"Oh? So he actually refused me?"
Natsuhiko sat in his office, listening to the report from the ANBU ninja before him—clearly someone from the Uchiha clan. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he shook his head.
Uchiha Shin was… interesting.
To dare make such a move in the face of someone as overwhelmingly dominant as himself—Natsuhiko couldn't help but admire his nerve.
That kind of courage wasn't something just anyone possessed. Especially considering the ruthlessness and pressure Natsuhiko had displayed throughout this entire affair—most people would have already been kneeling in submission.
But Uchiha Shin… or rather, the Uchiha clan as a whole… was never the type to yield so easily.
Of course, Natsuhiko could also tell that while Shin had deviated from his orders in the details, he hadn't violated the overall objective.
In a way, this was resistance—but it was also responsibility.
Shin had chosen to shoulder everything himself.
Sending an ANBU from the Uchiha to deliver this report made his intentions obvious: this decision was his alone, and had nothing to do with anyone else.
It was the same as what Sora had mentioned—when they discussed the matter, Shin had deliberately separated all ANBU personnel involved from himself, purely to protect them.
"…Quite the sense of responsibility."
Leaning back slightly in his chair, Natsuhiko looked relaxed, almost casual.
But the ANBU ninja standing before him kept his head lowered, not daring to meet his gaze.
It was obvious—he was nervous.
No, more than that… he was afraid.
And not just him. Many within the ANBU felt the same way toward Natsuhiko.
Strangely enough, even Natsuhiko himself didn't quite understand where that fear came from.
After all, he had always maintained a relatively approachable demeanor within the ANBU. Even after becoming its commander, he hadn't changed much—at least not outwardly.
He had always acted the same as he did when he first joined.
If there was anything particularly extreme he had done…
…it was probably killing Takumi Murashima in front of everyone.
As for his clash with Owl at the ANBU headquarters—that hardly counted as anything significant.
Shaking his head, Natsuhiko decided not to dwell on it further.
Fear wasn't the best way to control people, but for now, it was… acceptable.
If he wanted to change that, it would take time—and he wasn't in a hurry.
As for Shin's actions, Natsuhiko wasn't particularly angry.
The path had already been laid out. How Shin chose to walk it was his own decision.
And strictly speaking, the strategic objective Natsuhiko had set had already been achieved—so he had no interest in nitpicking the finer details.
More importantly, Shin hadn't tried to hide anything.
Instead, he had openly conveyed everything through this ANBU operative, making his stance clear.
Still… it did leave Natsuhiko with one impression.
That man seemed to have seriously misunderstood him.
Natsuhiko had demanded obedience—but that obedience was only meant to ensure the end goal could be reached more smoothly.
What he wanted was a Uchiha clan he could control—not one stripped of independent thought.
A clan without its own will was no different from a group of puppets.
They would simply carry out orders blindly, without thinking, without initiative, without curiosity.
And if that were the case…
What would be the point of saving them at all?
"What I want are capable subordinates—people who might even become partners someday."
"Not mindless tools who can't think for themselves and only know how to follow orders."
Natsuhiko had always been clear about what he wanted.
Even with the ANBU, all he had really done was sever their connection to the Third Hokage. Beyond that, he hadn't interfered excessively.
"Alright, you can go. I understand the situation."
He waved his hand casually, dismissing the ANBU operative.
"Yes, Commander."
Only then did the ninja dare lift his head slightly. He glanced at Natsuhiko, unease flickering in his eyes—as if he wanted to say something, yet hesitated to speak.
In the end, the ANBU ninja said nothing. He lowered his head once more, turned, and quietly left the office.
Natsuhiko remained silent throughout. Or rather, there was nothing he needed to say—this matter, to him, was already settled.
He hadn't even considered punishing Uchiha Shin. But doing nothing didn't mean Shin and the others would feel at ease.
If anything, Natsuhiko understood this better than anyone—sometimes, inaction itself was the greatest form of pressure.
It meant: I know what you did. I'm letting it go this time—but I won't forget. And next time, we'll settle everything at once.
