This time, Orochimaru did not summon all of Konoha's jonin. Instead, he only gathered a few jonin who were holding key positions on the current battlefield.
Minor matters call for big meetings; major matters call for small meetings. Since the decisions made in this meeting would affect the final direction of the entire battlefield, the content of the meeting itself was classified.
Aside from Mutsuki, Orochimaru invited only five Konoha jonin to participate in this important confidential meeting.
These five jonin were Hizashi, the leader of the Sensing Unit, and the full Ino-Shika-Cho trio. It was worth mentioning that Shikaku was the deputy commander of the forces. The final jonin was the Medical Corps Leader in charge of logistics and medical support.
"Earlier today, Mutsuki-kun, Might Duy, and the squad that Mutsuki-kun's disciples belong to encountered Minazuki and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in battle.
Minazuki, Jinpachi Munashi, Jinin Akebino, Kurosuki Raiga, Aoma Hirame, Fuguki Suikazan, and other Hidden Mist jonin were killed on the spot. Among them, Fuguki was killed by Mutsuki-kun's disciples, while the remaining ninja were all killed by Mutsuki-kun."
Orochimaru did not beat around the bush and directly stated the results of Mutsuki and the others.
He used no exaggerated descriptions or rhetorical flourishes to embellish the report, merely recounting Mutsuki's achievements plainly. Inside the tent, aside from Orochimaru and Mutsuki, every ninja present had their pupils contract, shock plainly written across their faces.
After all, the one saying this was the force commander, Orochimaru. If it had been any other ninja, they would have had to question the truth of such words.
There was no other reason-the content was simply too shocking.
In the midst of an ongoing war, one suddenly and inexplicably learned that their own side had wiped out the enemy's elite forces, creating a dreamlike sense of happiness.
For a clever person like Shikaku, this feeling was especially pronounced, because he clearly hadn't made any specific battle arrangements, yet Mutsuki had produced such results.
Waging war isn't just about having strong individual strength; otherwise, the villages wouldn't need to dispatch so many ninja-sending a few top-tier powerhouses would be enough.
Even if one is strong, they still need to find the enemy. If you can't find them, no matter how powerful you are, you can't kill them. This involves many other aspects related to warfare.
"What a battle that balanced both strength and luck," Shikaku sighed inwardly.
Encountering the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and Minazuki when they weren't accompanied by many ninja was Mutsuki's luck, while defeating them was Mutsuki's strength. Both were indispensable-without either one, such results couldn't have been achieved, and it might even have ended as a loss for Konoha.
"It seems we need to reassess Mutsuki's strength. His power probably isn't much inferior to Orochimaru-sama's, and he might even be able to hold back Yagura on the battlefield," Shikaku instinctively turned his thoughts toward tactical planning.
Although there had been some intelligence on Mutsuki, uncertainty among ninja was always great. At the very beginning, Shikaku hadn't even known whether Mutsuki could defeat Minazuki or Zangetsu.
But judging from Mutsuki's latest achievements, his strength was unquestionably far greater than Minazuki and the others. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to fight Minazuki while also taking down four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Thus, Shikaku assessed Mutsuki's combat power as that of a powerhouse possibly only slightly inferior to top-tier figures like Orochimaru and Yagura.
"What a terrifying record," Inoichi said, looking at Mutsuki with a hint of astonishment.
In terms of age, Mutsuki was considered his junior, yet this record was something Inoichi feared he would never surpass in his lifetime.
After all, the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques were support-oriented, and it was extremely rare for them to produce ninja who excelled in solo combat.
Not to mention just himself-Inoichi believed that even if their entire generation of Ino-Shika-Cho worked together, they probably still wouldn't be able to achieve this.
As for their own strength, Inoichi was quite clear-headed about it. If they joined forces, they might be able to temporarily hold back Minazuki or Zangetsu, but defeating them was wishful thinking. If a few members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist were added on top of that, they would definitely die miserably.
Of course, achieving results of this level in an encounter battle was something even Orochimaru would find very difficult.
It wasn't that Orochimaru lacked strength-it was just extremely hard to encounter such a situation.
"Impressive," Choza said, giving Mutsuki a thumbs-up.
He didn't really connect Mutsuki's encounter-battle achievements to their impact on the overall battlefield. He simply felt that Mutsuki was incredibly strong for being able to defeat so many powerful opponents.
Hizashi also looked at Mutsuki with an expression full of admiration. Although before today he had basically had no impression of Mutsuki at all, that didn't stop him from respecting Mutsuki now.
The ninja world had always revered strength above all else. Mutsuki had not only demonstrated formidable power, but had also rendered great service to Konoha. It was hard for Hizashi not to admire him.
