At the old man's words, the corners of Orochimaru's mouth slowly curled upward.
His yellowed snake eyes glanced faintly at him as he spoke in a hoarse voice filled with mockery.
"What... shouldn't Lord Danzo, who commands Root Base like rats beneath the earth, be rushing to seize the Hokage's authority now that the old man is dead? Why have you appeared here instead?"
As he said this, he even gave Danzo a faint smile, his voice rasping.
"Could it be... Lord Danzo has come to thank me, your collaborator... After all... I personally helped you get rid of an opponent you could never have dealt with in your entire life..."
After hearing Orochimaru's words, Danzo's aged face remained expressionless.
Like a decaying piece of dead wood, his cloudy single eye shifted slightly as he glanced at Orochimaru and spoke in an even, low voice.
"Don't try to provoke me with such tactics, Orochimaru... You should know... as the leader of Root Base, I have come into contact with far more matters than you can imagine..."
"Such petty tricks... cannot possibly conceal your current physical condition..."
His cloudy eye narrowed slightly as he said in a hoarse, low voice.
"After all... I know Sarutobi's strength... If you managed to deal with him alone... then your body should be in its worst condition right now..."
Their verbal exchange was brief, yet thick with the scent of gunpowder. After hearing his words—
The smile at Orochimaru's lips slowly faded. His face turned icy as a cold gleam flickered in his eyes, directed at Danzo. He slowly said, "Speak. What is your purpose here..."
At those words, Danzo's cloudy eye glanced at him before looking to either side. The two Root Base shinobi immediately flashed outward, forming a triangle around Orochimaru.
Orochimaru watched