Chapter 293
Under Orochimaru's mysterious and overwhelming power, Kushina couldn't even entertain the thought of resisting.
She could only obediently handle his daily needs—food, clothing, and shelter—as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
Orochimaru's personal spatial techniques and system storage abilities rendered typical tools like scrolls obsolete. Unlike during his time in Konoha, where he kept these abilities hidden, he now used them openly.
As a result, the cabin was fully equipped with all necessities, a testament to his meticulous preparation.
Lying comfortably on a makeshift bed, Orochimaru rested with his eyes closed.
He wasn't the least bit worried about Kushina attacking him.
For one, she had no reason to. And even if she did, she was unarmed, and her fists alone couldn't possibly harm him.
So, he allowed himself this moment of relaxation.
"Why do you still help Konoha when you've defected?"
Kushina's voice broke the silence. She stood nearby, gazing at him with confusion in her eyes.
This question had plagued her for days. She had thought about it countless times but couldn't come up with an answer.
Faced with Orochimaru, she lacked the courage to ask directly. But now, the words slipped out almost involuntarily.
Her question lingered in the air, unanswered. Orochimaru remained silent, making no effort to address it.
---
The crisis of this war was indeed resolved.
The Sand Ninja had witnessed the might of Konoha's forces firsthand the resurrection of the First and Second Hokage, combined with the devastating power of Orochimaru's reanimated army.
For the Sand Village, this was a clear sign to retreat.
The Cloud Ninja, meanwhile, were caught completely off guard. Their morale had already been shaken when Orochimaru's forces appeared, but the death of the Third Raikage dealt a final, crushing blow.
Without their leader, the Cloud forces lost all direction, their morale plummeting to the point where fighting became impossible.
What truly unsettled them was that they didn't even know how the Third Raikage had died.
The reanimated forces had attacked with overwhelming ferocity, eliminating many of the Raikage's guards in the initial assault. The chaos and illusions orchestrated by Orochimaru meant that no one had witnessed the actual battle between him and the Raikage.
Even upon examining the battlefield and the Raikage's injuries, there wasn't enough conclusive evidence to definitively link Orochimaru to his death.
Three days after the Third Raikage's defeat, the Sand Ninja and Cloud Ninja began a full retreat.
Four major ninja villages had initially joined forces to besiege Konoha. Yet, in just a few days, two of them had been driven back.
Orochimaru's contribution was undeniable.
---
"What? Reanimation Jutsu? The First Hokage and the Second Hokage?"
In Kirigakure, Hiruzen was stunned upon hearing the report.
As the Second Hokage's disciple, he was intimately familiar with the technique and its forbidden nature.
And as Orochimaru's teacher, he knew that his former student had studied the Scroll of Seals.
But even so, he never expected Orochimaru to perfect the Reanimation Jutsu and unleash it on the battlefield.
"Yes, Lord Hokage…"
Before the reporting ninja could continue, another intelligence officer entered the room urgently.
"Report to Hokage-sama!"
"Speak!"
"The Sand Ninja and Cloud Ninja have withdrawn!"
"They've retreated already? That fast?" Hiruzen's eyes widened briefly in surprise, but then he let out a long breath of relief. "Good. Understood. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"
The two subordinates left, leaving the Third Hokage alone to process the news.
Three days.
Orochimaru had only been on the battlefield for three days. Yet in that time, he had singlehandedly shifted the tide of the war, forcing two major villages to retreat.
"This guy…" Hiruzen murmured, his expression conflicted.
Gathering intelligence on the recent battles, he quickly pieced together the details.
The reanimated forces, combined with the strength of the First and Second Hokage, meant Orochimaru had essentially fielded four Kage-level fighters.
And on top of that, he had slain the Third Raikage in single combat.
The realization left the Third Hokage with mixed feelings.
No one but Konoha's upper leadership knew that Orochimaru was the one behind the Reanimation Jutsu. And while the results were undeniable, the moral implications weighed heavily.
"Orochimaru… just how far have you gone?" Hiruzen muttered under his breath.
Still, there was no denying that the Reanimation Jutsu had saved Konoha in this moment of crisis.
Though Hiruzen couldn't condone its use, he had no grounds to criticize it openly not when it had prevented Konoha's destruction.
---
Meanwhile, word of the battles had reached the remaining two villages, Iwa and Kirigakure.
In Kirigakure, the reaction was subdued. The Reanimation Jutsu was unfamiliar to them, and they lacked the historical context to grasp its full implications.
For Iwa, however, the news was devastating.
When Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, learned that the reanimated forces included the Second Tsuchikage—his own teacher—he was both enraged and horrified.
To see his mentor's body used as a tool of war was an unforgivable offense.
Across the ninja world, the Reanimation Jutsu struck fear into every major village.
The ability to control the dead was an abomination in the eyes of most, and villages began taking precautions to protect the remains of their strongest fighters.
At the same time, sealing teams were prepared to counter potential raids by Orochimaru's reanimated forces.
Public condemnation of Konoha was swift and vocal, with many calling it a violation of ethics.
But Konoha's response was equally sharp: "Is it ethical for four villages to gang up on one? This was an act of self-defense."
They further argued that they had ceased using the Reanimation Jutsu after stabilizing the situation, showing restraint in its application.
While their defense wasn't universally accepted, it silenced much of the criticism.
---
In the forests of the Land of Fire, two figures in black cloaks moved slowly through the trees.
Orochimaru walked ahead, his pace leisurely. Behind him, Kushina followed, her expression a mixture of confusion and resignation.
"Where are we going, Orochimaru-sama? Are we heading back to Konoha?" she asked hesitantly.
"Does this look like the way back to Konoha?" Orochimaru replied, his voice tinged with amusement. "And don't forget, you're my hostage now. Why would I send you back before the war is over?"
"Hostage…" Kushina muttered, the word tasting bitter in her mouth.
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