Inside the ANBU office, one of Natsuhiko's shadow clones sat quietly, flipping through a report in his hands.
Whenever his real body went out, leaving behind a clone was a must. After all, what he was doing outside wasn't exactly something that could be made public. Keeping a proper alibi was necessary.
Fortunately, there wasn't much going on within the ANBU at the moment. And honestly, the biggest difference between a shadow clone and the original was just who could endure more.
Because of that, Natsuhiko had complete confidence in using this technique. In fact, he had once seriously believed that the Shadow Clone Jutsu was the greatest and most practical technique ever invented by Tobirama Senju.
In battle, it could mislead enemies into making fatal mistakes.
In daily life, it allowed true multitasking—handling multiple things at once with perfect efficiency.
And… in certain personal aspects of life, it might even have some unexpected uses.
For example, imagine a man confidently telling his wife, "I can handle you and your two shadow clones at the same time."
Of course, aside from shadow clones, the Flying Thunder God Technique was just as valuable. It combined offense, escape, and rapid travel all into one.
At times, Natsuhiko even considered whether, after becoming Hokage, he should bring Tobirama Senju back using the Reanimation Jutsu.
Not only would Konoha gain an incredibly powerful fighter, but with Tobirama's genius for research, letting that talent go to waste would be a crime.
Think about it—why don't criminals pay taxes? They work too, don't they? They create value.
Give them food and shelter, and take everything they produce as tax. Isn't that perfectly reasonable?
And if that's the case, why shouldn't the dead come back to work and contribute to society as well?
This is the ninja world, after all. Even the dead can be revived.
After entertaining that thought for a moment, Natsuhiko shook his head.
He suddenly felt like he was getting dangerously close to a noose and a streetlamp.
And that was before even becoming Hokage. If he actually reached that position… he didn't even want to imagine it.
Still, that was all far in the future. There was no need to think about it now.
Placing the report aside, the shadow clone turned to look out the window.
At the moment, he had no idea what the real Natsuhiko was doing, or how far things had progressed.
That was one of the few downsides of shadow clones. Aside from the heavy chakra drain and the feedback of pain if a clone was destroyed, they couldn't constantly sync information in real time.
But that wasn't a big issue.
No technique was perfect. Maybe one day, when he dragged Tobirama back from the Pure Land to work for him, he could fix that flaw too.
"Commander!"
A hurried voice suddenly rang out.
Moments later, Pakura rushed in, looking slightly anxious.
Right behind her came Sora and Renge. Their offices were right next to Natsuhiko's, so they could respond immediately whenever needed.
As secretaries, their role was to serve Natsuhiko. Being on call at all times was only natural.
"No need to rush. Take a breath first," Natsuhiko said calmly.
But deep down, he already had a rough idea of what this was about.
It was probably Orochimaru… or perhaps even his own real body had already been discovered.
Still, he waited patiently for Pakura to speak.
"Commander, Orochimaru has made his move," she said after steadying herself. "According to reports from the Uchiha clan, his target this time was… Uchiha Fugaku."
"What?" Sora's eyes widened in shock. "The clan head?"
"Looks like Orochimaru's ambitions are bigger than we thought," Natsuhiko nodded slightly. He appeared mildly surprised, but inside, he remained completely calm.
This outcome was already within his expectations.
What he needed to know now… was how the situation had unfolded.
But soon, it seemed he sensed something. His expression shifted slightly before he spoke without hesitation.
"All of you, move out immediately. Recall any ANBU on leave—especially Kakashi. Then head straight to support the Uchiha clan."
"Yes, Commander!"
The three of them nodded immediately before quickly leaving the office.
Only then did Natsuhiko's shadow clone let out a small breath of relief. He turned his head toward the window—
—and at that exact moment, it slid open.
Natsuhiko himself stepped in from outside.
Clearly, the clone had already sensed the original's return, which was why it had hurriedly sent everyone away.
Poof!
With a puff of smoke, the shadow clone disappeared, and all of its memories flowed back into Natsuhiko's mind.
In an instant, he understood everything that had happened in his absence, as well as the current situation within the ANBU.
Thinking it over, he gave a faint nod of satisfaction.
Orochimaru's matter had essentially reached its final stage.
From provoking him, spreading rumors, issuing threats, and then unexpectedly obtaining the Mangekyō Sharingan… to finally reaching a certain level of cooperation with Orochimaru—
Everything had gone smoothly.
One could say that Natsuhiko had already achieved his initial goals.
"Still… Orochimaru is quite cautious. Or maybe I really pushed him too hard, which is why he staged all of this."
Orochimaru taking the initiative to negotiate had been a bit unexpected, but it wasn't unacceptable.
In the end, Natsuhiko agreed to a deal with him.
As part of their arrangement, he even made additional concessions—if Orochimaru needed human subjects for experiments, he would allow it.
Of course, Natsuhiko had his limits.
Anyone outside the Land of Fire could be used as experimental material.
But within the Land of Fire, Orochimaru was absolutely forbidden from touching anyone.
On top of that, he wasn't allowed to target civilians—though, in truth, Orochimaru likely had little interest in them anyway.
Even if a civilian had great talent, they still couldn't compare to a trained shinobi.
Rather than experimenting on them, it would be more efficient to train them into proper ninja first… and then proceed as he wished.
Aside from the experimental agreement, Natsuhiko had also placed someone by Orochimaru's side.
Yakushi Kabuto.
His role was to monitor Orochimaru, while Orochimaru, in turn, would train him.
It was both a deal and a warning.
