Upon hearing Shimura Danzō's question, the Root ninja who had been liaising with Orochimaru felt his heart tighten at Danzo's summons. He hurriedly stepped forward, then stood respectfully before Shimura Danzō, ready to report.
"Reporting to Lord Danzo." The Root ninja took a deep breath to steady himself before saying, "Lord Orochimaru's recent progress has not been going smoothly."
His voice was somewhat subdued, as though he too felt helpless about the situation.
"Oh?" Shimura Danzō frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the news. "What exactly happened?"
The Root ninja hesitated before continuing, "It has been some time since we received any results from his experimental projects."
There was a trace of concern in his words. After all, Orochimaru's experimental projects had always been one of Root's main focuses.
Hearing this, Shimura Danzō's expression darkened.
The emotions he had only just calmed rose again because of this news.
"Humph!" Shimura Danzō snorted coldly, displeasure flashing through his eyes. "Is Orochimaru deliberately stalling for time?"
The Root ninja did not dare speak. He simply stood there in silence, awaiting Danzo's next instruction.
After a moment of silence, Shimura Danzō finally said, "Cut his experimental funding in half." His tone was exceedingly stern, leaving no room for negotiation.
The Root ninja's heart tightened. He knew this would greatly affect Orochimaru's experiments, but he did not dare disobey Danzo's orders and could only reply, "Yes, Lord Danzo."
"Also," Shimura Danzō continued, "tell him that if he cannot produce experimental results, this cooperation will be canceled, and the supply of experimental funds will cease." His voice was icy, enough to send chills down one's spine.
The Root ninja hurriedly nodded. "Yes, Lord Danzo. I will deliver your orders at once."
With that, he turned and quickly left, not daring to delay in the slightest.
Though