The Uzumaki Clan

Hanzo looked at Orochimaru, who was flying toward him with a blade, and gave a disdainful smile. "Kid, you're still too green to compare sword skills with me."

Hanzo raised his weapon, a kusarigama, and swept it horizontally toward Orochimaru. The moment they collided, Orochimaru was shocked.

"How is this possible?"

"Kid, nothing is impossible. Work hard to become stronger, and then stand across from me."

Hanzo exerted force through his hand, and Orochimaru was instantly sent flying like a cannonball, hurtling toward Tsunade's position.

Before long, Hanzo sensed something was wrong. "This guy, damn it."

He saw that Orochimaru was like a kite with a broken string, flying far away without ever touching the ground.

Hanzo is still too strong. His physical body alone is a realm I can only look up to. Next time, I definitely won't have to flee like this.

Orochimaru used the force of Hanzo's strike to break away from the battlefield. Hanzo was blocked by Orochimaru's momentum, and subsequently, Gamabunta and the Slug Sage entangled him.

Seeing Orochimaru flying toward him, Jiraiya performed a few flips and landed steadily, unable to help but praise him.

"Not bad, Orochimaru, playing that guy for a fool."

"Let's go, quickly."

"Yosh, let's do it."

The three of them quickly broke away from the battlefield. Seeing that Jiraiya had vanished, Gamabunta exchanged a glance with the Slug Sage, pushed Hanzo away with all his might, and disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

The battered Manda, seeing this, hurriedly dispelled the Summoning Technique and vanished from the spot, leaving Hanzo with an extremely ugly expression.

"These guys... their summons are actually this powerful. Give me a few more minutes and I could have finished them off. Running away so fast—someone, come here!"

"Lord Hanzo."

Kyusuke emerged from the crowd, came before Hanzo, knelt on one knee, and lowered his head.

"Kyusuke, did you give them the intelligence?"

"Lord Hanzo, the plan is proceeding perfectly."

"Find out the identities of these fellows. Anyone capable of summoning such formidable beasts is no ordinary person."

"Yes!"

"Everyone disperse. Give our fallen comrades a proper burial. Help look after their descendants, and ensure not a single coin of the pension is missing."

"Hai! Lord Hanzo is wise!"

"Hoo, hoo, hoo, let's rest for a moment. They didn't follow us."

Orochimaru created a Shadow Clone. "Keep heading forward."

The Shadow Clone didn't say a word and continued to advance, leaving behind obvious tracks.

Seeing this, Tsunade and Jiraiya also created Shadow Clones. "You go too."

Once the clones were far away, Orochimaru summoned several small snakes that burrowed into the ground.

"Let's go, and be careful to conceal our tracks."

Arriving at a relatively inconspicuous spot, he said, "This will do. Jiraiya, make an underground chamber."

Jiraiya stepped forward and pressed his hands to the ground using Earth Style, revealing a set of stairs. "Let's go."

The three descended underground and the entrance was covered. Jiraiya looked at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, what just happened?"

"The intelligence operative was exposed, but I managed to seize the intelligence from the Rain Ninja."

"Did you really develop that Substitution Technique?" Tsunade shuddered at the memory of how wet and slimy Orochimaru looked when he emerged.

"Using my own cells as material, I can achieve the effect of a snake shedding its skin—a golden cicada casting off its shell. It's not bad."

Orochimaru flicked his tongue out like a snake, making Tsunade's scalp tingle.

"This guy is getting more and more perverted."

"Tsunade, don't get too caught up in the fight next time. Your taijutsu is wide and sweeping, and you got addicted to it as soon as we started."

"Sumimasen, I know."

"Right, let's look at the intelligence."

Orochimaru spat a scroll from his mouth. Seeing the unknown liquid on it, Tsunade was thoroughly disgusted and didn't lean in, just stood to the side and peered over.

Jiraiya, however, didn't mind the mess and squeezed in next to Orochimaru to read the intelligence.

"The Land of Rain is this bold? They actually dare to... Tsunade, don't get agitated."

Jiraiya turned back to find Tsunade's face flushed red with anger. "How dare they! Send word to the village, quickly!"

"Right."

Jiraiya summoned a small toad, took out a small scroll, and wrote on it: "The Land of Whirlpools is in danger, send reinforcements immediately."

"Those petty Rain Ninja, wanting to possess a Tailed Beast and exploit the people of the Land of Whirlpools—it's pure delusion!

They even want to form alliances and plot against the land of our Land of Fire. It is truly... unforgivable!"

"Tsunade, trust that the teacher will handle things on his end; after all, the Land of Whirlpools is our ally. Our primary mission now is to ascertain the specific intentions of the Land of Rain. If they launch a surprise attack, the Land of Fire will suffer heavy losses."

"I know. Konoha is my Konoha, too; I understand the priorities."

Tsunade summoned a slug, "Slug Sage, I must trouble you to deliver this scroll to my grandmother."

"Lady Mito? No problem."

With everything arranged and under Tsunade's urging, the three of them rested briefly before beginning a new round of stealthy investigation.

In the Land of Fire, Konoha, Uzumaki Mito and Hiruzen Sarutobi each received intelligence from Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Uzumaki Mito's brows were tightly locked, "Why is my heart so unsettled? It seems this matter is not simple."

"Someone, come!"

"Lady Mito!"

"Go call the Hokage here; I have urgent matters to discuss with him."

"Yes!"

At the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe, "The time for the jinchūriki transfer is almost upon us. For a complication to arise at this moment... Hanzo, what exactly are you plotting?"

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Please, come in."

"Lord Hokage, Lady Mito requests your presence."

"Hmm, you may go."

As Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out of the Hokage Building, he bumped into Shimura Danzō, "Why are you here?"

"Let's go; don't keep Lady Mito waiting."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed, "Danzō, don't you dare pull any tricks. I am the Hokage now; your authority is granted by me."

"Hmph! Hiruzen, everything I do is for the sake of Konoha. Where there is light, there is shadow. I am the darkness of Konoha, silently guarding it."

The two men, each with eight hundred schemes in mind, stopped speaking and headed toward Uzumaki Mito's residence, one after the other.

"Little Monkey, come in."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, just about to knock, heard Uzumaki Mito's voice from inside, lowered his hand, and pushed the door open.

"Lady Mito's Mind's Eye is as stunning as ever."

"Let's skip the pleasantries. Danzō, you've come as well?"

"Lady Mito, I am here to see if I can be of any assistance."

Uzumaki Mito looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, "Little Monkey, you know why I called you here, don't you?"

"Lady Mito, I have already dispatched the Anbu to the Land of Whirlpools, led by Hatake Sakumo."

"What is your take on this situation?"

"The situation is not yet clear. On the surface, it appears to be about the jinchūriki and the Uzumaki Clan..."

"Since you know about the jinchūriki, can you arrange for people to guard the Uzumaki Clan in the future?"

"This... I understand, Lady Mito."

"Rest assured, Lady Mito, I will take my Root operatives and head to the Land of Whirlpools immediately."

"Very well, you may both leave. Report back at any time if there are developments."

"Yes!"