Their own schemes and a new Hokage

While the two were talking, the ninjas outside the barrier kept staring at them.

What exactly were they whispering about?

Why are you chatting instead of fighting?

The Lord Hokage...

The sounds of sobbing blended together.

This time, we absolutely cannot let Orochimaru escape again.

At the same time.

That's enough for now. Orochimaru raised his head and glanced at the four Sound Ninja, his voice cold.

The barrier has been removed.

go back.

Things didn't go exactly as planned today, but I managed to snag a suitable container, so it wasn't a bad deal.

The four Sound Ninja exchanged a glance and immediately began Hand Seals to dispel the Four Violet Flames Formation.

The barrier vanished from everyone's sight.

Orochimaru was also grabbed by the arm by the Sound Ninja caught up with him.

"I'm leaving. "Orochimaru Wu Chiwu toward Goku, who was standing to the side.

If we don't leave now, it'll be a real problem.

Wu Chiwu glanced around at his surroundings.

The moment the barrier shattered, the Konoha ninjas swarmed around it.

Kakashi, Might Guy, and their group of strong ninjas had almost finished dealing with their opponents and were on their way here.

"Let's go." He stretched and yawned.

Her white, tousled hair swayed back and forth in the wind.

Don't even think about running away!

Seeing that the group of foreign ninjas were about to retreat, all the Konoha ninjas rushed forward.

"Secret Technique: Spider Nest Opens." The guy from Sound Ninja Kidomaru let out a cold laugh.

In the blink of an eye, a huge net covered everything and bound all the Konoha Ninja.

Damn it. Might Guy's eyes darkened.

He raised his foot to rush forward and chase after those people.

A hand landed on his shoulder from behind; it was Kakashi, who had pulled him back.

It's not appropriate to chase after them now. Kakashi's expression was complicated.

There are a bunch of more important things waiting for us to do.

Hearing this, Might Guy's initial momentum cooled down, and he withdrew his foot.

Hold.

However, that is indeed the case.

Konoha still can't do without them.

There are still many unresolved problems in the shadows.

On the other side, in a corner where no one can see.

Black Zetsu also received the message from White Zetsu.

It really was him. His voice was very low.

He finally showed up.

And his eyes...

As the details reported by White Zetsu flashed through his mind, Black Zetsu's expression gradually tightened.

Those eyes were so special that he couldn't help but look at them a few more times.

What secrets does it hold?

Will this disrupt my plans?

If we could keep that kid under our noses and observe him closely, things would be much simpler.

This is really getting in the way.

Once Black Zetsu figured this out, he immediately had a clear idea.

If we can get Wu Chiwu into the Akatsuki, everything will be much easier.

At this moment, Wu Chiwu had no idea what Black Zetsu was plotting in the shadows; he was following Orochimaru toward Otogakure.

Although Otogakure is a small, newly established village, it has everything it needs.

In some places, you can even see a hint of Konoha's atmosphere.

The village ninjas were completely subservient to Orochimaru.

Wu Chiwu rested his chin on his hand, looking at everything before him.

I didn't expect Orochimaru to be so capable.

If he hadn't been so eccentric, he might actually have been qualified to compete for the Hokage position.

Wu Chiwu narrowed his Azure eyes slightly.

When he arrived at Orochimaru's lair, he didn't feel flustered at all. On the contrary, he looked around quite comfortably.

Before long, a well-hidden building came into his view.

I reckon that's the most important place in the Otogakure, Orochimaru's Snake Den underground.

The Laboratory is probably located in that area too.

Wu Chiwu was making plans in his mind.

He came here with Orochimaru with another matter on his mind.

It's the Wood Release Cells and related data that Orochimaru obtained from his experiments.

The original text clearly states that a reincarnation of Indra's Chakra can awaken the Rinnegan simply by transplanting the flesh or cells of Asura reincarnation into their own body.

