Orochimaru: (O_O)???
Kabuto: (O_O)???
Danzo's abrupt appearance and strange attitude left Orochimaru and Kabuto scratching their heads.
Still, they quickly deduced one thing:
Danzo wasn't there to pick a fight over old grievances.
After thinking it over for a moment, Orochimaru said to Kabuto, "You keep working on the experiments as planned. I'll go see what Danzo wants."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto replied, then continued focusing on his research.
Orochimaru walked out of the lab and found Danzo heading into a dimly lit alley. Only a faint beam of moonlight angled down into the darkness, lending a slight glow to the area.
Entering the alley, Orochimaru smiled grimly. "Lord Danzo, paying me a late-night visit…what's the occasion?"
The sight of Orochimaru's trademark sinister smirk made Danzo instantly furious. He recalled how Orochimaru had once tricked him out of a billion ryō, humiliating him so badly that he was nearly roasted at a high-level Konoha meeting.
Nonetheless, Danzo swallowed his anger—this wasn't the time to settle scores. He needed Orochimaru's help right now and couldn't afford to provoke him.
Taking a deep breath, Danzo lowered his tone and spoke politely. "Orochimaru, this time I've come to discuss a collaboration with you."
Orochimaru: (O_O)???
Orochimaru found Danzo's words and demeanour very surprising.
After all, he had conned Danzo out of a full billion ryō and gotten him repeatedly embarrassed at Konoha's leadership meetings. It was a wonder Danzo wasn't knocking at his door demanding payback—who'd expect Danzo to propose cooperation?
Baffled, Orochimaru asked, "Lord Danzo, what could you possibly need my help with?"
Danzo didn't beat around the bush. He set the sack he was carrying on the ground and opened the drawstring. Under the faint moonlight, Orochimaru could see who it contained.
A little boy, sound asleep: Konohamaru, the one the Anbu had been searching the entire village for with no success.
Orochimaru's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly composed himself.
At last, he understood why the Anbu's massive search had come to nothing.
So it was you who snatched him, you old fox.
Still, remembering how Danzo's reckless action had nearly exposed Orochimaru's secret, Orochimaru felt a surge of anger inside.
What was Danzo up to, kidnapping Konohamaru out of nowhere?
If not for Orochimaru's quick thinking, Danzo's blunder might have dragged him into real trouble.
Despite his inner frustration, Orochimaru kept his face unreadable and asked calmly, "Lord Danzo, care to explain what this means?"
Danzo's expression was serious, and in a low voice he said, "This brat is Sarutobi Konohamaru. He obtained Wood Release through Senshi. I need you to give him a full examination—figure out the secrets of Wood Release so that I can acquire it myself. If you can get it done, not only will your billion-ryō debt be wiped clean, I'll pay you an additional fee."
Orochimaru, inwardly, was at a loss for words.
He already recognized Konohamaru in the sack and knew Konohamaru was Senshi's student. Harming Konohamaru meant openly defying Senshi. Why would Orochimaru risk provoking Senshi for such meager gains?
He rejected it outright, speaking coldly. "Lord Danzo, you won't discover Wood Release that way. Please leave."
Hearing that, Danzo flew into a rage, his eyes flashing with malice. "Orochimaru, how dare you go against my wishes? Don't you worry that if I'm pushed into a corner, I'll spill everything?"
"You really think Hiruzen and the others can't figure out the truth if they decide to go to any lengths?"
By now, Danzo was like a gambler on a losing streak, going all-in out of desperation.
His previous plans had failed repeatedly, but he'd finally managed to kidnap Konohamaru—only to find Hiruzen wouldn't play ball, and now Orochimaru refused to cooperate.
"Orochimaru, there's no need to worry. If this succeeds, the benefits for both of us will be immeasurable," Danzo continued. "Once you master how to become a Wood Release user through Konohamaru, you and I could both obtain that power. And with Wood Release plus my years of influence here in Konoha, I can become Hokage!"
His eyes burned with ambition as he went on: "Right now, you have to do your experimental research in secret. But once I'm Hokage, I won't question any of your forbidden experiments—you'd even have my full support."
Orochimaru did feel a momentary flicker of hesitation.
If he could conduct his research into the Eternal Chakra Elixir and Blacklight Virus without any restrictions, breakthroughs would come so much faster. Currently, he had to tread carefully—if villagers started disappearing, Konoha's top brass would come knocking.
Strictly speaking, Orochimaru stood to gain if Danzo became Hokage. Danzo was ruthless and wouldn't hesitate as long as it was truly useful.