"…Honestly, I'm still a pretty good person."
After the ANBU operative left, Natsuhiko stretched lazily, as if shaking off the last trace of tension. As far as he was concerned, this matter was finished.
As for what would happen within the Uchiha clan, he had no intention of interfering further—for now.
He would simply watch.
Watch what methods Uchiha Shin would use… how he would consolidate the clan and bring it under control.
Under normal circumstances, Shin's next move should be directed at the Konoha Military Police Force. After all, with Uchiha Jin now effectively "dead," a massive power vacuum had been left behind.
If Shin didn't seize that opportunity quickly, once Uchiha Fugaku reacted, he could easily install his own people under the authority of the clan head—rendering all of Shin's efforts meaningless.
Moreover, Jin was now under Shin's control. Using his lingering influence to stabilize and command the remaining forces of the Police wouldn't be difficult.
It could be said that Shin had already opened up the situation completely—perhaps even better than Natsuhiko had anticipated.
As long as he maintained control over Jin, it wouldn't take long before he stood in direct opposition to Fugaku.
And when that happened…
He would hold the advantage.
"…I'm actually looking forward to seeing how this plays out."
Natsuhiko set aside thoughts of the Uchiha for the moment and turned his attention to his own matters. Almost immediately, he realized just how overwhelming his workload had become.
There was Orochimaru—his situation still needed to be pursued further. And alongside that came the issue of the laboratory.
Neither of those would be simple to deal with. Natsuhiko could already foresee just how troublesome they would become.
Then there was the matter of the fruits. He needed to gather more seeds for cultivation and move forward with his experiments.
And finally—his own strength.
His eyes still required further development. His control over the Three-Tails' chakra needed to improve. Even the young Nine-Tails within him had to continue growing.
On top of all that, there were the other Tailed Beasts. Acquiring their chakra meant tracking down other jinchūriki—a task that was anything but easy.
In truth, aside from hunting down jinchūriki, almost everything else was an immediate priority.
"…Looks like I won't be getting any rest anytime soon."
Natsuhiko shook his head lightly, already feeling the weight of everything pressing down on him.
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts.
A knock followed—controlled, but urgent enough to betray the anxiety behind it.
"Come in."
The door swung open, and Natsuhiko raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Pakura? What's wrong?"
"Commander…" Pakura took a quick breath before continuing, her voice tight with urgency. "We found it. We've located Orochimaru's laboratory."
"Oh?"
Natsuhiko's brows lifted slightly. Even he hadn't expected news like this.
"Well… that's quite the unexpected surprise."
And it truly was—a surprise in every sense of the word.
Though, if he were being honest, the shock outweighed the delight.
...
Inside the prison, Natsuhiko stood beside Pakura.
Before them… was something that could no longer be called human.
Natsuhiko's expression twisted into something difficult to describe.
This man certainly had a hard mouth—he didn't break easily. But ever since theCursed Tongue Eradication Seal that suppressed forbidden speech had been removed from him, it was as if a gate to a taboo world had been kicked wide open. Now he could say anything without restraint.
Because of that, the ANBU Torture and Interrogation Division had worked him over thoroughly. In the end, the Root ninja had been reduced to his current state—and in the process, he had spat out everything that needed to be said.
What Natsuhiko truly hadn't expected was that Orochimaru had gone so far. The last incident targeting the Uchiha clan… it really had been him.
And now, even more disturbingly, Orochimaru had set his sights on Uchiha with Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Those Uchiha were never easy opponents. It might have looked like Natsuhiko had handled Uchiha Tatsumi with effortless composure, but that was only surface-level.
If one actually broke things down in terms of power equivalence, his Jōgan Chakra Mode was roughly on par with the initial stage of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
And that initial stage of Nine-Tails Chakra Mode sat somewhere between the Mangekyō Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyō—meaning that, against him, it was a complete and overwhelming suppression.
On top of that, as a member of the Senju clan, he understood better than anyone how to deal with the Uchiha. It was almost like instinct etched into his very DNA.
