Thunder God Sword and Sealing Scroll

That was close!

After sprinting for a while and ducking into a civilian residence, Hōzuki Mangetsu finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had been tailing Orochimaru earlier, and taking advantage of a moment when Sarutobi Hiruzen was distracted, he had disguised himself as an Anbu to sneak into the Hokage Secret Chamber and steal the Thunder God Sword and the Sealing Scroll.

The Hokage Secret Chamber was filled with treasures, but before he could grab anything else, he had been discovered by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The items currently in his hands were the Sealing Scroll and the Thunder God Sword.

The Thunder God Sword was one thing, but this Sealing Scroll was a precious treasure of Konoha, containing records of many incredibly powerful forbidden techniques.

The Thunder God Sword could be sealed within Hōzuki Mangetsu's own Weapon Scroll.

However, this Sealing Scroll presented a bit of a dilemma.

Simple space-time ninjutsu could seal objects into scrolls for easy transport, but a Sealing Scroll that already contained its own sealing power could not be sealed again.

In other words, there was no way to hide this large scroll.

However, this did not stump Hōzuki Mangetsu.

He bit his finger and formed a few hand seals.

Summoning Technique!

A small-sized clam appeared in the space.

After erasing the traces of aura from the two items, Hōzuki Mangetsu placed them inside the clam's body.

"Keep these two items safe for me!"

He had signed a blood pact with the Clam Clan, allowing him to summon them for help at any time; the clams not only provided support but also served as perfect mobile storage units.

Uchiha Shisui's Sharingan had been stored inside the Giant Clam all along.

"I understand, Lord Mangetsu!"

The small clam replied, quickly dispelling the summoning and vanishing from the spot.

Done!

Hōzuki Mangetsu stretched, slowly transformed into a puddle of liquid, and slipped away through the pipes.

Now, all he had to do was return to the inn.

The door was pushed open, and several ninja burst in.

The man in the lead wore a green bodysuit; it was none other than the Konoha taijutsu powerhouse, Might Guy.

"What are you doing?"

A sleepy-eyed Hōzuki Mangetsu looked at the intruders with dissatisfaction.

Konoha Strong Whirlwind!

Before he could react, Might Guy swung a heavy kick toward him.

Crash!

Hōzuki Mangetsu's body liquefied instantly, rendering Guy's attack ineffective.

Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique!

Might Guy's leg was already trapped by Hōzuki Mangetsu's Hydrification Technique. Without a second thought, he kicked out with his other foot with full force.

Water Arm Technique!

Hōzuki Mangetsu's right arm suddenly grew thick and massive, grabbing Might Guy's right foot.

His left index finger was already raised, aimed directly at Might Guy.

The Water Gun Technique was ready to strike.

Oh no!

Might Guy sensed the danger. As a pure taijutsu ninja, he was completely helpless against someone like Hōzuki Mangetsu, whose body was immune to physical strikes.

Eight Inner Gates, Fifth Gate, Open!

In an instant, Guy opened the fifth gate of the Eight Inner Gates, immediately breaking free from Hōzuki Mangetsu's restraint.

Splash!

The residual force was enough to shatter Hōzuki Mangetsu's body.

Soon, the water stains gathered once more, reforming into the shape of Hōzuki Mangetsu.

As expected of the ultimate taijutsu secret, the Eight Inner Gates.

Hōzuki Mangetsu felt a chill in his heart. Might Guy had only opened five gates, yet he had already reached the power and speed level of a Kage, capable of killing most ninja in seconds.

Although the Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique could grant immunity to all physical attacks, it still had weaknesses; they required chakra to maintain their physical form.

Once their chakra was dispersed, their bodies could not recover.

Aside from Lightning Release, the Hozuki Clan also feared the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist. Once the chakra used to maintain their physical form was disrupted by the Gentle Fist, they lost the ability to recover.

In other words, the Hozuki Clan could be killed.

However, if the Eight Inner Gates are fully opened, the strength is enough to destroy the heavens and extinguish the earth, crushing everything in its path.

Facts have proven that even the Hozuki Clan can be reduced to ashes.

Four members of the previous generation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen died under these Eight Inner Gates, and among them was a predecessor from the Hozuki Clan.

"Is this how you Konoha people treat your guests?"

Hōzuki Mangetsu asked with a cold sneer.

Might Guy suddenly burst into loud laughter.

"My apologies, I am Might Guy, a Jonin of Konoha. I have long heard that Hōzuki Mangetsu is a master of taijutsu in the Hidden Mist, and I have always wanted to learn from you, but I never had the chance to cross paths. Now that I heard you have arrived, I came specifically to spar with you. You are truly a genius of the Hidden Mist, I am impressed!"

As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up, revealing his snow-white teeth.

In the original plot, Might Guy acts like a fool, but in reality, he is not stupid; anyone capable of becoming an elite Jonin cannot have a low IQ.

He was merely finding an excuse to test Hōzuki Mangetsu.

Hōzuki Mangetsu inwardly exclaimed that it was a close call.

When he had followed Orochimaru to sneak out earlier, he had only left a Shadow Clone behind.

Now that Konoha had suffered consecutive intrusions, they had already begun to suspect them, which is why they sent people to probe.

If his true body hadn't returned to the inn one step earlier, that Shadow Clone would never have been able to withstand the previous strike.

Battles were also taking place in the other rooms, but they ended just as quickly.

Orochimaru, disguised as a Hidden Mist Anbu, appeared in the room, watching the Konoha ninja vigilantly.

The other wave of ninja was led by Sarutobi Asuma, and he did not discover anything unusual on Orochimaru's side either.

Asuma and Guy exchanged a glance and nodded slowly.

"The two of you, sorry for the disturbance, please get some good rest. Lord Hokage will meet with you tomorrow."

Having finished their probe and finding nothing unusual, the two of them immediately left with their subordinates.

Hōzuki Mangetsu shrugged helplessly and said, "It seems Konoha does not welcome us!"

Orochimaru remained silent, merely casting a cold glance at him before turning and walking into his room.

Today's events had been a significant provocation to him.

Watching Orochimaru's back, a smile appeared at the corner of Hōzuki Mangetsu's mouth.

Today, he was the biggest winner.

Konoha Hokage Office.

The faces of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura were all very grim.

Tonight was truly an eventful time.

Not only did the S-rank missing-nin Orochimaru suddenly appear in the village, but the Hokage Secret Chamber had actually been burglarized.

Someone had actually stolen the Thunder God Sword and the Sealing Scroll right under the Hokage's nose.

"Was it Orochimaru's doing?"

Mitokado Homura asked.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

Orochimaru had already left, and the person who stole the items was someone else; furthermore, for this person to be able to steal items right under the noses of the Anbu and himself, their skills were not simple.

"Hiruzen!"

Koharu narrowed her eyes and asked, "With such a good opportunity, why didn't you detain Orochimaru?"

Back then, she and Mitokado Homura had always held a grudge over Sarutobi letting Orochimaru go.

Among the successive Hokage, although Sarutobi Hiruzen could not be considered the strongest, he definitely had the best reputation.

Everyone in Konoha respected this Hokage deeply.

The only stain on his life was intentionally letting Orochimaru escape.

As Sarutobi Hiruzen's classmates and advisors, both of them hoped he would personally bring Orochimaru to justice to wash away this stain.

Unfortunately, Sarutobi's actions today had disappointed them once again.