The night was dark as ink, and a cold wind howled.
The Guard Corps elites led by Uchiha Tekkai and the ANBU squad dispatched by Hatake Sakumo raced along the border. Their footsteps were light and swift, like ghosts dissolving into the darkness.
On the surface, the exact location of Orochimaru's laboratory had not yet been confirmed.
But in practice, the Hyūga Clan had already locked onto the target long ago using the advantage of their Byakugan.
Say what you will, the Byakugan really did come in handy sometimes.
An abandoned fortress hidden deep in a dense forest. Its outer perimeter was filled with masked ninja.
"These drifter ninja look somewhat familiar."
Uchiha Tekkai let out a cold laugh.
'These people must be the backup Danzo prepared for Orochimaru that the Clan Head mentioned before.'
'I did not expect there to be this many ninja.'
His crimson Sharingan flickered with a cold light in the darkness.
"Move out."
He raised his hand and brought it down without any hesitation.
In an instant, more than ten dark figures burst out from all directions. Kunai and shuriken cut through the night sky and shot straight at the guards on the outer perimeter of the fortress.
Those Root ninja clearly had not expected Konoha's ninja to locate this place so precisely. One of them quickly formed seals, trying to use a summoning jutsu to send a message. However.
"Fire Style, Great Fireball Jutsu!"
Blazing flames swallowed that Root ninja in an instant. Before his scream could even leave his throat, Uchiha Tekkai had already body flickered in, and a single slash took off his head.
Blood sprayed. The battle erupted in full.
Inside the laboratory, an alarm shrieked.
"We are under attack! It is people from the village!"
A Root ninja came rushing into the experimental area, his voice frantic.
Orochimaru stood beside a cultivation tank. His golden slit pupils contracted faintly, and then a composed smile spread across his face.
"My, how swift."
He swept his gaze around, then issued a cold order.
"Destroy all documents. Prepare to withdraw."
The documents being destroyed were only the useless ones from past experiments. All the valuable data was already on Orochimaru's person.
His subordinate ninja immediately sprang into action. Some began burning scrolls, while others rushed toward the cultivation tanks to check on the specimens inside.
"Lord Orochimaru, these children..."
A Root ninja's voice trembled slightly.
"All dead?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. No life signs remaining."
Orochimaru let out a cold snort, stuffed the most important research documents from the desk into a scroll, and sealed it away.
The sounds of fighting outside were drawing closer. He hesitated no longer.
His figure flashed, and he became a fading afterimage as he shot toward a secret passage he had prepared in advance.
Just as he was about to step into the passage.
"Swish!"
Several kunai tore through the air and drove straight into the entrance of the secret passage, blocking his way.
"Lord Orochimaru, in such a hurry to leave?"
A cold voice came from the darkness.
Several masked ANBU ninja stepped out slowly. At their head were elites from under Hatake Sakumo's command.
Orochimaru's pupils contracted sharply, and then a sinister smile crossed his face.
"Well. It seems you were well prepared."
"Seize him!"
An ANBU ninja barked, and they surged forward in an instant.
A cold light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. His hands moved through seals rapidly.
"Wind Style, Breakthrough!"
A violent blast of wind pressure swept outward, forcing back the two ANBU ninja at the front.
However, a third ninja had already circled behind him. The short blade in his hand drove straight for the center of Orochimaru's back.
"Thud!"
There was no spray of blood as anyone would have imagined. Orochimaru's body crumbled and became a pile of dirt on the ground.
A Substitution Jutsu.
"Damn it!"
That ANBU ninja cursed under his breath, and before he could even react.
A giant snake came bursting up from underground, its jaws clamping down on his shoulder.
"Aah!"
A cry of pain rang out. The surrounding ANBU ninja rushed forward to help immediately. But Orochimaru had already seized the opening, and his figure shot into the depths of the forest like a specter.
"After him!"
The ANBU ninja roared in fury. But Orochimaru's speed was extreme, and in the blink of an eye he had vanished into the darkness.
"Leave him!"
Uchiha Tekkai's voice came from behind.
"Search the laboratory first!"
When everyone rushed into the experimental area, the sight before them made every single person's breath catch.
Row upon row of cultivation tanks, and inside them the bodies of dozens of children were submerged. Their bodies were covered in strange cursed seals and suture marks. Some had been warped beyond recognition.
"Monsters."
A Hyūga Clan ninja gritted his teeth and growled, the veins around his Byakugan bulging.
"That madman Orochimaru!"
An Akimichi Clan ninja slammed a fist into the wall, his entire body shaking with rage.
Uchiha Tekkai's eyes were ice cold. He issued orders quickly.
"Check every single one. See if there are any children still alive."
Everyone immediately spread out to search. But one piece of bad news followed another.
"This one... is gone."
"This one too."
"No signs of life."
The atmosphere grew heavier and heavier, until.
"Wait! This one... is still alive!"
A medical ninja suddenly called out.
Everyone rushed over at once. The boy inside the cultivation tank was trembling faintly. His breathing was extremely weak, but he was unmistakably alive.
"Quickly! Get him out!"
Uchiha Tekkai said sharply.
The medical ninja broke open the cultivation tank without delay and carefully lifted the boy out, immediately applying medical ninjutsu.
"His vitals are very weak, but... he can still be saved!"
Uchiha Tekkai drew a deep breath, a cold glint passing through his eyes.
"Save him fast."
"Yes!"
Several medical ninja stepped forward quickly and began a thorough examination.
Uchiha Tekkai looked out at the assembled ANBU.
A cold smirk pulled at his lips.
Furious?
Good.
'Looks like the objective has been achieved this time.'
He swept his gaze around and looked at the ANBU ninja, then said slowly.
"Everyone. Take all the evidence back to Konoha."
"Orochimaru openly opposed us, and he killed our comrades. How is that any different from a rogue ninja?"
"We are taking our fallen comrades with us. We will demand that the Hokage give us an answer."
"Yes!!"
...
When everyone left the laboratory, the night was still deep.
Uchiha Tekkai walked at the head of the group, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
As long as the major clans within the ANBU had personally witnessed Orochimaru's crimes...
Once they returned, even the Third Hokage would not be able to suppress the dissatisfaction of the major clans.
The Hokage faction's prestige...
Would inevitably take a blow.
'That Third Hokage has really gotten old.'
'The things he has been doing lately seem to leave no one satisfied.'
'Even the disciple he put so much effort into raising has already killed comrades and become a rogue ninja.'
'The position of Hokage should go to whoever is most capable.'
'It should be passed along to our Clan Head sooner rather than later.'
'Whether in terms of depth of thinking, or in terms of actual ability, the Clan Head is far above anyone in the Hokage faction.'
Thinking this.
A fervent gleam grew in Uchiha Tekkai's eyes.
'I, Uchiha Tekkai, will go through fire and water for the Clan Head's path to becoming Hokage.'
And at this moment, far away in the depths of the forest, Orochimaru stood on the branch of a great tree. His golden slit pupils gazed into the distance.
"Konoha. The Will of Fire. To protect..."
A hoarse voice sounded. His face was obscured by large leaves above him, the shadow falling over it making his expression impossible to read.
After a long silence, Orochimaru slowly raised his hand and looked at the traces of blood left on his fingertips. His serpent-like pupils seemed to grow colder and more fixated than ever.
"Nothing but dead weight on the path to eternity."
Orochimaru turned, and vanished with the Body Flicker Jutsu.
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