Shimura Danzō, Set Up

Shimura Danzō glanced at the scroll on the ground without saying much, then tore the bandages off his right arm.

As the bandages came away, a withered, deformed arm was revealed. It was a crippled limb left behind after being scorched by intense heat, then suffering multiple fractures to the bones within.

Even with the powerful medical ninjutsu possessed by shinobi, treating such an injury was exceedingly difficult. Not to mention that Shimura Danzō was already old, and his regenerative ability was far inferior to what it had once been.

The essence of medical ninjutsu was to accelerate cell division for rapid healing. But the number of times human cells could divide was limited, so this treatment method essentially traded lifespan for swift recovery.

For young people, this naturally was not much of a problem. Even losing a year or two of their lifespan would not significantly affect their physical condition.

But for an old man like Shimura Danzō, a sudden loss of lifespan could very well kill him outright.

Shimura Danzō did not use any anesthetic. He was not bold enough to undergo surgery while unconscious within Orochimaru's Base.

With a casual wave of his hand, amid the hum of Wind Release, Shimura Danzō severed his own right arm. He then picked up the left arm modified with Hashirama Cells and pressed it against the wound.

The Root Ninja standing behind Shimura Danzō immediately stepped forward. Green light shimmered from his hands as he began treating him.

With a groan, Shimura Danzō could feel powerful vitality flowing from the right arm formed from Hashirama Cells, nourishing his aged, withered body.

Shimura Danzō could feel that although his appearance had not changed, his physical condition had returned to how it had been more than a decade ago, when he was in his forties.

"This is wonderful... My body feels so much younger!"

Nourished by that vitality, flames of ambition blazed in Shimura Danzō's eyes. Hiruzen Sarutobi was now old, and Konoha's next generation was lacking. If the opportunity arose, he might truly be able to ascend to that supreme position!

Just as Shimura Danzō was indulging in his fantasies, the right arm he had just transplanted suddenly erupted with powerful Chakra. Before he could react, layers of sealing talismans spewed from the arm implanted with Hashirama Cells and crawled across his entire body.

Shimura Danzō's face changed drastically. By the time he reacted, not only was his body stiff and unable to move, but the Chakra within him had also been completely sealed.

"Orochimaru, what are you doing?!"

His shocked and furious voice echoed through Orochimaru's Base, but Orochimaru merely chuckled, his expression utterly matter-of-fact.

"Naturally, I intend to capture you, Lord Shimura Danzō, then borrow your power to completely take over Konoha!"

"Dream on! Root Ninja, kill him for me!"

Shimura Danzō shouted furiously, but Orochimaru did not care in the slightest.

"Lord Danzo, it seems you have forgotten that I was the one who selected all these Root Ninja under your command!"

Before his words had even faded, Orochimaru formed a hand seal. The Root Ninja rushing toward him immediately went stiff and numb, collapsing to the ground.

"You... What did you do?"

"Nothing much. When I helped you select these Root Ninja, I already left a backdoor in their Cursed Tongue Eradication Jutsu."

"Did you think you were the only one who could control these Root Ninja? In truth, my authority outranks yours!"

"Orochimaru!!"

"Lord Danzo, I know you have always taken pride in your scheme to lead me into darkness and drive me out of Konoha. But have you ever considered that I was merely going along with it?!"

"Your ambition and greed are as clear as the palm of my hand. With a little manipulation, they can accomplish many things... In fact, that is precisely why I was always willing to work with you."

Danzo might not have been a fool, but his all-too-obvious ambition and greed truly meant Orochimaru only needed a few minor tricks to exploit him completely. That was why Orochimaru had continued working with him in the past.

"Damn it... I never expected you to have hidden yourself so deeply, Orochimaru..."

"Do not think of using Izanagi or activating the Four Symbols Seal. The seal I added to that arm can completely lock down the Chakra in your body. Unless you have an entire Nine-Tails sealed inside you, you cannot break through my seal."

Whether it was Izanagi or the Four Symbols Seal, without Chakra, even the most powerful ninjutsu could not be activated.

Orochimaru slowly walked up to Shimura Danzō, took out a syringe, and jabbed him with it directly, smiling all the while.

Shimura Danzō's body trembled slightly. Then his eyes rolled back, and he fell completely unconscious.

Footsteps sounded from behind. A moment later, the true mastermind, Uchiha Shūichi, emerged. Looking at the Root Ninja unconscious all over the ground, he spoke with a smile at the corner of his lips.

"Well done. I truly did not expect this Darkness of the Shinobi World to be so completely unguarded around you."

Orochimaru lightly licked the corner of his mouth and shook his head.

"That is because he has always been intoxicated by the scheme that drove me out of Konoha. He believed I posed no threat to him... An excessive psychological advantage can only lead to this outcome."

Back when Orochimaru was still in Konoha, he had once served under Shimura Danzō. Later, Shimura Danzō led him into darkness, and when he was ultimately driven out of Konoha, Shimura Danzō had played no small part in it as well.

All of this had caused Shimura Danzō to unconsciously underestimate Orochimaru. Even knowing that Orochimaru was extremely dangerous, he remained completely confident that he could keep this venomous snake under his control.

He had never considered that after leaving Konoha and going through a period of wild growth, Orochimaru had become far more terrifying than Shimura Danzō.

"By the way, how is the Akatsuki Organization doing now? Is it fully staffed yet?"

Uchiha Shūichi asked. Orochimaru nodded slightly.

"Some have already been contacted, but others have not yet been found."

"Also, thanks to the information you provided, my lord, I now have some understanding of the Akatsuki Organization's situation."

"The Akatsuki Organization is still a mercenary organization at present. As long as one has enough money, it will not be difficult to make use of them."

Not long after betraying Konoha, Orochimaru had joined the Akatsuki Organization. He had even once coveted the Rinnegan.

But previously, he had only been a member of the Akatsuki Organization and knew little about its internal intelligence. It was only after being controlled by Uchiha Shūichi that he truly gained an understanding of its inner workings.