Uzumaki Jiuming and the others finally arrived at Konoha's camp on the front line in the Land of Rain. At the entrance, Jiuming saw Orochimaru, whom he hadn't seen in years, along with Danzo, who had escaped from the battlefield at General Mountain a few days earlier!
When enemies met, they didn't glare at each other. Jiuming even greeted Shimura Danzo with a broad smile:
"Long time no see, Senior Orochimaru—and Lord Danzo!"
Jiuming's grudge against Danzo had begun the day Danzo brought people to place a Cursed Seal on him while he was living alone. Still, in public, the two didn't have such a deep-seated enmity. Jiuming had dared to attack Danzo at General Mountain because Danzo had been acting in secret. Even if Jiuming had killed him, he would have had countless excuses once he returned to the village.
The Third Hokage wouldn't have made a fuss with Jiuming over one person. At most, he would have confined him to his home, a punishment that would have meant little to Jiuming.
But if Jiuming attacked Danzo in front of the Konoha camp, with everyone watching, he would likely be branded a traitor. That wouldn't have been much of a problem for him personally, but he was no longer alone.
Jiuming had family, friends, subordinates, assets, and power in Konoha.
Besides, defecting from Konoha offered him no real advantage. Rebuilding an organization and regaining the power and status he had now wouldn't be easy.
At a time like this, it was important to keep up appearances with Danzo.
"Come on, let's go in first. Your name carries quite a lot of weight in the Shinobi World these days, Jiuming."
Orochimaru gestured toward the camp entrance and went in first. Jiuming followed right behind him. Danzo watched Jiuming's back, murder