If anyone was most regretful right now, it was undoubtedly the Root team leader.
He had originally thought this mission would be simple, without risk and minimal effort. At worst, he would receive some dirty looks, but he could endure that.
Therefore, among the personnel he brought, only a handful were Special Jōnin and Jōnin. Besides himself being an Elite Jōnin, there were no exceptionally powerful shinobi.
The leader of the Uchiha clan had the same attitude.
So they had arrived at such an awkward situation: the Third Kazekage, alone, was withstanding the assault of more than twenty Konoha ninja, still fighting with color and sound, not falling even a bit.
This was an embarrassing situation.
Watching another one of his subordinates fall, the Root captain felt his heart bleed. He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and kill the Third Kazekage himself, but in the next second he restrained himself and subtly took a few steps back.
Wait a minute… what about promised support? Why haven't I seen any of it yet?
If Orochimaru knew his thoughts, he would likely laugh at him for being naive. Support was never going to arrive. Instead of supporting the frontline, he could only quietly sit back, holding a small stool like a spectator just trying to survive.
Meanwhile, in the center of the battlefield, the Third Kazekage began to sense something was wrong. None of the four major shinobi forces who had initially captured him were nearby — only what he considered weaker ninja remained. Even without vision, he could tell something was off.
So after allowing a few Uchiha shinobi he dismissed as "trash" to close in, he formed hand seals in an instant.
No matter how little chakra he had left, he vowed to slay these shinobi first. Since this was clearly a trap, he would take a few with him as cannon fodder, paying them back for the fallen Sunagakure ninja.
With that vengeful thought, he activated his strongest technique.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand World Method!
The ground below him erupted in response. Countless iron fragments and shuriken-like spikes shot into the sky, pulling up vast amounts of iron sand. The sand coalesced into a towering dark cloud.
Soon, iron sand needles shot outward like a rain of steel blossoms, covering all of the Konoha ninja nearby.
"Earth Release, Unified Earth Wall!"
Prepared in advance, Orochimaru shouted and the Konoha ninja hurriedly combined their chakra to form a massive Earth Release barrier.
Though uneven in quality, it could at least block part of the Kazekage's Iron Sand World Method assault.
But the Root and Uchiha ninja who were encircling the Kazekage were already suffering. Just as they tried to retreat and organize a defense, the swirling iron sand on the ground wrapped tightly around their feet, restraining them.
"Serpent's Lair!"
At that moment, Orochimaru finally released his own ninjutsu.
As the smoke cleared, countless snakes slithered from beneath the earth, covering the trapped ninja and shielding them from the piercing iron sand.
Orochimaru had been observing quietly, intending to teach his enemies a lesson. Now that the plan was in motion and casualties had mounted, he could not simply watch the reinforcements be wiped out.
Killing with someone else's blade was one thing. Standing by while they died without aid was another.
But… stepping in meant arguments with Danzo, and Orochimaru did not want to lose face.
He believed Danzo would understand his intention, that it was better to have some casualties avoided rather than letting the entire escort annihilate itself. Duty and personal relations aside, they still needed future cooperation.
…
For about ten more seconds, the Iron Sand assault continued, eventually fading like rain slowing after a storm.
Behind the Earth Release wall, Uchiha Hayashi once again received information from Orochimaru via the snake summon link.
Without hesitation, he patted Sakumo's shoulder and then, with lightning‑fast speed like a bolt of thunder curling around his legs, he charged toward the Third Kazekage right after the release of his ultimate technique.
Could this be the end?
The dreadful momentum of the Iron Sand World Method still weighed heavily on the hearts of the remaining Konoha ninja. As they stepped out from behind the Earth Release barrier, they were stunned to see Uchiha Hayashi and Hatake Sakumo clinging to the Kazekage's body.
One pressed from the front, one from behind — though their posture was awkward, they had indeed restrained the Kazekage.
Thanks to the earlier fighting, the Third Kazekage, having just used his strongest move, was low on chakra. Hayashi's illusion technique subdued him instantly. Without it, capturing him would have been far more difficult.
"Not a vital point, huh," Hayashi murmured, brushing blood off a kunai and smiling faintly at Sakumo.
"Same here," Sakumo said, a rare smile appearing. He withdrew the White Light Sword and pressed it back into the Kazekage's torso.
…
Maybe it wasn't right in that exact moment, or maybe it was the accumulation of everything before, but Hayashi thought to himself that with Tsunade present, he certainly would not let the Third Kazekage die.
…
"Look over there…"
"Is that Uchiha Hayashi?"
"Hmm… seems like Kagami's descendant."
The surviving Uchiha clansmen stared uncertainly at the young man wearing the jōnin vest. Was this truly the famed genius of their clan?
If it weren't for the Uchiha haori he bore, few would believe it. The Third Kazekage was a formidable shinobi. So many ninja could not defeat him, yet he had been subdued by just one person?
(Sakumo: "??? Did you all miss something obvious.")
Even though the village's information hadn't fully reached those stationed away from battle, these clan members had heard of Konoha's Lightning Flash — Hayashi's nickname — thanks to announcements at the village gates.
They still hesitated at first, but after witnessing Hayashi's strength, their last doubts melted into ecstasy.
If such a genius existed in their clan, then surely even the Fifth and Sixth Hokage would vie for him.
Of course, this was just the ordinary ninja's thought. Not many elite jōnin had been brought on this duty. Most were Special Jōnin of mediocre strength, respected for status but not among the clan's top fighters.
Uchiha Han, a senior member, watched with solemn eyes.
He was the one who had once sought out Uchiha Hayashi and brought him to the clan leader. He did not expect that six or seven years would pass so quickly, and that the boy once easily crushed by stronger ninja had grown into this level of power.
The clan leader sent him here not only to carry out the assignment but also to observe whether Hayashi's strength was truly as exaggerated as the village rumors claimed.
Now that he had seen it, he was utterly shocked.
…
Hayashi certainly heard the whispers behind him. He had been intentionally avoiding the clansmen, but now he had to step forward and greet them. After giving a nod to Sakumo, he walked back through the crowd.
"Senior Han, long time no see."
"Well, it really has been a while," Uchiha Han said, his smile strained but sincere.
"You are a jōnin now. Please don't call me senior." Han smiled at him.
"How could I do that? A senior remains a senior, even if I become a jōnin," Hayashi replied respectfully.
Han chuckled. "Anyway, many of you are injured, so I won't keep you. I will head back first."
"All right, take care," Han said as Hayashi nodded toward the nearby clansmen.
They didn't crowd around him, partly out of awe of Han's authority and partly out of respect for Hayashi's strength.
Respecting the strong was an eternal truth, especially in the Uchiha clan.
"Wow, he's so polite and powerful…"
"As expected of the youth of the Uchiha clan. Even with that calm personality…"
"Yes."
"By the way, my son was his classmate."
"Really? But I thought your son was sixteen."
"Is it bad to stay in the fourth grade for four years!"
"…."
___
You can get early access to chapters on my Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Zphyr