Orochimaru's Suggestion
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"What? The plan failed?"
In the command tent at the heart of the Kirigakure frontline camp, the baby-faced Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, abruptly stood up, slamming his palm onto the table. With a resounding bang, the wooden surface splintered under his strength, collapsing into pieces.
"Yes, Mizukage-sama. As difficult as it is to admit, this is the reality."
The ANBU leader hesitated before continuing. "The ninja assigned to provide cover noticed that our ANBU teams failed to report at the designated time. Suspecting trouble, they dispatched scouts to investigate."
"What did they find?" Yagura demanded, his voice edged with frustration.
"Two full ANBU squads were discovered on a cliff at the forest's edge. All of them... were dead."
The tent fell into silence, a heavy tension thickening the air. Yagura narrowed his crimson eyes. "And...?"
The ANBU leader gulped. "And most of them were killed using Mokuton—Wood Release."
"What? Wood Release?" Yagura's voice rose, disbelief flashing across his face.
As the Fourth Mizukage, he was well aware of the terrifying power of Mokuton, a Kekkei Genkai thought to have died with the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama. Kirigakure had long kept records detailing its power, a force capable of subduing Tailed Beasts with ease. The thought of a new Mokuton user emerging in Konoha sent a chill through him.
He slowly sank back into his chair, muttering to himself, "Has Konoha produced another ninja capable of wielding Hashirama's power?"
If this was true, it was an unprecedented threat. To eliminate two full ANBU squads with Mokuton alone meant that this was no ordinary shinobi.
"And what of the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki?" Yagura asked, his voice now laced with unease.
If the Jinchūriki was still alive and had been returned to Konoha's frontline camp for reinforcement and resealing, Kirigakure would suffer a devastating setback. Not only had their mission failed, but Konoha would gain control over another Tailed Beast. The balance of power would tilt further in their favor.
The ANBU leader hesitated before answering. "The battlefield was in chaos, making it difficult to gather accurate intelligence. However, recognizing the importance of the Three-Tails, I activated our deep-cover spies embedded in Konoha's ranks."
Yagura's expression darkened. "You risked exposing a high-ranking spy for this?"
"I understand the gravity of my decision, Mizukage-sama. But the information was crucial," the ANBU leader replied, lowering his head in deference.
A tense pause followed before he added, "According to our spy's report, the girl who had been made the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki is dead."
Yagura exhaled, relief evident in his posture. "Dead? Good. That means the Three-Tails will also disappear for now. Eventually, it will reform in the wild, and we'll have another chance to reclaim it."
However, Yagura failed to realize that this very event would set into motion a tragic chain reaction. Because of this loss, Obito Uchiha would soon place him under genjutsu, turning him into a puppet ruler and accelerating Kirigakure's descent into chaos—the bloody mist era.
"How did she die?" Yagura asked after a moment.
"Reports indicate that she retained enough consciousness to resist, ultimately choosing to throw herself onto Kakashi Hatake's Chidori, committing suicide."
Yagura was silent for a long moment before shaking his head. "A foolishly noble death. If only we had chosen someone weaker—someone more afraid to die."
The ANBU leader nodded. "It was an unfortunate miscalculation, Mizukage-sama. Female shinobi, statistically, are more susceptible to coercion... or so we believed."
"Hmph. It's too late to dwell on mistakes now. Fate seems to favor Konoha once again." Yagura sighed, rubbing his temples. "What are our next steps?"
The ANBU leader hesitated before suggesting, "Should we bring out the Six-Tails' Jinchūriki, Utakata, from the village to strengthen our forces?"
Yagura considered the proposal but quickly dismissed it. "No. He's still too young, and his control over Saiken is unstable. If he were to go berserk on the battlefield, it could do more harm than good."
"Then what should we do?" the ANBU leader asked cautiously.
Yagura sighed deeply. "Withdraw our forces from the Land of Fire and regroup in the Land of Whirlpools. There's no point in continuing a losing battle. Fighting Konoha only benefits Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Sunagakure."
"Understood, Mizukage-sama. I'll issue the orders at once."
The ANBU leader donned his mask and swiftly exited the tent.
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Meanwhile, in Konoha's frontline camp, inside Tsunade's command tent, the atmosphere was equally tense.
Seated at the table were four commanders and Nara Shikaku. At the head was Tsunade, her sharp golden eyes scanning the room. To her left sat Orochimaru and Shikaku, while Jiraiya and Minato Namikaze occupied the right side.
Minato, who was usually composed and warm, wore an expression of quiet sorrow. The loss of Nohara Rin weighed heavily on him. He had faced death countless times as a shinobi, but this was different. Rin wasn't just a comrade—she was family to his student, Kakashi, and a reminder of how cruel their world could be.
Tsunade's voice broke the silence. "Everyone knows about Nohara Rin. I want to hear your thoughts."
Unexpectedly, the first to speak was Orochimaru. His voice was calm yet laced with an unsettling undertone.
"I will go first."
Minato blinked in surprise. Given the situation, he had assumed he would be the first to speak, or perhaps Jiraiya.
Orochimaru continued, his golden eyes gleaming. "Nohara Rin is undoubtedly a hero, but Kirigakure's actions were insidious and cruel."
His lips curled into a slow smirk. "To properly avenge her, I propose deploying the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki."
The room fell silent.
Even for Orochimaru, it was an audacious suggestion.
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