If he possessed strength like Mutsuki's, perhaps the Hyuga clan could undergo some changes.
Orochimaru was not surprised at the astonished expressions of the ninja present. After all, this was intelligence that even he himself couldn't help but be shocked by.
"Before discussing the next battle plan, I'd like to ask, Mutsuki-kun, how many of your disciples are still able to fight at full strength, and to what extent Duy would be able to perform if he were to fight again," Orochimaru asked as he looked at Mutsuki.
In this encounter battle, it wasn't only Mutsuki who had displayed astonishing performance-his disciples and Duy had been equally frightening.
They were clearly all chunin, yet without an obvious numerical advantage, they had directly repelled the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist head-on and had even killed one of them.
If Mutsuki's disciples hadn't been injured, that meant Orochimaru's side effectively possessed a squad capable of matching the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Shikaku revealed a thoughtful expression.
Previously, he hadn't paid much attention to Duy and the squad Mutsuki's disciples were in that Orochimaru mentioned.
As the deputy commander of the forces, Shikaku had long since memorized all squads with strong combat capabilities, and the squad Kakashi and the others belonged to was clearly not among them.
Moreover, if Shikaku remembered correctly, Duy had previously been known in Konoha as a rather poorly regarded "eternal genin."
However, judging from Orochimaru's pointed question, perhaps Kakashi, Duy, and the others had contributed quite a lot in the battle, rather than simply being carried along.
The other jonin also looked at Orochimaru with puzzled expressions, not quite understanding why Orochimaru would bring up Kakashi and Duy.
For those who didn't know Duy, it was one thing. But for those who did, it was even stranger-after all, who would have known that an "eternal genin" had actually mastered such a terrifying forbidden technique as the Eight Inner Gates?
Although they were confused, no one spoke up to interrupt. When you didn't understand something, it was best to listen quietly.
"Shisui, Obito, and Rin should be able to recover their combat strength after about ten days of recuperation. Kakashi's condition is more serious and will require at least three weeks of rest. Guy's situation is the most severe-he won't be able to participate in battle for at least a month and a half. I'm preparing to send Guy back to Konoha to recuperate," Mutsuki said after some thought.
Although Obito, Rin, and Shisui looked badly hurt, they were mostly suffering from external injuries. With the support of medical ninjutsu, they would recover quickly.
Kakashi was different. Although he didn't appear injured on the surface, when he used Thunderclap and Flash: Godlike Speed at the end, Kakashi had squeezed his body's power to the limit, much like the Marks in the original Demon Slayer, placing tremendous strain on his body. As a result, he actually needed a longer period of recuperation.
As for Guy, there was no need to elaborate. The Eight Inner Gates was a forbidden technique with severe side effects to begin with. Guy had forcibly opened the sixth gate, which his body couldn't withstand, and had also stacked it with Stone Breathing Chakra Mode, pushing the strain on his body straight to the limit.
If it weren't for the excellent body-forging effects of Stone Breathing and Guy's diligent training, replacing him with a truly ordinary chunin physique would absolutely not be able to withstand such terrifying pressure-during battle, even throwing a single punch would result in shattered bones.
"The reason they were able to repel the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist this time was also due to an extraordinary burst of strength. Under normal circumstances, they don't possess such power," Mutsuki added with a brief explanation.
This time, it was mainly Guy carrying the fight, but Guy would need to train for a period of time before he could fully convert the gains he obtained from this life-and-death experience.
"As for Dai-san, when he goes all out, he can simultaneously hold back two ninja at the level of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, but the duration of such an outburst can't be very long."
If Duy were to open the Gate of Death, he alone could brutally beat the entire Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. However, an extreme method like the Gate of Death certainly couldn't be treated as regular combat power.
After hearing Mutsuki's explanation, Shikaku was once again shocked. The development of this encounter battle was completely different from what he had imagined.
He had thought that Mutsuki, having not been assigned a combat mission, had simply gone out with his disciples and then run into Minazuki, who was accompanied by the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. The two sides fought a battle, Mutsuki killed Minazuki and other Hidden Mist jonin, Mutsuki's disciples killed the already-wounded Fuguki, and Juzo and Kushimaru escaped in the chaos and couldn't be caught.
This was the most reasonable battle process Shikaku had inferred based on the final results Orochimaru mentioned.
But according to what Mutsuki had just said, the correct sequence should have been that Mutsuki's disciples' squad went out on a mission and, due to bad luck, ran into the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, triggering a battle. Mutsuki's disciples' squad, together with Duy, erupted with strength, gained a certain advantage, killed Fuguki, and repelled the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. Only then did Mutsuki and Minazuki arrive at the scene together, leading to the astonishing results that followed.