With those two factors combined, it was no surprise that Uchiha Tatsumi hadn't survived.
But Orochimaru?
How exactly was he planning to deal with the Uchiha?
A direct one-on-one confrontation wouldn't be a problem—Orochimaru was strong enough for that. But if he were discovered by the ANBU inside the village, everything would collapse instantly.
So if he wanted to carry out his plan quietly… after thinking it through, Natsuhiko could only conclude that there was one likely method.
A group ambush.
Three-Tomoe Sharingan users were still far from the level of the Mangekyō. Against coordinated suppression from multiple enemies, they might be able to resist—but they would never perform as dominantly as they would in a one-on-one fight.
Unless they truly awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and reached a state where numbers meant nothing, it would always remain troublesome.
After all, not everyone could wield the Sharingan to the level of Uchiha Madara. And in this world, no matter how strong someone was… they were still vulnerable to betrayal.
But did Orochimaru even have that many people to use?
After all, Danzo had already been stripped of his position for over half a year. How many Root operatives could he possibly still have left?
Natsuhiko was genuinely curious about that.
Ever since Danzo's dismissal, his remaining Root forces had already been reduced once when Natsuhiko wiped out a portion of them during his trip to the Land of Fire's capital.
Now, they were being watched closely by the ANBU as well. Natsuhiko had even authorized Kakashi and Pakura to use lethal force if necessary.
Under normal circumstances, Danzo shouldn't have had that many cards left to play.
Shaking his head, Natsuhiko decided to stop thinking about how many hidden forces Danzo still had—or how much money he had secretly funneled away.
No matter what kind of ninja organization it was, without funding, it simply couldn't function.
Base maintenance, equipment for training, medical supplies, logistics—everything required money.
Natsuhiko didn't believe Danzo could sustain such massive expenses without Konoha's support.
More importantly, his attention shifted back to Orochimaru.
He was becoming increasingly satisfied with how much Orochimaru had been influenced by him.
According to the Root operative's testimony, Orochimaru hadn't been after the Sharingan for its own sake last time he targeted the Uchiha.
Instead, he was now fully focused on breaking through the secrets of Wood Release.
But the difficulty of Wood Release was beyond imagination—otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have produced only a single successful test subject in Yamato.
And yet, his intellect was terrifying. Whether through deduction or research into existing materials, it seemed he had arrived at a conclusion.
A conclusion that pointed directly to the Uchiha—those who had fought the Senju for generations, their bloodlines both opposing and yet strangely complementary.
Natsuhiko understood this very clearly.
If one wanted to suppress Wood Release at the genetic level… the Sharingan was likely the only answer.
Wasn't that exactly what Danzo would become in the future? A monstrous figure with an arm full of Sharingan—not just for Izanagi, but for far more than that.
More than anything else, Orochimaru needed those Sharingan to suppress the violent eruption of his Wood Release bloodline.
"So that's his plan… no wonder he went after a Uchiha brat before. Now everything finally makes sense."
Natsuhiko lightly stroked his chin, realizing that he had not wronged Orochimaru in his earlier judgment.
Still… at this moment, he was seriously considering something else entirely—whether he should actually help Orochimaru.
Yes, help him.
Natsuhiko had no intention of pushing Orochimaru out of the picture outright. If it were anyone else, he would have immediately gone to Sarutobi Hiruzen without hesitation, drenched him in sarcasm, and forced him to personally hunt Orochimaru down.
And then, from some hidden corner, he would have quietly watched the teacher and disciple turn against each other—carefully documenting the entire scene of Sarutobi Hiruzen letting Orochimaru escape.
That way, he would not only sever one of Hiruzen's arms politically, but also leave him thoroughly disgusted in the future. A win on all fronts.
But this time… he didn't feel like doing that just yet.
Orochimaru would eventually be pushed out of Konoha regardless—that was certain—but that didn't mean Natsuhiko couldn't extract additional benefits along the way.
The Sharingan, after all, was something he had been waiting for.
