"My lord, here is today's battle report."
"Leave it there."
Danzo didn't look up as he grabbed the first folder and began flipping through it quickly.
It had been three days since Konoha launched its campaign to purge the internal black market. What had started as a fierce operation had now shifted into a relentless hunt for any remaining fugitives.
Surprisingly, the black market's resistance was far weaker than Konoha had anticipated.
After the assassination of the Kumogakure team within the Land of Fire, many bounty hunters—sensing the danger—had already fled to smaller nations like the Land of Rain. The ones who remained were either too slow or too bold, and among them, only a handful posed any real threat.
Recognizing this, the Third Hokage had altered the strategy. He pulled back half of the elite units and assigned them to lead new genin squads instead, effectively turning the operation into a live training exercise.
This change meant the mission shifted from a simple sweep to a more complex task: eliminate threats while also training inexperienced ninja—and do it without unnecessary casualties.
Even for someone as seasoned as Danzo, the added complexity translated into longer hours buried in paperwork and logistics. He often worked deep into the night.
Danzo resented how the Third Hokage used him for such taxing assignments. His ambition to claim the Hokage title only grew stronger.
Shff—
A sudden gust of wind signaled the arrival of a masked operative inside the temporary command post.
"My lord, we've located one of Orochimaru's hidden laboratories."
Danzo looked up, his eyes gleaming slightly. "What about the data on the First Hokage's cells?"
"It's likely there," the operative replied. "We found a lot of expensive equipment—it's clearly an important lab. But Orochimaru himself is inside, submerged in a nutrient tank. He's been completely motionless for three days now. We didn't dare approach."
The operative pulled a scroll from his robes. "This is an image of the lab."
Danzo examined the scroll, narrowing his eyes. He recalled what the Third Hokage had mentioned just days earlier.
"Could he truly be practicing Sage Mode… or simply recovering from injuries?"
"Whatever it is, three days of immobility likely means he'll remain dormant a while longer. He's clearly in no shape to be disturbed."
After a brief pause, Danzo made his decision.
"Forget stealth. Move in. Take everything—any and all experimental data. Once you've secured it, destroy the laboratory. Whether or not we find anything on the First Hokage's cells, I want that place reduced to rubble."
He knew Orochimaru would immediately realize the lab had been compromised. There would be no second chance.
The operative hesitated, surprised, but under Danzo's gaze, he nodded. "Understood."
Once the man left, Danzo leaned back, deep in thought.
Neither his mission nor Orochimaru's lab could ever see the light of day. Whatever happened next would remain in the shadows.
Danzo reasoned that while he could destroy Orochimaru's base, the snake sannin wouldn't be able to retaliate openly—Hiruzen would never allow it.
"But Orochimaru won't just accept the loss. He'll wait for his chance to strike back."
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
"Fine then. Let him try. This is the perfect chance to clean house and root out the traitors within Root."
He was certain there was at least one more spy besides Kabuto working for Orochimaru. Someone, perhaps, who had leaked intel about the Wood Release user, Yamato.
And he was just as sure Kabuto wasn't aware of that leak.
In the depths of the underground laboratory, hidden in a shadowed corner, silence reigned.
Kabuto leaned quietly against the wall, his presence so suppressed it was as if he'd melted into the stone. His scent, his chakra, even his breathing—everything was concealed. He didn't just feel like part of the room—he was part of it. To the naked eye, to chakra sensors, even to thermal scanners, he would register as nothing more than an unremarkable rock.
And like a stone, he remained still. Motionless. Patient.
A full day and night passed.
Then, without warning, Kabuto opened his eyes.
Through the narrow gaps between tables and instruments, he spotted a dark cloud drifting under the lab lights. But this wasn't smoke—it was a swarm of insects.
So it's the Aburame Clan, he thought with a quiet sigh. In other words, Root has arrived.
Even the most alert shinobi rarely pay attention to the bugs crawling in the shadows. He wasn't an exception. A breach like this, sooner or later, had been inevitable.
Still, it wasn't as if Orochimaru hadn't accounted for intrusions. The lab's defenses had been tailored to fool even Konoha's best sensory ninja.
But snakes—Orochimaru's sentries—were different. Unlike people, they responded instinctively to intruders, including other living creatures like bugs.
And that was exactly how Kabuto had caught on.
In the past, early detection would've triggered a clean-up protocol. The lab could have been wiped clean and evacuated.
But now… Orochimaru was asleep.
In his current dormant state, the snake watchers were all but useless.
Should I kill this bug clone? Kabuto wondered, fingers idly tightening around the poison vial at his hip.
But he let go.
He understood what the intruders were after. Orochimaru's research—specifically, the highly coveted experiments involving the First Hokage's cells.
Root wouldn't leave empty-handed.
Normally, they wouldn't dare move against Orochimaru. But now, with him incapacitated, they'd found their opportunity.
Under the flickering light, the black mist of insects coalesced into the form of a man—masked, dressed in black, moving with practiced speed. He headed straight for the workbenches, sweeping every document and file into his bag with mechanical efficiency.
Kabuto watched, unmoving, silent.
He had already hidden the First Hokage's research notes among the visible materials. Protecting Orochimaru's rest was more important than protecting paper.
He believed Orochimaru would agree.
The intruder showed no hesitation. Even scraps from the trash were collected, leaving nothing behind. Finally, the masked man approached the nutrient tank where Orochimaru floated in stillness.
He pulled out a scroll and withdrew dozens of explosive tags, clearly preparing a timed detonation.
That was when he froze.
A wave of unnatural chill swept over him. Slowly, he looked up… and found himself locked in the gaze of a pair of cold, vertical pupils.
Snake eyes.
A crushing presence descended upon him. Every nerve in his body screamed.
Without a word, without a thought, he turned and bolted.
Explosive tags fell from his arms and scattered uselessly on the floor behind him.
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