Naruto: System of Zoro

Chapter 30 - The Rock Shinobi's Welcoming Ceremony

After traveling for two days and one night without rest, the main Konoha forces finally arrived at the border. The weariness of the long march was evident in the tired yet disciplined expressions of the shinobi. Despite their exhaustion, the reality of war allowed no time for rest.

The moment they stepped into their designated forward base—a forested clearing near the Fire Nation's border—Orochimaru took command. His golden eyes swept over the troops, and his voice cut through the morning air like a blade.

"Squad One, set up a perimeter. Squad Two, scout the terrain and establish the command center. Squad Three, lay traps. Squad Four, prepare meals. The rest, start building the camp—move!"

"Yes, sir!"

The Jonin captains immediately relayed their orders to their respective squads. A flurry of movement followed as shinobi hurried into action. Some darted into the trees to scan the surroundings, while others swiftly unpacked supplies and began fortifying their position. The rhythmic sounds of hammering and the rustling of canvas echoed across the clearing as tents were raised.

Kazane watched from a distance, tightening the strap of his sword at his waist. Despite the well-organized coordination, the air felt thick with tension. He could sense it—this was more than just setting up a temporary base.

They were preparing for battle.

His instincts were proven right when, moments later, a scout's alarmed voice rang out.

"Enemy shinobi approaching!"

The sharp declaration sent an immediate shockwave through the camp. A powerful surge of chakra was fast approaching—massive, relentless, unmistakably hostile.

"Prepare for battle!"

Orochimaru wasted no time, issuing the command with cold precision.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A storm of kunai and shuriken rained down from above, descending upon the still-organizing Konoha forces like a metal downpour. Some shinobi managed to evade, while others scrambled to react.

"Tch. Konoha has been at peace for too long…"

Orochimaru clicked his tongue in irritation. The troops were too slow. Their battle instincts were dulled from years of relative stability.

"Use Earth Release! Quickly!" he ordered.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Multiple earth barriers erupted from the ground, forming a defensive formation. The thick stone walls deflected the incoming projectiles, sending them clattering harmlessly to the ground.

A brief silence followed.

"Did we block it?" one shinobi muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

However, his relief was short-lived.

"Fools! What are you thinking?! Medics, fall back! Everyone else, hold the line!"

Orochimaru's sharp reprimand snapped them back to reality. This was no mere skirmish—this was an ambush. There was no time to celebrate surviving the first wave.

Before anyone could react, a deafening boom shattered the tense atmosphere.

A massive fist, formed entirely of rock, smashed through the earth walls as if they were made of paper. Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the barriers before they crumbled into dust and rubble.

A towering figure stepped forward from the settling debris, his presence exuding raw strength and authority.

He wore a red shinobi cap, a tight-fitting red combat suit, and a brown Jonin vest. His right arm, encased in jagged stone, had expanded to monstrous proportions—the very weapon that had just obliterated their defenses.

"It broke through?!"

"Who is that shinobi?!"

Murmurs of disbelief spread among the Konoha troops.

Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed, recognizing the formidable opponent immediately.

"Rock Village… Kitsuchi."

The name alone sent ripples of tension through the Konoha ranks.

Kitsuchi—the Iron-Fisted Jonin of Iwagakure. Son of the legendary Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. A warrior whose strength was feared across the shinobi world.

Kitsuchi cracked his neck, his expression calm yet imposing.

"Orochimaru, huh?" His deep voice carried across the battlefield, laced with amusement. "Do you like the welcome ceremony I've prepared for you?"

Orochimaru said nothing, but his lips curled into a faint smirk—one that didn't quite reach his eyes.

No more words were exchanged.

The moment Kitsuchi finished speaking, kunai and shuriken came flying once again, a second deadly wave aimed directly at the Konoha forces.

Reacting instantly, the shinobi leaped into action.

"Counterattack!"

"Block the kunai!"

"Dodge!"

The battlefield erupted into chaos.

Despite their swift reactions, the enemy's assault was relentless. Explosions rocked the encampment as paper bombs detonated, sending plumes of smoke and fire into the air. Cries of pain and orders for medics rang out as shinobi fell—some wounded, others lifeless.

The battlefield was a sea of chaos, painted in blood and dust. The 2,000-strong Konoha forces fought with everything they had, but despite their discipline and skill, the relentless onslaught of the Rock shinobi took its toll.

Kunai clashed against kunai, blades flashed through the air, and jutsu erupted in every direction. The ground trembled under the force of countless earth-style techniques, while distant screams mixed with the metallic scent of war.

But this was only the beginning.

