“I’ll draw his attention. Use the chance to search thoroughly.”

  Shimura Danzo raised his cane and stepped into Orochimaru’s courtyard.

  Aburame Ryoma gave a slight nod—and vanished the next second.

  Danzo entered the main hall, his eyes narrowing.

  Orochimaru was already seated high above, waiting, as though he had foreseen his arrival.

  But he looked... drained. Severely so.

  Danzo raised an eyebrow. So it’s real after all.

  “Orochimaru, what happened to you?”

  He didn’t bother with pleasantries—just asked outright.

  “It’s nothing,” Orochimaru replied ftly, offering no further expnation.

  Naturally, he wasn’t about to tell the truth.

  Danzo, with Root at his command, truly had the potential to eliminate Uchiha Shisui. Orochimaru had no intention of handing over a Mangekyō Sharingan to anyone else.

  Even if he couldn’t get it for now, in his mind, it already belonged to him.

  Danzo scowled. He was genuinely curious about Orochimaru’s injuries, but without a confession, there wasn’t much he could do.

  He wasn’t looking to burn bridges just yet.

  But then Orochimaru suddenly spoke. “No need for Ryoma to snoop around. It’s true—I took Kinoe.”

  “What did you say?”

  Danzo’s face darkened instantly.

  “For an experiment subject, must you really be so stingy?” Orochimaru sneered. “I haven’t even brought up your lies to me.”

  “Hand him over,” Danzo snapped, voice hard as steel. “Unless you want to sever ties with me.”

  “I hate being threatened the most,” Orochimaru said, coughing lightly. He wiped a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled like a venomous serpent. “Danzo, are you sure you want a fallout?”

  Danzo hesitated.

  Orochimaru didn’t care about Konoha. He could disappear at any moment.

  But Danzo couldn’t.

  If the Wood Release experiments were exposed, his dream of becoming Hokage would be over. That price was too steep.

  His face shifted—cloudy and uncertain. He was wavering.

  In the end, he chose to compromise.

  Yamato—Kinoe—had been raised in Root for ten years. Every inch of him had been studied.

  Letting him go wasn’t unbearable.

  But it was a shame to lose a shinobi with Wood Release.

  “The Fourth is dead. The Third has taken back the seat, but he won’t st long,” Orochimaru said casually, his tone softening. “It won’t be long before the Fifth Hokage is chosen.”

  “What are you getting at?” Danzo asked coldly, clearly annoyed. Hokage was a sore topic for him.

  “Who do you think will become the Fifth?”

  “You want to be Hokage?” Danzo’s eyes narrowed, but he quickly regained composure. “Impossible. You’ve already lost Hiruzen Sarutobi’s trust.”

  When the Fourth Hokage was chosen, both Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze had strong support.

  Orochimaru was one of the Sannin, had countless achievements, and many backers.

  Minato, on the other hand, had turned the tide in the Third Great Ninja War and earned the title “Yellow Fsh.” His popurity was immense.

  Truthfully, it had been a close race.

  But Hiruzen deemed Orochimaru unfit, and the decision had almost certainly been made in favor of Minato.

  “I agree—it’s impossible for me now,” Orochimaru said, nodding calmly. “But I still have supporters. I can help you take the seat.”

  Danzo’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  What the hell? Did I hear that right in broad daylight?

  This guy doesn’t kill me and already that’s generous—and now he wants to support me?

  “What’s the price?” Danzo asked, forcing down his instinctive unease.

  “I want the corpse of Senju Hashirama. You’ll cover for me. No one can know.”

  Orochimaru paused, then added, “And Kinoe stays with me.”

  “Are you insane?” Danzo’s face twisted with rage. “We’ve taken a few cells before, sure—but stealing the First Hokage’s entire body? If we get caught, we’re both done for!”

  “I’m aware,” Orochimaru waved him off impatiently. “So what’s your answer?”

  Danzo fell silent.