But Orochimaru quickly collected himself.
Now that I've established a solid partnership with Senshi, why would I risk throwing away something huge for a smaller gain?
That thought settled it. Orochimaru shook his head, mocking him gently. "Lord Danzo, you don't understand the science here. You have no idea how ridiculous your idea is!"
He then launched into some serious-sounding nonsense. "If it were really that easy to gain Wood Release, the Second Hokage, who had brilliant research skills, would have already cracked it with the First Hokage's help."
Danzo sneered, cutting him off. "Rubbish! If that's the case, how did Senshi manage to do it?"
Danzo's face turned frighteningly dark, and he stared at Orochimaru in fury and resentment.
He believed Orochimaru was patronizing or deliberately obstructing him.
"Orochimaru, stop acting innocent," Danzo barked. "I'm well aware of what you can do. If you truly couldn't handle Wood Release research, how'd that earlier experiment succeed, half-baked or not? At least it proved Wood Release can be replicated!"
Orochimaru folded his arms and gave a cold laugh, his tone laced with scorn. "Lord Danzo, everyone has their own area of expertise. Do you know more about this technology than I do? Sure, I'm good at experimentation, but Wood Release is not my specialty. That earlier success was a complete fluke, so it doesn't prove anything."
Danzo's rage flared. Gritting his teeth, he snapped, "Orochimaru, you're stalling me! Konohamaru's Wood Release came from Senshi, so it must be reproducible! If you just put in the effort, you could break it down!"
Orochimaru only shook his head, sounding resigned. "Lord Danzo, you're being naive. Senshi's abilities are beyond anything we can guess at."
"So you really won't work with me?" Danzo pressed. "If we pull this off, both of us gain huge rewards. But if it fails…my position will be dire. And if I'm forced into a corner, I'll reveal everything, in full detail."
A faint change flickered over Orochimaru's face. He could see Danzo was threatening him.
If Danzo really chose to drag everything down with him, Orochimaru's position in the village would become precarious. Though he could argue his innocence, friction with the Konoha leadership would be all but guaranteed.
He'd worked hard to earn their trust and the villagers' approval; he couldn't let Danzo sabotage everything.
Weighing the pros and cons, Orochimaru decided to stall Danzo for now. Softening his tone, he said, "Lord Danzo, it's not that I refuse to cooperate, but I can't do much with Wood Release. Otherwise, we wouldn't have wasted so much effort in that old experiment, only to end up with a fluke half-finished product."
Danzo ground his teeth furiously. Orochimaru was plainly resolved not to help.
With an icy glare, he snorted and stalked off without so much as a backward glance.
He knew Orochimaru was a dead end, but he wasn't giving up. After all, he still had his "semi-finished" success, Tenzo, plus a perfect research subject in Konohamaru. Danzo refused to believe he couldn't find someone to crack Wood Release.
His mind already raced with future schemes. Once he acquired Wood Release and became Hokage, he intended to push all his dirty deeds onto Orochimaru's shoulders.
He'd make everyone in Konoha see Danzo as the real silent hero—while Orochimaru became the villain in the shadows.
"That blasted Orochimaru," Danzo thought bitterly. "If you cut him in two, he'd still be rotten to the core!"
He'd already decided to shift all blame for his past sins onto Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru had no intention of becoming the "Second Scapegoat Hokage."
So, the moment Danzo left, Orochimaru headed straight for the Hokage's office.
After thinking it through carefully, Orochimaru realized he absolutely couldn't keep quiet about Danzo's actions.
On top of that, he wanted to warn the old man—if Danzo really got desperate, he might lash out like a mad dog, revealing all kinds of shady secrets.
Before long, Orochimaru arrived at the Hokage building.
It was already late, but the lights were still on—he knew Hiruzen wouldn't rest until Konohamaru was found. That suited Orochimaru just fine, saving him the trouble of finding an excuse to report.
Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat smoking his pipe, looking tense and irritated. He'd shattered his old pipe in a rage, and the new one felt awkward to use; but he was too worried about Konohamaru to think about that.
Every so often, an Anbu would come in and report, but nothing ever turned up.
As each fruitless search went by, Hiruzen grew more anxious.
Right then, Orochimaru walked in.
Surprised to see him so late, Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Orochimaru, what's happened that you'd come by at this hour?"
Wearing a troubled expression, Orochimaru sighed and nodded. "Sensei, this is complicated. Not long ago, Lord Danzo brought me an unconscious Konohamaru—he wants me to use Konohamaru for research to unlock Wood Release."
