Naruto: Starting by Marrying Uchiha

"Earth Release: Super Weighted Boulder Jutsu!"

In an instant, the massive body of Manda was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

Standing in front of Manda was a tall, muscular ninja wearing a red ninja cap and a red combat suit, his right arm exposed.

Kitsuchi!

He was also the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki.

A near-Kage level powerhouse! Unfortunately, he hadn't mastered the supreme Bloodline Limit of Iwagakure, the 'Dust Release'. 

Otherwise, he could have obliterated Manda in one strike, rather than just immobilizing it.

But this was enough.

Without Manda, a giant summoning beast, leading the charge, it wouldn't be easy for the Konoha ninjas to retreat.

Enemies in front, interceptors behind! The Konoha ninjas were in a perilous situation.

"Damn it!"

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's teeth were on the verge of shattering.

His first time as a commander, his first time in battle—both should have been joyous occasions, so why had they turned out like this?

"Brat!"

Chiyo took the opportunity to launch a close-range attack.

As a puppet master, close combat was definitely a fatal weakness, but Chiyo was going against the norm, using short to attack long, which was definitely suspicious.

Sarutobi Shinnosuke wasn't a rookie; he understood this well, so he used ninjutsu and projectiles to maintain distance.

In this regard, his fundamentals were solid, making him a well-rounded fighter.

High emotional intelligence: a well-rounded fighter! Low emotional intelligence: good at nothing! 

Perhaps it was because he lacked a standout strength that he couldn't break through to Kage level.

Thump, thump!

Sarutobi Shinnosuke's heart suddenly began to beat violently.

Poisoned? He was well aware that his current state was definitely abnormal.

As for an antidote?

Sorry, it had no effect at all.

He didn't even have a chance to counterattack because he had just voluntarily increased the distance.

Facing a Kage-level opponent, Sarutobi Shinnosuke was repeatedly overpowered.

In Konoha, due to his identity as the 'Hokage's son', no one had ever let him experience the dangers of Kage-level battles.

Now, facing Kage-level opponents from other villages, he was getting a harsh lesson.

However, the cost of this lesson was too high...

Bang! Sarutobi Shinnosuke collapsed from insufficient blood supply to the heart, and a centipede puppet as thick as a round table swallowed him whole.

"Shinnosuke!"

"Commander!"

...

Numerous anxious voices erupted from the Konoha ninjas.

Everyone was in a panic.

They never expected Sarutobi Shinnosuke to be captured.

After all, although Chiyo was a Kage-level fighter, her Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu hadn't been repaired, significantly reducing her combat power, making it fair to consider her an elite Jonin.

It was with this in mind that Sarutobi Shinnosuke chose to face her one-on-one.

At the very least, he could later boast about 'fighting a Kage-level opponent without falling behind'.

But who would have thought that this seemingly secure battle would end in disaster?

In fact, the disaster was inevitable.

After obtaining information from the 'Kara' organization, the Sand ninjas had planned in advance, including targeting Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

When the centipede puppet first emerged from the ground, it had actually released a colorless, odorless agent.

This agent went unnoticed.

Once it infiltrated the body, another agent could be used as a catalyst to make the target's heart beat violently.

It wasn't poison! The effect was simply to make the heart race due to exertion, leading to unconsciousness from lack of blood supply.

Ingenious!

One could only say that the Sand ninjas' design was indeed ingenious and nearly unbeatable when caught off guard.

Of course, if targeted at certain individuals, it would definitely fail.

For instance, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Takashi... and so on.

But Sarutobi Shinnosuke was merely an elite Jonin. With prior knowledge of the information, it wasn't surprising that Chiyo, a master of poisons, had prepared a special concoction to take him down.

If it were Takashi! With his Flame Armor activated, even the strongest poison would evaporate, and other Kage-level fighters had their own methods.

"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"

Nara Shikaku reacted immediately, using his secret technique to 'pin' the puppet, preventing it from burrowing back underground.

"Super Expansion Jutsu!"

The well-coordinated Akimichi Choza instantly transformed into a giant over ten meters tall (without taking the secret pills) and charged towards the puppet to rescue Shinnosuke.

Pakura tried to intercept, but was restrained by Yamanaka Inoichi's 'Mind Body Switch Technique'.

It must be said, this generation's 'Ino-Shika-Cho' was impeccable in both coordination and strength.

A little explanation is necessary.

Not every trio from the three clans qualifies as 'Ino-Shika-Cho'; only the most outstanding trio of the generation can earn that title.

And it wasn't just these three. Other Konoha powerhouses also broke away from their opponents and rushed towards the puppet.

