"I'll draw his attention. Use the chance to search properly."
Danzo Shimura tapped his cane and stepped into Orochimaru's courtyard.Aburame Ryoma nodded and vanished instantly.
Entering the main hall, Danzo narrowed his eyes.
Orochimaru was already there—sitting high on his chair as if he'd been waiting.But his condition was noticeably poor, his energy drained.
Danzo raised a brow. So it was true.
"Orochimaru, what happened to you?"
He didn't bother pretending to be polite.
"Nothing."
Naturally, Orochimaru wasn't going to tell him the truth.If Danzo knew that Shisui Uchiha had a Mangekyō Sharingan, Root would immediately move to eliminate him.And Orochimaru had no intention of letting anyone else lay hands on those eyes.
Even if he couldn't claim them yet, in his heart, they were already his.
Danzo was irritated.He genuinely wanted to know what could injure Orochimaru of all people.But since the man refused to talk, he had no leverage—not yet.He didn't want to fracture their alliance prematurely.
Then Orochimaru suddenly said, "No need to have Ryoma snooping. I did take A."
"…What did you say?"
Danzo's expression darkened instantly.
"For a test subject, why so stingy?"Orochimaru sneered. "And I haven't even complained about you deceiving me."
"Hand over A," Danzo said coldly. "Unless you want to end this alliance right here."
"I hate being threatened."Orochimaru coughed, wiped the blood from his lips, and smiled with that serpentine twist. "Danzo… are you sure you want a fallout?"
Danzo froze.
Orochimaru didn't care about Konoha—he could vanish whenever he pleased.Danzo couldn't.If the Wood Release experiments were exposed, he'd lose all hope of becoming Hokage.
He couldn't afford that.
After several moments of internal struggle, Danzo relented.
Yamato—"A"—had been raised in Root from infancy. They'd studied every inch of him.It wasn't exactly heartbreaking to lose him.Just a shame to give up a shinobi with Wood Release potential.
"The Fourth is dead, and the Third has returned to office… but he won't hold it for long."
Orochimaru's tone softened. "The selection of the Fifth Hokage will be coming soon."
Danzo scowled. Hokage politics was a sensitive topic for him. "What are you getting at?"
"Who do you think will become the Fifth Hokage?"
"You want to be Hokage?"Danzo's expression shifted, then settled. "Impossible. Hiruzen has already lost trust in you."
When the Fourth Hokage was chosen, both Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze were top contenders.Orochimaru—one of the Legendary Sannin, with years of achievements.Minato—the "Yellow Flash," a hero of the Third Great Ninja War.
They were evenly matched.But Hiruzen had deemed Orochimaru unfit for the role, and Minato was chosen.
"It really is impossible for me," Orochimaru admitted. "But my supporters still exist. And I can help you ascend to the seat."
Danzo's eyes widened.
Did he hear him right?This man—who might kill him someday—wanted to support him?
"What are the conditions?"Danzo steadied himself.
"I want Senju Hashirama's body. You will cover for me so no one finds out."
Orochimaru paused. "And of course, you'll hand over A."
"Are you insane?"Danzo's face twisted. "The First Hokage's body is sacred. Getting some cells was already a stretch—stealing the entire corpse? If this is discovered, we're finished."
"I know."Orochimaru waved a hand, annoyed. "So—will you do it or not?"
Danzo fell silent.
It was just a corpse. They could craft a replica, place it in the coffin, and no one would dare inspect it closely anyway.No one wanted to risk offending the legacy of the First Hokage.
"…Fine. I agree."
His voice was low and dangerous. "But if you betray me, Orochimaru… you know the consequences."
Orochimaru smiled lazily. "Then take your little bug and leave."
The "little bug" referred to Aburame Ryoma.The courtyard may have looked unguarded, but it was full of hidden serpents.Anyone who entered was detected immediately.
"Hmph. Don't do anything you'll regret."Danzo gave his last warning and left.
Orochimaru licked his lips, eyes burning.
He was already eager for his next meeting with Haruya.
There were so many answers he wanted.
Southwest Konoha.
The relocated Uchiha district.
The land area was larger now—but farther from the village center.The proud Uchiha clan naturally couldn't tolerate that.Unfortunately, they were stuck with a leader who lacked decisiveness: Fugaku Uchiha.
All complaints were suppressed.
Behind the settlement, at the waterfall,Shisui Uchiha stared into the rushing water, absentminded.
He couldn't shake the clash he'd had with Orochimaru that morning.
In his mind, the leaders of Konoha—Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade—held the highest status.They embodied the Will of Fire.
So why did Orochimaru attack him?
Did Lord Third order it?
"No… impossible."
Shisui didn't want to think that way. If he did, everything he believed in about the Will of Fire would crumble.
And there was another troubling detail.
Orochimaru seemed to be after his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Did that mean the village elders already knew about it?Would that change their attitude toward the entire Uchiha clan?
Chaotic thoughts tangled in his mind.
"Shisui."
An ANBU appeared beside him. "The Hokage requests your presence."
Shisui's heart sank, but he kept calm. "Understood."
He entered the Hokage's office with a heavy mind.
"Shisui," Hiruzen said warmly, setting aside his papers. "Sit. Make yourself at home."
Shisui's tension eased.He really shouldn't have doubted the Hokage.
"Shisui, I called you because I have a mission for you."Hiruzen sighed. "After Minato's death, the Hidden Cloud launched an assault. We must respond."
"Hokage-sama, I will complete the mission no matter what."
"I've always trusted you. You carry the blood of Uchiha Kagami—you've inherited his Will."
Hiruzen's expression softened with nostalgia. "Kagami and I were like brothers. Seeing you reminds me of him."
Uchiha Kagami had been handpicked by the Second Hokage—one of the purest embodiments of the Will of Fire.Shisui was his descendant.
"Konoha planned to run jonin evaluations, but recent events have kept us too busy."
Hiruzen stood, walked over, and placed a hand on Shisui's shoulder.
"I know your strength far exceeds chunin level. For this mission, I'm granting you provisional jonin authority."
"Thank you, Lord Hokage!"
Shisui bowed gratefully.
Jonin were the core of the village.This meant Hiruzen truly valued him.
"Work hard. When you return, I'll place you in ANBU."
Hiruzen smiled.
This was the ideal type of Uchiha—loyal, talented, trustworthy.
Ordinary shinobi didn't receive such personal treatment.But Shisui was different.He was an Uchiha—yet one Hiruzen could rely on.
By bringing him into ANBU, he would gain both a prodigy and a bridge to the clan.The Uchiha situation was becoming increasingly volatile.
This conversation settled Shisui's doubts.He became convinced that the attack that morning was Orochimaru's personal action—and unrelated to Konoha.