"Come in and have a seat."
The smile on Orochimaru's face could barely be described as friendly.
He cast a brief glance toward the shinobi standing behind him, and the man immediately understood the unspoken command, bringing over a chair and placing it not far from Orochimaru.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nara Shikaku glanced toward Orochimaru, yet he made no unnecessary reaction and remained quietly observant.
Uchiha Shisui hesitated, his hand still lingering near Amamiya Rei's, unsure whether to let go.
In the distance, Uchiha Fugaku had already cast several sharp, pointed glances in Shisui's direction.
Rei gently shook her head toward Shisui, clearly unwilling to place him in an awkward position. She took the initiative to free her wrist from Shisui's grip and calmly walked forward toward Orochimaru before taking the offered seat beside him.
Directly to Orochimaru's lower right sat Nara Shikaku, which meant that Amamiya Rei was now seated precisely between the two of them.
After both Rei and Shisui had returned to their seats, Orochimaru smiled toward the gathered shinobi and spoke in a smooth voice.
"I believe everyone here is already familiar with the kunoichi sitting beside me."
Orochimaru drew the collective gaze of the room back to Rei, introducing her with a sense of grand ceremony. "The inheritor of the Shodai Hokage-sama's Kekkei Genkai, the Mokuton—Amamiya Rei."
When Orochimaru harbored ill intentions, the signs were truly impossible to miss.
His scheme was as clear as day to anyone watching.
"The Intelligence Division has just sent back new information..."
Orochimaru suddenly shifted the conversation and began speaking about the war.
The moment they heard that the report came from the Intelligence Division, the shinobi gathered inside the tent immediately focused their attention on Orochimaru with full concentration.
"Five days from now, a Kumogakure supply convoy will be crossing the Kintai-kyo Bridge."
As Orochimaru's voice trailed off, his eyes drifted across the faces of the gathered ninja. The shinobi remained silent, their brows furrowed as they processed the information without rushing to speak.
Seeing this reaction, Orochimaru continued speaking.
"You all understand the significance of the Kintai-kyo Bridge to Kumogakure, and its vital importance to our current campaign. It is no exaggeration to say that this bridge could be the turning point that shifts the tide of battle... or even ends this war entirely."
Hearing Orochimaru's words, the breathing of many shinobi grew heavy with anticipation.
"However... if we can realize this, Kumogakure can surely realize it as well..."
Though Orochimaru's speech was undoubtedly stirring, the shinobi present were the elite of the elite; they weren't about to let a moment of excitement blind them to the obvious risks.
"Yes, if we launch an assault toward the Kintai-kyo Bridge, we may instead walk straight into an ambush prepared by Kumogakure."
The shinobi who voiced this concern turned his gaze toward Orochimaru.
Several others nodded in agreement.
"The Kintai-kyo Bridge is Kumogakure's lifeline. The shinobi guarding that supply convoy are bound to be exceptionally powerful," Yamanaka Inoichi also spoke up at this moment.
Orochimaru nodded slightly.
"Naturally, I am aware of everyone's concerns and anxieties. But if our operations at the Kintai-kyo Bridge proceed successfully, the Kumo shinobi currently fighting us on the front lines will collapse under the weight of their own resource shortages."
Before Orochimaru could finish, an impatient shinobi interrupted him. "But how can an operation at the Kintai-kyo Bridge possibly go smoothly? Kumogakure aren't fools! They have two massive trump cards in their village! Have you all forgotten how the Nibi alone managed to injure countless Konoha shinobi in our previous encounters?"
Even though he had been interrupted, not a trace of anger appeared on Orochimaru's face.
The moment the words Bijuu were mentioned, Rei immediately understood what kind of scheme Orochimaru was preparing.
The phrase those within the situation are confused while those observing from outside see clearly did not quite apply to Rei, and yet strangely it also suited him perfectly.
Because although Rei stood directly within the plan and even served as one of its crucial components, his mentality remained detached. He had always enjoyed pulling himself outside of the situation and observing it from a distance while thinking.
Shisui's gaze suddenly sharpened, like a blade thrusting straight toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru behaved as if he had noticed nothing at all and continued speaking with gentle patience.
"That is precisely the reason I invited Amamiya Rei here today."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire tent once again fell into complete silence.
However, after that brief stillness, several shinobi quickly reacted.
"That's right!"
"Mokuton!"
"The Wood Release is the most effective way to deal with the Bijuu!"
"Back then, the Shodai Hokage-sama used the Mokuton to capture the Tailed Beasts and distribute them among the other hidden villages!"
Excited voices began echoing throughout the tent.
Orochimaru's words had completely awakened the hopes of the gathered shinobi.
Several of them already had the light of victory shining across their faces.
It was as if the signing of a ceasefire agreement had already become a certainty.
"If we manage to capture the Bijuu belonging to their village..."
"Then we can force them to sign a surrender agreement!"
The excited voices rose one after another within the tent.
Rei's lips twitched slightly.
These people truly dared to dream.
Capture a Bijuu alive? If he wasn't careful, he would be the one getting captured and dragged back to a cage in the village!
"Knock, knock, knock."
Nara Shikaku reached out and tapped the table. The boisterous atmosphere was instantly shattered, and the tent fell silent once more.
As a commander whose intellect was said to rival the supernatural, Shikaku held immense prestige among the shinobi. They all went still, waiting for him to speak.
"Amamiya Rei is not the Shodai Hokage-sama."
That single sentence alone was enough to calm the overly excited shinobi.
Shikaku's words were like a basin of cold water poured down from above, instantly drenching their enthusiasm and leaving them deflated.
"That's true..."
"Even if it is the same Mokuton, it would be difficult to recreate the glory of the Shodai Hokage-sama's era!"
"Sigh..."
Helpless sighs began spreading throughout the tent.
As Rei listened to their lamenting voices, he rolled his eyes dramatically in his mind.
If everyone present lined up one by one and allowed him to take half a bite of flesh from each of them, then perhaps he really might be able to recreate a small portion of Senju Hashirama's former brilliance.
"I have sparred with Rei and I know her strength," Orochimaru said, looking at Rei with a smile full of feigned trust and expectation. "While she may not yet be comparable to the Shodai Hokage-sama, suppressing a Bijuu for a short period should not be an issue. Isn't that right, Rei?"
Rei remained silent.
Since when were you allowed to speak so familiarly?
And besides, that night he had not even used Mokuton at all, so how exactly did Orochimaru conclude that he could control a Bijuu?
It seemed the man was relying entirely on his own silver tongue!
"Orochimaru-sama..."
Shisui had just begun to speak when Orochimaru interrupted him immediately, as if he had predicted the objection beforehand.
"Shisui, I know that you and Amamiya Rei share a close friendship, but this matter concerns the survival of Konoha. It is not something to be treated lightly."
Wow.
Rei genuinely felt like giving Orochimaru a round of applause.
They didn't call him one of the legendary Sannin for nothing. With those few words, he had painted Shisui as a selfish boy blinded by personal feelings, while simultaneously pinning the heavy crown of 'Konoha's Savior' onto Rei's head.
If Rei refused now, he would instantly become the criminal who did not care whether Konoha lived or died.
Although the truth was that he truly did not care at all, the character he had carefully constructed could not collapse here.
Since Orochimaru wanted to perform a play, then Rei would accompany him to the very end.
Inside Rei's mind, a little version of himself sprouted devil horns.
Orochimaru.
Let us have a thoroughly exhilarating battle of acting.
Tremble, Orochimaru!
It is time you witness true talent!
***
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