Battles between Kage-level fighters truly shook the earth, lightning spreading and flames raging.
Rumble, rumble.
Boom, boom.
Creak, creak-
Trees toppled and ninjutsu flew. Trees tumbled as techniques erupted one after another, and the earth-shaking spectacle stunned everyone.
Watching this, Danzo and Orochimaru, who had originally been attacking Hiruzen Sarutobi nearby, felt like mere outsiders.
Both froze, staring at the battle below.
Shimura Danzō seemed unable to wrap his mind around it. He simply turned to Orochimaru and asked.
"What do we do?"
"Look for an opening to strike."
With such a perfect opportunity, how could they not attack from behind?
"Who do we help?"
At those words, Orochimaru looked as though he had been struck by lightning five hundred times.
His snake-like eyes, usually brimming with mockery and murderous intent, now betrayed shock as he stared at Shimura Danzō beside him.
He seemed to be wondering how they had ever worked together if the man's intelligence amounted to so little. And yet Danzō always acted as though victory was assured.
"Obviously, we're not going to help the Cloud Shadow Village."
Orochimaru rolled his eyes, utterly speechless as he voiced his criticism.
Beside him, Shimura Danzō finally understood.
Right. This was the perfect moment to put his plan into motion.
This was precisely where his scheme began, and he would not even need to fabricate anything. The Fourth Raikage's killing of Hiruzen Sarutobi was right before their eyes. As long as he helped take down the Fourth Raikage, he could redeem himself.
Besides, Jiraiya and Tsunade were both here. The dead could not testify, and Hiruzen Sarutobi could no longer explain that they had attacked first.
The timing, terrain, and people were all on his side.
Even heaven was helping him.
As an old fox well versed in scheming, he