After killing Uchiha Tatsumi, he hadn't had the opportunity to take those eyes for himself. With so many witnesses present, even Natsuhiko had to consider his public image.
But now the situation was different.
With Orochimaru acting as the perfect shield, if Natsuhiko didn't take advantage of the opportunity, it would almost be disrespectful.
As long as Orochimaru's targets weren't his own close allies or personal connections, Natsuhiko had no intention of interfering with whatever chaos he created.
"…Looks like I'll need to plan this properly."
A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips as the thought solidified in his mind.
"Orochimaru and Danzo… in a way, they really are the same kind of people. Truly 'good people,' both of them."
Since he had already formed a plan, Natsuhiko would naturally see it through properly.
The Orochimaru who remained in Konoha was a constrained Orochimaru—not the one who could fully unleash his talents. Only once he left the village would he become the version of himself capable of reaching his true potential.
For someone like Orochimaru, who was already drifting toward a path of "flesh is weak, machines transcend mortality," rules and morality were nothing more than shackles slowing him down.
Of course, he hadn't yet begun his experiments on Living Corpse Reincarnation, but even so, his research had already long since crossed ethical boundaries.
That said, Natsuhiko had no intention of preaching morality to him. After all, he himself was hardly a saint.
His own moral line rose and fell depending on circumstances—but at the very least, he had a rule: he would not use people from the Land of Fire for his experiments.
That was the restraint he imposed on himself.
Sometimes, restraint could hinder progress—but other times, it prevented someone from walking straight into hell.
"…Once this is over, I should really thank Orochimaru properly."
Natsuhiko left the prison alongside Pakura, quietly mulling over his thoughts.
In his mind, both Orochimaru and Danzo were, in every sense of the word, "good people."
They had already brought him immeasurable benefits in the past—and would likely continue to do so in the future.
Natsuhiko never forgot that.
Especially Danzo.
Without him, there would be no foundation for Natsuhiko's current strength. His true rise had been built on the so-called "Fragrant Power of Asura."
Without that, there would be no Wood Release, no Nine-Tails chakra, and no solo raid on Kirigakure to seize the Kaguya Shikotsumyaku, the Byakugan, and the Three-Tails' chakra.
As for Orochimaru…
Originally, Natsuhiko had only intended to use him as a political tool—someone to help him gain leverage within the village, and perhaps in the future, assist with certain research projects.
However, from the looks of things now, Orochimaru might actually be able to provide something as valuable as Sharingan. His worth had clearly increased quite a bit.
"Pakura, once we're back, I want you to investigate who exactly they're planning to target and compile a list for me."
After leaving the prison, Natsuhiko spoke quietly to Pakura beside him. He had no intention of making this matter widely known just yet.
"There aren't many Uchiha with Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and the ANBU has records of them. It'll be hard work—sorry about that."
"Understood, Commander." Pakura shook her head slightly, her tone firm and unwavering. "I won't let you down."
"There's no need to be so serious about it. Even if you can't find them all, it doesn't really matter. Worst case, I'll just keep an eye on Orochimaru myself."
Natsuhiko waved a hand casually before shifting the topic with a faint smile.
"By the way, how have things been lately? Are you getting used to life in Konoha?"
It had already been nearly a year since Pakura was brought back by Natsuhiko and officially integrated into the ANBU.
At the beginning, he had taken care to look after her—after all, he was the one who brought her here. If she wasn't properly supported, how could she integrate into Konoha?
But after he became ANBU Commander, his responsibilities multiplied dramatically, leaving him with far less time to personally pay attention to her situation.
Because of that, his understanding of Pakura's current state had become somewhat limited.
From what he remembered, she had been going through ANBU training while also participating in missions alongside other operatives. Beyond that, he wasn't entirely sure how she was doing now.
"Everything's been good. Thanks to your help, I've adapted fairly smoothly."
Pakura kept her mask on as she spoke softly.
"Both in Konoha life, and within the ANBU."
"That's good to hear." Natsuhiko nodded lightly, then chuckled.
"Come to think of it, you live right next to me, but I feel like we hardly ever run into each other."