  He clenched his teeth.

  It’s just a corpse. As long as no one opens the casket, who’s going to notice? They could easily throw in a fake.

  No one dared desecrate Hashirama’s grave anyway.

  “…Fine. I agree.”

  Danzo’s voice was low and full of menace. “But if you betray me, Orochimaru… you will regret it.”

  Orochimaru only chuckled, utterly unconcerned. “Then take your little bug and get out.”

  By “little bug,” he meant Aburame Ryoma.

  His courtyard had no guards—but countless snakes.

  No one entered unnoticed.

  “Hmph. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

  Danzo spat his st threat and left.

  Orochimaru licked his lips, heat rising in his chest. He was already looking forward to his next encounter with Natsume.

  There were so many answers he wanted.

  Southwest Konoha.The new Uchiha territory.

  Though more spacious, it was far from the vilge center.

  The proud Uchiha cn could not tolerate such a slight.

  But their leader, Uchiha Fugaku, was not the decisive type.

  All compints were forcefully suppressed.

  Behind the compound, by the waterfall—Uchiha Shisui stood still, eyes locked on the flowing water.

  That morning’s fight with Orochimaru still weighed on him.

  To him, the vilge leadership—Hiruzen, Danzo, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade—they were the embodiment of the Will of Fire.

  Why had Orochimaru attacked him?

  Was it on Sarutobi’s orders?

  “No. Impossible.”

  Shisui shook his head. He didn’t want to believe it. If that were true, it would mean the very ideals he had lived by were cracked at their core.

  And there was something else.

  It felt like Orochimaru had been after his Mangekyō Sharingan.

  Did that mean the higher-ups already knew about it?

  If so… what would their attitude toward the Uchiha become?

  His mind was a storm of uncertainty.

  “Uchiha Shisui.”

  A voice broke the silence. An Anbu appeared, cloaked in shadow.

  “The Hokage wants to see you.”

  Shisui’s heart skipped a beat, though his face remained calm.

  “I’ll go now.”

  With a heavy heart, he arrived at the Hokage’s office.

  “Shisui.”Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his paperwork, smiling warmly.

  “Rex. Make yourself at home.”

  Shisui let out a breath of relief.

  So I was wrong. I shouldn’t have doubted Lord Hokage.

  “I called you here to assign a mission,” Hiruzen said with a sigh. “Since Minato’s death, the Hidden Cloud has unched an attack. We have no choice but to respond.”

  “I’ll complete the mission, no matter what!” Shisui said firmly.

  “I’ve always trusted you,” Hiruzen said with genuine emotion. “You have Uchiha Kagami’s blood—and his spirit.”

  His expression softened, nostalgic. “Kagami and I were like brothers. Whenever I see you, I see him again.”

  Uchiha Kagami had been personally chosen by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

  He embodied the true Will of Fire.

  And Shisui was his descendant.

  “Konoha was pnning a Jonin selection,” Hiruzen continued. “But things have been hectic.”

  He stood and pced a hand on Shisui’s shoulder.

  “Your strength far exceeds that of a Chunin. For this mission, I’m giving you temporary Jonin authority.”

  “Thank you, Lord Hokage!” Shisui said gratefully.

  Jonin status meant he was officially part of Konoha’s core.

  It also meant Hiruzen recognized his value.

  “Do well. When you return, I’ll bring you into the Anbu.”

  Hiruzen smiled kindly.

  This is the kind of Uchiha we need.

  Ordinary shinobi wouldn’t get a personal meeting like this.

  But Shisui… he was special.

  Bringing him into the Anbu meant more than gaining a prodigy—it meant having a bridge to the Uchiha cn. A way to understand them.

  And right now, the Uchiha were anything but easy to deal with.

  Hiruzen needed someone he could trust.

  And for Shisui, this conversation confirmed something crucial—

  The attack had been Orochimaru’s own doing.It had nothing to do with Konoha.