Incident, Orochimaru's Defection!

"Lord Hiruzen!"

Inside the Hokage's office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was busy processing administrative files, looked up at the Anbu ninja kneeling respectfully on one knee. "Has the matter of the missing ninjas been investigated clearly?"

"It has been investigated, sir," the Anbu nodded, then hesitated. "However..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but narrow his eyes, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. "Speak."

The Anbu glanced hesitantly at the Third Hokage, then abruptly lowered his head, unable to bring himself to voice the final results of the investigation.

The sense of foreboding grew stronger, and Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice, "Speak!"

"Yes!" The Anbu shuddered and quickly blurted out, "After investigation, your subordinate has confirmed that the one responsible for the disappearance of the village's ninjas is... Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru?!! It was him?!

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a sudden surge of anger that made it difficult for him to breathe.

He knew that Orochimaru had fallen into darkness, but he had not expected him to become so deranged as to lay hands on his own comrades in the village!

"Where is Orochimaru now?!"

"In an underground secret chamber near Konoha."

"Take me there!"

"Yes!"

On the other side.

"Izumi-chan, I want to eat that."

Because Uchiha Izumi was on break and staying at Sasuke's house, Sasuke felt much freer.

At the very least, he didn't have to stay at home all day being watched by his parents and brother.

If he wanted to go anywhere, he just needed to have Uchiha Izumi take him.

Even if he wanted to act alone, she could help him provide cover.

Sharing the secret of the Soul Space with her back then, besides helping her improve her strength, also took this aspect into consideration.

"Three-Color Dango?"

Following Sasuke's gaze, Uchiha Izumi felt a stir of desire, but remembering something, she refused. "No, you're still young and haven't even grown all your teeth yet; you can't eat too many sweets."

"But..." Sasuke blinked his eyes. "Izumi-chan, don't you want to eat some?"

"I... I... I..." After a difficult internal struggle, Uchiha Izumi's reason triumphed over her desire. "I don't want to..."

However, her clearly insincere answer, the subconscious gulping of her throat, and the glances she kept casting toward the Three-Color Dango shop revealed her true thoughts completely.

How dishonest... Sasuke held up one finger. "I'll only eat one."

One? That didn't seem entirely unacceptable... Izumi confirmed, "Just one?"

Clearly, she was tempted, so Sasuke tentatively upped the stakes. "One skewer."

Izumi put her hands on her hips and said, "Don't push your luck, Sasuke!"

Suddenly.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~

The sound of wind being broken rang out as several figures dashed rapidly across the rooftops.

Both of them immediately looked up.

They saw the leader wearing old-fashioned black armor, with several Anbu following closely behind.

One of the Anbu even sported a white, crooked broom-like hairstyle.

The one in front is the Third... Sasuke's heart stirred.

And the one behind is... Kakashi!

With the Third Hokage in full combat gear and accompanied by Anbu, Sasuke immediately realized that something major was about to happen.

He quickly contacted the Spore Clone responsible for monitoring the Third Hokage via telepathy, and immediately understood the cause.

So, Orochimaru had been exposed... He immediately turned his head and said, "Izumi-chan, find a place to wait for now; I'll come back to find you in a bit."

"Eh?" Uchiha Izumi was stunned.

She had also seen the Third Hokage passing by with the Anbu just now, and hearing Sasuke's words, she didn't need to guess to understand what was going on. She couldn't help but worry, "Sasuke, won't it be dangerous?"

"No, they won't be able to discover me; I'm just going to follow them and see what's happening."

"See? Isn't your clone...?"

"..." Sasuke was at a loss for words.

He hadn't expected Izumi to suddenly become as sharp as a woman catching her partner in an affair.

Ah, what a terrible analogy.

Seeing this, Uchiha Izumi did not press for more details, only putting forward one request: "I want to see it too."

It was clear she was still uneasy and wanted to monitor his condition in real time.

"Fine!" Sasuke didn't say much more; with a thought, he brought a portion of Izumi's consciousness into his Soul Space.

He then pulled Izumi's physical body into an alleyway and, taking advantage of the lack of onlookers, activated the Levitation Technique to quickly give chase.

On the other side.

BOOM!

The door to the secret underground chamber in Konoha was blasted wide open.

As the dust and smoke cleared, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression shifted instantly upon seeing the jars filled with various human organs lining both sides of the room, and the familiar back currently hunched over a dissected corpse. "It really is you, Orochimaru."

"So, I've finally been discovered?" Orochimaru seemed unbothered, nonchalantly flicking the blood from his hands before turning around. "Though I didn't expect you to come yourself, Hiruzen-sensei. Could you tell me how you found out?"

At this, an Anbu ninja spoke up: "Recently, ninjas from the village—ranging from genin to chunin, and even jonin from the Anbu—have been disappearing one after another. Coupled with your own suspicious movements lately..."

"Lord Orochimaru, how could a ninja like you do something like this?" another Anbu ninja asked, his voice filled with disbelief and confusion.

"So, Orochimaru, was it really you behind all of this?" Hiruzen Sarutobi roared. "Do you have any idea what you are doing?"

Orochimaru licked his lips and chuckled. "Since I've been found out, there's no point in hiding it anymore. I am developing a jutsu!"

"A forbidden jutsu, I presume?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said in a deep voice. "What exactly are you trying to achieve?"

"Everything!" Orochimaru replied. "Everything there is."

"I want to learn every jutsu and understand all the truths of this world."

"Only one who thoroughly understands everything is qualified to be called the ultimate being."

"But there must be millions of different jutsu in this world."

"To learn them all, to attain the truth, one must invest a vast amount of time."

"But for me, the lifespan of a physical body is far too short and far too fickle..."

"Even for a Hokage, once death comes, everything turns to ash..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted. "Orochimaru, is that why you've been conducting human experiments—"

"Exactly, you guessed it!" Orochimaru licked his lips again, smiling. "A technique for immortality, a jutsu that allows the soul to endure for eternity!"

"I sensed long ago that you were gradually sinking into the darkness," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, his heart heavy with grief. "But I never imagined you had already drowned in the abyss, and were even delusional enough to covet immortality?!"

"And so? Are you going to kill me?" Orochimaru sneered. "But are you even capable of it? Hiruzen-sensei, can you bring yourself to do it?"

At these words, as if to prove his resolve, Hiruzen Sarutobi bit his thumb and rapidly formed hand seals, then slammed his right palm onto the ground. Black runes spread outward in an instant!

Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!

Poof! With a burst of smoke, a burly, broad-shouldered monkey emerged!

"Hiruzen!" Just by sensing the standoff, Enma understood the situation.

Seeing this, Orochimaru clapped his hands together. Every vessel and lightbulb in the laboratory shattered, releasing a strange gas.

!!!

The Anbu ninjas and Enma felt their bodies go limp and collapsed first, followed immediately by Hiruzen Sarutobi, who slumped to the ground.

Orochimaru used a Body Flicker Technique, breaking through the blockade and reaching the exit. He paused for a moment, glancing back at Hiruzen.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, slumped on the floor, shifted his gaze slightly.

It was as if everything was understood without a word.

Orochimaru hesitated no longer and bolted toward the outside.

Sensing the movement, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a weight lift from his heart.

Realizing what had happened, Enma roared in frustration, "Hiruzen! What exactly do you think you're doing?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent, slowly closing his eyes...