The dry, hot wind swept up clouds of sand, which flew across the air as figures blended into the yellow haze, moving toward a specific destination.
The base was surrounded by barren mountains, positioned at their center, with four main entrances. Within a five-kilometer radius around the base, warning traps had been set up, traps that Konoha had managed to uncover.
The combined task force carefully disabled the traps one by one as they advanced toward the base.
Upon reaching the base, the team planned to divide into four groups to ensure that no enemies escaped through any of the entrances.
Confident in their stealth, the Konoha and Sunagakure forces believed they were approaching undetected. What they didn't realize was that their actions disabling the traps had already been noticed by Orochimaru.
The intelligence gained from Kotoe had not revealed everything. While she knew about the warning traps, she was unaware of the hidden sentries Orochimaru had placed.
In addition to conventional traps, Orochimaru had scattered numerous snakes around the base. The moment the Konoha and Sunagakure forces stepped into the area, the snakes alerted Orochimaru.
This was information Kotoe didn't possess, and Konoha had no way of knowing.
Inside the base, despite knowing that a large force was approaching, Orochimaru remained calm.
"How could they find the location so quickly? Could it be that Kotoe didn't die? Impossible. With those injuries, not even Tsunade or Kushina could have saved her," Orochimaru pondered calmly.
The fact that the base's location was exposed clearly indicated a leak. The speed at which Konoha had acted suggested they had obtained the information from Kotoe, possibly by reviving her and using the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques to extract her memories.
However, Orochimaru's extensive knowledge of the human body led him to confidently conclude that Kotoe's injuries were beyond recovery, even with Hashirama's cells.
"So, how did they figure it out?"
Ruling out that possibility, Orochimaru couldn't deduce how Konoha had obtained the information.
Giving simple instructions to Sakana, Orochimaru told the base's members to prepare for battle. He specifically reminded them not to rush in evacuating critical data, ensuring Nanako would remain composed.
Surprised by the enemy's attack and Orochimaru's composure, Sakana left to carry out the orders.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru exited the base and walked to a location about 500 meters away.
Thanks to the sand snakes he had deployed, Orochimaru could track the enemy's movements in real-time. The enemy forces had yet to split up and were still advancing directly toward the base.
"This distance should be enough," Orochimaru thought, glancing back at the gap between his position and the base. He judged it far enough to prevent any collateral damage to the base.
With nearly 120 opponents approaching, Orochimaru wasn't sure of the ratio of jonin to other ranks. Regardless, this was not a force he could handle alone.
He wasn't planning to confront the enemy himself, despite his apparent readiness.
"These people should be more than enough to test the results of your Sage Mode training," Orochimaru muttered with a sinister smile.
He had no intention of facing the attackers himself; instead, he planned to let Ye Zi take them on alone.
.....
Ryūchi Cave.
In the cavernous training grounds, Ye Zi held a letter sent by Orochimaru. The contents were simple: Konoha and Sunagakure had formed a task force to attack the base, and they were now dangerously close.
After reading the letter, Ye Zi released it, letting it drift to the ground before it sank into the earth and disappeared.
"Perfect timing. I can test the lethality of Inorganic Reincarnation," Ye Zi remarked coldly to himself.
Before him, Manda's massive body was trapped in a stone frame, unable to move. This was Ye Zi's handiwork, part of his training to control the Inorganic Reincarnation technique with precision, confining Manda without causing any harm.
The purpose of this training was to refine his control.
After multiple failures that left Manda battered and bruised, Ye Zi had finally succeeded.
With a single thought, Ye Zi dissolved the stone frame, freeing Manda. Then, he deactivated Sage Mode, allowing the Sage markings on his face to fade away.
Training complete, Manda sighed in relief and asked, "Was that a letter from Orochimaru?"
Ye Zi nodded. "I need to return. There are some pests that need to be dealt with."
Manda was momentarily stunned before offering, "Do you need my help?"
Since Ye Zi had mastered Sage Mode, Manda had fully submitted to him, enduring days of torturous training without complaint.
"No, not now. There will be a time when I need you, but first, focus on recovering from your injuries."
Ye Zi glanced at Manda's wounds. Now that he had mastered Sage Mode, his next step was to reclaim Kotoe from Konoha.
With that, Ye Zi turned to leave, muttering about finding suitable clothes to wear.
"Yes, Lord Ye Zi," Manda replied respectfully, watching him depart.
Over the years, many visitors to Ryūchi Cave had perished, leaving behind their belongings. Those possessions had been stored, and Ye Zi intended to look through them for something appropriate to wear.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru waited patiently for the enemy to arrive.
Once they did, he planned to summon Ye Zi with a summoning jutsu.
Through the swirling sands, silhouettes of a team, about 120 strong, gradually appeared in the distance.
The jonin in Konoha's team were all competent, though none were particularly outstanding. Among the chunin, many had strength nearing the level of jonin.
On the Sunagakure side, their members were also quite strong. Moreover, the terrain of the Land of Stone suited their combat style, giving them a slight geographical advantage.
Together, the two teams formed a formidable force.
As they reached a position still some distance away from the base, everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks. Ahead of them stood a lone figure.
Looking at the person, the leader of Konoha's team said grimly, "It's Orochimaru. Looks like our movements have been discovered. In that case, we'll have to launch a direct assault."
The leader of Sunagakure's team responded calmly, "Even though he's one of the Sannin, Orochimaru confronting us alone could mean there's a trap." As he spoke, he scanned the surroundings.
The leader of the Konoha team nodded in agreement.
If Orochimaru was waiting for them here, it was clear their movements had been detected in advance. Knowing they were closing in, Orochimaru still chose to face them alone, suggesting the likelihood of an ambush or traps.
However, the terrain around them was open and barren. Apart from the three rocky mountains surrounding the base, there were no other elevations. If there were an ambush, it would likely be underground.
Just as the leader of Konoha's team was about to instruct the sensory unit to investigate potential dangers, Orochimaru made a sudden move.
"Hm?" Everyone present immediately fixed their eyes on Orochimaru.
No traps, no ambush, it was just as it appeared.
Orochimaru clapped one hand onto the ground, causing black sealing marks to ripple outward. From the ensuing white smoke emerged a large yellow-patterned python, as thick as an arm.
"A summoning jutsu? It's not Manda, just a snake," someone muttered under their breath.
They had expected Orochimaru to summon his signature creature, Manda. To their surprise, it was just an ordinary python, leaving them puzzled as to what Orochimaru was planning.
Orochimaru glanced at the snake and let out a cold chuckle.
At that moment, the python suddenly vanished into white smoke, and within the dissipating smoke, a faint figure began to emerge.
"Who's there?"
As the indistinct figure appeared within the smoke, most people found themselves gripped by confusion and unease.
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