Early January.
The midday sun was gentle, its light spilling softly through the office window. Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato rose from his desk and walked to the window, gazing out over the square in front of the Hokage Building. His calm pale, pearly eyes were shadowed with thought.
Behind him, Aburame Shiwei stood before the desk, giving his detailed report.
"It was Hyuga Satoru who first discovered the human trafficking ring," Shiwei began.
"Well, 'discovered' might not be the right word—they were the ones who found him. They captured him when he was alone and took him to their base."
"At first, we thought we were just dealing with ordinary traffickers."
"That ninja only appeared later."
"In the dungeon, Satoru was marking the abducted children with his Flying Thunder God seals, while Shisui used genjutsu to keep them calm. If we'd just released them right away, we risked alerting the entire group."
"Gai and I stayed near the entrance, lying in ambush to control anyone who entered or left the dungeon."
"The pair of buyers showed up later, brought in by the traffickers themselves."
"From my observation, this wasn't their first transaction."
"I attacked the man in the black cloak, but he sensed me before my insects could get close."
"He didn't use any ninjutsu, but his taijutsu was exceptional—I could feel how strong he was."
"I couldn't confirm his identity."
"When Satoru heard the commotion, he used Flying Thunder God to join us. Once the enemy saw we had reinforcements, he immediately withdrew."
Written reports could only say so much. Minato had been especially attentive to the mention of a foreign shinobi operating within the Land of Fire, and so he'd asked Shiwei to stay and explain in person.
As Shiwei spoke, Minato stood silently at the window, brow furrowed in deep concentration, piecing together the details in his mind.
When Shiwei mentioned that the mysterious ninja had retreated as soon as Satoru appeared, Minato's eyes narrowed slightly.
Shiwei's interpretation was simple—that the man had seen their team growing in number and chose to retreat. But Minato had another theory.
Why would someone that strong back off just because a child had arrived?
Unless—
"That person… must have recognized Satoru," Minato murmured. "Or rather, he recognized the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan."
Though Satoru's eyes weren't the pure white typical of the Hyuga, but instead a light blue so pale it nearly was, anyone familiar with the clan would instantly recognize them.
If the stranger had withdrawn upon seeing those eyes, then perhaps it was because he feared exposure.
"Could he be from the village itself…?" Minato wondered aloud. "One of the Third's people… or Danzo's?"
Becoming Hokage had given Minato a glimpse into the darker undercurrents of Konoha. And given the man's strength, the list of suspects in Minato's mind was already very short.
This incident… needed to be investigated.
If there really was something deeper hiding beneath it, Minato intended to dig it out—root and branch.
To truly wield the power of the Hokage, sheer strength alone wasn't enough. Authority had to be secured. And to secure it, he would have to remove those who worked in the shadows against him.
Minato was gentle, yes—kind, even. But that didn't mean he lacked ambition.
A man without ambition could never rise to become Hokage.
Under the glare of a surgical lamp, a cold, clinical light flooded a metal table.
Before it stood Orochimaru, clad in a protective suit and mask, carefully dissecting the body laid out before him.
The corpse was that of a young boy—no more than seven or eight years old. His body was grotesquely altered, covered in thick, pale scales like those of a serpent.
Orochimaru's hands moved with patient precision, extracting tissues and organs from different regions, placing each specimen into its own glass container.
Drip—
The sound of footsteps echoed from the dimly lit corner of the lab. A low, gravelly voice followed from the shadows.
"Aburame Shiwei and the others have returned to the village. Minato kept him behind for questioning."
"Orochimaru, are you certain you've cleaned up everything properly?"
"There won't be… problems, will there?"
The interruption made Orochimaru pause momentarily. Then, with a soft hiss of amusement, he tilted his head slightly and chuckled.
"Heh… hehehehe…"
"If you're that worried, Danzo, why don't you send your own men to handle the cleanup?"
He didn't even look back.
"Hmph!"
The man in the shadows stepped forward, emerging into the light—Danzo Shimura, leaning heavily on his cane, his face dark with fury.
"Orochimaru, you and I are on the same side now!" he barked.
"If Minato discovers what we've been doing, do you think either of us will have a place left in Konoha?"
"This mess is your fault to begin with!"
"You should've eliminated Aburame Shiwei on the spot—only the dead can keep secrets!"
Danzo's words dripped with accusation.
Orochimaru didn't even glance back. "At the time, both Aburame Shiwei and the jonin Might Guy were there," he replied coolly. "And that Hyuga brat—the one who knows the Flying Thunder God—arrived soon after."
"I wasn't confident I could kill the boy. Retreating was the best option."
"Flying Thunder God…"
Danzo's expression flickered. He fell silent for a moment before asking, "Did the Hyuga child see your face?"
This time Orochimaru sighed, clearly losing patience. Straightening up, he peeled off his gloves and tossed them onto the table.
"Relax, Danzo-sama," he drawled. "Even if I were discovered, I wouldn't tell anyone you're the one supplying me with test subjects."
He licked his lips, eyes glinting.
"Unfortunately, I didn't get to bring back as much material as I'd hoped. My supply's running low. Danzo-dono, I suggest you hurry up and replenish it."
He stepped closer, his serpentine tongue flicking briefly across his lips—a gesture equal parts taunt and threat.
Danzo's expression hardened.
"We'll halt for now," he said after a pause. "Rebuilding the supply chain won't be easy—especially under the Fourth's nose."
"I'll handle the procurement. You, on the other hand, should make sure there's no loose ends."
"Remember—only the dead keep secrets."
"The Aburame clan, the Hyuga clan… make sure no accidents occur."
The temperature in the lab seemed to drop. The silence between them was thick and poisonous.
Orochimaru glanced at Danzo from the corner of his eye, then brushed past him toward the exit.
At the doorway, he stopped, looked back over his shoulder, and said coldly:
"What I do, Danzo-dono, is none of your concern."
"Next time you barge into my lab uninvited…"
"You may not leave alive."
He licked his lips once more, his grin thin and venomous, then vanished into the darkness.
Danzo glared at the door long after Orochimaru was gone. His hand tightened on his cane, and he slammed it heavily against the floor.
"Insolent wretch…" he growled through clenched teeth.
The sound echoed off the sterile walls—sharp, bitter, and cold.
…
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