Danzo was just about to end the unpleasant meeting when a Root operative materialized at his side, leaned in, and whispered a message into his ear.
Danzo's face twisted with anger.
"Orochimaru—where exactly have you been? Tsunade already knows you're inside the village. The alert level has been raised."
In the dim light, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, and a slow, amused smile spread across his lips.
"I merely passed by the Chūnin Exams venue," he replied lazily. "I saw an old subordinate and… couldn't resist taking a closer look. It was quite nostalgic."
Danzo understood instantly, and his expression grew even more sour.
"You left behind such troublesome loose ends," he said coldly. "And you didn't even clean them up back then. You've gone soft, Orochimaru."
But Danzo was already running calculations in his mind.
If Tsunade's intel came only from Anko's unstable Cursed Seal reaction—and lacked concrete evidence—there was still room to maneuver.
"Heh… Just a trivial failed experiment," Orochimaru said dismissively. "If you find it troublesome, feel free to clean it up yourself."
Danzo snapped, "Stay here until I give my next orders!"
Then he gestured to the shadows. "Jin. Remain and keep watch."
The Root ninja responded instantly, standing guard like a silent pillar.
Danzo's figure receded into the dark passageway—he needed to prepare for Hiruzen's inevitable questioning.
Orochimaru wandered leisurely through the abandoned facility, fingertips tracing the dust-covered operating table, leaving faint lines in the grime.
Time passed in near total silence, broken only by tiny dust motes drifting through narrow beams of light from the ceiling vents.
Jin remained motionless, muscles coiled, every nerve stretched taut. He was watching Orochimaru—the Snake Sannin. There was no margin for error.
Then, Orochimaru suddenly paused.
He tilted his head and let his gaze sweep across Jin.
Just a glance.
But Jin felt all the blood in his body freeze.
The world twisted. His limbs grew impossibly heavy. A sharp tearing pain bloomed in his chest. He looked down—and saw a pale hand piercing straight through him, clutching a faintly beating heart as warm blood poured out.
A genjutsu.
He knew it—yet he couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't even scream.
Jin stood rigid, bound by invisible coils.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a small, bored smile.
Then, without a sound, his body sank into the floor as if it were water—rippling, swallowing him—until no trace remained.
The lively atmosphere of the arena had yet to fade, but the tension among Konoha's leadership was palpable.
Fugaku had already left midway through the event—reports of a possible infiltration by Orochimaru demanded he return to the Police Force compound and lock down the Uchiha district immediately.
Advisors Koharu and Homura remained behind, taking over the task of hosting the various daimyo and nobles.
The Chūnin Exams had been arranged for these clients, and ending the event abruptly was forbidden.
Communication with visiting shinobi teams was brief and subdued. They had all lost—and although they came prepared for defeat, seeing Itachi win so effortlessly left them in no mood to exchange pleasantries with Konoha.
The final match—Uchiha Itachi versus Kumogakure's C—was a spectacle.
Lightning Release crackled across the field, Fire Release roared back to meet it. Steel clashed with kunai—and then came the Uchiha's signature finishing sequence.
A narrow opening.
Sharingan eye contact.
A heartbeat of paralysis induced by genjutsu.
A clean, decisive takedown.
Simple. Efficient. Terrifying.
The teams from Kumogakure and Sunagakure planned to rest overnight before departing once their injured stabilized.
Mui from Kusa would remain for several days, and a Konoha escort would accompany him later to handle follow-up matters.
Not long after Danzo returned to Root headquarters, the expected summons arrived—from Hiruzen.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen and Tsunade were already waiting when Danzo arrived.
"Hiruzen, what is it?" Danzo asked curtly.
Hiruzen lifted his gaze. "Danzo… you're aware that Orochimaru infiltrated the village, aren't you?"
Danzo's lone visible eye remained still, unreadable.
"Where did this supposed information come from?"
Their eyes clashed in the air, the silence tightening the space around them.
Tsunade spoke up. "From Anko. The cursed seal on her neck reacted violently."
"Anko Mitarashi?" Danzo snorted. "A girl discarded by Orochimaru. And her vague sensation is enough to raise the entire village's alert level?"
He shook his head in disdain.
"This kind of overreaction will only make the daimyo and the remaining foreign shinobi think Konoha is unstable and overly timid. You'll invite needless suspicion."
His gaze sharpened.
"You're too hasty, Tsunade. Reckless."
"You—!" Tsunade's chakra flared as her fists clenched.
"Enough." Hiruzen's voice cut cleanly between them. He glanced at Tsunade's furious expression, then at Danzo. "Regardless of the source, a reaction from Anko's Cursed Seal is something we cannot ignore."
He turned to Danzo.
"Root will cooperate with Anbu immediately. Search every suspicious location in the Village—especially abandoned facilities Orochimaru once used."
"I'll lead the Anbu myself," Tsunade declared, her eyes boring into Danzo.
Hiruzen didn't object.
Danzo hesitated only a moment before bowing his head slightly.
"…Understood."
He had already prepared the scene. Tsunade could search all she wanted—she would find nothing.
The crowd had begun to thin when Roshi spotted Uchiha Mikoto approaching with her sons. Sasuke bounced around Itachi excitedly, face flushed with pride.
"Nii-san is unbeatable! That Kumogakure guy didn't stand a chance against the Sharingan!"
Itachi offered a small smile, patting his brother's head.
"Captain. Anko-senpai."
He greeted politely, though he noticed something off about Anko's stiff expression.
"Congratulations, Itachi," Roshi said. "It was a solid match."
They naturally merged with Mikoto's group, Sasuke still chattering nonstop while Mikoto responded gently. Yet her eyes often drifted toward Roshi and her eldest son.
As they walked toward the Uchiha district, Roshi and Itachi fell behind the others.
Roshi spoke quietly.
"For the next few days, even inside the Uchiha compound, stay alert."
Itachi turned slightly. "Orochimaru? The Sannin…?"
"Mm." Roshi scanned the thinning crowd. "The foreign dignitaries are still here, so the barrier can't operate at full strength. Finding him won't be easy."
Root's investigation of the Hidden Sound Village made it clear Danzo had resumed cooperating with Orochimaru. With Root's cover—and Orochimaru's skill—he could slip through Konoha like a shadow.
Roshi added in a low voice,
"Danzo once tried using you as a bargaining chip. If Orochimaru came in this time, he may have an eye on you too."
Itachi's expression tightened. "I see… Thank you for the warning, Captain."
Nothing more needed to be said.
When they reached the Uchiha compound, Mikoto turned and thanked Roshi and Anko. After Fugaku was called away, she had already guessed something urgent had happened—and she understood Roshi had walked with them for protection.
Once the family disappeared behind the gate, Roshi turned to the quiet girl beside him.
"Let's go," he said. "Stay with me at my home tonight."
Anko blinked, startled.
"Eh? No, no, that's not necessary! I can just go back to my apartment—"
"I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone right now."
Even though Orochimaru had long discarded her, the Cursed Seal remained a tether. If he wanted to test its condition—or her reaction—tonight would be the perfect opportunity.
There was no sense in taking the risk.
"There are plenty of empty rooms at the old house," Roshi continued. "You won't bother anyone."
Anko opened her mouth, clearly wanting to argue—but the firmness in Roshi's eyes made her falter. She lowered her head slightly, cheeks warming.
"…All right. Then… I'll stay. Just for tonight."
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