South of Tianyuancheng, in an ordinary house.
The room was large but dimly lit. Inside the spacious space stood only two sofas and a coffee table.
Seated facing each other on the sofas were two of Konoha's most infamous rogue ninjas — Danzo and Orochimaru.
Danzo was still dressed as always — in his signature black-and-white kimono-like robe, with most of his body still wrapped in bandages.
Orochimaru, however, wore different clothing today — a black cloak embroidered with red clouds.
As Danzo looked at Orochimaru's attire, suspicion clouded his one eye.
Orochimaru ran his tongue over his lips and spoke first, "Lord Danzo, how have you been lately?"
Among the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru may have committed countless atrocities, yet he always maintained a polite demeanor — that is, as long as he didn't start displaying his grotesque tongue techniques.
To most people, Orochimaru's slitted eyes, his long, snakelike tongue, and his raspy voice were enough to send chills down their spines.
But not Danzo. This serpent may have been the Third's disciple, but Danzo had poured just as much effort into him as Hiruzen had.
Reclining back on the sofa with his right hand resting beside him, Danzo replied, "So-so."
Orochimaru let out an eerie chuckle, "I thought my teacher would cause you some trouble by now?"
"Trouble?"
His lone eye gleamed with a cold, calculating light. "The Fourth and Kushina are dead. Jiraiya is tied up dealing with Cloud, and Iwagakure watches us closely. How could Hiruzen possibly trouble me? And who exactly would dare challenge me?"
Indeed, as Danzo said, there were practically no forces left in Konoha capable of threatening him. That was also one reason why he dared remain in the Land of Fire after defecting from the village.
Suddenly, Danzo asked, "Orochimaru, what do you want from me?"
Orochimaru licked his lips and answered, "I'm merely here paying Lord Danzo a visit."
A snort came from Danzo. "Cut the crap, Orochimaru!"
This time, Orochimaru smiled without pretense. "I'd like to invite Lord Danzo to join the Akatsuki organization!"
"Ahhhaha—"
Danzo laughed as if he'd just heard the greatest joke in his life, unable to stop for a long while. After calming down, he stared coldly at Orochimaru and enunciated every word, "Impossible!"
"Why so?" Surprise flickered in Orochimaru's eyes. "You may not know enough about Akatsuki's strength. Although the Akatsuki isn't widely known, it houses many S-rank rogue ninjas. Even I find myself outmatched among them. Such power, skillfully utilized, can serve as tremendous support for any endeavor."
That's exactly why Orochimaru wanted Danzo to join Akatsuki — bringing him in would boost Orochimaru's influence within the group, which was already packed with powerful figures, allowing him to harness Akatsuki to obtain what he truly desired.
Danzo noticed the genuine surprise in Orochimaru's expression and relaxed slightly, casually asking, "Who leads this Akatsuki organization?"
"His name is Pain. He calls himself a god."
Orochimaru paused before continuing, "Whether he truly is divine, I don't know. But he indeed possesses a pair of divine eyes."
"Rinnegan?" Danzo growled darkly.
"You never cease to amaze me, Lord Danzo!"
Orochimaru hadn't expected Danzo's intelligence network to be this powerful—he even had information on the leader of the Akatsuki organization.
Orochimaru curiously studied Danzo and asked, "Then why did you refuse?"
Danzo shook his head without answering.
Of course he would reject the Akatsuki's invitation.
Because the previous Akatsuki leader had died because of him.
Seeing Orochimaru's outfit brought back vivid memories of the original Akatsuki organization he had destroyed long ago.
Orochimaru's response further confirmed his suspicions—the terrifying eyes still existed somewhere within the ninja world.
Several years ago, he had made a deal with Hanzo, the leader of Amegakure, and helped him orchestrate the destruction of the original Akatsuki organization.
His right arm was torn apart, leaving him no choice but to flee with severe injuries, and the Akatsuki leader also perished.
He originally believed that Hanzo would completely eradicate the organization now without a leader. However, the Akatsuki not only failed to disband, but instead absorbed many powerful rogue ninjas.
The room instantly fell silent, both men fading into the shadows, each lost in thought.
Suddenly, the two heard a distant sound and sensed the faint chakra presence.
Orochimaru smirked mischievously, "Looks like the old man sent someone to stir up trouble for you."
"Hmph!" Danzo snorted, then stood up and walked outside.
Previously, he had kept retreating because he was too close to Konoha and wanted to avoid being cornered.
This didn't mean he feared pursuit from the Shadow Guard Team.
Heiya gambling house.
As Aozora and Tsunade stepped out of the room, they saw two warriors crouching on the railing, unleashing a firestorm.
No, by now, they could hardly be called two warriors anymore.
They had already released the Transformation Jutsu, their black cloaks and masks concealing all identifying features.
The firestorm engulfed the entire room, slicing and igniting everything inside before surging toward the people within.
[Water Release – Water Wall!]
One of Murakumo Kurama's guards instantly summoned a wall of water to block the flames.
Ssiiii—
The rotating water wall collided violently with the roaring firestorm, generating thick clouds of steam, yet the flames scattered outward.
The firestorm showed no signs of stopping—it surged forward, smashing through the second floor wall, bursting outside into the bitterly cold wind, spreading dozens of meters before finally dissipating.
Although the firestorm lasted less than ten seconds, its blazing glow pierced the snowy winter landscape vividly.
After the flames passed, the room had become a complete wreck, ablaze and filled with rising mist and dense smoke.
Nyanko's eyes had turned entirely crimson, three black tomoe spinning continuously within them.
Under the Sharingan, every chakra source hidden within the smoke became clearly visible.
Shiu-shiu-shiu-shiu!
Shiu-shiu-shiu-shiu!
...
His hands constantly pulled kunai from his weapon pouch, hurling them one after another toward the chakra sources concealed in the smoke. His kunai were slightly smaller, his throwing technique unique—each throw launched four kunai simultaneously.
Takao wasn't just standing around either. He first threw a massive shuriken straight ahead, then rapidly formed hand seals with both hands.
[Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!]
During his prime, Hiruzen Sarutobi could create tens of thousands of [Shuriken] using the [Shuriken Bunshin no Jutsu]. Although Takao was far inferior, he still instantly produced hundreds of [Shuriken].
A continuous stream of giant [Shuriken] formed a dense metallic net, sweeping across the room once more after the [Kunai].
Puh! Puh! Puh!——
Clink! Clink! Clink!——
Crackle-pop——
Ahh! Ahh! Ahh!——
The sounds of [Kunai] and [Shuriken] piercing flesh, metal clashing, flames cracking wooden beams, and agonized screams from the wounded filled the room like a symphony titled "[Shinigami Has Arrived]."
Needless to say, the strength of these two **Elite Jonin** was truly astonishing, and their decisiveness was flawless.
Without even exchanging a single word, they still shared amazing tacit understanding—a killer's chemistry.
After launching two waves of ninja tools, without hesitation or waiting for the smoke to clear, both unsheathed their ninja blades and charged straight into the room.
Seeing this, Aozora couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "What polished killing techniques!"
He had almost intended to praise their perfect timing with the ninjutsu, but thought better of it—he wasn't about to start complimenting clearly Anbu-level shinobi like some common bounty hunter.
Tsunade let out a soft snort, but gave a quiet nod of approval. The capabilities of these two Shadow Guard members truly exceeded her expectations.
At first, she'd worried that without Nobusuke around, she'd have to do all the heavy lifting again. Now, it seemed that wouldn't be necessary.
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