"Charge! Crush them!"

With the initial kunai storm over, Kitsuchi raised his stone-formed fist high and bellowed the order. Like an avalanche, the Rock shinobi surged forward, their war cries shaking the battlefield.

"Hold the line!"

Orochimaru's voice cut through the chaos like a dagger. He did not retreat, nor did he merely command from the rear—he led the countercharge himself. A battlefield like this was too dangerous to allow a high-level combatant like Kitsuchi to rampage unchecked.

Where Orochimaru went, destruction followed. His movements were unpredictable, his strikes precise, his jutsu terrifying.

Elsewhere, the Konoha Jonin took command of their respective squads, cutting down Rock shinobi wherever they could. It was a display of pure skill—the difference between Jonin and lower-ranked ninja was evident. Against such elite warriors, most Chunin and Genin stood little chance.

Massacre. Pure slaughter.

And yet, the Rock shinobi were just as ruthless. Their own Jonin cut through Konoha's ranks with equal efficiency, carving a path of devastation.

In the midst of the carnage, one Rock Jonin, Bunya, took notice of a particular warrior.

A boy—no, a young warrior—was cutting through Rock shinobi as if they were nothing.

Three long swords moved like blurs in his hands, and with each strike, another enemy fell. Even Chunin, hardened by battle, were slain in a single motion.

That warrior was Kazane.

"That kid… he's no ordinary shinobi," Bunya muttered, his sharp eyes narrowing.

Deciding not to underestimate him, Bunya swiftly formed hand seals.

"Earth Release: Explosive Missile!"

A massive rock projectile, imbued with explosive chakra, shot forward like a cannonball, heading straight for Kazane.

At the same moment, Kazane sensed something—a flicker of killing intent behind him.

A dying Rock Chunin had lunged at him with his last breath, bloodied hands locking onto Kazane's arm with desperate strength.

Kazane's eyes widened.

The Chunin wasn't trying to kill him.

He was trying to hold him in place.

Realizing his intent too late, Kazane struggled to break free.

BOOM!!!

The battlefield was momentarily engulfed in a deafening explosion. The shockwave tore through the air, sending bodies and debris flying. Smoke and dust billowed outward, obscuring everything in thick darkness.

Silence followed.

Even Bunya, confident in his attack, waited cautiously, scanning the smoke for any sign of life.

Then, from within the swirling haze—

A voice.

"Oi. Trying to run?"

A flicker of blue light.

Then another.

The crackling hum of lightning filled the air, growing louder with each pulse.

Through the settling dust, a figure emerged—his silhouette outlined in blue chakra.

Kazane stepped forward, electricity arcing across his body, his three swords glowing with raw energy. His once-torn sleeves had been burned away, revealing his arms—now covered in what looked like jet-black markings, a layer of unbreakable power.

His white hair, damp with sweat and dust, whipped in the wind.

He looked like a god of thunder descending upon the battlefield.

"You nearly killed me," Kazane muttered through gritted teeth that held the third blade, his voice calm but laced with something dangerous.

Bunya felt a cold chill run down his spine.

This boy… no, this monster…

Before he could react—

Kazane vanished.

A silver flash.

A gust of wind.

Bunya barely had time to register what had happened.

Then—

His vision spun.

It wasn't until he saw his own body collapsing to the ground that he realized—his head was no longer attached.

A Jonin, slain in an instant.

The surrounding Rock shinobi froze in horror.

"What?! No way!"

"He killed Bunya Jonin?!"

Panic spread like wildfire. Fear overtook the enemy ranks, their earlier confidence shattering.

But Konoha's forces saw an opportunity.

"Charge! Take them down!"

The hesitation in the Rock shinobi's movements was all the advantage Konoha needed. In their moment of fear, they were mercilessly cut down. The tide of battle had shifted—at least in Kazane's immediate vicinity.

But he didn't stop.

His eyes locked onto another Rock Jonin still carving through Konoha's ranks in the distance.

Without hesitation, Kazane vanished again, sprinting toward his next prey.

"Damn it! Konoha has a monster like this?!"

Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield, a vast open space had formed. A zone of destruction, untouched by lesser shinobi.

There, two figures clashed.

Orochimaru.

Kitsuchi.

The battle around them raged on, but neither side dared to interfere in their duel. The pressure emanating from their fight was suffocating, an unspoken warning to all: This is not a place for weaklings.

Even as they fought, Kitsuchi's gaze flickered toward Kazane for a brief moment.

He had noticed him.

Even though the boy wasn't his opponent yet, it was clear—

For most Jonin, Kazane was already too strong.

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