In the Darkness

"You don't seem to be as 'popular' as you claimed, Yagura."

In a secret chamber, three figures appeared like ghosts. One of them gave a soft laugh toward the person seated at the head of the room.

"Orochimaru, don't call me by that name. It already disgusts me enough when those Mist Ninja call me that."

The person at the head of the room snorted coldly. A flame suddenly flared to life in a brazier beside him, illuminating his form.

Who else could it be but the masked man who called himself Uchiha Madara?

Yet this man did not seem to be in particularly good condition. All three newcomers could sense that his voice was still somewhat weak.

Of course, compared with when the Nine-Tails plan had failed several years ago, he was already much better off. The injuries he had suffered then had astonished even the three of them. They had never imagined anyone could injure someone with such formidable self-preservation abilities to that extent.

"You three came together. What do you want?"

"Nothing much. We were just curious. Are you sure you can still keep the situation under control?"

One of the three was Orochimaru, formerly one of Konoha's Sannin. He chuckled and casually found himself a seat.

"Orochimaru, the seat beneath your ass belongs to the head of Kirigakure's Anbu."

The man at the head of the room tossed out that sentence in a sinister tone.

"Be careful he doesn't come looking for trouble. Even someone like you probably wouldn't want to go head-to-head with all of Kirigakure's Anbu."

"Yes, I hear he's stronger than the 'real' Fourth Mizukage and is the strongest Mist Ninja of this generation. But what does that have to do with me? Right now, he's only interested in you, Mizukage."

Orochimaru crossed