Keiichi had no idea what the truth had been back then. The manga hadn't made it very clear, but he was more than happy to go along with Orochimaru's theory and pile some more dirt on Pot Kage.
You came up with all of that yourself, Orochimaru. If you've got the wrong idea, go take it up with the real Danzo. What's that got to do with an ordinary Leaf Village Genin like me?
"Kyah-ha-ha! Then I'll settle that old score with you once and for all!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Orochimaru took Danzo by surprise and appeared behind him.
Chapter 39: Cooperation
A horrifying sight unfolded before them. A snake's head emerged from Orochimaru's mouth, and a sharp sword protruded from its jaws, stabbing viciously into Danzo's right shoulder.
If Danzo hadn't managed to dodge slightly, the sword would have pierced straight through his heart!
The Kusanagi Sword? Keiichi was startled.
And that wasn't all. The Kusanagi Sword could extend and retract at will. It pressed against Danzo's body and sent him flying dozens of meters, smashing through countless trees along the way and carving a deep trench into the ground.
Danzo finally crashed into a rock wall, leaving a web of cracks in it. Only then did the Kusanagi Sword retract, leaving him half-embedded in the rock.
"Kyah-ha-ha! So much for Wood Release." Orochimaru emerged from the billowing dust. Seeing Danzo in such a miserable state gave him a distinct sense of vindication.
But the next instant, his expression changed, and he grew extremely wary.
The wound where the Kusanagi Sword had struck was already healing, wisps of faint mist rising from it.
He even had the First's astonishingly rapid healing ability?!
"Orochimaru, you've disappointed me. You don't seem to have made much progress over all these years."
Danzo beckoned, and a tree vine shaped like a giant hand burst from the ground and pried him off the rock wall. After landing, he brushed the dirt off his clothes as if nothing had happened.
"Damn old bastard!" Orochimaru's face darkened. Facing this Danzo, he suddenly had no idea where to strike.
"Now it's my turn." As he spoke, Danzo's right arm suddenly "came alive." It swelled in an instant and rapidly grew into a tree.
"Wood Release: Violent Spear Tree!"
"Summoning: Triple Rashomon!"
One after another, demonic gates summoned from the depths of hell slammed down in front of Orochimaru. The Violent Spear Tree smashed through the first with ease, then pierced the second. By then, its power had been reduced to almost nothing, and the final gate stopped it.
Orochimaru's eyes widened in alarm. Without hesitation, he put some distance between himself and Danzo. He had still underestimated the power of Wood Release.
He'd never imagined that the results of his experiments all those years ago would make Danzo what he was now!
The Violent Spear Tree failed to hit its target. Danzo immediately withdrew it, then took out a kunai and blew on it, coating it with a sharp blade of wind.
Wind Style: Vacuum Blade!
From Orochimaru's perspective, Danzo seemed to have mastered a teleportation technique. He appeared to walk at an unhurried pace, yet the distance between them kept shrinking as he steadily advanced.
He really intends to kill me here! The thought suddenly surfaced in Orochimaru's mind.
Although their relationship had grown distant over the years, they still occasionally exchanged information. Orochimaru had never believed Danzo would want him dead.
But this Danzo was nothing like the man he'd expected. It was as if he'd become someone else entirely.
Orochimaru began to wonder if the man in front of him was really Danzo, even though he couldn't find the slightest hint of anything false about him.
In truth, Keiichi really did intend to kill Orochimaru. But he knew that would be almost impossible. Orochimaru had practically perfected the art of surviving at all costs. He wasn't an easy man to kill.
His real aim was to find an opening to cast Kotoamatsukami on Orochimaru.
That was right—the ultimate cheat of a genjutsu, one with no counter once it took hold!
He might not have been confident in using it against any other Kage Level opponent, but Orochimaru was different. Against him, Keiichi was completely confident.
After all, Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation was still imperfect, leaving him far more vulnerable to genjutsu after reincarnation. Otherwise, Keiichi wouldn't have even considered it.
