In a mysterious place, inside a dark, damp cave.
A man sat there with one eye covered and half his upper body and arm concealed, his face expressionless as he calmly gazed at the ground through a narrowed eye.
Indeed, he was Shimura Danzō, who had betrayed his village and fled.
He had made up his mind to act, but he had failed. His fallback after that failure was to throw in his lot with Orochimaru.
But how could he accept that?
His dream was to become Hokage. Becoming Hokage was practically an obsession!
Outwardly, he showed no expression at all. He even looked calm.
Inside, however, rage had already flared, and he wanted to kill everyone.
If Orochimaru hadn't come to deceive him and led him into taking that wrong step, how could things have ended up like this?
If Tsunade and Jiraiya hadn't suddenly returned to the village, intending to steal his position as Hokage, why would he have agreed to Orochimaru's plan?
If Tsunade and Jiraiya had just stayed out there wandering and wasting their days instead of returning, he wouldn't have made that choice or been deceived, and the plan would have succeeded!
He blamed heaven, earth, and everything around him, but never his own mindset. He certainly never blamed himself for choosing the wrong path!
Just then.
Tap, tap, tap!
Footsteps rang out, accompanied by faint splashes of water, exceptionally crisp and distinct inside the cave!
Shimura Danzō slowly opened his uncovered, clouded eye and looked over.
It wasn't hard to guess who had entered. It was Orochimaru. He no longer looked weak and unsteady, and he was wearing clothing in the style of another ninja village.
"Is this your Immortality Technique?"
Seeing him, Shimura Danzō asked the question with an impassive expression.
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