socalfunplaces Chapter 267 Danzo's Strategic Counterattack
Chapter 267 Danzo's Strategic Counterattack
Chapter 267 Danzo's Strategic Counterattack
The spirit left Nono's body, and Taichi didn't linger, flying directly into his own body.
The shadow clone disappeared, and Taiichi once again flew in the sky on his own wings. He looked down at Nonou, who looked like a tiny dot below, sighed, and finally left.
However, he did not leave the Land of Earth. Instead, he used his flying ability to wander around the Land of Earth, while also looking for a suitable location to set up the coordinates of the Flying Thunder God.
It took Taiichi four days to fly to almost every town and city in the Land of Earth, setting up more than a hundred Flying Thunder God sites.
From then on, the Land of Earth was a country that Taiichi could reach in the blink of an eye.
During these past few days, Taichi has been keeping a close eye on Nonou's movements, and just as he guessed, Danzo did not tamper with the mission.
Even so, she didn't complete the mission easily. Although Taiichi didn't know the specifics of the mission, he knew from the fact that five Jonin teams were chasing after Nono that it was definitely not a simple mission.
At one point, Taiichi almost couldn't help but intervene, but he held back in the end. Since Nono hadn't asked for help, he couldn't interfere with her choice without her permission; it was also out of respect for her.
After Nono successfully completed her mission and returned to the Konoha camp, Taichi finally returned to where he belonged.
"Taiyi, how's it going? Have you finished taking care of your own things these past few days?"
In the central command tent, Orochimaru casually asked Taiichi as he approached. He didn't care where Taiichi had been these past few days; as long as Taiichi wasn't betraying Konoha, he was always very lenient with him.
"It's all done. Has Cloud Village made any moves these past couple of days?"
Having worked together for some time, Taichi and Orochimaru have become quite familiar with each other, and their interactions are no longer as formal as they were at the beginning.
During this period, Orochimaru had begun to pursue immortality, but he still aimed to become Hokage, so his behavior was not as unrestrained as it became later.
The relationship between the two is more of a hybrid between a superior and a like-minded person. Orochimaru appreciates Taichi's strength and talent, and Taichi also admires Orochimaru's research spirit.
"Killer Bee is back! We received intelligence yesterday that he had left the battlefield with Iwagakure. Judging by their speed, they should have arrived at Kumogakure's camp in the Moon Country by today. You've come back just in time!"
Orochimaru revealed a wicked smile. If Taiichi didn't know his personality, he would have thought Orochimaru was mocking him.
"Killer Bee is back! Are they going to throw away the advantage that Kumogakure had on the Land of Earth battlefield?"
Taiyi was puzzled. The Cloud Village had gone to great lengths and finally achieved good results in the Land of Earth. Why would they bring back their strongest forces? Wasn't that redundant?
Orochimaru gave Taiichi a strange look, and seeing that Taiichi seemed a little puzzled, he slowly began to explain.
"Your capture of the Cloud Village Jonin last time scared the Cloud Village. In order to prevent the front line here from collapsing, the Cloud Village had no choice but to recall Killer Bee."
As for Iwagakure, it's said that the Third Raikage has personally gone to the front lines. Kumogakure is determined to cripple Iwagakure in one battle.
Well, it turns out it was all his fault after all; he shouldn't have gone to block the gate of the Cloud Hidden Front Camp.
This has completely disrupted Yunyin's strategic plans.
But then again, could this be the Raikage's final battle before he goes to the front lines? Should I go and witness that epic scene with tens of thousands of enemies?
Just as Taiichi was still daydreaming, Orochimaru's voice came again.
"Taiyi, there haven't been any battles lately, so let's move on to the next phase of the software modification—human trials."
"Oh, so fast?"
Orochimaru glanced at Taiichi, his eyes filled with a mix of regret, entanglement, and admiration. It was good to conduct research and experiments with Taiichi, and everything was progressing smoothly, but there was one problem: Taiichi was too demanding in his use of the test subjects.
This often doubles the time required for experiments that could have been completed quickly, which drove Orochimaru, an efficiency-conscious person, crazy.
However, compared to the extended testing period, the lack of progress in the research was undoubtedly what gave Orochimaru a bigger headache.
Therefore, all things considered, conducting research together with Taiyi is more cost-effective.
"It's not going to happen anytime soon. I plan to complete the human trials in the next two months. If the feasibility is proven, the next step is to modify myself."