He paused, voice tinged with helplessness and concern. "He threatened me, too, saying that if I refuse, once he goes down, he'll pin everything on me, making me the ultimate target in Konoha with nowhere to hide."
Orochimaru raised his head, looking firmly at Hiruzen. "I know that given Lord Danzo's prestige, if he makes some dramatic final confession, people might believe him. Still, I chose to tell you everything, because I trust you to clear my name."
"That bastard Danzo!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi erupted, seething with rage.
He never imagined that the mastermind behind Konohamaru's kidnapping was his own Hokage Advisor!
And he believed Orochimaru—some time earlier, Danzo indeed had come by, testing Hiruzen's attitude. Usually, Danzo criticized him for being too soft and urged harsher measures, but this time Danzo had uncharacteristically said that Konohamaru was not only Hiruzen's grandson but also the future of Konoha, implying Hiruzen could show some leniency.
Back then, Hiruzen hadn't grasped Danzo's meaning, but now it all made sense.
So Danzo had kidnapped Konohamaru, hoping to strike a deal for his own advantage—but if Hiruzen stayed firm and refused to negotiate, Danzo's leverage would be useless.
With that realization, Hiruzen breathed out heavily, then said to Orochimaru, "I'll get Koharu and Homura right now. I want you to tell them what you just told me."
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, Sensei."
Seeing how cold and furious Hiruzen looked, Orochimaru laughed inwardly. This was settled.
Although Danzo's kidnapping Konohamaru posed trouble, it also gave Orochimaru the chance to rid himself of Danzo once and for all.
As far as Orochimaru was concerned, Danzo was all ambition and no skill, always scheming in an era where alliances and development were what really mattered. Now that he'd caused such a massive crisis for Konoha, once Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado learned the truth, even if Danzo wasn't "deleted," he'd at least be "deactivated." He'd never stir the pot again.
Acting on Hiruzen's orders, the Anbu quickly brought the two advisors to the Hokage's office. Koharu and Homura were puzzled as to why Hiruzen would summon them so late—and even more surprised to see Orochimaru there.
With questions on their minds, they took seats. Once they were settled, Hiruzen glanced at Orochimaru and sighed. "Orochimaru, tell them everything you just told me."
"Yes, Sensei." Orochimaru nodded and began explaining everything he knew.
"Advisors, here's what happened. Not long ago, I was conducting experiments in my lab when Danzo brought Konohamaru to me…"
At that, Homura slammed the table in shock. "What? Konohamaru is with Danzo?"
Koharu also looked aghast. "So Danzo is behind all this?"
Not hurried at all, Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, Advisors. Konohamaru is indeed in Danzo's hands, and Danzo was the one who planned the kidnapping."
Hearing this, Homura's face changed repeatedly. He glanced at Hiruzen, then turned back to Orochimaru. "Then what happened next?"
Koharu likewise fixed her gaze on Orochimaru, wanting the details.
Naturally, Orochimaru wasn't about to hide anything for Danzo. In fact, he meant to heap more blame on him if he could.
After all, as the "First Scapegoat Hokage," it would be a waste not to give Danzo a few more burdens.
Clearing his throat, Orochimaru spoke with a calm yet exasperated tone, "After Danzo brought Konohamaru to me, he tried to strongarm me, demanding I use the results of our old Wood Release research—and Konohamaru, this 'perfect research subject'—to unlock Wood Release at any cost."
He paused, letting his gaze sweep across everyone present. "If I refused, he threatened to insist that I was primarily responsible for all the past forbidden experiments and other vile incidents. Because Lord Danzo has made real contributions to Konoha over the years, even if he's done something unforgivable, he still wields enormous influence. If he decided to blame all that wrongdoing on me, I'd have no way out."
When Orochimaru finished, Homura and Koharu looked thunderstruck, beyond furious.
They could still swallow the time Danzo supposedly stole a billion ryō from the Konoha treasury—he did at least have some merits to balance it out. But this time, Danzo's actions gravely harmed Konoha's interests.
They knew better than anyone how talented Konohamaru was with Wood Release. He already had strong Wood Release skills, and he was advancing at a shocking speed. In time, he might become a Wood Release ninja on par with the First Hokage, leading Konoha's grand revival as the Sixth or Seventh Hokage.
Yet Danzo, for his own ambition, had orchestrated Konohamaru's kidnapping and even wanted Orochimaru to dissect Wood Release from the boy "at any cost."
