Looking at the two who suddenly appeared and then suddenly left, Toneri Otsutsuki stood frozen on the spot.
"I was ignored?!"
Even long after Mumei and Kabuto's figures had left his field of vision and disappeared into another forest, he still hadn't come back to his senses.
Just now, when the two approached him, for a split second, his instincts frantically warned him.
High-level chakra often possesses many incredible abilities, just like the Miko can foresee death and the Great Toad Sage can prophesy the future.
With the help of that giant Tenseigan on the moon, Toneri Otsutsuki's chakra level had also reached an inconceivable level. So his instinctive warning was by no means an illusion, but a genuine sense.
He sensed that the two who just passed by and ignored him both possessed terrifying strength that could threaten him.
"Damn it..."
Instantly, suspicion spread in his heart.
And when he realized this suspicion originated from the fear rising in his heart, he felt shame and guilt. He was ashamed that he would actually feel fear towards these fallen ninjas on the ground, and at the same time felt guilty towards the ancestors who entrusted him with the supreme mission.
"I will be back!"
He hid the pride on his face, put away the Byakugan taken from Hiashi, took a last look in the direction Mumei and Kabuto left, and flashed away.
After Toneri Otsutsuki left, Hiashi, who had lost his eyes, was stunned, a look of confusion appearing on his face.
The other side of the village.
As the Third Hokage led the ninja army to fight Orochimaru and lost contact, the village fell into complete chaos. This chaos was directly reflected in the Hokage Building which had become a mess. Intelligence and news sent from all over the village left the Intelligence Division unsure of whose desk to send them to.
At this time, Danzo led a group of ninjas back to the Hokage Building.
Although his status was still a prisoner, Danzo had been the village's advisory elder for so many years. Plus, taking advantage of the Third Hokage leading the army to fight Orochimaru, he urgently gathered his hardcore subordinates. So after leading the group back to the Hokage Building, he immediately awed the Hidden Leaf ninjas inside.
An Intelligence Division ninja bit the bullet and went up to meet him: "Dan... Danzo-sama, why are you..."
Danzo asked, leaning on his cane: "Who is in charge here now?"
The Hidden Leaf ninjas in the Hokage Building looked at each other, no one answering.
"Hmph, all follow me!"
Snorting lightly, Danzo went straight to the Hokage's office and sat in the Hokage's seat.
The Hidden Leaf ninjas who followed Danzo to the Hokage's office, awed by Danzo's prestige and the accompanying subordinates of Danzo, although each looking strange, no one stood up to raise objections.
Danzo raised the corners of his mouth in satisfaction and asked: "How is the situation in the village now?"
The Intelligence Division ninja stood out and reported: "Currently, Orochimaru and his henchmen have attacked multiple strongholds in the village. We suffered heavy losses, even the Third Hokage has lost contact."
Danzo frowned: "Where is Orochimaru now?"
The Intelligence Division ninja shook his head: "The frontline troops have completely collapsed. We have completely lost the movements of Orochimaru and his group."
"Useless!" Cursing, Danzo said angrily: "Send people to check immediately. I want to know the exact location of Orochimaru and his group now!"
"Yes!"
The Intelligence Division ninja responded and hurriedly turned to leave.
Danzo looked at the others again: "Dead or alive, I want to know where Hiruzen is!"
Swish...
Before Danzo finished speaking, an Intelligence Division ninja panicked and broke into the Hokage's office, shouting: "Bad news! We found the Third Hokage's body in the Forest of Death. The Third Hokage-sama has been killed in action!"
"What!?"
"How could it be..."
"Damn it!"
The Hokage's office immediately became noisy. Hidden Leaf ninjas were filled with righteous indignation one by one, because without thinking, they knew the one who killed the Third Hokage must be Orochimaru.
"Hiruzen..."
Danzo also fell silent.
Although he knew the Third Hokage's fight against Orochimaru was fraught with grim possibilities, when he really heard the news of the death of the Third Hokage, his lifelong rival, he still couldn't hide the shock in his heart.
"Foolish guy!"
After sighing with emotion again, Danzo restrained his emotions.
The Third Hokage's death was his best opportunity to seize power in the village. After all, Tsunade, the current Hokage, was far away in the Land of Rain. Jiraiya, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu, who were advisory elders like him, were either with Tsunade in the Land of Rain or stationed in other small countries.
In the current village, no one could rival him in terms of seniority and prestige, even though his status was just a prisoner.
Just as he was calculating how to regain power and control the village, the Intelligence Division ninja brought the latest news. Orochimaru and his group were suspected of heading to the Military Police Force Building.
"Military Police Force Building!?" Danzo was stunned, then realized: "Orochimaru, this guy really never changes!"
Obviously, having cooperated with Orochimaru, he saw at a glance that the purpose of Orochimaru and his group going to the Military Police Force Building was for Shinji Uchiha.
And this point also reminded him.
Strictly speaking, there was currently one person in the village whose position could interfere with his control of the village, and this person was exactly Shinji, the Captain of the Hidden Leaf Military Police Force.
Because in terms of position, the Captain of the Hidden Leaf Military Police Force was the head of a department, ranking equal to department leaders like the Head of the Jonin Council, Head of the Intelligence Division, etc., only half a rank lower than advisory elders.
So under the current special circumstances where the Hokage and advisory elders were either not in the village or killed in action, Shinji Uchiha, as a department head, was one of the few people with the highest position in the village.
Considering that the Hidden Leaf Military Police Force had the responsibility of protecting the village's safety, in wartime, the authority of the Military Police Force Captain would obviously be higher than some other department heads. Therefore, regardless of whether Shinji Uchiha himself possessed corresponding prestige, at least institutionally, he was very likely the person with the highest position in the village currently.
Thinking of this, Danzo's expression changed: "Go check quickly, I want to know what happened at the Military Police Force Building!"
"Understood!"
The Intelligence Division ninja dared not neglect and hurriedly withdrew.
Danzo then instructed the subordinates beside him: "Gather manpower!"
"Yes!"
Danzo's old subordinates from Root set off one after another to gather more manpower.
Danzo then came to the window and looked in the direction of the Hidden Leaf Military Police Building.
For him, the best result would undoubtedly be Orochimaru and Shinji Uchiha perishing together. In this way, all his troubles would disappear.
But this was obviously wishful thinking, so he had to be prepared. Whether Orochimaru won or Shinji Uchiha won, he wanted to be the 'oriole' behind the mantis stalking the cicada, becoming the final winner of this chaotic gamble...