20demayo Chapter 359:
Chapter 359:
How many clone armies did Orochimaru have?
No one knew for sure.
But Tsunade had a pretty good guess.
There were five to six thousand in Otogakure, another six to seven thousand at the orphanage, and the laboratory east of Konoha, though built last was the largest, housing around ten thousand.
Three main bases. Over twenty thousand troops in total.
That was the size of an entire major shinobi village.
Before sealing the Five-Tails, Orochimaru had already sent orders to both Mi and Naoki, instructing them to merge the forces from their respective bases.
He also had Nawaki prepare supplies, while Guren led a squad of clones to transport those supplies to the Land of Frost.
Both Mi and Nawaki obeyed without question.
Now, the three factions—Konoha, Kumogakure, and Orochimaru's clone army were on the move, each heading toward their respective battlefields.
Everyone knew war was coming.
Yet, Orochimaru remained unshaken. He left the laboratory, taking Pain with him to the orphanage.
Nonō, the orphanage director, was stunned when she heard Orochimaru's plan.
"A war…?"
A pacifist at heart, Nonō had been deceived into sleeping with Orochimaru. She had spent years managing his experimental base, believing it was all to ensure the safety of the orphanage and provide for war orphans.
Deep down, she had always suspected what Orochimaru planned to do with his growing army, but now that the day had finally arrived, she still found it hard to accept.
"Why…?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why start a war?"
"To eliminate the problem at its root," Orochimaru replied, his tone eerily calm.
He had known Nonō since childhood, but they had never been close, mere acquaintances at best.
Later, their relationship took an unexpected turn, though it was undeniable that Orochimaru had initially trained her with the intention of using her.
"The root…?" she echoed, confused.
"Yes," he said. "There's no time to explain further. Where is Kushina?"
"In the courtyard… playing with the children," Nonō answered instinctively.
She didn't fully understand Orochimaru's intentions, but what could she do to stop him?
Nothing.
All she could do was hope that the Orochimaru standing before her was still the same man who had founded Otogakure to protect war orphans…
"Kushina, do you trust me?"
In a clearing deep in the forest, Orochimaru stood before Kushina, his expression unreadable.
There were five people present: Orochimaru, Kushina, Pain, Nonō, and Kushina's nearly five-year-old daughter, Uzumaki Reige.
"Of course," Kushina said with a warm smile.
She had doubted him once, back when he defected from Konoha.
But now?
Their daughter was already this old. There was no point in questioning trust anymore.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Then undo your seal."
"Alright."
Without hesitation, Kushina closed her eyes and entered her mindscape.
Sealing techniques varied in complexity, and even identical seals could differ depending on the shinobi who applied them.
Typically, only the original caster could undo a seal easily. Anyone else would need extensive re
The claw stopped inches away.
No matter how much force Kurama exerted, it couldn't push past the shield.
The beast's eyes widened in shock.
Before it could react.
Countless black rods rained down from the sky.
Slick!
Each rod, nearly a meter long, pierced deep into Kurama's flesh, nailing it to the earth.
These black receivers were the ultimate weapons against Tailed Beasts.
Kurama thrashed violently, but it was futile, the more it struggled, the more chakra it lost.
Within moments, it was completely subdued.
---
Inside the shield, Orochimaru's raspy voice cut through the tension.
"Don't be afraid," he murmured. "As long as I'm here… you'll be fine."
He then turned to Pain.
"Keep an eye on Kurama. I'll focus on stabilizing her."
"Understood," Pain replied. "Leave it to me, sir."
**
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