"No need to look, Orochimaru."
Haruma picked at his ear. "My identity isn't worth your attention."
"As for my relationship with Danzo... and Konoha."
"As you can see, it's hardly friendly."
Orochimaru sneered. "Indeed. Concealing your identity, exposing the human experiments, and the ninja from the various clans..."
"You were behind the recent kidnappings too, weren't you, my guest?"
Although it was a question, Orochimaru's tone was utterly certain.
Haruma had no intention of denying it anyway. After all, the bodies from earlier were still down below.
Haruma waved a hand. "Stop calling me your guest. Just call me Dafuweng from now on."
Orochimaru: "..."
"Fugo-kun, then... What a distinctive code name."
Haruma raised an eyebrow and turned to glance at the dark forest behind him.
"I was going to chat with you a little longer. Unfortunately..."
Once Haruma finished speaking, Orochimaru also sensed the ninja approaching from nearby.
"After you defect from the village, I think we'll have a chance to work together."
Haruma spoke confidently, as though he had already seen how things would end for Orochimaru.
A golden Shuriken sailed lightly through the curtain of rain toward Orochimaru.
Orochimaru caught it casually and held the oddly shaped Shuriken, looking thoughtful.
"Keep it. It'll make our future cooperation more convenient."
"As for whether you leave or stay now, do as you please~"
"You're that confident I'll work with you?"
Haruma nodded calmly. "I know you're obsessed with researching the truth of life and the mysteries of Ninjutsu."
"The bargaining chips I hold are far more plentiful than Danzo's."
Orochimaru's gaze sharpened, and his doubts deepened.
Who exactly was this person?
Not only did he know a great deal about all sorts of affairs in the village.
He also seemed certain he had Orochimaru himself in the palm of his hand.
"Plentiful bargaining chips..."
Setting his doubts aside for the moment, Orochimaru flicked his tongue and murmured, "Then I look forward to our next meeting, Fugo-kun."
Damp soil slowly enveloped Orochimaru from below.
"Aren't you leaving, Fugo-kun?"
Haruma looked behind him, sounding slightly regretful. "There are still too few ninja coming. Looks like not enough people are paying attention."
Orochimaru, about to sink underground, was just preparing to speak.
A deafening peal of thunder cut him off.
Looking up, he saw what looked like several cyan patterns imprinted on a black curtain.
"If not enough people are coming, I'll just add fuel to the fire..."
Slowly forming a complicated hand seal, Haruma said mildly, "This really is perfect weather!"
With only his head remaining aboveground, Orochimaru watched Haruma in puzzlement.
He wanted to see just what this person intended to do.
"Lightning Release: Kirin!!"
Take a look! My pay-to-win ultimate, worth sixty-six million!
Countless bolts of cyan lightning constantly intertwined and shifted the instant Haruma formed his hand seals.
In the end, they became an enormous, ferocious-looking Kirin! Its great maw gaped as it roared high in the sky!
The resounding thunder sounded like the Kirin's furious roar!
The seal was complete,
and the Kirin plunged from the highest heavens!
"Boom, rumble!!!"
At that moment...
Heaven and earth fell silent!
The Hokage Building.
Hearing the commotion, Sarutobi abruptly turned toward the window.
His gaze seemed to pierce the layers of rain, looking toward the underground base at the edge of the barrier.
"A Kage-level ninja!"
Sarutobi's pupils contracted, and he immediately barked, "Gather our people and head for where that lightning struck! Now!"
With that, Sarutobi tore off his Hokage robes, revealing the black ninja combat gear underneath.
Without waiting for the Anbu to respond, Sarutobi leaped straight out of the building's window.
It was not just Sarutobi.
The instant the lightning fell, every Jonin in the village, including the heads of all the clans, looked up in the same direction.
The essence of the Kirin technique was speed!
So fast that the enemy had no time to dodge at all.
Thus, only an instant passed between the Kirin's roar and its impact.
Although they had not seen the great beast roaring in the sky,
that earth-shattering explosion!
And that fleeting burst of chakra, comparable to Kage level, also sent everyone rushing toward the scene at once.
"Fuck!"
"If you were going to make this much noise, you should've said so! Why have me lure anyone over?!"
Sprinting flat out through the rainy night, Fugaku now looked like Batman's archenemy.
Not far behind Fugaku, several groups of Anbu were rapidly closing in.
And their numbers kept growing.
At first, to play it safe, Fugaku had only drawn in two Anbu squads.
He had even deliberately slowed down as he approached the underground laboratory.
He had never expected Haruma to suddenly cause such a huge commotion!
By now, probably everyone in Konoha with any decent chakra perception knew about this place.
And Fugaku, mysteriously dressed and with Anbu pursuing him, instantly became everyone's target.
Every ninja heading in that direction to investigate immediately joined the pursuit of Fugaku.
Almost everyone coming was a Jonin, too!
Yes, he was Kage level!
But among those dozens of Jonin, sensory types, investigative types, and pursuit types were practically all accounted for.
While changing direction, Fugaku even caught sight of a Byakugan among his pursuers.
For the moment, he actually could not shake this crowd!
Fugaku was so anxious that he inwardly cursed their mothers!
No, he was cursing Haruma!
If this dragged on, that old bastard Sarutobi might show up too!
"You fucking liability! Little bastard!"
Fugaku ran, muttering curses through gritted teeth.
"Old man, over here!"
A low shout reached Fugaku's ears through the layers of rain.
Fugaku accelerated, turned, and plunged into the dense woods on his left.
"Groups of five! Spread out and surround them!"
"Osamu! Point us in the right direction!"
At the entrance to the woods, the Anbu Captain directed everyone, issuing orders.
"Captain! They're gone!!!"
"What?!!"
The Anbu Captain in the fox mask was stunned by Osamu's report.
After all, Osamu was a member of the Hyuga Branch Family.
The mysterious person had only entered a few seconds ago, and suddenly vanished???
Though he did not doubt his subordinate, the captain still organized his people and entered the woods to search step by step.
The Uchiha Clan compound.
Fugaku's home.
It was the same secluded room they had used for their conversation before.
The very room where Haruma had told Fugaku to step down.
Beneath the room's tea table, one side of a table leg glowed faintly.
Two mysterious figures in matching outfits appeared there as if they had teleported.
Fugaku yanked off his mask and looked at Haruma through gritted teeth. "You just called me an old man, didn't you?!"
"Tch."
Haruma took off his mask and snorted, shooting back, "You think I didn't hear you calling me a fucking liability and a little bastard?!"
Without the slightest guilt, Fugaku said indignantly, "Just look at what you did!"
"We agreed that drawing in two squads would be enough!"
"I was almost fucking there, and you went and pulled the whole village's aggro onto me!"
"If you'd been a few steps slower, that old fox Sarutobi might've arrived!"
Haruma took off his soaked black robe and said mildly, "All right, Orochimaru dropped by after you left."
"Orochimaru?"
Fugaku paused, frowning as he asked, "Did you two fight?"
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
Haruma nodded and said casually, "I didn't even activate my Sharingan. My identity wasn't exposed either."
Learning that something unexpected had happened, and that Haruma had not deliberately screwed him over.
And seeing that Haruma had no injuries despite having fought Orochimaru, Fugaku relaxed as well.
Inwardly relieved, Fugaku sighed softly. "At least the plan succeeded. There should be quite a few people going there, right?"
Haruma chuckled, the corners of his mouth lifting. "With such a huge commotion, unfamiliar Kage-level chakra, and a human experimentation laboratory they can tour for free."
"I think those old foxes will have plenty to keep them busy for a while~"