Slayer: Look directly at the Seraph, standing on the sun

"They reacted too quickly!" Shikaku cursed under his breath, a sense of unease rising within him. The enemy's counterattack was much faster than they had anticipated, but Shikaku remained calm.

Just then, a familiar shout came from afar. Inoichi and Shikaku turned around at the same time and saw a Konoha ninja rushing towards them and quickly appearing beside them. That person was Inoichi's comrade-in-arms and a member of the Konoha ninja's support force.

"Captain!" Haiyi shouted excitedly, "You're here!"

The man smiled, his face resolute: "How's your plan going? Don't let the enemy disrupt your formation!"

Shikaku stood at the edge of the woods, calmly observing the surrounding battle. The enemy's relentless offensive was threatening the Konoha ninja's position, but he remained highly vigilant. He observed every detail of the battlefield clearly—the distribution of the Iwa ninja, the rhythm of the battle, and even the Konoha ninja's reactions. He knew that only under such circumstances could the dawn of victory be secured.

"Haiyi, go and scout out the enemy's movements." Shikaku turned his head, his voice low but firm.

Hai nodded and quickly disappeared into the dense jungle to begin his mission. Shikaku turned his gaze to Choji: "You're in charge of the attack. Make sure to put enough pressure on the enemy." He didn't waste any words; all his orders were concise and powerful, like those of a seasoned commander.

Choza patted his stomach with a wry smile: "I understand, Captain." His little gesture seemed to relieve the pressure brought by the tense battle, but Shikaku was not affected. He continued to coldly observe the situation around him.

However, just as the plan was about to proceed smoothly, Inoichi suddenly called out from afar, "Captain! The reinforcements are here!"

"A helper?" Shikaku frowned and quickly turned to look at Inoichi's position. Although the word "helper" made Shikaku suspicious, he didn't have time to think about it further and could only suppress his doubts for the time being. After all, he still needed to grasp the current situation.

However, Inoichi's next words made Shikaku's expression even more complicated: "There's only one person." There was a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"What?" Shikaku's face instantly darkened. He always had high expectations for the number of support members his team could provide, but this time, things were clearly not going as planned. His plan was to rely on support to secure an advantage in the battle, but now, with only one person's help, he felt a sense of anxiety.

However, amidst Shikaku's anxiety and doubt, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed. Zhang Hai's figure suddenly appeared before him, seemingly flashing out of thin air, and swiftly broke through the encirclement of the Iwa ninja. In just a few seconds, eight Iwa ninja fell without a trace, blood and corpses filling the air, and the battle seemed to end in an instant.

Shikaku stared wide-eyed at the scene, his heart pounding. Zhang Hai's attack was so swift and precise, completely exceeding his expectations. Just minutes ago, the battlefield was filled with tension, but now, the Iwa ninja had been utterly destroyed by a powerful force. Zhang Hai's strength far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Haiyi looked at Zhang Hai with some surprise and whispered, "Zhang Hai, you're here?"

"Enough with the nonsense, tell me about the mission." Zhang Hai's tone was cold and direct, without any unnecessary pleasantries. Although he stood there, his figure as sharp as a blade, his oppressive aura seemed to freeze the surrounding air.

Inoichi paused for a moment, a sense of unease crossing his heart, but he still quickly reported, "The Konoha ninja have dispersed, some have already evacuated to safe locations, but some of our comrades are missing, especially Lord Jiraiya..."

“Jiraiya’s whereabouts are no longer important.” Zhang Hai interrupted Inoichi, his gaze coldly sweeping across the surrounding battlefield, seemingly assessing the next course of action. His tone was ruthless, devoid of any sympathy for the past situation, as if nothing mattered anymore. “Is there a problem with your retreat?” Zhang Hai continued, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

Both Haiyi and Shikaku felt an unprecedented sense of oppression, especially Shikaku, who clearly sensed Zhang Hai's dissatisfaction; in fact, this indifference was almost unbearable for him. Zhang Hai's attitude became unusually cold, his eyes filled with complex emotions, as if he hadn't come for the battle at hand, but rather with some urgent mission.

“You know, we are just preparing for a sudden attack by the enemy, and…” Haiyi tried to explain, but Zhang Hai interrupted him again.

"Understood." A cold glint flashed in Zhang Hai's eyes. "Continue the operation and prepare for the next steps. Jiraiya's whereabouts are irrelevant to me; I only want to know the enemy's current deployment."

Lu Jiu remained silent, observing Zhang Hai's behavior, a vague suspicion creeping into his heart. Zhang Hai's emotions fluctuated greatly, especially when facing his own people; his reactions were almost inhumanly cold. Was he always this ruthless? Lu Jiu couldn't help but begin to wonder.

The atmosphere on the battlefield remained tense. Although Zhang Hai had resolved the threat from the Iwa ninja, the upcoming battle was still full of uncertainties. Shikaku began to realize that Zhang Hai's intervention was not merely to assist in the battle; perhaps he had his own motives and purposes.

At the same time, Zhang Hai used Shadow Clone Technique again, his figure disappearing once more into the dense forest. Clearly, he was preparing for his next move, and all of this aroused suspicion in Shikaku and Inoichi.

"What's wrong with him?" Haiyi asked in a low voice, looking at Zhang Hai's back.

Shikaku frowned: "Isn't he always like this? But something does seem off."

A sense of unease rose in both of them at the same time; the changes in Zhang Hai seemed to be more than just the pressure from the battlefield.

In Orochimaru's hidden lair, Zhang Hai stood in a dark corner, his eyes flashing with complex emotions. His mood was not as calm as he appeared; instead, he was somewhat anxious and uneasy. He understood that the predicament he faced had exceeded what could be resolved by brute force alone. Although he had always maintained a tough stance against his enemies, the current situation left him with a profound sense of powerlessness.

"Orochimaru," Zhang Hai finally spoke, his tone revealing an undeniable resolve, "I need your help."

Orochimaru sat in a chair, his hands clasped together, a faint smile playing on his lips. His eyes were filled with insightful wisdom and deep contemplation. "Oh? You've finally spoken," Orochimaru's voice held a hint of amusement. "Do you think you can get rid of all this on your own?"