Inside the yard next to the Hokage Building.
"Have you still not found him?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned as smoke streamed from his pipe. His expression was grim.
"Sorry, Third..."
The Anbu Ninja responsible for reporting the latest developments lowered his head.
"Never mind. This isn't your fault. You may go."
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved the Anbu Ninja away, then turned to Nara Shikaku, who was standing beside him.
"Have we confirmed that a large-scale search is impossible? Could we manage it if we gathered more people?"
Nara Shikaku thought it over, then shook his head. "It would be difficult."
He felt that those words didn't quite convey the full extent of the problem, so he added, "I don't fully understand how that technique works. I only know that the space is filled with a great deal of Yin Release Chakra. I suspect it's a Mangekyō Sharingan ability. If that's true..."
He didn't finish, but his meaning was clear.
If it really was a dōjutsu, then not even Nara Shikaku alone—or the entire Nara Clan, even if they doubled the number of shinobi in their ranks—could find that space.
"So the only reason we found that space before was that the other party allowed us to?"
The Third's expression grew even darker.
That had been a true humiliation. He'd been forced to watch several of his subordinates die, unable to do anything. Worse still, it had happened because he'd underestimated the danger and made the wrong call.
"Probably."
Nara Shikaku's expression was grim, too.
He'd spent five whole days recovering in bed after that. He'd only gotten back on his feet yesterday, and now they'd dragged him here. Ask him to go through that again? He wouldn't do it even if they killed him!
Neither man spoke for a moment. The atmosphere in the room grew unbearably heavy.
Just then—
The door swung open with a bang.
"Why make this so complicated? I know where that person is!"
Danzo strode in, a gust of wind trailing behind him.
"Danzo? What are you—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up, instinctively about to scold him.
"Enough pointless talk, Hiruzen. You can't find him, can you? I know why. He isn't in Konoha!"
Danzo didn't give him a chance to speak. He got straight to the point.
"He's not in the village? Where did you get that information?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked at once.
"My people uncovered it, of course. They've been searching nonstop since that night. I know what happened a few days ago, too. That man has Space-Time Ninjutsu, doesn't he? That explains it! The space you found in Konoha was just a trap he deliberately left behind. He'd already left the village with several Uchiha survivors he'd intentionally left there!"
Danzo spoke with absolute certainty.
Nara Shikaku took half a step back and said nothing, settling in to watch.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's attention was entirely on Danzo.
"Explain."
"I had my people search the village first. I noticed the strange space in the Uchiha Compound, too. But I don't have anyone from the Nara Clan under my command..."
Danzo glanced at Shikaku. Shikaku stayed silent. "I couldn't open that space, so I sent my people to look for traces outside the village. A few days ago, I finally found signs of that man in the Empty District."
"The Empty District? Isn't that... Wait, are you saying he's in contact with the Ninja Cat Clan?"
Hiruzen immediately connected the clues.
"The Ninja Cat Clan has been the Uchiha's ally since ancient times. That connection isn't surprising. My people kept looking for clues, but the trail went cold there. After leaving the Empty District, that man seemed to head for the Capital of Fire. My people didn't follow him in."
Danzo looked regretful as he spoke.
"That's the Daimyo's territory. It was wise to be cautious."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "So the trail has gone completely cold?"
"That was the case, until three days ago, when my people found a strange battlefield in the Land of Fields. There were traces of Fire Release and a large number of snake corpses..."
"What did you say? Snake corpses?"
"That's right. He went to find Orochimaru."
Danzo's voice was grave.
"Orochimaru... This is troublesome."
Hiruzen Sarutobi knew better than anyone how difficult Orochimaru was to deal with. Back then, he'd spared Orochimaru out of their bond as teacher and student, and he'd regretted it ever since.
Fortunately, Orochimaru had kept a low profile over the years. Hiruzen was sure he was plotting something, but as long as it didn't affect Konoha, he could turn a blind eye.
But now, that unknown Uchiha had joined forces with Orochimaru. The situation was clearly beginning to spiral out of control.
"Should we go after Orochimaru?" Nara Shikaku asked.
"Let me think... I need to think..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't bring himself to decide.
"What are you hesitating for, Hiruzen? That's Orochimaru! If he and the Uchiha form an alliance, then with the Uchiha's hatred for Konoha, they'll turn the village upside down! Orochimaru or the Uchiha—it doesn't matter. If they threaten Konoha, they must be eliminated! Do you want to see Konoha destroyed?"
What Danzo couldn't stand was his old friend's indecisiveness.
At a time like this, he was still thinking about their bond as teacher and student.
"I know. It's just..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi faltered, but he couldn't bring himself to say that they should let Orochimaru go.
An Uchiha with Space-Time Ninjutsu would be incredibly difficult to capture. Minato Namikaze had been the clearest example of that.
So, in the end, Orochimaru was the only possible breakthrough.
Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.
"Then we'll act..."
The bond between teacher and student couldn't outweigh Konoha's peace. It was just like the parting between master and disciple years ago—only now, that separation would be all the more final.
"Should we send in the village's forces? We currently have thirteen Jonin available for combat," Nara Shikaku asked.
If their opponent was Orochimaru, ordinary squads would be useless. They'd need Jonin—and several of them at once.
"No. Send the Anbu first. Pin down Orochimaru's exact location, especially the hideout he's using now. We have to take him down in one strike. Danzo, have Root mobilize as well. Work with the Anbu to find Orochimaru."
"Understood."
Danzo nodded, then turned and walked out.
Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Nara Shikaku.
"Shikaku, you're in charge of assigning the forces. As soon as the Anbu find any sign of Orochimaru, move at once."
"Yes."
Nara Shikaku accepted the order and left.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was alone in the room. He gazed at the photograph of the teacher and his students on the table. After a long while, he reached out and turned it face down.
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