A Parting Gift

Above the Root Base, two figures stood facing each other in the building's shadow.

"Using Impure World Reincarnation to remotely manipulate Konoha's situation. It's unexpected that we came up with the same idea, Hane."

Hearing the familiar tone from the Reanimated Ninja before him, Hyuga Meigoku, controlled by Hyuga Hane, smiled. "After all, if we use Impure World Reincarnation and things go south, I can pin the blame on you."

Orochimaru was taken aback, but didn't take the harmless joke to heart. They were using Impure World Reincarnation simply because it was convenient.

He looked the figure up and down and shook his head with amusement. "You've become more confident. Is that because your strength has improved?"

"Confidence comes from building strength and knowledge. If I'd grown to where I am now and still didn't dare face you, wouldn't you be disappointed? Teacher Orochimaru!"

Hyuga Hane spoke softly.

"...Teacher, huh."

With a trace of emotion in his eyes, Orochimaru quietly studied Hyuga Meigoku for a while, as if he could see Hyuga Hane's soul through the Reanimated Ninja.

That was right. He was Hyuga Hane's teacher, his second teacher.

Might Duy had helped Hane build a solid foundation in Taijutsu, while Orochimaru had helped him make up for his various shortcomings. He had never held back when teaching Hyuga Hane: research, forbidden techniques, Sealing Jutsu...

There might have been an element of mutual gain, but Hane was undoubtedly his student.

And the only student who had graduated from his tutelage!

"I heard you've mastered Flying Thunder God. You were already one of the best in the Hyuga Clan, and now that you've mastered it, you have the strength to make your way in the Shinobi World."

Orochimaru smiled. "Are you going to fly free of Konoha's cage now?"

"Not yet."

Hyuga Hane denied it. "They'll leave. I still want to see the peace the Fourth Hokage longs for."

Orochimaru glanced at him in surprise, then thoughtfully turned toward the entrance to the Root Base. "Flying Thunder God and the Nine-Tails are powerful deterrents, but after the First died, neither the Second Hokage nor Mito managed to bring peace to the Shinobi World."

"Minato is a fresh breeze for Konoha, but he can't make it blow across the entire Shinobi World. You know that very well."

"Mm." Hyuga Hane nodded calmly.

Orochimaru tilted his head, watching him from the corner of his eye. He didn't ask what Hane was planning, instead remarking with a sigh, "You and I witnessed Shin's creation together, but you haven't seen the power of his Mangekyo Sharingan, have you?"

"He's the creation I'm most satisfied with so far. The powers of the Senju and Uchiha have been balanced within him. After I gave his birth meaning, the power Shin awakened didn't disappoint me."

"The Genjutsu he used on Tsunade takes time to activate, but even the Byakugan would have trouble detecting it before it fully takes hold. And unless you understand your original resolve, you'll never escape the Genjutsu. Even I wouldn't claim I could handle a technique like that with ease."

As he spoke, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed.

If Shin couldn't release the Genjutsu, he wouldn't have dared let him use it on Tsunade.

"Genjutsu similar to Izanami?"

Watching the Root Base with his Byakugan, Hyuga Hane saw Tsunade slowly lift her head. The confusion and hesitation had vanished from her eyes.

Not only were their abilities similar, but the process of casting them was much the same. The Genjutsu Chakra planted in Tsunade's mind at the beginning was like a seed. It needed Tsunade to experience something that left a deep impression on her before it could activate.

She must have been hit by the Dojutsu before coming to the Root Base... A Transcription Seal?

Judging by the time from the Genjutsu's beginning to its end, time in the Genjutsu space was similar to Tsukuyomi. Under Shin's control, Tsunade must have spent a long time in there, repeating the process of entering the Root Base and killing Shizune again and again.

And even if Shizune hadn't really died, repeating that process was a form of torture, a torment of Tsunade's heart.

It went without saying how important Shizune was to her. Tsunade couldn't escape the Genjutsu until she rediscovered her original resolve. The shadow Dan's death had left behind had finally been overcome in that environment.

"That means the Third's original plan has gone to waste."

