Orochimaru's Restlessness

Hokage Office Building, conference room.

The urgent intelligence that had arrived in such a rush truly gave the Third Hokage a headache.

Has it been exposed again this time? As I thought, the spy is within Konoha, and inside the village itself? Who could it be? Who knows the village like the back of their hand and has the ability to sneak into my study...

Suspects and motives surfaced in his mind, only to be dismissed just as quickly. The Third Hokage furrowed his brows, slowly set down the letter, and picked up his brush to write furiously once more.

"Deliver this letter to Shikaku. Once he reads it, he will understand. Stabilize the morale of the ninja; the actions of the Mist Village are definitely not as simple as they seem."

The Anbu ninja Sho nodded and departed. Gazing at the empty study, the Third Hokage closed his eyes to collect his thoughts.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have all been killed, and their blades were seized by Uchiha Hanazuki. The Mist Village's retaliation will certainly not end here. Who could it be?

As dusk faded and the stars appeared in the sparse moonlight, the heavy-hearted Third Hokage endured an exceptionally agonizing night.

Meanwhile, at Uchiha Hanazuki's home.

His intricate, complex Mangekyo gazed at the Book of the Crimson Moon in his hands; that faint, flickering connection refused to dissipate.

The power of my ocular jutsu—why does it react to the Book of the Crimson Moon? Could it be...

Sage Mode markings gradually spread to the corners of his eyes. His exquisite, complex, and dreamlike Mangekyo spun wildly at this moment.

"Bloom, Kyoka Suigetsu."

Turning the illusory into reality, or the reality into the illusory—this was the Mangekyo ocular jutsu that Hanazuki believed could rival the SSR-level Kamui.

The Book of the Crimson Moon in his hand slowly opened. It was formless and intangible, neither chakra nor natural energy.

The eerie, azure barrier felt more like spiritual power, yet it was distinct. As another dimension was released from the Book of the Crimson Moon, a flood of knowledge from another world poured into his mind.

"So that's how it is. This thing can only be opened with Kyoka Suigetsu? No wonder, no wonder the Black Nine-Tails could only retrieve half of its body. Without knowing the method, it poured in such massive amounts of chakra that it barely managed to pull its own opposite..."

Blood dripped down. Even in Sage Mode, the massive consumption of ocular power made every cell in Hanazuki's body ache, yet the smile on his lips smoothed away the pain.

"So much interesting knowledge. It seems the Blut Vene can be further refined. Relying solely on chakra and those low-level defensive formations is hardly a perfect work."

The ancient bamboo scroll vanished from his fingertips, sinking back into his inner world. Hanazuki tilted his head, looking toward the Land of Bears, and raised an eyebrow.

"You've gone a bit too far, Teacher Orochimaru..."

At the same time, in the Land of Bears, at the Konoha camp.

"Lord Shikaku, if this continues, we won't be able to hold out much longer. The medicinal herbs and protective masks have all been..."

The medical ninja's tone was frantic. Nara Shikaku looked equally distressed; the Land of Bears was a treacherous environment filled with toxic swamps and miasma. Without medical supplies, even ninja could not endure it.

"Report, Lord Shikaku! We've discovered traces of Mist ninja. Our base camp has been found..."

The arrival of the scout ninja made Nara Shikaku's head spin. The location of the camp should have been top secret; how could it have been exposed so suddenly? Could it be?

"Byakugan? Is the leader of the opposing ninja a Mist ninja who has transplanted a Byakugan?"

The sound of kunai clashing rang out outside the camp, followed by silence a moment later.

The group rushed over to find the Mist ninja lying unconscious on the ground, strangely unharmed.

Turning around, they saw a young man holding a katana, his eyes with spinning tomoe, nodding slightly at them.

"Uchiha Shisui? You've been a huge help. If these Mist guys had invaded at such a critical moment, things couldn't have gotten any worse."

Exhaling a long breath of relief, before Nara Shikaku could finish his lament, Shisui's expression shifted drastically. He turned and said, "Mr. Shikaku, someone is approaching. There are many of them—at least a hundred, and all of them are elite ninja."

"All units, on guard!"

The many ninja stationed in the camp braced themselves as a thick, hazy mist rolled in, refusing to dissipate.

Who could it be? Who is the enemy this time? The Seven Ninja Swordsmen? No, the Mist elites should have been wiped out by Uchiha Hanazuki, and even their signature blades were taken.

Then, who is it?

Just then, a slightly youthful voice echoed. Figures hidden in the mist slowly emerged, the petite figure in the lead looking surprised.

"Are they really here? I didn't think that intelligence was true. The Konoha camp—to think it was hidden in a place like this."

The figure was short, yet no one on the Konoha side dared to underestimate him. Nara Shikaku felt sweat bead on his forehead.

"The Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura."

The burly figure beside him scanned the surroundings, his sharp teeth grinding together to spark. Suikazan Fuguki was filled with rage.

"That brat, is Flash Illusion Moon not here? Damn brat, where exactly did he take our ninja swords?!"

"Tch, not on the battlefield against the Mist? So it's another brat from the Uchiha Clan here instead. What should we do, Lord Mizukage?"

Biwa Juzo sneered, looking at the Konoha ninja with malicious intent. "Shall we kill them?"

"Even if we kill them, we won't be able to get back the seven ninja swords of the Mist. Let's do this instead: Uchiha brat, go and bring Flash Illusion Moon to me."

"The outcome of this negotiation will determine your fate. Do you understand?"

The words of the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, brought a smirk to Suikazan Fuguki's face. He couldn't wait to see that brat behind the Three-Eyed Demon Fox Mask groveling at his feet.

Facing the path that was only wide enough for him to pass, Uchiha Shisui's expression remained tense. Only after he had completely escaped the Mist's encirclement did trails of blood begin to drip from the corners of his eyes.

Is this the limit of what I can do? Damn it!

The next morning, Uchiha Hanazuki, still deep in slumber, was jolted awake by a series of urgent knocks at his door.

"What is it? Disturbing someone's sleep so early in the morning—annoying pests."

He pushed the door open to find an Anbu ninja wearing a monkey mask acting in a flustered state; upon seeing Hanazuki appear, the ninja urged him forward without delay.

"Uchiha Hanazuki, the Hokage summons you urgently. Proceed to the Hokage Office Building at once."

Is it this urgent? You've gone a bit too far, Teacher Orochimaru.

By the time Hanazuki arrived at the Hokage Office Building, the Anbu present cast their gazes toward him. Most wore indifferent expressions, though a few looked on with pity.

"You summoned me here in such a rush—what exactly is the matter, Third Hokage?"

"You've arrived, Uchiha Hanazuki. There is an urgent mission for you: rescue the Konoha ninjas who have fallen into the hands of the Mist Village."