The next day...
Minato, having finally rested and recovered from his brutal encounter, made his way straight to the war tent. It was there, as informed the day prior, that a war council was to be held — a council that could determine the fate of Konoha's forces on the Iwa front.
Shff — the flap of the tent rustled softly as Minato slipped inside with his usual discreet manner. But even his subtle entrance didn't go unnoticed. All eyes in the tent, filled with the village's top commanders and elite jonin, turned to him immediately.
"Ahh, Commander," Orochimaru greeted, his voice smooth like silk, his trademark serpentine smile stretching across his pale face. "We've been waiting for you."
"Thank you," Minato replied calmly, his expression unreadable. "But as I was told, you're the Second Commander. You could have started the meeting without me."
"Yes, I could have," Orochimaru said, clasping his hands together thoughtfully. "But after some quick calculations, I found it far more efficient to wait for you. Discussing matters twice is a waste of time. Besides..." His yellow eyes gleamed. "This directly concerns you. And you mentioned yesterday that you had some intelligence to share, yes?"
"Ah, yes..." Minato's face shifted into a more serious tone. "I almost forgot. My apologies. I'll explain immediately what transpired."
With that, the tent fell silent, the flickering lamplight casting long shadows across the gathered shinobi as Minato began recounting the grim tale.
He explained how he had taken a squad of elite jonin on a sabotage mission, aimed at halting the rapid Iwa advance. The first engagement was a success — they had ambushed and eliminated a team of Iwa ninja with swift precision. Encouraged by their swift victory, they chose to press forward, to capitalize on momentum.
Then, Minato spoke of the second encounter.
They spotted another Iwa unit moving quickly toward Konoha-controlled territory. Eager to cut off reinforcements or supplies, they moved to intercept. A decision, Minato confessed bitterly, that now seemed foolish in hindsight. For that team was no ordinary unit — it was a trap.
Minato's voice slowed, his tone darkening as he described the appearance of a unidentified man flanked by two Iwa ANBU. But the true horror came when he saw he's face.
It was Arano — the Tsuchikage himself.
The revelation stunned the tent. Whispers stirred, but no one interrupted. Minato continued, his words sharp and steady. He described the sheer power the Tsuchikage wielded, how his team fell one by one. Minato himself was gravely wounded. Still, through grit and sheer will, he managed to land a successful blow on the Tsuchikage — but it wasn't enough. Exhausted, bloodied, and low on chakra, Minato was forced to retreat.
"The Tsuchikage... is indeed powerful," Orochimaru said slowly, nodding. "Even during the day, with my entire squad, we couldn't defeat him."
Gasps echoed softly across the tent. Though no one voiced the question, the look in every eye was the same — You fought the Tsuchikage?
Minato raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Yes," Orochimaru confirmed, now standing and pacing lightly across the tent. "Near the end of the Second Great Ninja War, my team received orders to assist Konoha's front lines and push into Iwa territory — to pressure them into submission before the peace talks. It was then that we were ambushed."
"Ambushed?" Minato asked, leaning forward, his interest piqued.
"There were only two of them," Orochimaru said, voice cool. "But their strength... unforgettable. The first was Han, the Jinchūriki of the Five-Tails. The second — the man who would soon become Tsuchikage."
He paused, his smile fading.
"With their combined might, we were nearly annihilated. Even with Tsunade and Jiraiya at my side, we had no choice but to retreat."
Minato's face tightened. "If what I saw was his current strength... then he's only grown stronger."
"Indeed," Orochimaru nodded. "And if Han or the other Jinchūriki joins him again, our forces will stand little chance."
Minato's voice trembled with restrained frustration. "So what are we supposed to do? Each day we're forced to retreat. Each day we burn through our forces just to delay Iwa's advance. Our dead pile up like sandbags buying us time — and it's never enough."
Orochimaru's gaze turned sharper, his fingers intertwining.
"I know the situation is dire. The higher-ups know it as well. That's why I was transferred from the Kiri front to handle this personally. But... I do have a plan."
Minato's eyes narrowed. "A plan that guarantees victory? We were taught never to assume anything is certain in war."
"Listen well, Minato," Orochimaru said, his tone growing colder, more serious. "The plan is dangerous — yes. It carries immense risk. But high risk... brings high reward. And at the rate we're going, Iwa will press us all the way back to Konoha itself. We must act now, decisively."
Minato remained silent, watching him intently. Orochimaru took that as permission to proceed.
He turned back to the other commanders and began outlining his strategy. Maps were rolled out, markers shifted, secret movements discussed in hushed voices.
⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰A series of targeted assassinations, sabotage,⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰ ⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰⍰.
In simple terms: cut out Iwa's heart before it reached Konoha's gates.
Would it work? That remained to be seen. The room was filled with both dread and hope — emotions that often traveled hand in hand during war.
One thing was certain: this plan would cost them dearly. But it might just be the only card Konoha had left to play.
And as the candlelight flickered against the war map, casting Orochimaru's shadow like a serpent coiled around the future, Minato could only wonder — how far would they have to go to survive?
And what would be left of them if they failed their mission?