Naruto: Konoha's Traitor

Successful Advancement

Based on the information relayed by his summoned snake, Chi Yu knew that a three-man Cloud scouting team was positioned roughly forty meters ahead.

He approached stealthily, maneuvering through the underbrush without a sound. Soon, he spotted the trio.

One of them—a sensory-type shinobi—sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, scanning the area with his chakra. The other two stood guard, flanking him in a standard formation.

> "Iijima, anything?" one of the guards asked, keeping his hand on his blade.

> "Yes… but something's off."

> "Off? How so?"

> "I'm sensing over two hundred Konoha shinobi... but more than half of them feel... strange. Like the chakra signatures aren't entirely stable."

> "Tch—over two hundred? Just how many reinforcements did Konoha send to the Land of Hot Water?"

> "It looks like they're gearing up for a counteroffensive. One of the Sannin—Orochimaru—was spotted entering the country earlier."

> "Should we pull back and report this?"

> "Not yet. Let me scan again. Something's really wrong about those chakra signatures…"

Suddenly, Iijima's expression tensed. His eyes snapped open.

> "Someone's—!"

Before he could finish, a calm voice interrupted from behind.

> "You only noticed me now? Your sensory skills are subpar."

The voice belonged to Chi Yu.

He stood behind them, already forming hand seals.

> "Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

Snakes shot from his sleeves with frightening speed. They sank their fangs into the necks of all three Cloud shinobi before they could react.

The venom worked quickly. Their bodies stiffened, muscles locking in paralysis.

Chi Yu didn't hesitate. With a swift, silent motion, he reversed the grip on his kunai and slit all three throats with clinical precision.

---

The main force of Konoha shinobi continued their advance, pushing deeper into the Land of Hot Water.

They encountered sporadic resistance along the way—recon units and scattered ambushes—but nothing substantial. Summoned beasts from Orochimaru and Jiraiya made quick work of most threats. Those that escaped were tracked down and eliminated before they could raise alarms.

Chi Yu moved independently, constantly feeding intelligence to Orochimaru through messenger snakes from Ryūchi Cave.

Orochimaru, ever calculating, intentionally allowed a few Cloud survivors to slip away. He wanted them to report back—on purpose.

As expected, the deeper Konoha pushed into the country, the more frequent Cloud reconnaissance and harassment became.

But Orochimaru had anticipated it.

This was not yet a war. The Cloud's movements were still cautious—measured. They hadn't mobilized fully. Their current actions were limited to observation and disruption. Without formal war declaration, they wouldn't commit to a full-scale engagement.

With over two hundred shinobi in plain view, Konoha was clearly posturing. The message was simple: we are not afraid to fight.

The Cloud was confident, however. The last time Jiraiya brought a force of about 150 shinobi, they had pushed him back to the border. They assumed this new force would meet a similar fate once it began to fragment—because no army can stay tightly clustered forever.

Once Konoha began to divide for reconnaissance, patrol, or territorial control, that would be the Cloud's opportunity.

---

Despite the increased resistance, Konoha's battle line continued to press forward, albeit at a slower pace.

Night fell.

After assassinating another enemy recon team, Chi Yu was approached by a messenger snake.

> "Chi Yu-sama, Orochimaru-sama requests your return to the main force."

> "Understood."

The snake vanished in a puff of smoke.

Chi Yu cleaned his ninjatō on the clothing of the slain shinobi at his feet, then sheathed it and headed back toward the central camp. The message could only mean one thing—the battle line had successfully advanced ten kilometers.

Upon arrival, Orochimaru gave Chi Yu a small nod—silent acknowledgment of his value.

Chi Yu had played a vital role in the operation's smooth progression. His constant intel allowed Orochimaru to guide the troops around potential ambush points, minimizing engagement and maximizing speed.

Now, Orochimaru addressed the assembled force:

> "Half of you will maintain your shadow clones or transformation clones. The other half—cancel them, rest, and recover chakra. We'll rotate every two hours. Those currently dispelling clones, receive a supply scroll from me or Jiraiya. Each contains steel wire and explosive tags. Set traps in the surrounding area immediately."

The shinobi moved without hesitation.

Chi Yu accepted a scroll but did not join the trap-setting teams. He had been engaged in solo operations for days and was granted rest.

He claimed the scroll mainly to replenish his own supply of explosive tags.

Orochimaru didn't stop him. On the contrary—he handed Chi Yu three scrolls himself, each containing one hundred explosive tags.

> "You've worked hard," Orochimaru said.

> "It's fine. The recon squads weren't especially strong. I'm glad the plan proceeded without incident."

Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the dark horizon.

> "Things should be simpler for now. The Cloud will catch on eventually—but not immediately. They'll assemble a force to strike us, but they won't risk engaging until they're sure of our numbers and objectives.

> Until then, we rely on traps and strategic withdrawal. Once contact is made, we fall back and regroup with Konoha's support division. You'll join them and stand down for now."

> "Understood, Orochimaru-sensei."

> "Rest well. You may be stationed here for several more days."

With that, Orochimaru turned and walked toward Jiraiya to coordinate their next phase.

---

As night deepened, more tents were erected across the area.

It was all part of the deception. Over two hundred shinobi couldn't realistically share a handful of shelters. The illusion needed to be convincing.

The longer the Cloud remained unaware of the bluff, the better.

Chi Yu found an empty tent, entered, and collapsed into a seated rest against a wooden post. He shut his eyes, slowed his breathing, and waited for dawn.

Tomorrow, the next phase would begin.

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