Orochimaru spoke calmly, but Taiichi could sense an urgency in his tone. He didn't try to persuade him further and could only hope that Orochimaru's experiment would go smoothly.
"Okay, when shall we begin?"
"If you're up to it, we can officially start the experiment this afternoon."
What is there to hesitate about? A man can't say no.
Under Orochimaru's influence, the two spent the next few days in the laboratory.
As for the battlefield, it was entirely left to the staff officers to manage.
The Cloud Village was also quite tacit; since Taichi and Orochimaru didn't go to the battlefield, A and Killer Bee stayed safely in the camp.
The entire northern front fell into a strange tacit understanding, with constant minor skirmishes, but no real major battles occurred.
Konoha guards the Land of Hot Springs, while Kumogakure guards the Land of the Moon. The two sides use their border as the war zone, constantly attacking and defending against each other.
When it comes to Orochimaru, what Taichi admires most is not his strength or versatile methods, but his unique scientist-like spirit and logical thinking in the ninja world.
During his time following Orochimaru in experiments, Taichi not only learned a large number of scientific research methods he had never encountered before, but also made great progress in Yang Release and medical ninjutsu.
If it weren't for concerns about not being able to explain the origin, Taiichi would have liked to bring out the White Zetsu and study it with Orochimaru.
It's worth noting that Taiichi also established a laboratory in the Land of Wind. There, a living White Zetsu is imprisoned.
Taiyi would occasionally take some time to go and take a look, to study the mysterious creatures called White Zetsu, but so far he hadn't made any progress.
During this time, Taichi conducted experiments behind Orochimaru, which gave him some new ideas. He believes that soon, when these ideas are verified on White Zetsu, they will bear fruit.
While the Northern Camp and Cloud Village were playing a friendly match in perfect harmony, and the Southern Camp and Mist Village were locked in a fierce battle...
At the western camp, Danzo finally used the intelligence obtained by Nono to launch a fierce offensive while the battle between Iwagakure and Kumogakure was raging.
On the battlefield of the Land of Grass, the main battle had basically ended, but Danzo was not willing to give up so easily.
He had been preparing for this great battle for a long time, and the information that Nono brought back was the final piece of the puzzle in this massive plan.
As expected, reality unfolded exactly as planned. Under his leadership, the Western Front launched a surprise attack, taking advantage of the gap in Iwagakure's troop rotation, and decisively defeated Iwagakure's main force in the Land of Grass.
"Lord Danzo, what should we do next?" A Jonin covered in blood appeared before Danzo in an instant, asking for instructions on the next course of action.
Danzo glanced at the newcomer, a member of his Root organization, and a rare smile appeared on his face, but the smile had a sinister feel to it no matter how you looked at it.
"Give the order: pursue with all your might! I want to ensure that not a single Iwa ninja remains in this Land of Grass."
"Yes, Lord Danzo!" The Root Jonin was excited and relayed Danzo's order without hesitation.
Soon, the situation on the battlefield changed. The Konoha ninja, who had relaxed somewhat, rallied their spirits and unleashed a fierce attack on the fleeing Iwagakure ninja.
The Iwagakure ninjas, having received orders to retreat, offered little resistance. Unless their lives were in danger, they focused solely on fleeing and were unwilling to engage the Konoha ninjas in prolonged conflict.
Thus, the pursuing Konoha ninjas quickly caught up with Iwagakure's camp in the Land of Grass. Even there, Danzo's men did not encounter much stubborn resistance.
In just half an hour, the Konoha ninjas captured the camp.
At this moment, the entire camp was ablaze with flames. Even in daylight, the dazzling firelight and thick smoke could be clearly seen from miles away.
This was a fire set by the Iwagakure ninja as they fled. The fire destroyed all the supplies and food stored in the camp, leaving only an empty shell of a camp for Konoha.
An hour later, Danzo arrived at the now-ruined camp, escorted by his men.
His face revealed barely suppressed joy. With the destruction of this camp, the war on the Grass Country side could be considered a phased victory.
With this victory, the negative impact of his previous removal from the position of elder will be completely offset.
After all, no sin can be offset by military merit. If it can't be, it just means your military merit is insufficient.
"Lord Danzo, before the Iwagakure fled, they set all the supplies on fire with fire-style arsenal. By the time we breached the camp, all the supplies had been reduced to ashes."