"If Danzo dares target a future Hokage now, he'd dare target the current Hokage tomorrow!" Koharu seethed.
Homura nodded grimly. "Exactly. He's lost all reason. We have to restrain him immediately. Otherwise, if he pulls something even more catastrophic, it'll be too late to regret."
With Koharu and Homura both aware that Danzo was behind the kidnapping, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasted no time. "I propose that we charge Danzo with multiple offenses and execute him."
His voice was iron, and his eyes glowed with conviction. "It's hard to fully investigate how he framed Orochimaru back then, but plenty of his other misdeeds can be verified—like what happened to Nonō Yakushi, or Kabuto's testimony. And as for the billion ryō stolen from the treasury, while there's no direct evidence, every clue points to him. He even slipped up once, practically admitting it himself. We just couldn't convict him. Also, he's mainly responsible for the Uchiha massacre, which cut Konoha's power in half. Add that on top of kidnapping Konohamaru and planning to use him as a research subject for Wood Release. No matter what contributions Danzo's made, they don't excuse this many crimes. He deserves the harshest punishment."
When Hiruzen finished, the office fell silent.
Koharu and Homura exchanged looks, their expressions conflicted.
Yes, Danzo had contributed to Konoha. Yes, they'd shared years of comradeship. From the perspective of top-level leadership, the answer was obvious. But personally, it was hard to vote for Danzo's execution.
Tense silence settled over the Hokage's office, so thick it felt suffocating.
Orochimaru watched anxiously. This was a golden opportunity—if they failed to get rid of Danzo once and for all, there might never be another. Having been burned, Danzo would be more cautious than ever.
Though his face stayed impassive, Orochimaru's mind raced, trying to think how to kick Danzo—already dangling at the edge—straight off the cliff.
It didn't take him long to come up with a plan.
"Sensei, Advisors, might I interject?" he asked.
Hiruzen inclined his head slightly. "Go ahead."
Orochimaru glanced around at the three of them, his tone steady but urgent. "Aside from being Sensei's grandson and the future of Konoha, Konohamaru is also Senshi's student."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "All of our collaborations with Senshi are immensely valuable to Konoha. Our future lies in building stronger ties with Senshi, to secure even greater benefits for the village."
"Yet Lord Danzo, as Hokage Advisor, dared to lay hands on Senshi's student with no warning. This could gravely damage Konoha's relationship with Lord Senshi, jeopardizing our long-term plans."
It was a precisely calculated blow, and it hit its mark.
Konoha's cooperative ventures with Senshi had brought massive gains for the village, which ordinary civilians might not fully realize, but Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura understood well.
And Orochimaru was right: mishandling this fiasco could shatter their friendship with Senshi.
From the intelligence they'd gathered, Senshi placed great importance on his mercenary group members and his students—they were all integral parts of his "corporate" interests. Harming them directly undermined Senshi's personal interests.
"As if Senshi is the sort to be trifled with," Orochimaru thought with a cold inward laugh. "He's the strongest shinobi in the world at this point; we're lucky he doesn't go out picking fights. Provoking him is practically asking to get yourself killed."
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Koharu and Homura could only sigh heavily.
Danzo had always acted with blatant disregard for consequences. But in today's shinobi world—going through its biggest upheaval in decades—every other village was trying to strengthen ties with Senshi. Among the Five Great Shinobi Villages, even Mei Terumī, the Mizukage of Kirigakure, set aside the prestige of being Kage to befriend Senshi. Meanwhile, the "musclebound" folks in Kumogakure were also making all kinds of efforts to build a relationship with him.
Danzo, on the other hand, seemed unhappy that Konoha and Senshi were too friendly, and actually went after Senshi's student. If he wanted Wood Release now, maybe next time he'd plot against Sasuke Uchiha or Karin Uzumaki for the Sharingan?
Orochimaru's reminder was essential. Otherwise, if Danzo truly created an irrevocable disaster someday, no one could say they hadn't been warned.
Koharu and Homura didn't hesitate any longer and exchanged a glance, both nodding with difficulty.
Koharu spoke up. "Given Danzo's contributions to Konoha, let's at least end things quickly for him. We can say that, in rescuing Konohamaru, he died at the hands of an enemy shinobi from a hostile nation, giving him a dignified exit."
Homura added, "But aside from the three of us, we need enough elite Anbu on hand. If he won't leave with dignity, we'll give him dignity by force."
~~~
Patreon(.)com/Bleam
— This Fanfic is Completed in Patreon!