Chapter 36: Who Will Claim That Position?
At the western frontline near the borders of the Land of Fire—
The battlefront commanded personally by Orochimaru was locked in a standoff against the forces from Sunagakure.
This brutal tug-of-war in the dense forests of the border region had already lasted for several days.
Both Konoha and Sunagakure had suffered significant casualties.
Yet neither side could break the deadlock.
Konoha couldn't drive the enemy away, but Sunagakure also failed to push further into the Land of Fire.
At this moment, within Sunagakure's temporary encampment, rumors were spreading quietly.
"Did you hear? Iwagakure's forces have withdrawn."
"Iwa pulled out too? What the hell are they doing? Weren't we supposed to attack Konoha together?"
"Apparently, the 'Yellow Flash' intercepted them and inflicted losses they couldn't recover from, forcing them to retreat…"
"But I heard from people coming from that side that it wasn't just the 'Yellow Flash'—it was a Uchiha genius who single-handedly wiped out hundreds of Iwa shinobi! That's what really made them retreat!"
"An Uchiha genius? You mean Shisui of the Body Flicker? But compared to the Yellow Flash, he shouldn't be capable of something that extreme, right?"
"Not Shisui. His name is Uchiha Dali. People are calling him 'The Man Who Surpassed Shisui of the Body Flicker.' Haven't you heard? On the eastern frontline of the Land of Fire, he defeated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and drove Kirigakure's forces away!"
"Seriously? That strong?!"
"Absolutely! It's 100% true! That's why Kirigakure is already considering peace talks!"
Within the Sunagakure camp, similar discussions were taking place all around.
Beyond the widely recognized "Yellow Flash" Namikaze Minato, new titles such as "The Surpasser," "The Twin Uchiha Prodigies," and "The Strongest Uchiha" were now circulating among their enemies.
At the same time, similar discussions were unfolding in Konoha's temporary encampment.
The two camps were less than 200 meters apart, separated only by scattered rocks and trees, preventing them from hearing each other's conversations.
"Captain Orochimaru, we've just received confirmation from the northwestern frontline. Iwagakure's forces are indeed retreating. The order reportedly came directly from their high command."
"And their retreat isn't due to the Yellow Flash. We're still unsure of the exact reason, but a captured Iwa shinobi revealed that they fear someone else just as much—if not more—than the Yellow Flash."
A Special Jōnin was reporting to Orochimaru, who was leading the frontline troops.
Orochimaru's face showed a trace of fatigue, his gaze dull and numb.
This was one of the most brutal wars in history, following the Second Shinobi World War. It was his second time witnessing such carnage.
He had believed that losing comrades, watching his parents and friends perish in the last war, had already hardened his heart.
Yet today, seeing his comrades fall again, dying miserably at the hands of the enemy, he still found it difficult to accept.
"War always forces people to grow, doesn't it?"
Orochimaru suddenly posed this rhetorical question to the reporting subordinate.
The shinobi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, we all grow through war. But Captain, what should we do now?"
"Do we keep fighting the Sand shinobi here? Or retreat and wait for reinforcements?"
The question failed to capture Orochimaru's interest.
Instead, he asked with intrigue, "Do you think Namikaze Minato alone could have forced all of Iwagakure's forces to retreat?"
The shinobi froze, then seriously considered his answer. "Minato is incredibly powerful. If it's him, it's not impossible."
"If only he could come here to support us…"
"Heh…"
Orochimaru's signature chuckle, filled with amusement, interrupted his subordinate's words.
"It seems the Uchiha clan has more than just one Shisui of the Body Flicker."
"Captain Orochimaru, you mean—?"
"Pass down my orders. Everyone, prepare for battle. Before sunset, eliminate all the Sand shinobi across from us!"
Orochimaru's expression suddenly turned ice-cold and resolute.
His tone carried a chilling decisiveness.
The subordinate dared not ask further and immediately left to relay the command.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils gleamed with sharpness and depth.
"The foolish fail to see the true meaning of this war. But they might."
"It seems… someone in the Uchiha clan intends to usher in an era of their own… Heh."
"The position of the Fourth Hokage… who will it ultimately belong to?"
Muttering meaningfully to himself, Orochimaru folded his arms and vanished in an instant.
—
Namikaze Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique was undeniably powerful.
A space-time ninjutsu far superior to the Body Flicker.
Uchiha Dali and Namikaze Minato had both departed from the northwestern battlefield, heading for the northeastern frontline.
Even though Uchiha Dali pushed himself to the limit, he was still far slower than Minato.
By the time he arrived, Minato had already wiped out an enemy squad.
"You're late."
Minato threw out this remark, glanced back at Uchiha Dali, and then disappeared once again in a flash.
"Looks like I can't match him in pure speed…"
Uchiha Dali was unwilling to accept this.
At this rate, Minato would soon catch up—or even surpass—his previous record of kills.
After all, Minato had already demonstrated the ability to eliminate fifty Iwa Jōnin in an instant.
With that thought, Uchiha Dali activated his Sharingan, locking onto Minato's rapidly disappearing figure, analyzing the chakra flow within his body.
At that moment, a system prompt echoed in his mind—
[Ding! You have carefully observed the Flying Thunder God Technique and comprehended an advanced version of it!]
[Advanced Flying Thunder God Technique: Includes all abilities of the original jutsu, while improving its weaknesses. Enhances Flying Thunder God: Second Stage and develops Flying Thunder God: Third Stage, enabling a lethal strike at critical moments.]
"I just… watched him for a second. And that's all it took?"
Feeling an influx of knowledge pouring into his mind, Uchiha Dali was utterly stunned.
(Support me and read additional chapters on my Patreon: [email protected]/craxxtranslation. Thanks!)