No matter what, they had to rescue Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

Although the Will of Fire suggests that everyone in the village is equally important, it's a comforting lie for others, not one to deceive oneself with.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Orochimaru launched a fierce attack, disregarding the chakra consumption.

He had originally gained the upper hand, slowly forcing Rasa to act according to his plan. But now, he needed to end the battle immediately.

"Orochimaru, do you really think this move will work on me?"

With a wave of his right hand, Rasa controlled the gold dust to block the incoming snakes.

These snakes were indeed troublesome, not only poisonous but also capable of binding and sealing. However, they lacked penetrating power, so the gold dust easily blocked them.

"Is that so!"

Orochimaru sneered sinisterly.

Clang! At the same time, one of the snake heads emerging from his right hand opened its mouth, revealing a gleaming sword blade that pierced through the gold dust shield in an instant.

The Kusanagi Sword! Orochimaru's trump card.

While not a divine weapon, its sharpness was beyond question.

Slash! The blade left a thin cut on Rasa's right arm.

"Poison?"

Seeing the color of his blood, Rasa immediately backed away and used an antidote.

Ordinary poison wouldn't affect a Kage-level ninja like him much.

But Orochimaru's poison was not to be underestimated.

While Rasa was drinking the antidote, Orochimaru used the Body Flicker Technique to rush to Chiyo's side, engaging her to buy time for others to rescue their comrade.

Orochimaru was truly a versatile warrior.

With no weaknesses in ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu, he was like a super-enhanced version of Sarutobi Shinnosuke.

Now, using close combat to bully the 'elderly' Chiyo, he naturally gained the upper hand instantly.

The loss of the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu significantly reduced Chiyo's combat power as a puppeteer, but it also served to lure prey into a trap.

Crunch! Choza Akimichi snapped the giant centipede puppet, tossing the half-body containing the 'person' towards the Konoha side.

"Cover me!"

Sachiko Sarutobi used explosive tags to force back the enemy and directly pursued the half puppet.

Other members like Shimura Satsuna and the others were responsible for covering her retreat, allowing her to reach the half puppet and retrieve the...

"It's a decoy!!"

Sachiko Sarutobi's expression turned extremely grim. The 'person' in front of her, though dressed in a Konoha ninja uniform, was actually a puppet. The real Sarutobi Shinnosuke was not there.

It seemed Chiyo had fooled them all.

After the puppet swallowed Sarutobi Shinnosuke, it immediately transferred him away. The person they retrieved was a deliberate decoy to divert their attention.

"Retreat!"

Orochimaru didn't hesitate for even half a second before issuing the retreat order.

As the 'Cold Lord,' he never lacked decisiveness.

Staying would not only fail to rescue Sarutobi Shinnosuke but could also lead to total annihilation. It was better to retreat and plan a rescue later. If they all got captured, there would be no hope at all.

Everyone else understood this logic and began to withdraw one after another.

"Sachiko Sarutobi, pull a hundred people to cover the retreat!"

Orochimaru's vertical pupils fixed on her as he gave the order.

The implication was clear.

She had to pull a hundred clan ninjas to act as cannon fodder! Even though she was known as a 'martial artist,' daring to show attitude even to Takashi the Sage, she dared not defy Orochimaru, nodding in agreement.

The accumulated prestige was too overwhelming!

This showed the status of the Sannin in the hearts of Konoha ninjas.

"Yes!"

Even knowing that nodding meant sending a hundred people to their deaths, Sachiko Sarutobi had no choice but to comply.

Orochimaru's order, though harsh, was the best option.

If they retreated without care, they would be pursued by the Sand ninja, leading to even greater losses. Having a rear guard, though cruel, allowed others to retreat safely.

A hundred ninjas were selected.

Understanding their mission, they turned back without regard for their lives and launched a counterattack.

Even a Kage-level ninja wouldn't dare underestimate these Konoha ninjas, as those who disregard their own lives can pose a significant threat, even if they're just genin.

Thus, the rear pursuit was temporarily halted.

With the threat of the Sand ninja momentarily lifted, Orochimaru led the remaining strong fighters to forcibly break through the Earth Release blockade.

Though they successfully broke through, the casualties were significant.

Originally numbering twelve hundred ninjas, only about eight hundred remained, a loss of roughly a third.

This was no small loss.

But these were concerns for later; the priority was to escape the pursuit.

Watching the battlefield gradually calm down, the observing Takashi stood up with a satisfied expression.

"Let's go!"

This drama was too captivating.

He was now eager to see the expressions of Konoha's F4, wondering if they would be sweating nervously.

(End of chapter)