A few days later, outside Kumogakure.
Dusk.
Hyūga Hizashi occupied a commanding high point, the veins around his eyes bulging.
Although visibility was extremely poor under the dim light, within his field of vision the chakra inside the enemies' bodies was like lamplight.
"Southwest direction, seventeen on patrol… Danzō-sama, their rotation strategy hasn't changed."
"But one enemy's chakra level is very high. It should be one of Kumogakure's elite jōnin."
As Hyūga Hizashi spoke, he marked the enemies' patrol routes on the tactical board in his hand.
"I'll handle that one," Danzō said coldly.
Yet when he saw Hizashi's precise mapping, he still gave a slight nod of approval.
A capable talent.
Although he had only joined the ANBU a few days ago, with a level of drive that even made Danzō feel surprised, he had thoroughly mastered all the required skills and regulations.
Danzō patted Hizashi on the shoulder.
He wanted to say—"With your talent and the darkness in your heart, it would be a waste to stay in the ANBU; you should join Root."
But then he realized that Root no longer existed…
And this Hizashi was, moreover, a breakthrough point personally cut out from the Hyūga clan by Hiruzen himself; his loyalty to the Hokage was practically written on his face.
"What is it, Danzō-sama?"
"Nothing. Do your job properly." Danzō felt a complicated taste rise in his heart.
His first, instinctive reaction was anger. Even if Hiruzen had agreed to let him compete fairly for the position of Hokage, without the authority to build a private force, he could only watch such a good seed with longing…
But immediately after, in a strange and hidden way, he silently praised Hiruzen.
If he were Hokage, could he allow a Root under his command?
Absolutely impossible!
Ever since Hiruzen gave him guidance—to look at problems from an overall perspective, from the Hokage's point of view—
After experiencing Hiruzen establishing authority at the training ground, taking back Root, assembling a jinchūriki assassination squad, teaching him the way of the Hokage while constantly keeping him in check…
It even seemed he had done some major things that Danzō did not know about.
Danzō increasingly felt that this was what the Hokage in his heart should look like.
And this Third Hokage—this Hiruzen—made him even more interested in defeating him!
'I'll do everything well, learn everything you know, and become the strongest Fourth Hokage…' Danzō murmured to himself in his heart, his excited palm tingling slightly.
...
And inside Kumogakure.
Orochimaru, who had already used the Face-Erasing Technique to replace himself with a Kumogakure medic, handed Blue B a dose of medicine specially made by Tsunade, mixed with salamander and other substances: "Today's portion. It will help you. Keep it up."
Blue B forced a smile. "I hope so."
After he left, Orochimaru—dressed as a medic—had a flicker in his eyes and spoke with a faint smile, "Come out."
A toad hopped and bounced out from the shadows to right in front of him, then opened its wide mouth.
A single arm emerged from within—it was Jiraiya's arm.
Immediately after, Kurama Genshin also came out.
"So? Pretty impressive, right—my toads are endlessly useful," Jiraiya said in a lowered voice, showing off.
Genshin wore a speechless expression.
He had previously heard that Orochimaru had a move called "the snake spits me, I spit the snake, the snake spits me," which was already horrifying enough.
Using toads like this was no less disturbing!
The Third's disciples really were all masters of unique skills.
If he had known earlier, he would have chosen to sneak in using genjutsu.
Coming out of a toad's mouth was, frankly, not a pleasant experience.
"Recalibrate the operation plan."
"I'll control the jinchūriki. Genshin controls the tailed beast. After Jiraiya sets up the barrier, he'll sweep the surrounding enemies and link up with us and Danzō's group."
From the sleeve band of Orochimaru's robe, several concealed little snakes slid out, winding their way toward Blue B's residence.
"Understood." Jiraiya's expression instantly turned serious.
"Understood." Genshin took a deep breath.
The village really was like this—either it didn't move at all, or once it did, it went this big…
"My snakes tell me that Blue B has already taken the medicine. The route is clear," Orochimaru said coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Operation—begin!"
Under the cover of night, the three figures moved like phantoms.
Inside the bedroom, Blue B drank the medicine prescribed for him by the physician today.
"Sweet and sour… it's actually pretty good," Blue B's brows relaxed slightly, and he felt a bit moved.
The village really did value him—had they even adjusted the medicine's flavor?
It didn't taste as bad as before.
Blue B lay on the bed, waiting for the medicine to take effect, his thoughts turning to his own future.
Could he successfully become the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki?
His father and uncle had both died in tailed-beast rampages. Although he could establish preliminary communication with the Eight-Tails, the situation was still a tug-of-war, and the future was as vague as a fog.
"The terror of tailed beasts and their repeated rampages… that impression makes the people around me unwilling to get close."
"And sealing techniques can't stop a tailed beast's violent will either…"
Blue B murmured to himself, "I really wish that Uzumaki kunoichi from Konoha could be taken into the village…"
Whether it was the inner emptiness leading to mental fragility, or the objective incompleteness of sealing techniques…
Improving either one would be a good thing!
"Valuable intelligence," Orochimaru thought, stirred. This would be helpful for Konoha's jinchūriki.
He lightly nudged Genshin.
Genshin understood immediately and formed hand seals in an instant.
"My body feels so relaxed… no, wait! Why am I so numb?!" Blue B suddenly opened his eyes, only to find everything before him shrouded in haze. He couldn't see anything, and his body wouldn't move.
"You're very tired. Be freed…" a dreamlike voice, impossible to tell as male or female, echoed in Blue B's mind.
Orochimaru crouched on Blue B's chest, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes as he pressed down firmly on the iron armor seal.
Having finished setting up the isolation barrier, Jiraiya swept toward the retreat route.
Orochimaru methodically dismantled the iron armor seal.
Tailed-beast chakra bubbled and spilled outward in rolling waves, while the Kusanagi Sword was slowly expelled from his mouth.
He intended to try to take away some of the Eight-Tails' cells.
And with the isolation barrier set up by Jiraiya, Kumogakure's sensory ninja did not detect the tailed-beast chakra.
Genshin drove his genjutsu at full power.
This was part of the operation plan.
The Eight-Tails had to fall into a state of complete rampage the instant it separated from the jinchūriki.
If it were only ordinary loss of control, it would not be enough to properly intimidate these brutes.
They had to create a sense of mystery—to make them feel as if there were an invisible hand that could force the tailed beast into rampage at any moment…
Fine beads of sweat seeped from Genshin's nose as his chakra was pushed to the limit.
"Such a good opportunity—an opportunity for the Hokage to notice the clan. I have to seize it!"
"Orochimaru-sama, it's ready!" Genshin reported after a short while.
"Good!" Orochimaru grinned savagely. "You go first, Genshin!"
Genshin nodded and withdrew quickly.
His constitution was relatively weak; when the tailed-beast chakra erupted, unexpected situations might occur.
Moments later, Orochimaru completely released the iron armor seal.
The Eight-Tails' chakra surged out like a tide.
A gigantic octopus threw back its head and roared, its eyes filled with rage, bellowing violently: "Blood must be repaid with blood—Kumogakure will pay in blood!"
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