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After accepting the mission to find Shizune, Kakashi felt completely drained.
Working over ten hours a day, he had questioned nearly half the village, yet found no leads.
Upon closer reflection, however, the current situation made perfect sense.
Over the past two months, more than one or two ninjas had gone missing, yet there were no clues whatsoever—indicating that the perpetrators were extremely experienced.
No matter the reason Shizune had been captured, if the same group was responsible, the chances of them leaving behind any traces were slim.
Kakashi shared his thoughts with Tsunade.
Tsunade, who had already lost all leads, was on the verge of collapse after just two weeks. If not for the "Strength of a Hundred Seal" maintaining her youthful appearance, she would have looked even more haggard.
After listening to Kakashi's report, she fell into deep thought for over ten minutes before finally asking, "Do you have any ideas?"
"Search every household."
It was the most rudimentary method, but also the most effective.
At first, Tsunade disagreed with Kakashi's suggestion. Had they used this approach the day after Shizune's disappearance, it might have worked. But now, two weeks had passed—to put it bluntly, if Shizune was already dead, her body might have begun decomposing.
Moreover, mobilizing the entire village for a search just for Shizune would undoubtedly stir discontent among Konoha's residents.
After some deliberation, the two decided to start by searching the major clans first, while deploying Anbu operatives to secretly observe any unusual reactions during the process.
Tsunade relayed this proposal to the Third Hokage, who remained silent for a long time before finally agreeing—but on one condition: once the search was over, they had to temporarily set the matter aside.
"The Chunin Exams are about to begin."
Though reluctant, Tsunade nodded.
This sudden search operation caught many off guard, and even the Anbu monitoring the situation found it both amusing and exasperating.
For instance, one family head had been secretly hoarding a private stash of money, only for his wife to discover it during the search.
That was the lighter side of things.
In another case, a man was caught in an affair when the sudden knock on the door forced him to climb out the window and cling to the wall—only to look up and see an Anbu operative on the rooftop, who gave him an awkward wave. The scene couldn't have been more mortifying.
Danzo, as the leader of "Root," was also subject to the search.
Aside from Tsunade's personal distrust of him, his residence was large enough to potentially hide someone.
Kakashi bowed deeply to Danzo, briefly explained the situation, and, after receiving permission, proceeded to lead the Anbu in their search. Meanwhile, Tsunade engaged Danzo in small talk, smiling all the while.
Danzo remained composed. Realizing Tsunade's intent to keep him from interfering with Kakashi's search, he played along, exchanging idle chatter until his throat grew dry from the conversation. Just as he was about to call for tea, Tsunade suddenly spoke up:
"Lord Danzo, what happened to your arm?"
"Huh?" Danzo froze, his gaze dropping to his arm as a chill ran down his spine.
If anyone else had asked, he could have brushed it off with an excuse—but not Tsunade.
Her medical expertise was unparalleled, not just in Konoha, but in the entire shinobi world. Danzo couldn't think of anyone who surpassed her in that field.
"Would you like me to take a look? And your right eye… You've had it bandaged for so long—it must be painful, no?" Tsunade pressed.
"N-No need." Danzo quickly shook his head.
Are you kidding? There's no way I can let her see this. If the Uchiha clan found out, they'd hunt me to the ends of the earth!
"I have full confidence in my medical skills," Tsunade said.
"I understand, but my personal physician has his own treatment methods. I wouldn't want to trouble you," Danzo replied before hastily excusing himself.
He couldn't afford to keep talking to Tsunade—if this continued, she might just tear off his bandages right then and there.
The search yielded no results, and when Kakashi reported back to Tsunade, his face was filled with guilt.
Tsunade merely nodded, her mood growing heavier.
The longer this dragged on, the slimmer the chances of Shizune being alive became.
At this point, she wasn't even hoping for Shizune's survival—she just wanted answers, regardless of whether Shizune was dead or alive.
For the next two days, Danzo carried on as usual, showing no signs of suspicion. But by the third day, "Root" finally brought him news—the hidden Anbu surveillance had been withdrawn.
"Hmph. A bunch of brats trying to outmaneuver me? They forget who laid the foundation for the Anbu in the first place," Danzo muttered darkly before impatiently summoning Orochimaru from the basement.
"Let me ask you one more time—I don't have much time left. You must guarantee me two things. First, Tsunade must be the one to kill Shizune. I can't stand that woman any longer. The deaths of Dan and Nawaki broke her spirit before, but this time, I'll extinguish the last ember of hope in her heart!"
Tsunade had already noticed his eye and arm.
During their confrontation the other day, had the Third Hokage been present, Danzo might have been forced to remove his bandages on the spot.
So Tsunade had to be dealt with—either killed or driven away.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to continue his schemes in Konoha.
"That's simple enough. You said there was a second condition?" Orochimaru asked.
"Of course. I can't wait any longer—you must perform the transplant as soon as possible. Do you have any idea how much risk I'm taking by delaying this?"
"Even if you say that, I still need time. Otherwise, why summon me at all? You could've just transplanted the eyes into your arm yourself," Orochimaru countered.
"..." Danzo clenched his fists.
He was in too deep now—backing out was no longer an option.
"Then hurry up," Danzo hissed through gritted teeth.
"Any other demands?"
"No."
"In that case… I have one." Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "I need the Chunin Exam arena's layout, the list of participants, and the guard duty roster."
"You're actually planning to make your move?" Danzo's expression shifted in surprise.
"Just leave it to me," Orochimaru said with a smile. "Once my operation is complete, I'll perform your surgery immediately!"
"You're pushing your luck," Danzo spat.
"Not at all. Think about it—we're allies. The stronger I become, the stronger you become by extension. And the stronger you are, the stronger Konoha becomes. That logic holds, doesn't it?"
Danzo carefully considered the reasoning and found it sound.
"Don't you dare deceive me," he warned.
"Relax. We're allies—why would I betray you?" Orochimaru's lips curled into an innocent smile. But as soon as he turned away, his gaze turned sharp, and his tongue flicked out to lick his lips in anticipation.