The Rinnegan is something that not just anyone can awaken.

But this also filled Wu Chiwu's mind with a lot of inspiration and ideas.

The more you use the ordinary Mangekyō Sharingan, the worse your vision becomes.

If we transplanted the cells of the First Hokage, the Yin and Yang Power would clash, and maybe that could cure this ailment.

This was the main reason why he agreed to Orochimaru's request.

Otherwise, the pile of reasoning that Orochimaru threw out wouldn't have fooled him at all.

Wu Chiwu mentally went through the matter, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl upwards.

Now that we've invited him, don't expect him to just pack up and leave.

Meanwhile, in Konoha Ninja Village.

After the memorial service for the Third Hokage was completed, a crucial question began to swirl in the minds of the Council of Elders.

Who should be chosen as the Fifth Hokage?

The fighting strength of Konoha Ninja Village has dropped terribly.

Who can step up at this critical juncture and earn everyone's respect?

The Danzo, who was eager to make a move, aside and began to consider other candidates.

No elder who sits in this position is not clear-headed.

They usually agreed with Danzo's views and supported his actions.

But that was all when the Third Hokage was still alive.

Danzo and the Third Hokage had contrasting personalities—one firm and the other gentle. The reason for supporting Danzo was that the Third Hokage was afraid of being too soft-hearted.

But once the Third Hokage fell, Danzo's weaknesses were fully exposed.

He doesn't have the ability to shoulder the burden during such a difficult time.

What we need is a leader who is trustworthy and has a strong hand. Advisor Koharu looked at the Council of Elders and spoke calmly.

The power of Konohagakure has now fallen to a level that is frightening.

We need to be fully prepared to deal with any bigger problems that might arise later.

Who knows which neighboring country will choose to stab us in the back at any time?

So before the village recovers, we need to select a few leaders from various units to form an Emergency Executive Committee to get through this period.

But all of this requires a leader who can keep things in check.

After hearing what Advisor Koharu said, the elders all fell silent.

After holding back for a long time, one of the elders finally spoke.

What about Jiraiya?

Jiraiya, the Third Hokage's student and one of the Sannin, was a formidable character who could go toe-to-toe with Orochimaru.

The Council of Elders considered it for a moment and then nodded.

This is the best card they can play right now.

The news quickly reached Jiraiya's ears.

No, no. He quickly rejected the Council of Elders ' suggestion.

I'm not the type of person who can do that.

How about this, let Tsunade become Hokage?

She's a hundred times more suited to this than I am.

Jiraiya pushed Tsunade forward.

He also said he planned to bring the Fourth Hokage's son, Naruto Uzumaki, along with him to find her.

The Council of Elders echoed this sentiment.

Tsunade is, after all, a descendant of the Senju Clan; her qualifications to be Hokage are undeniable.

Not long after, Jiraiya led Naruto on his journey.

Before he left, the Council of Elders specifically instructed him to keep an eye on the movements of a ninja.

That person helped the Lord Hokage inside the barrier.

But it's a certainty that he came to Konoha with a concealed identity.

Not to mention that in the end, he even left with Orochimaru.

This inevitably makes people uneasy.

If we can find out some details about him on this trip, that would be ideal.

"Alright, I've got it." Jiraiya casually replied, smoothing his white hair.

At the same time, the image of the white-haired young ninja also surfaced in his mind.

Is that him?

I never dreamed of this.

A month has passed.

Wu Chiwu emerged from Orochimaru's Laboratory, completely satisfied.

I've already gotten what I wanted.

I didn't expect Orochimaru to be so careless.

Instead of leaving himself here alone, he went with Kabuto Yakushi to find Tsunade to treat his arm.

Do you think these materials are unimportant and are therefore being kept secret?

Wu Chiwu rested his chin on his hand, his eyes crinkling into a smile.

I worked so hard today, all the sugar is burned off.

I need to find a place to get some rest and recuperation right away.