Swish, swish! Swish!
Night fell. Rain poured relentlessly, striking rooftops with rhythmic intensity. Heavy droplets splashed and shattered as they landed, and Konoha's lights shimmered like a mirage through the downpour.
Shadows darted over rooftops like silent owls. Each figure wore lightweight gray tactical vests, sheathed short swords or straight blades on their backs.
Many of them still carried the scent of blood. Behind their white masks, their gazes were solemn and cold, causing villagers to instinctively avoid them.
They passed through lively, bustling streets and headed toward the desolate edges of the village.
Finally, they stopped in front of a building marked with the kanji for "Dark" — the headquarters of Konoha's ANBU.
Nearly every available ANBU operative had been summoned. Though the space was crowded, it was orderly and silent, the atmosphere as somber as a funeral.
Among them stood Kakashi Hatake.
His forehead was wrapped in bandages. His lone exposed eye — dead-fish-like as ever — was clouded with confusion.
Who had placed those explosive tags? Was it the Third Hokage?
Kakashi hadn't seen the strange black cat. All he'd witnessed was Orochimaru being blasted mid-air by the explosion beneath his feet.
Despite being close, Kakashi had only suffered minor injuries compared to Orochimaru's devastating blow. Even though he'd tried to counter the blast with a jutsu, his arm had still been torn apart.
And yet… the Third hadn't arranged any traps beforehand… had he?
Creak…!
The doors to the ANBU HQ opened with a jarring screech, shattering the silence.
Kakashi pushed aside his thoughts, donned his mask, and looked up.
Two figures stepped out — one in the red-and-white Hokage robe and hat: Hiruzen Sarutobi. The other wore a black kimono, his right arm and eye wrapped in bandages. His narrow eyes and chin scar gave him a brooding look.
Shimura Danzo — founder and leader of Root, the man who controlled Konoha's shadow.
"This emergency assembly," Hiruzen began, stepping forward, "is to apprehend the fugitive Orochimaru, who slipped through our grasp earlier."
His gaze swept across the ANBU as he continued in a calm yet commanding tone.
"According to reports, Orochimaru has suffered grave injuries. Given his condition, leaving the Land of Fire in a short time will be extremely difficult."
"Orochimaru's knowledge, intelligence, and techniques are of immeasurable value to Konoha. If possible, bring him back alive."
"But if he escapes our borders, the damage he could cause to Konoha would be catastrophic."
A pause.
"We must outrun him to the border," Hiruzen said grimly. "Search with everything you've got."
Without wasting another word, he gave the command: "Disperse!"
Swish! Swish!
The ANBU vanished like ravens into the storm, determined to hunt down that elusive serpent — no matter where he slithered.
When they were gone, Hiruzen turned back toward the ANBU HQ.
But as he passed Danzo, a voice laced with sarcasm murmured:
"You really do love your precious students, don't you?"
Hiruzen stopped, head lowering slightly. His face was shadowed beneath his hat.
"You, of all people, made a mistake?" Danzo continued. "I heard you rescued a Hyuga boy from Orochimaru?"
The two had been allies — and rivals — for decades. Hiruzen sighed inwardly, recognizing the insinuation.
"That boy is merely unfortunate," Hiruzen replied softly. "He's from the Hyuga branch family."
A clear subtext: don't waste your time.
Regardless of what Orochimaru may have done to him, a Branch member marked with the Caged Bird Seal could never be useful.
If not for that, Hiruzen might have tried to mentor him — his Will of Fire was that strong, even if he had no talent.
Even as a civilian, he could've been a teacher at the Academy.
But he was not.
He was from the Branch Family — a servant to the Main.
The Hyuga Main Family could destroy his brain with a mere command.
Compared to that, Danzo's own Root Tongue Curse Seal, which only caused paralysis, was practically merciful.
"…"
Danzo said nothing, simply gazed into the night. After a moment, he spoke again with his usual cold tone:
"Regardless, I'll assist however I can."
"For Konoha's sake, I'll give it everything I've got."
"…Then I must apologize," Hiruzen replied blandly. "For troubling you so."
Without further exchange, he left.
Despite Danzo's veiled mockery and probable involvement with Orochimaru's experiments, Hiruzen knew one thing:
Once Orochimaru betrayed the village… Danzo would stop at nothing to erase the threat.
That explosion that crippled Orochimaru… it might have been Danzo's hidden move.
That's why Hiruzen tolerated Danzo's underhanded actions — because everything Danzo did was, in the end, for Konoha.
As Shigure once said:
"For a great tree like Konoha to grow… it needs roots that never see the sun."
But that's all it needed — roots kept in darkness.
After Hiruzen left, Danzo opened his eyes.
Caw—
A crow landed on his shoulder, dropping a small scroll into his hand.
Danzo unrolled it. Tiny encrypted characters — Root's code.
It detailed the cleanup of Orochimaru's lab. But most of the equipment and records had been obliterated by the blast.
