Naruto: Reborn as Orochimaru

Chapter 119: More Than Enough

"Orochimaru, when did you start carrying that scroll around?"

Deep in the forest, Jiraiya, running beside Orochimaru, finally voiced his curiosity. The large scroll strapped to Orochimaru's back was nearly identical in size to Jiraiya's own, and it had been bothering him since Orochimaru returned to the village.

Tsunade, running ahead of them, also chimed in, "Yeah, I've never seen you with a scroll that big before. What's in it?"

Orochimaru glanced back, a faint smile on his lips. "This scroll contains strategic materials that will help us turn the tide of the war."

"Strategic materials?" Jiraiya frowned, confused. "What do you mean, 'strategic materials'? And don't tell me this was part of your whole 'medicinal herb'

Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "Yes, sending taijutsu specialists against the puppet army would be a mistake. The risk of being poisoned or overwhelmed by the puppets' traps is too high."

The head of the Inuzuka clan, who relied on close-quarters combat alongside his nin-dogs, spoke next. "Our clan is in the same boat. Sending our people against puppets would only end in disaster. We can assist with tracking and recon, but direct combat against puppets isn't feasible."

Orochimaru turned his gaze to Tsunade. "In that case, Tsunade, I'll leave the detoxification efforts to you."

"Of course," Tsunade said confidently. "I'll make sure our forces are prepared to handle any poison the Sand Ninja throw at us."

Next, Orochimaru turned to the Uchiha clan leader. "How many Uchiha have been deployed?"

The clan leader, a stern man in his mid-thirties, replied, "We've sent around two hundred ninjas."

"How many have awakened the Sharingan?" Orochimaru asked.

The clan leader hesitated slightly. "Only about twenty."

"That's more than enough," Orochimaru said calmly, his eyes glinting with a plan. "The Uchiha clan will be responsible for neutralizing the puppet troops."

"What?" The Uchiha clan leader looked startled. "You're joking, right? How are twenty Sharingan users supposed to handle an entire puppet army?"