In the special care ward at Konoha Hospital, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had had all his casts removed. Although much of his body was still wrapped in bandages, he had at least regained basic mobility.
At that moment, he sat on the edge of his hospital bed with a livid expression, his fingers tightly clutching a slightly crumpled note.
An Anbu ninja had just delivered the note as an urgent report.
"Lord Hokage, what do we do now?" The Anbu ninja standing before the bed could not hide the anxiety in his voice.
The Third Hokage stared fixedly at the neat line of handwriting on the note.
[To preserve what we cherish, we have no other choice. All that we do is to lay the foundation for lasting peace—Ash]
Today, the closely guarded Seal Cocoon cell used to imprison Orochimaru had been found empty. Aside from this deliberately placed note, there had been no signs of a struggle, nor had any alarms been triggered. Orochimaru had simply vanished into thin air.
Orochimaru had been taken away by that mysterious organization, Ash?!
A wave of dizziness washed over the Third Hokage, forcing him to brace himself against the bedside cabinet. What was that organization's true objective? What did they intend to do with Orochimaru?
Countless terrifying possibilities churned through his mind. Did they want to exploit Orochimaru's knowledge of forbidden techniques? Or use his power to carry out some even more dangerous plan? The uncertain future and his complicated concern for his former student cast a pall over the Third Hokage's wrinkled face.
But as Hokage, he had to make a decision immediately.
Silence lingered in the ward for a long time before the Third Hokage finally spoke slowly. "...Return to your original duties. There is no need to