Epilogue (3): Danzo's Scheme

Having suffered two defeats in a row, even with Danzo's patience, he felt a sense of frustration welling up inside him, a feeling that was hard to express.

However, his facial expression did not change.

For a ninja like him, suppressing that pent-up frustration was a basic skill, as it was not letting emotions affect his mind.

Intrigues and schemes are bound to go smoothly—that's something that only happens in the real world. In reality, plans always go awry because there are always unforeseen factors, and the biggest variable is people. Even someone as talented as Shikamaru made a miscalculation during the Chunin Ninja Exams, collapsing unconscious. If Sakura and Hinata hadn't arrived in time, the outcome might have been very different.

Orochimaru's unimaginable regenerative abilities and Sakura Haruno's unexpected fighting prowess were information that neither Root nor Danzo knew beforehand. Danzo didn't say anything about it—only a god could know all the information.

At least, he has obtained a lot of important intelligence in this operation.

Therefore, Danzo simply waved his hand indifferently, dismissing the two Root ninjas who had failed their mission and were kneeling before him.

He was left alone, leaning on his cane, standing silently.

The damp, dark cave suddenly fell into a deathly silence.

A long time.

"Ice Body Flicker Technique..." Danzo murmured thoughtfully, his voice as cold and hard as the bark of an old tree being rubbed.

He recalled the information about Ice Release in his mind—the scroll sent back from the Land of Snow. Although Danzo hadn't read it completely, he knew a little about it. Was it the Ice Body Flicker Technique recorded on the scroll? Or was it Yuki Haku's Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals technique?

No... if those two moves were that powerful, word would have already spread in Konoha; he couldn't possibly have missed them.

So, is this another new technique of Sakura Haruno?

The Ice Release Ice Release Body Flicker Technique, which combines the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals and the Ice Body Flicker Technique, has an effect similar to the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique? Danzo knew about the Fourth Hokage; the Flying Thunder God Technique was a Ninjutsu passed down from the Second Hokage. Decades have passed, and in the entire Konoha, only the Fourth Hokage could use the Body Flicker Technique with such mastery.

The Body Flicker Technique isn't as cool as beginners imagine. On the contrary, using Body Flicker Technique often means the user faces even greater risks than the enemy. The biggest problem lies in the sense of imbalance that follows. Moving Body Flicker Technique from one space to another causes a feeling of sudden weightlessness, similar to standing on a tall building and the floor beneath your feet suddenly disappearing and then reappearing. Therefore, it often takes a considerable amount of time to regain balance after Body Flicker Technique, which is the danger of the Body Flicker Technique.

The Fourth was a rare ninja with exceptionally fast reaction speed and balance. He could regain his balance almost instantly and even perform the Body Flicker Technique while moving at high speed without interrupting his high-speed motion—this is the legendary Flying Thunder God: Stage Two.

However, after the Fourth, no ninja in Konoha has been able to use the Body Flicker Technique so effectively—perhaps Body Flicker Shisui could be considered one, but unfortunately, he relied on the Sharingan to achieve this.

So, how does Sakura Haruno manage to Body Flicker Technique during battle?

Danzo had repeatedly raised his opinion of the girl, but now he realized that he still underestimated her.

Therefore, it seems that Sakura Haruno's Water Gun Technique were not a fleeting moment, but merely the tip of the iceberg...

Previously, when he heard her developing some kind of Stage Two and Stage Three Ninjutsu, he thought they were all just boring Ninjutsu, like that Ice Clone that completely replicated her original form. Now it seems that it was nothing more than a smokescreen. Danzo even had reason to suspect that the Third and Fifth Hokage deliberately made Sakura Haruno demonstrate this Ninjutsu to him; he remembered that it was the Third who let her in...

So this Ice Body Flicker Technique is one of the so-called stages two or three, right? The next stage of the Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals or the Land of Snow Body Flicker Technique?

