Chapter 132: Grenade

But just a second later, Jiraiya shook his head, denying his own wild guess.

"No, that can't be right. The Great Toad Sage clearly said the "Child of Prophecy" would be my disciple," he reminded himself.

"And would Orochimaru ever be my disciple? Definitely not."

With that thought, Jiraiya quickly dismissed the idea. The notion of Orochimaru being the destined one was absurd.

Orochimaru, unaware of Jiraiya's internal monologue, noticed him staring with a strange expression and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's with that look?" Orochimaru asked.

"Nothing... nothing at all," Jiraiya quickly replied, laughing it off.

No matter how much Jiraiya might obsess over prophecies, he wasn't about to share his thoughts with anyone else.

---

Time passed, and the meeting concluded quickly with everyone assigned their roles.

Scouts prepared for surveillance, while combat units got ready for battle. Meanwhile, Tsunade handed over the antidote formula she had developed to the medical team, instructing them to mass-produce it.

At this time, medical ninjas were still a rare profession. Even in Konoha, known for its advanced medical practices, there weren't many trained medical ninjas. Still, in the heat of war, Konoha managed to scrape together a few medics to help produce the antidote.

With everything in motion, the legendary Sannin prepared for yet another confrontation in the Land of Rain.

Thanks to their prior experiences, the Sand and Iwa ninjas were far more cautious this time, wary of any possible ambushes.

However, they still underestimated their enemy…

---

"Is this…"

"Another special ninja tool?"

In the clearing outside the camp, Konoha's forces watched as Orochimaru summoned seven or eight large boxes using a space scroll. The troops were surprised, even the normally composed Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but narrow his eyes in curiosity.

"What could this be now?"

Fugaku's thoughts immediately went back to the sniper rifles Orochimaru had introduced earlier. He vividly remembered the power of those weapons, taking down enemies from a thousand meters away when the weather was clear. Even in light rain, thanks to the Sharingan's heightened vision, they could maintain an accuracy of up to 800 meters.

Now, with the enemy changing tactics and using different terrain, the sniper rifles weren't as effective.

But here was Orochimaru again, unveiling yet another mysterious set of weapons.

Seeing their questioning looks, Orochimaru began to explain.

"This time, it's nothing too complicated. It's simply an upgraded version of the standard explosive tags."

"Upgraded… explosive tags?"

"Exactly. This device functions similarly to a traditional explosive tag, but with more versatility. You don't need to attach it to kunai or get in close range to use it. It's much more effective at long distances."

Orochimaru gave a quick demonstration, throwing the device into the distance.

*Boom!*

A massive explosion echoed across the battlefield.

In the aftermath of the explosion, several members of the Uchiha clan, their Sharingan activated, rushed to investigate the blast site. After a brief scan of the area, they returned with wide-eyed expressions.

"That… was incredible."

Their words only served to heighten the tension. Everyone exchanged looks of awe and disbelief.

One thought resonated through their minds.

"Orochimaru is truly a genius."

---

Meanwhile, in Amegakure, the sky continued its relentless downpour, soaking everyone beneath it.

Smoke, kunai, shuriken, explosive tags, and dust filled the air as this small, nondescript country was torn apart by endless war.

Hyuga Ryuichi, a member of Konoha's reconnaissance team, was partnered with Inuzuka Zen and Aburame Shingo. Their mission was to track down a group of Suna ninja, specifically their puppet masters.

Under normal circumstances, no one in Konoha could rival the tracking abilities of their team. The Inuzuka clan had their scent-tracking techniques, while the Aburame clan's insects could locate enemies with ease.

However, the constant rain in the Land of Rain dampened their abilities. The water masked scents, rendering Inuzuka Zen's abilities nearly useless, and the rain hindered the movement of Aburame Shingo's insects.

That left Ryuichi's Byakugan as their primary means of tracking. But even with his heightened vision, they were spotted by the enemy before they could strike.

The Suna ninjas quickly counterattacked, forcing the Konoha team to retreat while engaging in a desperate fight for survival.

"Take this!"

"Die!"

The Suna ninjas launched a flurry of shuriken and kunai, cutting through the rain toward the retreating Konoha shinobi.

"Damn it!" Aburame Shingo, bringing up the rear, turned to counter the attack.

But before he could act, Ryuichi stepped in front of him, activating his Byakugan.

"Leave it to me! Gentle Fist: Rotation!"

Spinning in place, Ryuichi created a spinning chakra barrier that deflected the oncoming barrage of shuriken and kunai with a series of sharp clinks.

"Ryuichi!"

"You go! I'll hold them off!"

"What? Are you insane? If you stay behind, you'll be cut down in minutes!"

"Just go! Someone has to report these guys' location to our squad!"

With a swift kick, Ryuichi knocked Aburame Shingo away, pushing him toward safety.

"Hah! Trying to play the hero, are you?" one of the Suna ninja shouted from behind the pursuing group. "You're just a dead man!"

"Don't waste time with him!" the leader of the Suna group ordered. "Leave two men to finish him off. The rest of you, keep going!"

This was war, not some honor duel. They had no reason to focus all their forces on a single Konoha ninja.

Suddenly, a shadow darted behind the Suna leader at blinding speed, and the sharp gaze of Ryuichi's Byakugan pierced the rain-soaked battlefield.

"I'll start with you!"

"What?!"

The Suna leader's eyes widened in shock as Ryuichi closed the distance in a flash.

"Gentle Fist Technique: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Ryuichi's palms struck with terrifying speed.

"Two palms! Four palms! Eight palms! Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four palms!"

The Suna leader couldn't even react. Each strike landed with devastating force, sending shockwaves through his body.

His last coherent thought was a single realization: "How is he so fast?!"

The final strike sent the leader crashing to the ground, but Ryuichi didn't stop. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding a flurry of counterattacks from the other Suna ninja.

"Hah… the Hyuga clan really lives up to its reputation… but you're dead now!" one of the Suna ninja sneered as a puppet wielding twin blades emerged from the ground behind Ryuichi.

Ryuichi's Byakugan gave him 360-degree vision, but he hadn't been focused on the puppet master, who had been setting a trap beneath the ground.

The twin swords gleamed in the rain, coming closer and closer. It was too late to dodge!

"I'm done for!" Ryuichi thought, gritting his teeth as the blades closed in.

But then, a thunderous sound cut through the air.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

*Bang!*

A massive cloud of white smoke erupted in front of Ryuichi, and from it, a giant python nearly two meters in diameter broke through the earth, swallowing the nearest Suna ninja whole.