The easiest task after a battle was dealing with enemy corpses. Find a crater blown open by explosive tags, toss the bodies in, set it ablaze—done.
It reduced the volume of the corpses and prevented the spread of disease.
Kirigakure had left behind nearly five hundred bodies. The number sounded large, but the handling itself was simple.
The real problem lay elsewhere—
What to do about the Tiger Unit's own dead and wounded.
The fallen were manageable. Each corpse could be sealed into a storage scroll. It was a bit expensive, but the Uchiha clan could afford it. This had always been the standard method.
The wounded, however, were another matter.
Fourteen of them were in critical condition. If treated improperly—or too late—they could be crippled… or worse, die.
No one in the Tiger Unit wanted that outcome.
Uchiha Yoru least of all.
Fortunately, he didn't have to handle this alone.
Above him stood the Konoha shinobi army—and above that, the overall commander of the theater.
Orochimaru.
As the highest military authority in the Land of Hot Water, Orochimaru commanded resources and manpower far beyond what Uchiha Yoru could access.
Given the current situation—
Both flanks of Kubota Village had been breached by Kirigakure. Konoha's main force had withdrawn to the second defensive line. The hill held by the Tiger Unit had become a massive salient.
But as long as that salient held, Kirigakure's forces were effectively split in two. With their flanks threatened, they couldn't launch a full assault on the second line. The pressure on Konoha's main army remained low.
Which meant—
Every bit of resource invested here could yield tenfold… even fifteenfold returns.
There was no way Orochimaru would hold back.
After Uchiha Yoru reported the battle and requested support, it took only eighteen minutes—
A Konoha squad arrived, bringing ample supplies and medical equipment.
With professional medics and proper tools, the wounded were no longer his concern.
Yoru understood the principle well—leave professional matters to professionals.
Still, watching the treatment unfold, a thought surfaced.
Learning medical ninjutsu… wouldn't be a bad idea.
After all, relying on others was never as reliable as relying on oneself.
His foundation was solid. He could already treat and stabilize issues that arose during the ninja cats' sage training. His understanding of meridians, natural energy, and chakra was deep.
Add medical knowledge and techniques—
And becoming a competent medical-nin would be entirely possible.
But now wasn't the time.
After confirming that none of the wounded were in immediate danger, he turned and left.
There was still too much to do.
And more importantly—
Orochimaru had come in person.
He was currently wandering through the ruins of Kubota Village, inspecting everything without the slightest concern for appearances. He even crawled into the tunnels the Tiger Unit had dug, carefully examining their structure and the damage sustained during battle.
From time to time, he questioned the Tiger Unit's shinobi, gathering as many details as possible.
His curiosity was obvious.
The first battle, he could accept.
A hundred elite Uchiha defeating three hundred mediocre Kirigakure shinobi—it was normal.
Zero casualties, though… that was interesting.
By now, Orochimaru no longer doubted the Tiger Unit's elite status.
What puzzled him instead was—
Who had been foolish enough to deploy such a force as cannon fodder?
If not for his initial suspicion toward Uchiha Yoru—and the extra attention that followed—
He might have completely overlooked this unit.
And if he had—
Kubota's salient would have fallen.
If that happened, the second defensive line might not have held either. By now, he might have been retreating all the way back to the third line, struggling to defend the Land of Fire itself.
Instead—
He stood atop the ruins of Kubota Village, considering the timing of a counteroffensive.
The contrast was stark.
Truly…
A single decision could mean heaven or hell.
By the time Orochimaru finished his inspection, he noticed Uchiha Yoru coordinating tasks, directing the Tiger Unit's preparations.
He approached silently and listened.
Most of the arrangements—
Were for flood prevention.
After a brief moment of thought, Orochimaru understood.
And nodded repeatedly.
Smart.
With the Kaguya clan's five hundred-man force nearly wiped out, Kirigakure no longer had a unit capable of launching a direct assault.
It wasn't a matter of willingness—
It was structural.
Kirigakure's combat system relied heavily on bloodline clans. Once an opponent exceeded what a single major clan could handle, the only option was a full-scale assault.
But no clan wanted to go first.
If their main force was crippled, their entire family would decline—or be devoured by rivals.
So if they attacked—
They would attack together.
All or nothing.
The problem was…
The battlefield wasn't suited for thousands to charge at once.
Someone had to go first.
And against a group like the Tiger Unit—
The first three waves would be nothing but sacrifices.
Who would volunteer for that?
Mixed units from different clans?
Orochimaru almost laughed.
[Would you trust an enemy behind your back?]
[Or resist stabbing the back of someone you hate right in front of you?]
Impossible.
Which left only one option—
The major clans would force the weaker clans and civilian shinobi forward as cannon fodder.
And to bridge the gap in combat strength—
Flooding Kubota Village became the logical choice.
Which made Yoru's preparations—
Exceptionally foresighted.
Orochimaru could see it clearly.
The Konoha shinobi accompanying him were confused.