So, what Ninjutsu are used in the other stages two and three?

"Sakura Haruno..." A glimmer of light flickered in his cloudy eyes as he repeatedly chewed over the word.

"Keihaku." Danzo slammed his cane on the ground and said in Danzo.

A ninja wearing a hooded trench coat, completely hidden in the shadows with only his eyes showing, appeared before Danzo.

"Raise the priority of intelligence gathering on Chunin Sakura Haruno by two levels," Danzo.

"Yes!" It seemed illogical to pay so much attention to a mere Chunin, but the Root ninja's eyes did not change at all, and he answered loudly without hesitation.

"In addition--"

Danzo for a moment.

This action signifies that he has officially broken ties with Orochimaru.

For Danzo, it was perfectly normal to turn his back on someone right after a successful collaboration.

The Sharingan transplant has been completed, and the Konoha Crush Plan is proceeding as scheduled. Orochimaru's usefulness to him is basically gone. On the contrary, if the Hokage discovers that he and Orochimaru have had many dealings, it will be a big problem.

Therefore, Danzo devised a scheme to completely kill Orochimaru. Of course, he also wanted to eliminate his perceived threat Sasuke Uchiha, and seize another pair of Sharingan to frame Orochimaru, thus causing Uchiha Itachi to fight Orochimaru —if Orochimaru was still alive at that time.

This was Danzo's plan, a conspiracy to kill several birds with one stone.

Unfortunately, despite the perfect planning, neither of the two main objectives was achieved.

Moreover, Orochimaru made significant contributions not only to the Sharingan transplant but also to the development of other Secret Technique within Root. Without the help of this Ninjutsu expert, much of Root's work would have been hampered...

Therefore, Root needs another talented ninja with research and development abilities, and that other one Orochimaru.

Thinking about this...

"The Sakura Haruno Recruitment Plan... is restarting."

Danzo said indifferently.

Slender fingertips slid down her smooth, flawless back.

It outlines an exquisite curve.

"Hmm... Hmph." The girl, lying on the hospital bed, buried her head in the soft pillow, only her soft pink hair showing, and let out a soft, long moan.

"What's wrong?" The woman stopped her Ninjutsu, blinked her bright eyes, and asked gently, "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt... Bai, the spot you pressed just now feels a little numb." The pink-haired girl's voice came from under the pillowcase, muffled and sounding like she was being coquettish.

Bai gently rubbed the numb area for her, smiling softly with a bright, radiant smile, "It's alright. The numbness means your wound is almost healed. Just bear with it; as long as it doesn't hurt, it's fine."

Her cool fingertips emitted a faint blue light as they pressed against the thin layer of tender flesh on the girl's exposed spine, sliding all the way down to the tailbone.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, right, Sakura? How about we try activating Cherry Blossom Impact?"

"Hmm..." Sakura Haruno raised her head and activated her Secret Technique - Cherry Blossom Impact, watching her palms open and close smoothly and effortlessly.

The long-awaited "intention and action" proceeded smoothly without any sense of delay.

"Very good..."

The surge of energy and the return of familiar sensations caused the pink-haired girl to raise an eyebrow and smile faintly; her delicate, patient-like demeanor transformed into a strikingly heroic air in that smile.

"It seems you've fully recovered. However, Sakura, Cherry Blossom Impact is a dangerous Ninjutsu. You must be very careful when using it, especially... This time it was just a minor injury to your nervous system, but next time, it could be a permanent injury!" Bai warned with a cold expression.

"Bai, don't worry..."

The girl on the hospital bed propped herself up, looked out the window at the blue sky, and smiled. Her smile was warm, bright, and full of confidence.

"I will never be this pathetic again."

--If "it" finishes.

She silently added this sentence in her mind.

End of Volume VI.

Happy Qixi Festival!

(A new week has begun, please recommend! Please add to your favorites!)

(I'll write a side story if I have time in the evenings and post it in the book review section.)