But after their exchange just now, Keiichi was astonished to realize that Orochimaru seemed to be deliberately avoiding eye contact. He was also constantly shifting and weaving, another way to resist genjutsu.
Could he know that I'm planning to use Kotoamatsukami?
After a moment's thought, Keiichi understood. It was probably because Itachi's genjutsu had frightened him so badly back then. Now that he saw Danzo had so many Sharingan implanted in him, he was on guard against genjutsu.
If a Kage Level opponent prepared in advance to defend against genjutsu, there really wasn't much he could do.
What a coincidence!
If he could successfully use Kotoamatsukami, he could dispel Orochimaru's obsession with Sasuke. That would inevitably bring about a massive change to the story, and even Timeline Convergence might not be able to correct it.
If he couldn't, Orochimaru wouldn't give up on Sasuke. Even if Keiichi managed to stop him this time, what about the next?
Sooner or later, Sasuke would still be marked with a Cursed Seal.
So he decided to use Kotoamatsukami on Orochimaru first, and head off all of this before it could happen.
Orochimaru retreated rapidly, using Earth Clones as decoys to draw Danzo's attention. He gave him no chance to close the distance, and the two of them fell into a stalemate once more.
Keiichi thought it over and tried to unsettle his opponent with words. "Orochimaru, you didn't come to the Leaf Village just for Sasuke, did you?"
"Shouldn't you investigate that yourself? Why ask me?" Orochimaru chuckled.
"Are you planning to go after Hiruzen, too?"
"You jest. Do you really think I'd be a match for Hiruzen-sensei on my own?"
"At least you know your limits. But what if I told you we could work together and take Hiruzen down?"
Orochimaru's eyes widened. He stared at Danzo in disbelief, as if trying to figure out whether he was telling the truth or lying.
Was this really something Danzo could say?
Before Keiichi could seize the chance to use Kotoamatsukami, Orochimaru looked away and smiled. "Of course. I'd be thrilled to work with Lord Danzo again."
Clearly, he didn't believe a word of it.
"I have only one condition. Whatever your plan is, you must not harm the Leaf Village."
"Hey, hey. Did I hear that right? Are you serious?" Orochimaru's smile vanished.
"Of course. All you have to do is find a way to kill Hiruzen. Then I'll have Root assist you and make sure no one interrupts your reunion with your former teacher."
"To claim the Hokage Position, you're ruthless enough to eliminate even Hiruzen?"
"Only by pruning unnecessary branches can a tree grow strong. What does a little pain matter?"
That certainly sounded like something Danzo would say. The few doubts Orochimaru had left vanished.
"You're still the Danzo I know—someone who stops at nothing to achieve his goals! But I still can't trust you."
Danzo fell silent for a moment, then spoke with a trace of emotion. "Orochimaru, I'm sixty-nine this year. If I don't make a move soon, will I ever get to sit in that seat?"
Those words struck a deep chord in Orochimaru.
The passage of time could not be stopped. Everyone grew old in the end. But how could anyone accept that when their lifelong ambition remained unfulfilled?
That was why he was researching immortality. Only with endless time could he accomplish his life's dream.
Otherwise, Danzo was the perfect example. This wasn't the best opportunity, but with so little time left, he had no choice but to make his move.
He had even joined forces with Orochimaru, a traitor to the Leaf Village, making himself look utterly disgraceful.
As you keep crossing lines to achieve your goals and compromising whenever it suits you, do you still remember what you set out to do in the first place?
"Fine. I agree. We can work together." After a moment's silence, Orochimaru nodded.
"Then, next, I will..."
Just as Orochimaru pricked up his ears, focusing on Danzo's words, Danzo appeared in front of him like a ghost. The kunai coated in a blade of wind surged upward with a fierce killing intent, as if to split him in two.
Ha! The old fox had played him!
Chapter 40: Who's Cheating?
