At the gates of Konoha, the massive wooden doors stood tall, casting long shadows under the late afternoon sun.
Aoshui and his group had just returned from Ghost Lantern Castle.
Their journey had been long, dangerous, and filled with unexpected twists—but in the end, they had completed their mission successfully.
Standing before them, Yuhi Kurenai looked at the three young shinobi with clear approval in her eyes.
Aoshui, who stood beside her, gave a faint smile.
"You all performed exceptionally well on this mission," he said calmly.
"This achievement will be recorded in your personal files. It will greatly accelerate your promotion process."
The three genin immediately perked up at those words.
"For genin to participate in an S-rank mission…" Aoshui continued, his tone carrying a hint of admiration, "you've already made history."
Hearing this, Kurenai couldn't help but lift her chin proudly.
"We're your students, Brother Qingshui," she said with a confident grin. "Of course we wouldn't embarrass you."
Her words drew laughter from the group.
Even Aoshui's expression softened slightly.
"Alright," he said, waving his hand. "You're dismissed for now. Go back and rest properly tomorrow."
"Yes!"
The three responded in unison before quickly departing.
After seeing them off, Aoshui and Nono made their way directly to the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere inside was heavy and quiet.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, his expression calm—but his sharp eyes revealed that he had already anticipated something serious.
Without wasting time, Aoshui handed over the mission report.
Then—
With a flick of his hand, several bodies were placed on the floor.
They were the corpses of Root ninjas.
The evidence was undeniable.
Even someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi could not ignore it.
For a brief moment, a flash of anger crossed his eyes.
Danzo…
I thought you had learned your lesson.
And Orochimaru…
At that instant, a dangerous thought appeared in his mind.
To eliminate both of them.
But just as quickly—
It faded.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
No matter how furious he was, he knew he couldn't act rashly.
Right now, the most important thing was to stabilize the situation.
And more importantly—
To appease Aoshui.
"Lord Hokage!"
Nono suddenly spoke, her voice filled with anger.
"Danzo and Orochimaru have gone too far!"
"They actually killed our own comrades within the village!"
Her fists clenched tightly as she spoke.
This time, thanks to Aoshui's strength, everyone had survived.
But what about next time?
As the saying goes—
You can guard against a thief for a thousand days, but you cannot guard against him forever.
If Danzo continued unchecked…
Disaster was inevitable.
Hiruzen raised his hand slightly.
"Nono… calm down."
His voice was steady, but carried weight.
"This matter… is indeed the fault of Danzo and Orochimaru."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Orochimaru has already defected."
"I will announce his status as a rogue ninja immediately."
"From now on, any Konoha shinobi who encounters him will have the authority to eliminate him on sight."
Nono's expression stiffened slightly.
But Hiruzen wasn't finished.
"As for Danzo…"
He glanced subtly at Aoshui.
"…he was once the Hokage's advisor and the leader of Root."
"He has made significant contributions to Konoha."
His words were slow, deliberate.
And clear.
He intended to protect Danzo.
Silence fell over the room.
Hiruzen's gaze shifted toward Aoshui, trying to read his reaction.
But Aoshui remained completely expressionless.
He said nothing.
On the way here, he and Nono had already discussed this.
She would speak.
He would remain silent.
The reason was simple.
Aoshui did not want Danzo to die just yet.
Not before extracting every last bit of value from him.
Moreover—
He had already expected this outcome.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was a sentimental man.
In the original timeline, even after everything Danzo had done, he had been allowed to live until the brink of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
So arguing here…
Was pointless.
"Lord Hokage—"
Nono began again, unwilling to let the matter drop.
But before she could continue, Hiruzen raised his hand once more.
"I will personally visit Danzo later," he said firmly.
"I will warn him."
"If he dares to do something like this again… he will be severely punished."
His tone carried a hint of finality.
This was his compromise.
And also—
His warning.
Aoshui gently placed a hand on Nono's shoulder, stopping her from speaking further.
"I understand that the Hokage has his own considerations," he said calmly.
"But I hope this kind of situation will never happen again."
"I cannot continue to tolerate it forever."
His voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable firmness beneath it.
Hiruzen immediately nodded.
"It won't happen again."
"I give you my word."
Aoshui neither agreed nor disagreed.
He simply took Nono's hand.
Then turned and left.
The moment the door closed—
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
"ANBU!"
A masked figure appeared instantly, kneeling before him.
"Announce it immediately."
"Orochimaru has defected from Konoha."
"From this moment forward—he is a rogue ninja."
"Any Konoha shinobi who encounters him… may execute him on sight."
Even the ANBU hesitated for a brief second.
"…Yes!"
Then vanished without a trace.
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe.
Smoke curled slowly into the air.
After a moment, he stood.
And headed toward Konoha Prison.
News spread quickly.
Like wildfire.
"Orochimaru… defected?"
"That's impossible!"
"He's one of the Legendary Sannin!"
Voices filled the streets.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Denial.
Many couldn't accept it.
After all, Orochimaru had once been a hero.
A savior on the battlefield.
"That's nonsense!"
"He would never betray Konoha!"
Some even grew angry.
Arguments broke out.
Fights nearly erupted.
But the truth was undeniable.
"The Hokage has issued the order."
"Orochimaru is now a rogue ninja."
"Anyone who sees him can kill him."
Faced with official confirmation…
Even the skeptics fell silent.
Soon, the commotion attracted the attention of the Uchiha Police Force.
"Who's causing trouble here?"
Several officers stepped forward.
"Come with us."
Order was restored.
But the shock remained.
Even in silence—
The impact of the news rippled through the entire village.
Despite his recent low profile…
Orochimaru's influence was still immense.
After all—
He was one of the Legendary Sannin.
Meanwhile, deep within Konoha Prison—
Danzo learned of the news.
And exploded.
"Useless!"
"Completely useless!"
His face twisted with rage.
"Orochimaru… you couldn't even handle that brat?!"
He slammed his fist against the wall.
At that moment, he seemed to have forgotten—
That he himself had failed as well.
Just as his anger peaked—
Footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Slow.
Measured.
Familiar.
Danzo turned his head.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood at the entrance.
His gaze was cold.
"Danzo…"
"I thought that after all this time in prison… you would have learned your lesson."
He stepped forward.
His shadow stretching across the floor.
"But instead…"
"You've caused yet another incident."
He stopped before the cell.
His eyes locked onto Danzo.
"Tell me…"
"How should I punish you this time?"
The air grew heavy.
Two old comrades.
Two opposing paths.
And between them—
A decision that would shape the future of Konoha.
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