Chapter 120:
"Orochimaru, are you kidding me?"
The outburst came from Uchiha Dan, a young Uchiha who had been holding a grudge against Orochimaru ever since their encounter in the Forest of Death. After Orochimaru became a chuunin, he had been elusive, and their paths rarely crossed. Now, as tensions escalated during the war, and with Orochimaru temporarily in command alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade, Uchiha Dan couldn't help but feel that Orochimaru's orders were intended to put the Uchiha clan at a disadvantage.
It wasn't just paranoia. Orochimaru had assigned the Uchiha clan, with their Sharingan, to counter the Sand Ninja's puppet army ninjas who excelled at medium- to long-range combat, which was a suitable role for the Uchiha. Their Fire Style jutsu was particularly effective against Wind Style, a common technique of the Sand ninjas. On the surface, it looked like the perfect match.
But Uchiha Dan saw it differently. The rain-soaked environment of Amegakure greatly weakened Fire Style techniques, and the enemy's puppet army was equipped with poisonous needles that were difficult to avoid, even with the Sharingan. Moreover, they had no idea how many puppet troops they were up against. Expecting a few dozen Uchiha to take on the full force of the enemy's puppets seemed like madness.
Before Orochimaru could respond, another voice spoke up, calm and composed. "Brother Dan, let Orochimaru sama finish explaining."
Uchiha Fugaku, standing next to the clan leader, addressed Uchiha Dan with a stern expression. "This is a battlefield. Don't jump to conclusions before the full strategy is revealed."
Even the Uchiha clan leader, maintaining his composure, added in a cold tone, "Dan, this is not the time to question orders without listening."
Uchiha Dan clenched his fists but nodded in compliance. "Yes, I understand."
Orochimaru's eyes settled on Fugaku, the young man beside the clan leader, before turning to Dan with a smirk. "Some people become arrogant too quickly after reaching jounin rank. You should learn from the brothers next to you, Dan. I'm not sure how you even made it to jounin in the first place."