"You're always welcome to come back. Next time, I'll be sure to have something special waiting for you!"
Orochimaru stared at Saitama, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Saitama didn't turn around, walking away directly.
He had gotten what he came for and was ready to leave with peace of mind.
And this time, if Orochimaru's intelligence was correct, he could finally settle a long-standing grievance.
A grievance that had been the root cause pushing Saitama to this point.
Konoha appeared peaceful on the surface, but potential dangers still loomed.
Under Minato Namikaze—still in his early thirties—foreign policies remained consistently firm.
Just as Kumogakure did years ago when it staged provocations against Konoha over Hinata's abduction—then framed the village for its own benefit.
Back then, Minato Namikaze, who had only recently assumed the Hokage position, hadn't backed down but instead responded decisively, avoiding a tragedy similar to those in his past.
Today, nothing seemed unusual within Konoha Village.
Under Minato Namikaze's leadership, everyone firmly believed the village would rise again to its former glory and continue prospering.
If anyone hated seeing Minato so full of ambition, it would undoubtedly be Danzo, a peer of the Third.
Throughout his life, Danzo had always desired the Hokage title intensely. Having trained under the Second alongside Hiruzen Sarutobi, he had long resented being beaten to the position by his former comrade.
But he also knew he couldn't match Sarutobi, so he shifted his focus toward influencing who would become the next Hokage.
"White Fang"—a ninja whose reputation had spread even earlier than the Sannin—had become a target of Danzo's jealousy precisely because of his overwhelming fame.
Although other factors were involved, Sakumo Hatake's strong personality and growing influence added immense pressure from the village, which ultimately drove him to take his own life.
Gradually, Danzo realized his chance of legitimately inheriting the Hokage position was practically zero.
So he shifted his goal toward manipulating or influencing whoever became the next Hokage.
In other words, he hoped the next Hokage would share his political philosophy.
Clearly, Minato Namikaze did not fit that mold. As for Orochimaru—one of the Sannin whom Danzo had placed great hopes upon—he ultimately failed to win the competition for Hokage.
Not only did he lose, but he eventually defected from the village and became a rogue ninja.
After Minato took power, Danzo temporarily withdrew from Konoha's upper echelons.
Though Sarutobi, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado had all been his companions from youth, together carrying the burden of leading Konoha for decades,
On certain matters, they clearly leaned toward supporting Minato Namikaze—who, despite his youth, was immensely powerful and beloved by the people.
Carrying his own pride, Danzo continued to entrench himself within Konoha, patiently growing his small faction.
Although in recent years Root had suffered multiple attacks and faced serious setbacks in expanding operations outside the village, under Danzo's guidance, Root had not taken any fatal damage and retained most of its strength.
Inside Root headquarters,
Danzo squinted his single eye, surveying the surroundings.
Before him stood dozens of Root ninjas on a clearing—current elite forces of Root.
"Lord Danzo, the unit is fully assembled!"
A ninja wearing a tanuki mask approached Danzo.
"Hmm!" Danzo swept his gaze across the gathered crowd and slowly rose to his feet.
His right hand, wrapped in bandages, pressed tightly against his chest. His right eye was also covered by the same bandage, stretching across most of his torso.
"This time, our destination is the Land of Grass. However, our actual mission objective isn't there. We might encounter enemies along the way. Your task is to follow us secretly and protect me from behind. The moment I engage with enemies, you must appear immediately!"
Danzo's single eye continuously emitted a bloodthirsty gleam. At this moment, he resembled a wolf at the peak of hunger, willing to risk everything for sustenance, prepared to fight until the very end.
"Understood!" The Root ninjas answered in unison, their eyes unwaveringly firm as they looked at Danzo.
"Move out!"
Remaining standing in place, Danzo recalled what Orochimaru had told him previously.
"The one after you will surprise you, Danzo, but I can't spoil the fun just yet."
"Bet everything—your life, your legacy—on taking him down! Frankly, I'm dying to see how far he'll go!"
"I'll kill him without fail, Orochimaru! No matter who he is!"
This was Danzo speaking, his eyes blazing with fury when he spoke.
"I can pass your movements onto him, giving you time to prepare in advance!"
"Good!"
In memory, Orochimaru finished with a sinister smile, licking his lips before vanishing before Danzo's eyes.
"No matter who you are, I'll crush you completely this time! Anyone obstructing my path? They won't live to walk away!"
Danzo started moving forward. A promise of something greater lay ahead, while the Root ninjas had already passed through the exit, waiting for him outside.
...
Saitama left Orochimaru's secret base directly heading toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.
Saitama believed Orochimaru's intel was solid, but he still kept his guard up.
It was certainly true that Danzo came to the Land of Grass, but regarding the strength of his guards, it definitely wouldn't be as casually described by Orochimaru.
Years had passed, but Saitama stayed sharp. Danzo was known for his endless schemes, and his men were no pushovers—clever and relentless.
The Land of Grass sat between Fire and Earth, but everyone knew it was under Konoha's thumb—even if it claimed independence.
Although this country possessed the Village Hidden in the Grass, its ninja weren't particularly strong; mostly skilled in poison and hidden weapons, they generally lacked proficiency in direct combat.
Not long after the Third Great Ninja War ended, the Land of Grass was left in ruins. Lucky for them, Konoha won—and later sent much-needed help.
...
Standing motionless on a tree branch, Saitama kept perfectly still.
As part of the trunk began to wriggle, a Zetsu slowly emerged—none other than Zetsu himself searching throughout the Shinobi World for Roshi, the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails.
Raising an eyebrow slightly, Saitama glanced over.
"Now this is interesting indeed, Saitama!" White Zetsu spoke somewhat playfully while Black Zetsu remained silent.
"What's going on?"
"Roshi is on the outskirts of the Land of Grass—we can move in to capture him now."
"Yeah, just wait for me to deal with Danzo and then I'll come find you. You keep tracking Four-Tails for now, and I'll locate you later!"
"Sure thing, but Four-Tails seems tough to handle—he's pretty hot-tempered! Be careful when you face him, Saitama, even though your strength is formidable!"
White Zetsu gave one final warning before slowly sinking into the tree trunk.
"I hope you won't disappoint me next time, Danzo!"
"All these years of restraint are finally bursting forth today!"
Saitama narrowed his eyes toward Konoha.
Truthfully, he had thought about killing Danzo many times over the years.
But because of Akatsuki's larger plans, he didn't want his own revenge messing things up.
After all this restraint, it seemed like the moment for action was finally at hand.
Today, Saitama would finally strike against Danzo and release all the accumulated resentment within him.
The path he was currently walking was vastly different from what he had originally envisioned when he first crossed over into this world.
Still, one couldn't deny that his current course appeared far more coherent, robust, and stable!
...
Swish! Swish!
Danzo remained hidden beneath his bandages, flanked by two Root Ninja.
His gaze was sharp and unyielding. The deep wrinkles on his old face only made his dark aura more intense.
"Sir, the border of the Land of Grass is not far ahead!"
"Hmph, maintain high alertness. Our enemy might be nearby!"
"Yes sir!"
Danzo led the group from the front without the slightest hint of fear.
Danzo had thought this mission through carefully before setting out.
The enemy who had long lurked in the shadows, continuously launching attacks against Root, felt like a thorn lodged deep in Danzo's throat—irritating beyond endurance.
Only after eliminating this foe could Danzo feel truly assured about expanding Root's power.
Boom! A massive boulder suddenly hurtled through the air toward the advancing trio.
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