After finishing this line of reasoning, Shikaku genuinely felt like he couldn't hold it together-there were so many powerful individuals on this battlefield, and yet he hadn't known about them at all.
These were the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist from the Hidden Mist-being able to directly repel them with a ninja squad, even factoring in an extraordinary burst, was more than enough to be called strong.
"Duy..." Shikaku silently repeated the name in his mind.
He planned to find time after the meeting to meet this ninja. He truly hadn't expected that the legendary "eternal genin" from before actually possessed strength capable of matching two Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
The expressions of the other ninja were likewise a mix of shock and disbelief.
Inoichi sighed inwardly at how formidable the younger generation was-even Mutsuki's disciples had reached such a level of strength.
After all, Mutsuki himself was only in his early twenties. How old could his disciples be?
"That eternal genin actually has this kind of strength," the Medical Corps Leader was deeply shocked.
Although Duy had been promoted to chunin for some time, because of how widely his earlier stories had spread, the first impression many ninja had of him was still that of an "eternal genin."
However, the Medical Corps Leader believed that once news of this encounter battle spread, that perception would change. In the future, when people mentioned Duy, they would first think of how, as a chunin, he had fought two Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist head-on in battle.
"I see. I understand," Orochimaru nodded, abandoning the idea of having Kakashi and the others form an elite assassination squad.
According to the intelligence provided by Mutsuki, the squad's main combat strength was Guy, followed by Kakashi, and only then the others.
Since the strongest, Guy and Kakashi, both needed such long periods of recuperation, it would be difficult to make use of them in the upcoming war.
Orochimaru's original battle plan had been to use Konoha's previous weakness on the eastern coast battlefield as a disguise, deliberately expose the camp's location, and lure the Hidden Mist into launching a large-scale attack.
But the Hidden Mist weren't foolish. After losing multiple elite ninja in one go, they certainly wouldn't fall for Orochimaru's baiting strategy.
Because the premise of Orochimaru's plan was to make the Hidden Mist believe that Konoha's ninja forces on the eastern coast battlefield were very weak, so they could mass their troops and wipe out a large amount of Konoha's active forces in one go, thereby wearing down Konoha's overall strength.
Now, not only had Mutsuki taken down Minazuki, the well-known powerhouse and clan head of the Yuki Clan on the Hidden Mist side, he had also reduced the Hidden Mist's signature assassination unit-the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist-into the "Two Ninja Swordsmen." Under such circumstances, there was no way the Hidden Mist would consider Konoha weak.
Thus, Orochimaru's latest plan was one of extreme provocation: dispatching large forces to hunt down Hidden Mist ninja as much as possible, searching for their main base, and forcing the Hidden Mist into a decisive battle with Konoha.
If there were a squad capable of matching the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Orochimaru would of course send them to the battlefield without hesitation to hunt down Hidden Mist ninja.
"Being injured after experiencing such a major battle is unavoidable. I will report your merits to the Elders," Orochimaru said, offering reassurance rather than regret.
After all, this was not yet a desperate situation. Orochimaru would not send unrecovered ninja back onto the battlefield. Since they couldn't be used anyway, it was better to say a few nice words and earn some goodwill from Mutsuki.
Although Orochimaru appeared cold and difficult to approach, that didn't mean he lacked the so-called art of managing people.
It was just that in most cases, there were very few ninja worthy of Orochimaru employing such techniques on.
And Mutsuki happened to be exactly the kind of ninja worth Orochimaru's effort-not only strong enough and capable of getting things done, but also originally a Root ninja. He was practically Orochimaru's ideal subordinate.
Orochimaru was already considering how to swing his hoe and dig Mutsuki over to his side. If he wanted to become Hokage, outstanding trusted aides were indispensable.
At present, Mutsuki was not yet his person, and could only be considered support temporarily lent to him by Danzo.
Although he had deep cooperation with Danzo, Orochimaru was very clear about the distinction. He had no intention of being overly constrained by Danzo after becoming Hokage. Cooperation was fine, but if Danzo still wanted to stand on equal footing with him after he became Hokage, that would truly be wishful thinking.
When it came to poaching talent, Orochimaru was quite confident. He was all too familiar with the methods Danzo used on Root ninja-after all, Orochimaru himself could be considered one of Root's Elders.
Orochimaru believed that he only needed to help Mutsuki see through Danzo's true nature, that supposedly single-minded devotion to Konoha, and then display a bit of his own personal charm. With that, there was a high probability that Mutsuki would defect to his side.
After that, Orochimaru and Shikaku formally discussed the concrete battle plans. Most of the discussion was carried out by the two of them, while the others mainly contributed by filling in various details.
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