Naruto: Konoha's Traitor

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Chiba noticed a ninja force of about 80 up ahead and immediately dispelled his Fire Lightning God technique, remaining vigilant.

The Konoha reinforcements behind him had not yet arrived.

Chiba frowned, deep in thought.

> How could such a large force be positioned here already?

Could the Cloud-nin have anticipated their movements and deployed troops ahead of time?

That didn't add up.

If the Cloud forces had truly foreseen their maneuver, they wouldn't have bothered sending only those 14 Cloud shinobi to intercept them earlier.

Using his enhanced perception—Kenbunshoku Haki—Chiba scanned the force. Among them were at least twenty jōnin-level chakra signatures.

He moved quietly through the trees, tracking the formation, trying to confirm their identities.

When he finally got a clear look at them, his eyes widened slightly.

Konoha forehead protectors. These were Leaf shinobi.

> Reinforcements? But how did they arrive so quickly?

Still wary, Chiba created a shadow clone and sent it ahead.

The clone emerged on the path, halting the group. "Are you the Konoha reinforcements sent to support the Land of Hot Water?"

Many of the shinobi recognized Chiba immediately.

A man with spiky hair pulled back into a pineapple-shaped ponytail stepped forward. "You're Chiba, right? We're the advance unit sent to reinforce the Land of Hot Water. I'm Nara Shōji, acting commander of this force."

Chiba narrowed his eyes. "Why did you arrive so quickly?"

Nara Shōji replied, "Lord Hokage deemed the situation in the Land of Hot Water critical. We mobilized immediately, advanced at full speed, minimized rest, and made haste here. Where are Lord Orochimaru and Lord Jiraiya? Do you know their current positions?"

Chiba's eyes shifted to a ninja among them—white eyes, shoulder-length dark hair.

"You—you're from the Hyūga clan. Activate your Byakugan."

The Hyūga ninja frowned.

As one of Konoha's most prestigious clans, being ordered bluntly to reveal their kekkei genkai was a direct affront to his pride.

But Nara Shōji caught on quickly.

He noticed the state of Chiba—bloodied, dirt-covered, obviously fresh from battle. He understood what Chiba was doing.

"Hyūga Shōji," Nara Shōji addressed the man. "Activate your Byakugan. Chiba is confirming our identity."

Hyūga Shōji scowled but obeyed. He focused his chakra, activating the Byakugan. Veins bulged around his eyes.

Chiba gave a small nod and dispelled the clone. His true self stepped out of the forest.

Nara Shōji looked at Chiba with surprise. That level of caution... was warranted.

> He waited to confirm we were real before showing his true self. Smart.

Chiba spoke sternly. "I'm the acting commander of Konoha forces stationed here in the Land of Hot Water. The Cloud-nin attempted to encircle us. I broke a hole through their formation and led a breakout. The rest of our unit is following. You need to meet them immediately."

There was a murmur among the reinforcements.

Most looked at Chiba with disbelief.

A 13-year-old boy, claiming to command a unit that included two of the Sannin?

He looked alone. Dirty. Ragged. To them, it seemed far more likely that he had simply deserted.

Chiba had never been popular in Konoha.

But Nara Shōji believed him.

Chiba's composure was striking. If he were a deserter, he would have been panicked, erratic—not calm and calculating.

And besides, he was Orochimaru's disciple. That alone suggested exceptional ability.

Even if it was unusual for someone so young to command troops, the title of "student of a Sannin" came with expectations.

Shōji didn't hesitate. "All units, move! We're linking up with our comrades ahead!"

The unit surged forward.

Thanks to Chiba's earlier efforts, the hole he tore in the Cloud encirclement allowed over twenty Konoha ninjas to escape pursuit.

The Cloud-nin, upon seeing a fresh force of more than 80 Konoha shinobi, hesitated. Then panicked. Then fled.

Chiba, observing from the treeline, noticed something else.

Nearly all these reinforcements wore clan emblems.

> Civilian shinobi must have already been deployed elsewhere. Only the clans remain to send.

In Konoha, clan-based shinobi make up the backbone of elite forces. Not only are they more numerous than civilian-born shinobi, but their secret techniques give them a tremendous edge.

Many of the surviving shinobi from Chiba's original force wept as they reunited with their comrades.

They were exhausted, pushed to their limits by the mission's demands.

The numbers told the story: from over ninety to just over twenty. That many had died under Orochimaru's command.

And now, thanks to Chiba, the rest had survived.

As word spread that Chiba had cleared a path and held command during the breakout, more and more eyes turned toward him in surprise and awe.

They had misjudged him.

Chiba now rested against a tree, eyes half-lidded. Finally—finally—he could relax.

He had been in a heightened state of readiness since arriving in the Land of Hot Water. The constant battles had worn him down.

Orochimaru and Jiraiya rejoined the main force shortly after.

After Nara Shōji gave his report, Orochimaru gave a subtle nod. "Well done. Your support arrived at the perfect time. With your help, the plan has succeeded."

Shōji asked about the plan they had executed.

Jiraiya explained it in detail.

As he listened, Shōji's scalp went numb.

> They'd really gambled everything...

No wonder the survivors had tears in their eyes.

They had fought a desperate battle, down to their last hope. From ninety to twenty. Nearly seventy dead.

The plan was high-risk—but high reward.

Now, they were nearly six kilometers inside the border.

That might not sound like much, but in military terms, those six kilometers could determine who controlled the entire region.

Had they still been pinned at the border, even with reinforcements, the battle to advance would've been bloody.

And then came the final blow of shock: Chiba had been one of the key strategists behind the operation.

The entire plan had revolved around his proposal.

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