Night, eight o'clock.
Masahiko was in front of the light screen, watching the content on it.
After a while—
"Boom!"
A loud explosion was heard.
At the beginning, it was the scene of Hiruzen Sarutobi bombing the mountains and fields.
Masahiko had seen this part from a distance, so now he only skimmed through the bullet comments.
Basically... these netizens didn't expect the Third to be so fierce.
The current Third was at least three or four years younger than in the main story, and his combat power indeed looked much more aggressive.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi were willing to undergo Orochimaru's modifications like Danzo, his combat power would probably increase even further.
Masahiko continued scrolling down.
Until he saw the scene between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo at the Valley of the End... "With all that fighting, you're telling me it was just an act?"
"Listen to them talk nonsense. Does Danzo look like he's acting? The Third was also genuinely furious; otherwise, why would there be such large-scale Fire Release on the way?"
"The anger was probably real, and the intent to kill was real, but Danzo's arm is a bit terrifying."
"I agree with the big shot from B-Station. Danzo definitely wanted to cause trouble, but the Old Thief is too devious; he let Orochimaru disrupt the situation and completely ruin him."
The bullet comments were full of sharp critiques.
But precisely because of this, the relationship between Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo seemed even more complex.
As he himself had said.
Between him and Danzo, there was both competition and cooperation. For the sake of Konoha's interests, many conflicts could be set aside.
Except this time, he did not back down again.
Danzo had to go!
However.
A bullet comment flashed by: "Then how did that Old Thief know?"
Soon.
After a brief exchange, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell into a flashback.
The flashback scene was exactly the plot where Masahiko discussed the "Branching Operation" with him.
Instantly... "233, the answer is coming right away."
"F*ck! Damn it, I watched the Old Thief's performance and thought he really didn't know the specifics. Turns out the whole plan was his idea?"
"I've got it figured out! As long as he provokes the Third, Danzo will definitely cause trouble. Afterwards, he just needs to have Orochimaru solidify the Third's resolve... So devious!"
"Danzo even accepted the scroll, right? At this moment, he probably still thinks he's a decent guy!"
After a wave of bullet comments—
Soon, Danzo used the Vacuum Great Sphere as a cover, turning the valley into a mess.
Before long, a scene appeared showing Danzo communicating with his subordinates after retreating.
After Masahiko finished watching, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Danzo really thought that way!
His original goal was to ensure he gained a certain level of trust from both the Third and Danzo, and now it seemed he had achieved his wish.
This point... might be useful in the future.
Masahiko pondered for a moment and continued to speed through.
Not long after, another scene appeared on the screen.
In the distance, the green fields were vast.
Shinnō was panting, having returned to his original state, but he looked even older.
He was somewhat depressed and then let out a long sigh: "I didn't expect Konoha to actually have a Ninja who can open the Eight Gates..."
"Mr. Shinnō, I told you long ago that with the capabilities of your Village Hidden in the Sky, you are simply not enough to oppose Konoha, let alone the entire Ninja World."
Orochimaru licked his lips and said, "Only by cooperating with me do you have the possibility of realizing your wish."
"Orochimaru, our deal ended before."
Shinnō's eyes narrowed, "Although I just opened the Seventh Gate, I might not lack the ability to open it again now!"
"I believe you can do it. After all... besides being a Taijutsu expert, you are also a Medical Ninja skilled in Regenerative Forbidden Techniques."
Orochimaru chuckled, "But so what? Once the Village Hidden in the Sky is exposed to the sunlight, your future days can be imagined. Is that the life you seek?"
"I fell for Danzo's trick!"
Shinnō finally could not suppress his anger.
Orochimaru said, "To be honest... you think too highly of yourself! Your power is strong, but your technique is weak. Even without Might Guy, you still wouldn't have won."
He sighed: "The Third Hokage, even if he's old, is not that easy to deal with."
Shinnō fell silent.
He stared at Orochimaru and said, "What exactly do you want to do?"
"Cooperate."
Orochimaru chuckled, "I have also established a Ninja village. It's not large, but we can unite to oppose the great Ninja villages."
After that was the conversation between the two regarding cooperation.
Masahiko knew that Orochimaru recruiting Shinnō was definitely not to cooperate against the great Ninja villages, but for his Zero-Tails and medical abilities.
Although Kabuto's medical abilities were also strong, as an existence hovering between life and death, Orochimaru didn't mind having an extra path to survival.
After the exchange between the two, the camera panned up—
In the distance, Uchiha Itachi was watching from afar.
A moment later, Zetsu emerged from the ground. His strange appearance still made Itachi feel somewhat uncomfortable.
He was silent for a moment and said, "What's the situation over there?"
"I didn't dare get too close, so I didn't see everything, but they didn't really fight. It was likely an act."
Zetsu answered.
Afterwards, he smiled and said, "Thinking about it, it's impossible. How could Hiruzen Sarutobi really break with Danzo?"
"Then is their target us?"
Itachi asked.
"No need to worry. They went to the Land of Rivers. What follows is someone else's problem to worry about."
Zetsu said with a smile.
Itachi was silent for a moment and asked, "Then what do I need to do?"
"Observe Konoha long-term. The organization will inevitably have to retrieve the Nine-Tailed in the future. With you watching, some intelligence can be promptly passed back to me."
Zetsu answered.
"Okay."
Itachi nodded.
Seeing this, Zetsu couldn't help but smile: "Of course, you can also 'take care' of your younger brother along the way. After all... he concerns your future eyes."
Itachi didn't answer, but he nodded with a cold expression.
The image vanished.
Masahiko rested his head on his hand and looked at the screen, lost in thought.
As for the Branching Operation, he didn't intend to hide it from Zetsu and the others. For people like Obito, they would eventually find out if they waited long enough.
What he cared about was—
Itachi's mission probably also involved Obito's lack of trust in him.
Not only did he think so... "Madara doesn't trust Itachi, does he?"
"A big shot analyzed it; Madara either doesn't trust him or trusts him too much. Currently, I lean towards the former."
"He hasn't even come into contact with the core secrets. He probably doesn't even know clearly who exactly is in the organization."
"Itachi, hurry up and go back to Gotham. Batman said he won't hit you."
"At least he found Shisui, 2333."
From the current plot, Itachi was clearly in a rather special and awkward state within Madara's system, known only to Shisui, "Madara," and Zetsu.
No one else knew.
This triggered a wave of complaints in the bullet comments.
Masahiko had long been accustomed to this. After all, the Itachi of his previous life had gone through early foreshadowing and had many fans.
The "Prequel" didn't have much foreshadowing.
He continued scrolling down, and soon it was the plot after Masahiko returned to Konoha.
Masahiko dragged the progress bar... until the end.
In the Hidden Mist Village, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura Karatachi was safe and sound, once again presiding over many missions for the Hidden Mist Village.
Only—
From the plot on the screen, his Blood Mist Policy seemed even harsher than before, to the point that many people in the village had objections.
"Obito has completely taken control of the Hidden Mist Village?"
The original Obito didn't seem to take external actions during this period, but this time... because of his intervention, things might be different.
Masahiko felt that he had to be prepared.