Chapter 228: Chaper 228
In the ninja world, it was a well-known reality: the strong preyed on the weak. Large nations oppressed smaller ones, while smaller nations struggled to survive, maneuvering in the cracks left by the powerful.
The survival of small countries wasn't a coincidence. Some allied with the great nations, others relied on unique secret techniques, and some took advantage of naturally defensive terrain. In short, they became thorns that even the great powers found hard to remove.
For the most part, the major nations, too busy fighting amongst themselves, had no time to deal with these "nuisances." This allowed the smaller nations to endure.
Originally, there was a precarious balance between the five great powers. However, when the First Hokage established Konoha, he distributed the nine tailed beasts among the major nations to ensure equilibrium. This act created a strange but functional balance of power.
This delicate balance kept the five major countries locked in a constant cycle of conflict without outright annihilation. Every nation knew they had their own tailed beast, making any attempts to destroy one another a daunting and often futile task.
But Orochimaru's emergence began to disrupt this balance.
Before, his reputation in the original timeline wasn't built on overwhelming combat strength. His greatest asset was his almost unkillable survivability, a trait comparable to that of a cockroach. His direct combat ability wasn't particularly impressive.
For example, he required Kimimaro and others' help to kill the Fourth Kazekage. In his battle against the aging Third Hokage, Orochimaru barely came out alive. He even struggled against a four-tailed Naruto.
But now? Orochimaru's strength had undergone a dramatic transformation. He had reached the super Kage-level, capable of saving an entire battlefield single-handedly and even killing the Third Kazekage in direct combat.