop worrying about Danzo's flirtations. I'm saying this because Hayashi's current strength might be crucial. He could become the key to this mission."
Tsunade exhaled slowly. Finally she picked up a pen and scroll. She wrote fast, each stroke firm.
"If this mission only stops the Kazekage from sealing Shukaku, it's A-rank," she declared. "If we succeed in eliminating the One-Tailed, it becomes S-rank."
She didn't write anything about killing the Kazekage. That was too much to hope for.
"This is the first time I've seen a ten-year-old ninja assigned an S-rank mission," she muttered quietly.
"He's no ordinary child," Orochimaru replied. "Times change. Geniuses often break old rules."
With the scroll finished, Orochimaru tucked it under his arm without a second glance.
"He is waiting outside, still. I'll go inform him of the mission." Orochimaru stood up.
Tsunade looked at him. Her voice was soft, almost invisible. "Don't die."
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