Report

Orochimaru's disciple gave him no face, but Jiraiya merely laughed it off.

"Jiraiya, it's because your head is full of all that nonsense that you're so stupid."

Seeing Jiraiya at a loss for words, Orochimaru did not hold back his sharp tongue.

"Heh heh, Orochimaru, you wouldn't want me to lead your students astray, would you? How about a drink first? The old Third is busy. He might not have time to hear your report."

Jiraiya stopped fooling around.

"Fine."

In the past, Orochimaru had ignored Jiraiya's invitations.

But this time was different.

The members of Orochimaru Squad watched their teacher vanish with Jiraiya in a Body Flicker, and instantly felt somewhat disappointed.

The female ninja wondered what their teacher would do if Jiraiya really threw an arm around his shoulders.

Uchiha Yuan, meanwhile, secretly shook his head.

Failing to intercept Isobu had clearly affected his teacher quite a bit.

On Hokage Rock, Jiraiya held a bottle of sake as he leaned against the railing, comfortably narrowing his eyes in the breeze.

Orochimaru toyed with the bottle in his hand.

"Go on. What is it?"

Jiraiya took a deep drink.

"You're as sharp as ever. I heard about your mission this time."

"If you have something to say, say it."

"Mm..."

Jiraiya pondered for a long while.

"I know you want to become Hokage. The old Third did consider making you the next Hokage."

The glass bottle in Orochimaru's hand cracked, yet not a drop spilled.

"So? Are you going to mock me with that? Because your disciple became Hokage before either of us?"

Jiraiya looked down over Hidden Leaf Village.

"No. What I want to tell you is, don't do anything stupid just to become Hokage."

"Something stupid?"

Orochimaru gave a cold chuckle.

"Jiraiya, why not cooperate with me? The old Third is already getting on in years. Konoha needs to recover after the war. It needs to grow stronger, and it needs to prosper."

"And I happen to know the right way."

Jiraiya sighed.

"How can there be one guaranteed right way?"

"Hmph. Forget it. Even if I told you, you probably wouldn't understand with your intelligence."

Orochimaru let the bottle fall from his hand and prepared to leave in a Body Flicker.

"Hey, attacking my intelligence is one thing, but don't you dare do anything stupid! Otherwise, even if it costs me my life, I'll stop you."

"Win against me first before you make such big claims."

Strong liquor spilled across the ground, and Orochimaru was already gone.

Jiraiya silently drained the rest of the bottle.

As one of the main ninja who had carried out this mission, Uchiha Yuan likewise had to report in person to the Konoha Higher-Ups alongside his teacher Orochimaru and the other jonin, filling in details lacking from the written report.

"Uchiha Yuan, according to the mission report, there was a gap of nearly three hours between the last time you used the Spiritualisation Technique and when you returned to your body. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage."

"But according to the report, you can only keep your soul outside your body for three minutes. That is a sixtyfold difference."

Hokage advisor Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses. Uchiha Yuan could sense the disbelief in the old ninja's eyes.

"Lord Homura, during my final operation, my soul was accidentally swallowed by Isobu. When I regained consciousness, my soul had already returned to my body."

"It was indeed three hours."

Uchiha Yuan answered frankly.

"My student's soul was indeed swallowed whole by Isobu. I saw it with my own eyes."

"After he returned, Harusame's Sealing Technique formula was still left on his body. As a chunin, perhaps it was luck that he managed to gain the upper hand against Harusame once or twice."

"But the third time, if Isobu had not been there, I believe Uchiha Yuan would have died during this mission."

"That would have been Konoha's loss."

Orochimaru added.

As a veteran jonin and a primary participant in the mission, Orochimaru had the right to intervene in chunin Uchiha Yuan's report.

"Orochimaru, we will judge for ourselves. You need not add anything."

Utatane Koharu, also one of the Konoha Higher-Ups, said displeasedly.

"If my student were a jonin with ample mission experience, naturally I would not speak up."

"But unfortunately, throughout the entire Third Shinobi World War, he was working in the laboratory for the village."

"If my student's words have caused you any misunderstanding, then as his teacher, I would be troubled."

Orochimaru said casually.