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "In the end, Teacher only wanted to try pushing Tsunade into a situation that was almost, but not quite, hopeless, so she would face her past. Danzo only pretended to go along with it, hoping to flush out the contingency plan Teacher Sarutobi had left behind."

"Neither of them believed Tsunade could succeed. Since that's the case, I'll help her myself. Consider it... a parting gift from me."

There wasn't much left in Konoha that he cared about. This war would be the last time he fought for Konoha.

Hyuga Hane chuckled softly. "Your gift will make the Third and Danzo suspicious of everything."

Orochimaru smiled back. "You don't seem particularly concerned, Hane."

Hyuga Hane shook his head and calmly replied, "You seem to have forgotten who I am."

"...The Shadow Guard. The Hyuga Branch Family... I see."

Orochimaru pondered.

If Tsunade recovered and stayed in Konoha for the long term, the only person she might support was Namikaze Minato.

Combined with the things she had given up to avoid the crisis this time, the impact on the Hyuga Branch Family would be immense. No one knew what Danzo might do, and no one believed he would kindly help the Branch Family remove the Caged Bird.

Together, those things meant Hyuga Hane would actually receive Tsunade's protection in Konoha... She might even help him remove the Caged Bird herself to stop Danzo from "luring" him with the promise of freedom!

Strictly speaking, Orochimaru had helped Hane...

Or perhaps Tsunade was bound to recover. It was only a question of who was behind it.

It could have been Sarutobi Hiruzen, it could have been him, or it could even have been... Hyuga Hane.

"Besides, Konoha's a cage well suited to keeping birds."

As Orochimaru pondered, Hyuga Hane's indifferent voice reached him. Orochimaru froze, then smiled.

"Indeed."

While the two of them spoke, a dramatic change had taken place inside the Root Base.

As Tsunade's expression changed, Hyuga Tokuma, standing behind Danzo, struck at Shin with an Air Palm while shouting to Danzo:

"Lord Danzo, he's an Uchiha! Tsunade was caught in a Genjutsu. She might no longer be affected by her hemophobia!"

Without orders from Hyuga Hane, all he had to do now was play his part as one of Danzo's subordinates.

Danzo immediately went on guard and used the Body Flicker Technique to move to one side, looking at the Root Jonin Hyuga Tokuma had attacked.

Orange Chakra bones appeared around Shin's body, easily blocking Tokuma's attack. He didn't linger to fight, instead dashing at full speed toward the exit.

Danzo narrowed his eyes.

Those bones... were they Susanoo?

Mangekyo Sharingan...

When had another pair of those ominous eyes appeared in the Uchiha Clan?

Hiruzen, is this your contingency plan?

Feeling Tsunade's presence growing stronger on the other side, Danzo raised a hand to stop the Root Ninja who wanted to pursue Shin.

"You're no match for him. Deal with Tsunade first!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen understood him, and he knew that old friend just as well.

Everyone in Konoha who could stop him had been sent to the battlefield, leaving Konoha entirely in his hands. Of course he could sense that something was wrong.

But could he afford not to act? How old was Minato?

Twenty-three!

And how old was he?

He couldn't outlast Minato!

Besides, Minato had already started training Konoha's next generation: Kakashi, a Jonin at twelve, and Hyuga Hane, who had mastered Flying Thunder God at fifteen...

The older generation of the clans was dwindling, while more and more members of the new generation, like Shikaku Nara, were graduating from the Ninja Academy and inheriting the Will of Fire.

Even the Uchiha had produced more and more people like Obito and Shisui, people who resembled Kagami.

Teacher Tobirama's suppression of the clans and the changes he had brought about were still in effect. Even the Uchiha were gradually finding their place under his policies, standing alongside the Hokage.

In these circumstances, could he afford to wait?

Konoha was powerful, and its potential was the greatest in the Shinobi World. Why shouldn't it go further?

Only if Danzo became Hokage could Konoha cast off the gentleness of Hiruzen's rule and stand at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World!

He had to act, and he had to win enough support in this opportunity.

So... if Tsunade really overcame her hemophobia, she would become the greatest obstacle in Konoha right now.

"Keep her here, regardless of whether she lives or dies!"

At Danzo's cold command, dozens of Root Ninja attacked Tsunade all at once!