Pakura's residence was in a small house not far from his own. Despite the proximity, however, they rarely had any opportunities to meet.
Natsuhiko's own schedule didn't need much explanation—he was constantly busy. And Pakura herself was equally occupied.
ANBU work wasn't a joke; being away from home for an entire month at a time was completely normal.
Natsuhiko, having been ANBU himself, understood this very well.
On top of that, there was also the difference in their statuses. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be much overlap between them.
And with Natsuhiko frequently using the Flying Thunder God Technique around the village, it was only natural they didn't cross paths often.
"That's because the Commander has far more responsibilities than we do," Pakura replied calmly. "We only carry out missions, while you have to formulate entire operational plans. That must be far more exhausting."
"Maybe."
Natsuhiko felt slightly awkward at her words, but quickly shook it off.
"Alright, go ahead and take care of your tasks. Once the Orochimaru matter is settled, come over to my place sometime."
"…Huh?"
Pakura blinked in surprise. "Commander—"
"We're friends, aren't we?" Natsuhiko interrupted her with a smile, giving a casual wave as he turned away. "Remember that. Keep up the good work."
Pakura stood still, staring at his departing figure for a long moment. Only when he was completely out of sight did she quietly leave as well.
His words had been light, almost casual—but it was precisely that tone that made them feel unexpectedly warm and sincere.
It reminded her of the Natsuhiko she had first met a year ago, the one who brought her back to Konoha.
Friends.
To Pakura, it was never something she had dared to expect. She understood very clearly the gap between them.
And yet, after a year in Konoha, she had gradually grown accustomed to this place… and even come to like it.
The world of Konoha was nothing like Sunagakure. Or rather, everything in Konoha was more vibrant, more stable, more… inviting—so much so that it naturally drew people in and made them willing to belong.
"To live a better life in Konoha… and to repay the Commander who brought me back and gave me a second life—I must work even harder."
...
"Have you decided on the targets?"
Inside the Root laboratory, Danzo fixed his gaze on Orochimaru, who was calmly organizing data, and asked in a low voice.
"I've prepared several candidates," Orochimaru replied unhurriedly while continuing to handle the solution in his hands. "But as you know, ever since you were stripped of your Root authority, things haven't been nearly as convenient as they used to be."
He didn't care at all whether Danzo would be offended. Everything he said was simply the truth—Danzo's usefulness had indeed declined compared to before.
After losing all of his official positions, Danzo could barely do more than sustain Orochimaru's experimental needs and occasionally control a few Root operatives through brutal methods.
To Orochimaru, such methods were nothing more than crude and unsightly. If Danzo still didn't hold some residual value—and if Orochimaru himself weren't still verifying certain hypotheses—he would have long since severed ties with him.
Cooperating with someone like Danzo offered very little future potential.
Danzo's expression darkened instantly at those words, but he did not retort. His thoughts were entirely occupied with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Natsuhiko.
In his mind, if Sarutobi Hiruzen had not reclaimed the Hokage's authority…
And if that greedy bastard, Natsuhiko, had not interfered with his plans for personal gain…
Then by now, he would already be sitting on the Hokage seat.
Yes—he had already figured it out. He now understood why Natsuhiko had gone to the Land of Fire's capital alongside Hiruzen.
That man had done it purely for money—to squeeze more funds out of both the Daimyō and Sarutobi Hiruzen.
He hated them. Truly. Deeply. Bone-deep hatred.
But at present, he had no way to contend with them. He had lost too much power.
"Hmph."
Danzo let out a cold snort, his expression dark as he looked at Orochimaru.
"Even if I'm not what I used to be, without me, you can accomplish nothing."
"Yes, yes, that's true," Orochimaru replied casually, not bothering to argue as he continued handling the solution. "I've never denied that. Otherwise, I wouldn't still be here, would I?"
That response slightly eased Danzo's expression.
It was true—ever since his authority had declined, fewer and fewer people remained by his side. He had even begun resorting to coercive methods to control those who stayed.
Orochimaru, however, was not controlled. And Danzo knew very well that he could not control him.