Orochimaru nearly cursed Danzo to his face.
He was sure that if Danzo got the chance, he'd kill him without hesitation. As for their verbal agreement, they could simply pretend it had never happened.
Fortunately, Orochimaru had been prepared. He used a substitution technique to switch places, then bit his finger and slapped both hands against the ground, summoning Manda!
A colossal beast appeared in the Forest of Death. Countless birds took flight, and dust filled the air.
Danzo's expression immediately darkened. This was far too conspicuous. What was more, Manda was Orochimaru's signature summon, so everyone would know he'd snuck into the Forest of Death.
In just a few minutes, Anbu would surely arrive. Then things would get troublesome!
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to cling to life so desperately, resorting to "mutual destruction" before Danzo had even done anything to him.
Wind Style: Vacuum Great Sphere!
Compressed air pounded into Manda like a cannonball. The beast let out a pained howl, but Danzo showed no mercy, unleashing one attack after another. In no time at all, Manda was shrieking as he retreated to Ryūchi Cave.
He hadn't even had a chance to fight back.
But Danzo's face remained grim. Although he'd driven Manda away, Orochimaru had disappeared without a trace. He'd clearly used the opportunity to escape!
His plan to use Kotoamatsukami on Orochimaru had failed!
Keiichi couldn't accept that. He continued searching the area, even unleashing the power of Wood Release to tear apart everything within a hundred meters. He was determined to dig Orochimaru out, even if he had to search every inch of the ground.
But even when the Anbu arrived, they found nothing. Keiichi finally gave up.
Although only a few minutes had passed, Orochimaru had probably already gotten far away. Continuing the search would be pointless.
Fortunately, the system notification that rang in his mind offered him some comfort.
"Cheating disabled. Sasuke failed to receive Orochimaru's Cursed Seal. Received 50 Magic Modification Points."
Fantastic! This reward was practically on par with Naruto breaking his no-kill streak!
System, you really know quality when you see it!
"Lord Danzo?!" Several Anbu Ninja arrived and were startled. They quickly bowed.
Although Danzo's Root had been disbanded, his reputation as the former deputy to the Hokage still carried weight. Who would dare treat him like an ordinary person?
"Orochimaru disguised himself as an exam candidate and infiltrated the area. He's up to no good. Go find him at once!"
"Yes!"
The Anbu Ninja scattered, but one of them returned shortly after leaving.
"Lord!" He knelt on one knee with utmost respect, his attitude clearly different from the others.
Danzo was slightly surprised, but quickly guessed what was going on. "Open your mouth."
The man obeyed without question. He removed his mask and opened his mouth. Sure enough, Keiichi saw a Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal on his tongue.
He was a member of Root!
Keiichi understood at once. No wonder Root had stayed active for so long after being disbanded. Its members had apparently scattered and blended into the Anbu.
What was this, a Hydra plotline?!
On the surface, they obeyed Hiruzen's orders, but in secret they were loyal to Danzo. With a single command, they could turn on their comrades at any moment.
A ticking time bomb had been hidden within the Leaf Village!
Fortunately, in his previous life, Danzo had successfully become Acting Hokage, and Root had emerged from the shadows again. Sasuke had killed him not long afterward, eliminating the threat. Otherwise, who knew how much chaos Root would have caused in the Leaf Village?
No fortress, no matter how strong, could withstand internal strife.
"Where's Aburame Tatsuma?" Danzo asked coldly.
"Lord Tatsuma is nearby."
"Bring him to me."
"Yes!"
So these were Danzo's subordinates? They were obedient, all right. They didn't even question him.
Before long, a tall ninja knelt before Danzo. He wore sunglasses and had little presence, a typical member of the Aburame Clan.
"Lord, Tatsuma is at your service."
"I just saw Orochimaru."
"..."
"Aren't you going to say anything? I remember you two had some history."
"I obey only Lord Danzo's orders," Aburame Tatsuma replied matter-of-factly.
Before you continue