Swish, swish, swish.
Night fell, and light rain tapped against the rooftops. The falling water traced arcs through the air before large drops shattered on impact, leaving the lights of Konoha blurred and distant. From afar, the village looked unreal under the rain.
Dark figures moved across the roofs like birds of prey. They wore light gray tactical vests, with sheathed short blades or straight swords strapped to their backs. Their movements were fast and precise as they leaped from tile to tile.
Many of them still carried the smell of blood that had not yet faded. Beneath their white masks, their eyes were calm and cold, enough to make villagers on the streets avoid them without hesitation. No one dared to meet their gaze.
They passed through busy streets and reached the quiet edge of the village. There, they stopped in front of a building marked with the character for darkness. This was the headquarters building of ANBU in Konoha.
Almost all members of ANBU had been urgently summoned from their homes. The crowd was dense but orderly, and not a single sound could be heard. The atmosphere felt heavy, like a gathering for a funeral.
Among the assembled ANBU, Kakashi Hatake was clearly present. His forehead was wrapped in bandages, his brow tightly furrowed. One dull, unfocused eye showed clear confusion.
Those Explosive Tags, who had placed them there?
Kakashi had not seen the strange black cat at all. He only saw Orochimaru burst out from underground and get blasted away midair by the Explosive Tags detonating beneath his feet. The scene replayed in his mind again and again.
Kakashi was close enough to be affected, but his injuries were nothing compared to what Orochimaru took head on. Even after using ninjutsu to weaken the blast, the force was still enough to tear off one of Orochimaru's arms. The damage was horrifying.
But earlier, the Third Lord did not seem to have set anything like that up.
Creak.
The large doors of ANBU Headquarters were pushed open, and the harsh sound broke the silence. Kakashi shook away his doubts, pulled his mask into place, and looked up. Two figures walked out one after the other.
One was Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing the red and white robes and hat of the Hokage. Beside him was an elderly man in a black kimono, with his right arm and right eye wrapped in bandages. His narrow eyes and the scar on his chin made him look grim.
The founder and leader of Root, the man who controlled the darkness of Konoha, and the most powerful figure beneath the Hokage. That man was Danzo Shimura.
"This emergency mobilization is to capture Orochimaru, who escaped during the earlier operation."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the gathered ANBU. His voice was calm and direct as he continued, "According to reports, Orochimaru is already seriously injured. Given his condition, leaving the Land of Fire in a short time will not be easy."
"The knowledge, intelligence, and techniques he possesses are extremely valuable to Konoha. I hope you will bring him back alive if possible."
"If he leaves the Land of Fire, it will deal a fatal blow to Konoha. At that point…" He paused briefly before continuing. "We must race against time before Orochimaru crosses the border."
"Everyone, conduct a full search."
With that, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head. His expression was cold and he wasted no words as he spoke in a low voice. "Dismissed."
Swish, swish.
The ANBU scattered into the night like shadows. They would hunt that cunning snake with everything they had, whether in the sky, underground, or underwater. There would be no escape.
After all the ANBU had left, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned and walked back toward ANBU Headquarters. As he passed by Danzo Shimura, a voice carrying a hint of mockery reached his ears.
"You really dote on your dear student."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped and lowered his head slightly. His face was hidden in the shadow of his hat, making his expression impossible to see. He did not respond at once.
"Someone like you actually let things slip," Danzo Shimura continued. "I heard you saved a kid from the Hyuga Clan from Orochimaru's hands?"
The two had known each other for decades, and Hiruzen Sarutobi could easily hear the implication. He let out a tired sigh in his heart. There was no need to spell it out.
"He was just a pitiful boy," Hiruzen Sarutobi said quietly. He added, "A branch family member of Hyuga Clan."
The meaning was clear. Give it up.
No matter what kind of results Orochimaru might have achieved on that boy, someone branded with the Caged Bird Seal could never be used. The branch family would never be an asset.
Otherwise, based on the Will of Fire Yunchuan Hyuga had shown, Hiruzen Sarutobi would have already tried to guide and recruit him. Even a talentless failure would have been acceptable.
Even if he were a civilian with no background, a teaching post at the ninja academy could have been arranged. But that was not the case.
A branch family member of Hyuga Clan could only serve the main family. They held no real value. With a single activation of the seal, the main family could easily destroy the brain of the branch member.
Compared to that, the Tongue Curse Seal used by Danzo Shimura only prevented information leaks. It caused paralysis and silence, but did not kill. By comparison, it was almost merciful.
"…"
Hearing this, Danzo Shimura merely faced the distant night sky and closed his eyes. He seemed to abandon whatever plan he had been considering, and his tone returned to its usual calm and cold state. "No matter what, I will assist fully."
"For the sake of Konoha, I will do everything I can."
"…Then I must apologize," Hiruzen Sarutobi said flatly, glancing at him. "For making you put in so much effort."
With that, he no longer paid Danzo any attention and walked into ANBU Headquarters. The doors closed behind him without another word.
Danzo's words were full of sarcasm, accusing him of favoring personal feelings over the interests of Konoha. Danzo may even have had secret dealings with Orochimaru in the past. But the moment Orochimaru defected, everything changed.
From that point on, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew his old friend would truly act as he claimed. To eliminate the threat Orochimaru posed to Konoha, Danzo would spare no effort. In that sense, his resolve was never in doubt.
Perhaps the explosion that severely wounded Orochimaru had been a contingency Danzo prepared in advance, hidden even from Orochimaru. That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi had repeatedly ignored Danzo's small moves over the years. In his view, everything Danzo did was ultimately for Konoha.
Just as the Hyuga boy had said, for the great tree of Konoha to grow, it did need roots hidden from the sun. But it only needed roots that stayed in the dark.
After Hiruzen Sarutobi left, Danzo Shimura opened his eyes. A low croaking sound followed. A crow circling above landed on his shoulder and dropped a small scroll into his raised hand.
He looked down and opened the scroll. Lines of dense writing filled his vision, written in Root's unique cipher. His eyes moved quickly as he read.
The scroll recorded the follow up cleanup of the experimental base. Unfortunately, most of Orochimaru's equipment and research records had been destroyed by the blasts from the Explosive Tags. The damage was extensive.
Based on the analysis of the explosion traces, the Explosive Tags had been laid along the entire underground pipeline system. It had practically wiped out the whole facility. Nothing usable remained.