Yet Orochimaru had still chosen to remain. Even if their cooperation was purely transactional, it was still cooperation.
At the very least, his presence preserved some of Danzo's dignity.
"There aren't many usable targets," Danzo said, no longer dwelling on the matter. "After all, Three-Tomoe Sharingan are extremely valuable even within the Uchiha."
"So?" Orochimaru turned to look at him, having already finished processing the solution. "Which target have you chosen?"
Danzo's expression shifted subtly.
Then, in a low voice that even made Orochimaru slightly frown, he said:
"What do you think… of Uchiha Fugaku?"
When Orochimaru heard Danzo's words, his first reaction was that this man might have finally lost his mind.
Uchiha Fugaku? The Clan Head?
The difficulty of capturing such a person was not only extraordinarily high, but the political fallout it would trigger was also beyond imagination.
However, Orochimaru quickly calmed himself. He began to carefully analyze Danzo's intent, and before long, a realization surfaced in his mind.
Danzo… was planning to discard him entirely.
The political impact of capturing Uchiha Fugaku would be immense. As the head of an entire clan, any attack on him would inevitably trigger consequences that were impossible to predict.
And right now, Orochimaru himself was standing at the very center of a storm. All rumors were already pointing toward him, and the incident involving Fugaku would undoubtedly detonate everything.
The Uchiha would never accept such a thing. They would inevitably clash with his teacher, and in that conflict, both sides would accumulate even deeper hatred.
The fragile improvement in the Uchiha's image—barely reversed by Uchiha Shin—would likely collapse entirely, sending everything back to square one, or even worse.
And once his teacher could no longer withstand the pressure, he would personally move against Orochimaru. The moment everything was exposed, Orochimaru would have no choice but to leave Konoha.
At the same time, his teacher would also suffer an unimaginable blow—and under such circumstances, Danzo would finally have his opening.
"So that's it… Danzo still has deeper calculations in mind, doesn't he?"
A faint smile appeared on Orochimaru's face as he looked at Danzo, as if he was genuinely pleased with the proposal. But in truth, his thoughts were racing far ahead.
There had always been ANBU involvement behind these events. With Orochimaru's departure and his teacher's reputation damaged, the ANBU would inevitably be strengthened again.
Under such circumstances, even if his teacher was unwilling, he would have no choice but to restore Root.
After all, the only organization capable of counterbalancing the ANBU… was Root.
Especially now that the current ANBU Commander had effectively opened a "Pandora's box."
He had abolished the long-standing small-unit structure of the ANBU and replaced it with a larger, more formalized system. In doing so, Root had also indirectly benefited from the shift.
As the former leader of Root, Danzo was intimately familiar with everything about it. His chances of regaining control were extremely high.
By the time Orochimaru's analysis reached this point, he had already fully grasped Danzo's intentions.
And that realization made him almost want to sigh.
With such a sharp mind, why waste it on schemes like this instead of something truly meaningful?
Still, Orochimaru did not expose him. Instead, he smiled even more brightly.
"Although Uchiha Fugaku may be somewhat troublesome, I believe the value he brings will be tremendous."
"Indeed, I think so as well."
Danzo nodded expressionlessly, as if everything was purely for research purposes.
"Among the Uchiha, his eyes are the strongest. If we are going to conduct experiments, we naturally should use the best material."
"Then I'll leave everything to you, Danzo-sama," Orochimaru said with a nod, turning away casually. "Once preparations are complete, just notify me. I will cooperate with your operation."
"Rest assured," Danzo replied in his usual cold tone. "Without you, this matter cannot be accomplished."
Indeed, he couldn't.
Orochimaru sneered inwardly as he walked out of the laboratory. But as he stepped further away, another thought quietly formed in his mind.
"Looks like continuing my experiments in peace is no longer possible… and staying in Konoha doesn't seem viable anymore either."
"If that's the case… it might be time to start looking for some form of protection."
Thinking this, Orochimaru slightly raised his head and looked into the distance.
In that direction lay the ANBU headquarters.