Chapter 25 — The Empty Trap
The assault—
Was fast.
Too fast.
From the moment Konoha's forces shattered the Rain Village's outer defenses to the instant they reached the core—
Less than ten minutes had passed.
Faster than expected.
Much faster.
And everyone knew why.
Uchiha Ryujin.
The man who hadn't spoken a single word—yet carried the entire battlefield on his back.
No commands.
No shouting.
Only—
Absolute destruction.
By now, Jiraiya and Orochimaru had long since stopped being surprised.
At this point—
They were numb.
His ninjutsu.
His chakra.
His control.
Everything—
Existed on a completely different level.
"…This guy is a monster," Jiraiya muttered under his breath.
Now they finally understood why the proud Uchiha Clan followed him without hesitation.
Not because of status.
Not because of authority.
But because of overwhelming strength.
"Damn you… invaders!!"
A Rain ninja roared, his body drenched in blood, his voice filled with rage and despair.
But it didn't matter.
Nothing could stop the advancing Konoha forces.
They were being crushed.
Not because they were weak—
But because they had no choice.
The Rain Village had never wanted this war.
They weren't trying to conquer the world.
They weren't chasing power.
And yet—
Because of the Three Great Nations—
They were dragged into hell.
Jiraiya hesitated.
Just for a moment.
A flicker of doubt.
A flicker of humanity.
But in the next second—
Instinct took over.
Slash—
The kunai pierced through the enemy's chest.
Clean.
Fatal.
"…Jiraiya."
Orochimaru's voice was cold.
"This is war."
He had seen it—that hesitation.
And he didn't approve.
"In a real fight… hesitation gets you killed."
Jiraiya clenched his fists, his expression darkening.
"…When will this war end?"
His voice was low. Heavy.
Orochimaru smirked faintly.
"Win first."
"Then ask questions."
Simple.
Cruel.
Real.
"…Yeah. I know."
Jiraiya exhaled slowly.
But his thoughts were elsewhere.
The prophecy.
The Child of Destiny.
The one who would change the world.
"…How do you even fix a world like this?"
Blood.
Death.
Endless war.
Could anyone—
Really bring peace?
For a brief moment—
His gaze drifted toward Ryujin.
If not for his identity—
If not for the Uchiha name—
Jiraiya might have believed…
That man was the chosen one.
Rain poured endlessly from the sky.
The battlefield turned into a swamp of mud and blood.
Screams echoed through the forest.
Bodies piled upon one another.
Time passed.
Fifteen minutes.
The casualties—
Were brutal.
Rain Village—over a hundred dead.
Konoha—dozens lost.
Even with Ryujin carving a path—
Even with Orochimaru and Jiraiya suppressing the main forces—
War…
Was never clean.
Never easy.
Even elite Jōnin—
Could fall at any moment.
Jiraiya was wounded.
Orochimaru too.
But one man—
Remained untouched.
At the very front—
Ryujin.
No injuries.
No blood.
Not even a stain on his clothes.
It was as if—
He wasn't fighting a war.
But simply…
Walking through it.
Calm.
Silent.
Unstoppable.
Every enemy fell in a single move.
No wasted motion.
No wasted energy.
Only—
Perfect execution.
The Konoha shinobi watching from behind felt chills run down their spines.
"This… this is insane…"
"Is he even human…?"
"Lord Ryujin… is too strong…"
Now they understood.
Why even Hiruzen treated him as an equal.
Why Danzo watched him like a hawk.
Because this man—
Was dangerous.
Not just powerful—
But unfathomable.
"Finally…!"
Jiraiya exhaled sharply.
They had reached—
The target.
The enemy's logistics base.
The objective of the mission.
After all the losses—
They had made it.
Relief spread across the battlefield.
"Destroy the supplies!!"
Orochimaru roared, hands already forming seals, chakra surging as he prepared a large-scale fire technique—
Then—
He froze.
Something was wrong.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
"…Wait."
Jiraiya stepped forward, his expression changing.
No guards.
No resistance.
No supplies.
Nothing.
The entire base—
Was empty.
Completely.
Silence.
Then—
Realization struck.
Cold.
Sharp.
Deadly.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru's hearts dropped at the same time.
"…This is bad."
It was a trap.
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