A ninja in charge of logistics came to report, and Danzo's expression darkened. Iwagakure was really decisive; so many supplies had been burned so quickly.
"I understand, you can leave now!" Danzo waved his hand with a regretful expression. He had thought that his offensive was so fierce that it would catch Iwagakure off guard and that his spoils would be plentiful.
As a result, Iwagakure was indeed defeated, but they not only fled decisively, but also handled the situation efficiently. As soon as they decided to retreat, they started burning supplies, truly leaving the enemy with no spoils of war.
However, it doesn't matter. The biggest victory has already been achieved; the rest are just minor details.
Danzo, accompanied by his men, strolled through the camp like a lion surveying its newly acquired territory.
Amidst the ruins, there were occasionally some Iwagakure corpses that hadn't been cleared away, but these did nothing to disturb Danzo's pleasant mood at the moment.
"Lord Danzo, news has just arrived that the vanguard is about to reach the border of the Land of Earth. We request the latest instructions."
An intelligence ninja teleported to Danzo's side and brought him the latest battlefield situation.
"Alright, pass the word down and tell them not to stop the pursuit. Allow them to penetrate fifty kilometers into the Land of Earth and kill as many Iwagakure ninja as possible."
Danzo said sinisterly, his abundant victory had made him lose his head, as if Iwagakure was nothing more than a bunch of chickens and dogs.
"Lord Danzo, isn't this too aggressive? The battle lines are stretched too thin, and it will be difficult for the teams to support each other. Besides, once we get to the Land of Earth, the resistance and support from Iwagakure will become even stronger."
Mimura Yomaki offered his opinion, stating that as the deputy commander, this was his responsibility, and in his view, the results of this battle were already significant enough.
What they need now is to properly digest the benefits brought about by this war.
But his attempt to persuade her backfired.
Danzo, who was still basking in the joy of a great victory, had no reason to listen to Mimura Yoru's advice. "You're a former commander who was always being beaten down by Iwagakure. What right do you have to give me advice?"
Danzo ignored Mimura Yoru and directly ordered the Root ninja beside him: "Send the logistics troops forward. We'll re-establish our camp on the border of the Land of Earth. This time, we'll learn from Kumogakure and invade Iwagakure's homeland. Let that shorty Onoki know the consequences of offending Konoha."
These words were indeed inspiring; at least the lower-ranking ninjas around Danzo and those nearby who heard them all seemed incredibly excited.
At this point, it doesn't matter whether he's a Root ninja or an ordinary ninja; they are all Konoha ninjas. The fact that they could beat Iwagakure, who had been suppressing them, to this extent, and now they're even going to fight into the Land of Earth, shows that their support for Danzo has undoubtedly reached its peak.
Feeling the admiration and fervor of the ninjas around him, Danzo felt as refreshed and ecstatic as if he had eaten ice cream on a sweltering summer day.
He suppressed a laugh and continued issuing orders with a stern face: "Notify the clearing forces to find all the Iwagakure ninjas stranded in the Land of Grass. I need a safe rear area."
"Yes, Lord Danzo!" The messenger ninja's voice was filled with excitement.
Mimura Yomaki wanted to persuade him further, but his sleeve was gently tugged by his subordinate behind him. He turned around angrily, only to see his subordinate shaking his head helplessly at him.
Mimura Yoru was slightly taken aback. He couldn't help but deeply reflect on whether he had been too conservative and cautious. At times like this, he should press his advantage and expand his gains.
He looked at the ninjas around him, their faces filled with excitement and the joy of release after pent-up emotions, and finally shut his mouth.
Perhaps Danzo was right in doing it!
Danzo saw all of Mimura Yoru's actions and curled his lip in disdain.
He never thought much of Mimura Yoru, and she showed no fighting spirit whatsoever, only knowing how to defend. Of Konoha's three battlefronts, the western front you commanded was the worst.
Now that I have achieved a great victory, proving that my command ability is better than yours, you are still here whining and offering your conservative opinions. You really have no sense of propriety at all.
"Come with me to the Land of Earth and see how we Konoha ninjas kill the Iwagakure ninjas. Let everyone know that offense is the best defense."
Danzo's pointed remark caused some of the surrounding ninjas to burst into laughter, while others were left feeling extremely embarrassed.
But at this moment, no one would disobey his orders; everyone crowded around him and rushed to the front line.