Even the Uchiha genin themselves didn't fully understand.
Yet they obeyed without hesitation.
Absolute trust.
Just like the still-burning bones of the Kaguya warrior—
Orochimaru found himself wanting such subordinates.
His golden pupils swept across the group, quickly identifying the key detail.
Young.
All of them were young.
And unfamiliar.
Which meant—
They came from the lower strata of the Uchiha clan.
Unnoticed before.
[I see… the contrast in treatment, combined with their age.]
[No wonder Teacher liked visiting the Academy… favored civilian-born students.]
[Though compared to this… selecting from the Uchiha's lower ranks is clearly better.]
[After all… bloodline clans hold greater potential.]
[Then… orphaned bloodline users would be even more ideal…]
A seed was planted.
One that would one day grow into something far larger.
Only after Yoru finished his urgent tasks did Orochimaru call out.
"Uchiha Yoru, Chunin. Walk with me. I have a few questions."
Yoru's heart skipped a beat.
Orochimaru seemed to be in a good mood.
But that curiosity in his eyes—
Wasn't quite right.
Still, as the supreme commander, his orders couldn't be refused.
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
They walked in silence for a short distance.
Then—
Orochimaru spoke.
"I know about the ambush you encountered. Fifteen enemies."
His tone carried a teasing edge.
"Eliminating all fifteen at once… worthy of the Uchiha name."
He smiled faintly.
"But what interests me most is this—"
"How did you make their heart muscles crush their own hearts?"
In that instant—
A faint, razor-sharp killing intent pierced straight through him.
Like the tip of a blade pressing against his heart.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted. His face flushed briefly before returning to normal.
He couldn't help but feel a thrill.
It had been a long time since he'd experienced killing intent at this level.
Dangerous.
Exciting.
He quickly raised a hand, smiling.
"Relax. I burned the investigation reports. Along with the bodies."
The killing intent vanished.
Just like that.
Uchiha Yoru's expression remained unchanged, his tone even carrying a hint of gratitude.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."
"If not for your help, I might've gotten into serious trouble."
Orochimaru knew it was an act.
Even so, he felt his body relax slightly. The hand seal hidden in his sleeve loosened.
[What a dangerous brat…]
[A smiling tiger. Even more dangerous than the Second Hokage…]
At eighteen, Yoru might not be Kage-level—
But whether he possessed methods capable of killing one…
That was another matter entirely.
Orochimaru licked his lips subconsciously.
[Should I take him as a disciple?]
The thought rose—
And was immediately dismissed.
Too late.
Too old.
And more importantly—
Uncontrollable.
Yoru already had his own combat system. There was nothing Orochimaru could truly teach him.
A ninja's peak lasted barely a decade.
There was no time for reinvention.
After a moment, Orochimaru gave up the idea.
Better as an opponent.
He stepped onto a pile of ruins, gazing over the shattered remains of Kubota Village.
"Can your Tiger Unit hold?"
"We can."
Yoru answered calmly.
Orochimaru smiled.
"I saw your flood preparations. Not bad. But not enough to counter Kirigakure's advantage."
"It's enough."
Yoru met his gaze.
"I only need thirty minutes to an hour."
"Oh?"
"Then you must have something I haven't seen."
"…I do."
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Keeping secrets even from me?"
"I'll see it when the time comes."
Yoru shook his head slightly.
"It's not about secrecy. It's just… troublesome to demonstrate."
Then, locking eyes with him, he asked directly—
"How long do we need to hold?"
Orochimaru's answer was vague.
"I can't say for certain."
"As long as Konoha remains weaker here, Kubota must be held."
Yoru frowned.
"That puts all the pressure on less than a hundred of us."
"It does."
Orochimaru smiled.
"But I'll give you full support."
He looked at Yoru meaningfully.
"Tell me—what do you want?"
"Men? Authority? Money? Weapons?"
"If I have it, it's yours."
He even added with a grin—
"I can take the front line myself, if you'd like."
"…You're joking."
Yoru's expression twitched slightly.
After a brief pause, he said,
"Reinforcements would help. But untrained additions might disrupt coordination."
Then added,
"If they're Uchiha… and under eighteen, I'll take them."
Orochimaru nodded.
"I'll check. But don't expect much."
"If not, supplies will do."
"Food. Shuriken. Kunai."
"And explosive tags—ten thousand."
"…How many?"
"Ten thousand."
"No."
The refusal was immediate.
"Impossible."
"Food and weapons are fine. But ten thousand tags? No."
"…Konoha can't even manage that?"
"Think about your numbers."
"Across this battlefield, everyone wants explosive tags."
"I can scrape together a thousand."
"But ten thousand?"
"Forget it."
"…Tch."
"Fine. A thousand, then."
"Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it."
Better than nothing.
After further discussion, they finalized the supply terms.
And more importantly—
The conditions for the Tiger Unit's mission.
Hold until Orochimaru launches the counteroffensive—
Or hold for thirty days without losing the position.
That—
Would determine their fate.
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