In Uchiha Yuan's memory, aside from explaining ninjutsu, this was the first time his teacher had spoken so much in one breath.

It really was not easy.

"Orochimaru, make yourself clear. What misunderstanding could we possibly have?"

Utatane Koharu had a fiery temper.

"Koharu! This is a mission debriefing."

"Orochimaru's words do make some sense, but there is no possibility of any so-called misunderstanding."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, said solemnly.

With the position of Fifth Hokage currently vacant, he, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzō jointly decided Konoha's major and minor affairs.

"Alright, Uchiha Yuan's report ends here."

"The mission he carried out was personally assigned by me. During the final operation, when Harusame attempted to seal Isobu, he risked his life to interrupt him, creating a valuable opportunity for the assault unit."

"I believe in Uchiha Yuan's contributions to Konoha."

Danzo's voice was equally low.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu exchanged looks.

"Very well. Let us hear the jonin's reports next."

"Of course, I presided over this mission as well, and I likewise hope that you can view it objectively."

Danzo added.

Afterward, Uchiha Yuan left the Hokage Chamber under ANBU escort.

As a chunin, he was not qualified to sit in on the jonin's reports.

The routine jonin debriefing ended quickly.

Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu become certain that Danzo had accomplished something major this time.

Over the past few days, spies remaining in Sea Country and Kirigakure had sent back information.

Isobu had indeed been recovered by Kirigakure, and before the Third Mizukage even returned to the village, the purge of Hidden Mist Village's Kekkai Genkai Clans had already begun.

As for Kirigakure itself, Elder Genji, who had always been close to the Kekkai Genkai Clans, took no action in order to avoid suspicion.

Under immense pressure, the Kekkai Genkai Clans of Hidden Mist Village chose to resist.

The Kaguya Clan was the fiercest among them.

The four Konoha Higher-Ups understood that a Kirigakure consumed by internal strife would not have the strength to wage war against Konoha for decades.

It had to be said that although Danzo's methods were dishonorable, they did indeed protect Konoha's interests for the time being.

Danzo greatly enjoyed the frowns on his three colleagues' faces.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had carried out similar missions before, but neither had handled them properly.

Because of that, Danzo had always believed himself to be special among the four elders.

"Alright, we still need to see how Kirigakure reacts to this matter. Let us old fools discuss Orochimaru's disciple, Uchiha Yuan."

"He truly is a formidable youngster!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard.

"Dan Katō mastered the Spiritualisation Technique, and if I remember correctly, the limit for keeping his soul outside his body was three minutes."

"That Uchiha brat can already manage three hours?"

Mitokado Homura flipped through the report. Even though the person involved had already admitted it,

a sixtyfold difference was astonishing.

"How is the investigation into the Uchiha Clan going, Hiruzen?"

Utatane Koharu suddenly asked.

"Other than Uchiha Yuan, every clan member has been questioned by ANBU. It has been confirmed that Uchiha Mikoto, who happened to encounter Kushina on the day of the Nine-Tails Attack, is not a problem."

"As for the other Uchiha Clan members, no abnormalities have been found for now."

"If Uchiha Yuan has not awakened the Sharingan, then he could not have been the one controlling the Nine-Tails."

"ANBU will verify that again."

"However."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, paused.

"At present, the Uchiha Clan has not completely cleared itself of suspicion."

"I will arrange for ANBU to monitor Uchiha Yuan, but we are currently short on manpower. We will not be able to assign an ANBU squad until tomorrow morning."

"Indeed, that would be more prudent."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu nodded in agreement.

After all, he was the strongest Spiritualisation Technique user in Konoha's history and had even mastered the Kurama Clan's basic genjutsu.

The fact that he was an Uchiha was unsettling.

"Hmph. Do as you please."

Danzo rose to his feet and left, leaning on his cane.

Just before reaching the door, he stopped and said flatly,

"Hiruzen, there is no need for you to deliberately emphasize that an ANBU squad cannot be assigned until tomorrow morning."

With that, the Darkness of the Shinobi World was about to leave.

Hiruzen Sarutobi said urgently,

"Danzo, do not do something you will regret in the future!"

"Hmph, Hiruzen. You are no longer the Hokage."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked at their noses and their hearts, as though they had heard nothing.