"Lord Third Hokage!"
The Hokage's office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up from the administrative documents he was processing and glanced at the Anbu Ninja kneeling respectfully before him. "Have you finished investigating the missing ninja?"
"We have." The Anbu nodded, then hesitated. "But..."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart. "Go on."
The Anbu glanced hesitantly at the Third Hokage, then abruptly lowered his head again. He couldn't bring himself to speak the final results of the investigation.
The foreboding grew stronger. Hiruzen said gravely, "Speak!"
"Yes!" The Anbu shuddered and quickly replied, "After investigating, I can confirm that the one responsible for the village ninja disappearing is... Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru?! It was him?!
Hiruzen felt a surge of anger and grief, and even breathing became difficult.
He knew Orochimaru had fallen into darkness, but he hadn't imagined he'd become so utterly deranged as to prey on his fellow villagers!
"Where is Orochimaru now?!"
"In an underground chamber near Konoha."
"Take me there!"
"Yes!"
Elsewhere.
"泉-chan, I want one of those."
Since Uchiha Izumi was on break and staying at Sasuke's house, Sasuke had a lot more freedom.
At least he didn't have to stay home every day with his parents and older brother watching him.
If he wanted to go somewhere, all he had to do was ask Uchiha Izumi to take him.
Even if he wanted to go alone, she could cover for him.
When he'd shared the secret of the Soul Space with her, helping her grow stronger hadn't been his only reason. He'd also had this in mind.
"Three-Color Dango?"
Following Sasuke's gaze, Uchiha Izumi was tempted, but remembering something, she refused. "No. You're still little, and you barely have any teeth. You can't eat too many sweets."
"But..." Sasuke blinked. "泉-chan, don't you want some?"
"I... I... I..." After a fierce inner struggle, Uchiha Izumi's reason won out over her desire. "I don't..."
Her answer was obviously insincere. The way her throat moved as she swallowed, and the glances she kept stealing toward the Three-Color Dango shop, revealed her true thoughts.
So stubborn... Sasuke held up one finger. "I'll only eat one."
One? That might be acceptable... Izumi checked, "Just one?"
She was clearly tempted. Sasuke cautiously raised his offer. "One skewer."
Izumi put her hands on her hips. "Don't push your luck, Sasuke!"
Suddenly—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
The sound of something cutting through the air rang out as several figures sped across the rooftops.
They both looked up.
At the head of the group was a man wearing old-fashioned black armor, with several Anbu close behind him.
One of the Anbu had a crooked white mop of hair.
The one in front is the Third Hokage... Sasuke's thoughts stirred.
The one behind him is... Kakashi!
The Third Hokage was fully armed, with Anbu accompanying him. Sasuke immediately realized that something major was about to happen.
He quickly contacted the Spore Clone monitoring the Third Hokage through their telepathic link, and learned what had happened.
So Orochimaru had been exposed... He immediately turned to Izumi. "泉-chan, find somewhere to wait. I'll come back for you later."
"Huh?" Uchiha Izumi froze.
She'd also seen the Third Hokage pass by with the Anbu. Hearing Sasuke's words, she could guess what was going on. Anxiously, she asked, "Sasuke, won't it be dangerous?"
"No. They won't find me. I'm just going to see what's happening."
"Just see? What about your clone...?"
"..." Sasuke was at a loss for words.
He hadn't expected Izumi to suddenly get as sharp as a woman catching her husband cheating.
Ah, what a terrible comparison.
Seeing his reaction, Uchiha Izumi didn't press him for answers. She only made one request. "I want to see, too."
She was clearly still worried and wanted to keep tabs on him in real time.
"Okay!" Sasuke didn't say anything more. With a thought, he brought part of Izumi's consciousness into the Soul Space.
Then he led Izumi herself into an alley and, once they were out of sight, used the Levitation Technique to quickly catch up.
Elsewhere.
Boom~!
The door to the underground chamber beneath Konoha was blown open.
As the smoke cleared—
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed at the sight of the jars containing various human organs lining both sides of the chamber, and the familiar figure dissecting a corpse before him. "So it really was you, Orochimaru."
"So I've finally been discovered?" Orochimaru didn't seem bothered. He leisurely flicked the blood from his hands, then turned around. "I just didn't expect you to come in person, Teacher Sarutobi. Could you tell me how you found out?"
At that moment, an Anbu Ninja spoke up. "Recently, people have been disappearing from the village, from Genin to Chunin, even senior Anbu. And lately, your movements have been suspicious..."
"Lord Orochimaru, how could a ninja like you do something like this?" Another Anbu said, unable to believe it and at a complete loss.
"So you really are behind all this, Orochimaru?" Hiruzen roared. "Do you know what you're doing?"
Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled. "Now that I've been discovered, there's no point hiding it. I'm developing a jutsu!"
"So it's a forbidden jutsu?" Hiruzen said gravely. "What are you trying to do?"
"Everything!" Orochimaru said. "Every last thing."
"I want to master every jutsu and understand every truth in this world."
"Only someone who understands everything can be called the ultimate being."
"But there must be millions of jutsu in this world."
"To master them all and discover the truth, I'll need a tremendous amount of time."
"But a human body's lifespan is far too short, and far too uncertain..."
"Even if you're the Hokage, once you die, everything disappears..."
Hiruzen's pupils contracted. "Orochimaru, is that why you've been conducting experiments on people...?"
"Exactly. You guessed it!" Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled. "The jutsu of immortality—the jutsu that lets the soul endure forever!"
"I knew you were gradually falling into darkness." Hiruzen was heartbroken. "But I never imagined you'd become so lost in the abyss that you'd even dream of immortality?!"
"So what? Are you going to kill me?" Orochimaru sneered. "But can you do it? Teacher Sarutobi, can you bring yourself to kill me?"
As if to prove his resolve, Hiruzen bit his thumb and swiftly formed Hand Seals. He pressed his right palm to the ground, and black markings rapidly spread outward!
Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!
With a poof, a cloud of smoke rose, and a broad-shouldered ape emerged from it!
"Sarutobi!" Enma understood what was happening from the standoff alone.
Seeing this, Orochimaru brought his hands together. Every vessel and light bulb in the laboratory shattered, and a strange gas seeped out.
!!!
The Anbu and Enma's bodies went limp, and they fell first. Hiruzen then slumped to the floor.
Orochimaru used the Body Flicker Technique. In an instant, he broke through the group's blockade and reached the exit. He stopped and glanced back at Sarutobi.
Slumped on the floor, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his eyes slightly toward him.
Everything was understood without a word.
Orochimaru didn't hesitate again. He raced outside.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a quiet relief as he sensed the movement.
Enma, realizing what had happened, reproached him angrily. "Sarutobi! What are you doing?"
Hiruzen said nothing and slowly closed his eyes...
Before you continue