Explosive tags had been laid along the entire underground tunnel — the entire lab reduced to rubble.
Those devices had cost Danzo a fortune through shady channels — some of them even Root didn't have.
"Was that Orochimaru? Destroying everything to spite me?"
Danzo frowned, then shook his head.
Orochimaru had lost an arm to the blast. With his chakra depleted, there was no need to fake such a loss.
And Hiruzen? Too merciful. He wouldn't resort to such total annihilation.
Danzo's eyes narrowed.
Then… who?
Who had the cunning to ensnare both Orochimaru and Hiruzen in one play?
He thought of the sole survivor: the Hyuga boy.
But reason told him it was impossible.
Such clean, ruthless, invisible tactics couldn't come from a fifteen-year-old child.
A Hyuga Branch orphan with no parents, no status, no power?
"Damn it! Who the hell was it?!"
Danzo crushed the scroll in rage, hating this feeling of being outmaneuvered.
Whoever it was — they were more dangerous than Orochimaru.
And Shimura Danzo, the "Darkness of the Shinobi," would never allow them to live.
Better to kill the wrong one than let a threat escape.
He narrowed his eyes at the thought of Shigure, pulled out another scroll, wrote in cipher, and sent it off with the crow.
Just a "worthless" Branch Hyuga. No one would care if he died in an "accident."
Meanwhile, deep in the forests hundreds of kilometers from Konoha—
Crack.
A dry branch snapped.
Birds startled. A shadow staggered from the darkness.
"Hah… hah…"
Orochimaru leaned against a tree, tasting blood in his throat.
His left arm was severed below the elbow. Bone and shredded flesh were exposed. Half his body was soaked in blood.
This was the worst injury he'd ever suffered—even after all his body modifications.
Fortunately, he had a fallback: the Iburi Clan, hidden in the Land of Fire.
They had the Kekkei Genkai "Smoke Transformation," turning into vapor to possess others — though wind could disperse and kill them.
Their unstable power had led to many deaths — until Orochimaru helped them master it, extending their lifespans.
He stored their blood as emergency healing supply.
If not for the final explosion, he could've made it.
"Damn that brat!!" he roared hoarsely.
He clutched the scroll at his chest.
The ancient secrets — still with him.
As long as he could break the seal, he could learn more about the Ōtsutsuki.
He'd even brought a piece of their flesh. If Edo Tensei could be perfected…
Only one option remained: summon Manda and use Reverse Summoning to escape.
But that damned snake would probably try to eat him first.
And the White Snake Sage, along with Tagorihime, Ichikishimahime, and Tagitsuhime—none were friendly.
Cough, cough!
Blood spewed from his lips. His vision blurred. His limbs trembled.
Death loomed.
He dug his fingers into the tree, crushing moss into slime.
He would not die here. Not until he had his revenge — not until he possessed the world's truth.
Just as he resolved to summon—
POOF!
A burst of white smoke. Orochimaru vanished.
Moments later—
A tall figure appeared: white-haired, clad in red.
Jiraiya.
"Reverse Summoning?" Jiraiya muttered, frowning. "Orochimaru, what have you done…"
At that same moment—
In a massive cave converted from a natural grotto, stalactites hung from the ceiling like fangs.
The stone floor was inlaid with serpentine engravings. Green-blue flames flickered in sconces. Crystals glowed faintly on the walls.
"Where…?"
Orochimaru groaned, opening his eyes.
"Ryūchi Cave?"
He hadn't summoned Manda. How had he been pulled here?
"Orochimaru."
A cold, ethereal voice rang out.
He looked up.
There, coiled atop a massive stone seat, lay a gigantic white-scaled serpent.
The White Snake Sage.
Ryūchi Cave's founder.
Over a thousand years old — power immeasurable.
Usually, it took the form of an elderly woman in a white robe.
But now — for the first time — Orochimaru saw its true form.
Its serene aura was gone. In its place — primal menace.
"Impossible…"
Those amber eyes locked on him.
A human-like expression of shock and doubt rippled across the serpent's face.
"Your fate… has been rewritten?"
At that moment, back in Konoha—
In a run-down house at the edge of the Hyuga compound—
"Meow."
A soft mewl echoed between cricket chirps.
Hyuga Shigure opened his eyes.
"Finally left…"
He sat up, gazing at the quiet night through the window.
Fingers brushed his bandaged throat. He smiled.
A mortal wound — half-healed in a single day.
This level of regeneration didn't rival Hashirama's cells, but it freed him from the frailty of normal ninja bodies.
And this was just one of the benefits his new body offered.
He looked toward a translucent panel that appeared before him:
[Name: Hyuga Shigure]
[Age: 15]
[Bloodline: Hyuga → Ōtsutsuki (5%)]
[Chakra Capacity: D → S Rank]
[Chakra Nature: Wind → Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning, Yin, Yang]
[Jutsu: …]