And at the same time, a necessary link between the two sides.
Orochimaru didn't understand why Natsuhiko had chosen a mere child for this role, but it didn't matter.
After all, he had already agreed to the main terms. Compared to that, the rest was insignificant.
...
"Hey, Kakashi, what do you say we go to a hot spring?"
On the streets of Konoha, Might Guy walked alongside Kakashi, Aoba Yamashiro, and Raido Namiashi as they headed forward.
During his time off, Kakashi liked spending time with his old classmates. It was both something Natsuhiko had encouraged—and something Kakashi himself genuinely wanted.
When he was with them, he felt relaxed.
He didn't have to think about ANBU duties or deal with complicated missions.
Of course, as he had grown stronger, so had his peers.
Many of them had already joined different departments or become active mission shinobi, forming teams and taking on various assignments.
Because of that, it was rare for everyone to gather at the same time. Whenever Kakashi had a break, the group around him would always be a little different.
This time, it was these three.
Next time, it might be someone else.
As they walked through Konoha's bustling streets, Guy noticed a nearby hot spring and couldn't help but speak up.
"A hot spring?" Aoba's eyes lit up slightly. "That actually sounds like a great idea. Come to think of it, I've never been to one before."
"Should we give it a try?" Raido looked around curiously before adding, "None of us have, right? Maybe…"
"Uh… well…" Kakashi's gaze also drifted toward the hot spring.
But unlike the others, he seemed a bit hesitant.
To be honest, Kakashi had never actually experienced something like this before. He had, however, come across descriptions of places like this in books.
It seemed that establishments like hot springs were more suitable for adults to explore?
Right now, Kakashi honestly still couldn't clearly distinguish the difference between a hot spring bathhouse and certain other kinds of entertainment venues. Even though he had started reading more literary magazines, he had no real-world experience, nor had he ever personally visited such places.
Thinking about it, a small idea began to form in his mind. He knew it probably wasn't appropriate, but his restless curiosity made it hard to ignore.
"Maybe… we should go take a look?" Kakashi finally said after a moment of hesitation.
"Alright!" Guy immediately slapped Kakashi on the shoulder. "I've never experienced a hot spring either! Let's go check it out!"
With that, the three boys walked forward shoulder to shoulder toward the hot spring.
But just then, Kakashi suddenly stopped.
He frowned and looked to the side.
The sudden change in his behavior left Guy and the others completely confused. They had no idea what was going on this time.
However, what happened next shocked everyone.
Several ANBU shinobi suddenly appeared in front of them and immediately dropped to one knee.
The entire street froze.
Not only the three boys, but even the surrounding crowd that had been watching the scene fell into stunned silence.
People recognized them.
Especially Kakashi.
The silver-haired boy with the perpetually unreadable expression—famous throughout Konoha as the "Sharingan Hero Hatake Kakashi." Everyone knew him.
But why would ANBU kneel before him?
Did he have another identity?
The answer came almost immediately.
One of the ANBU spoke urgently.
"Division Commander! By order of the Commander, your leave is cancelled. The target has made a move!"
His tone was tense, almost rushed, as if he didn't even care who was listening anymore. At a time like this, anyone with a brain could understand how serious the situation was for Konoha.
There was no time to worry about secrecy. Delivering the message and executing the mission took absolute priority.
"The target has made a move?" Kakashi frowned, his earlier displeasure with the interruption instantly replaced by focus.
He immediately understood what this meant.
And judging by how anxious the ANBU looked, whatever Orochimaru had done this time was likely far beyond what anyone expected.
Without hesitation, Kakashi nodded and prepared to leave.
But after a brief pause, he turned back toward his friends.
"Sorry… I won't be able to join you this time," he said with a hint of apology and helplessness. "Something came up. I'll be going now."
"Ah… alright…" Guy, Aoba, and Raido replied somewhat blankly.
Only after Kakashi's figure disappeared did they slowly come back to their senses.
ANBU?
Division Commander?
Kakashi was an ANBU Division Commander?
That revelation hit them like a hammer.
They had never imagined that their classmate had already reached such a high position.
No wonder he never talked about what he did.
No wonder he always seemed so mysterious.
So he had been serving in the ANBU all this time.
"I really didn't expect that…" Raido Namiashi finally said with a sigh after a long silence.
"Yeah…" Aoba Yamashiro nodded, still in disbelief. "I can't believe Kakashi has already climbed that high…"
"Damn it!" Guy suddenly clenched his fists tightly, his frustration mixing with burning determination. "Kakashi—you've left us all behind!"
But the fire in his eyes only grew stronger.
"I've decided. I'm going to train harder… I'll definitely catch up to him… and surpass him one day!"
"Yeah… whether we can catch up to him or surpass him, I don't know. But one thing is certain—he's already left us far behind," Yamashiro Aoba said with a shake of his head. Then, suddenly, his body stiffened slightly.
He had just realized something. Something that sent a chill down his spine.
"Hey, Aoba?" Namiashi Raido noticed the change in his friend's expression and asked curiously, "What's with that face?"
"We already know Kakashi is ANBU… and not just that, he's a Division Commander," Aoba swallowed hard. "But do you remember… there's someone else Kakashi always used to call 'Captain'?"
"The person Kakashi calls Captain?" Guy blinked for a moment before quickly answering, "That would be Natsuhiko, right? That guy is… uh…"
Guy also froze mid-sentence.
That's right.
Kakashi was already an ANBU Division Commander.
So the person Kakashi always called "Captain"—Natsuhiko—just what kind of identity did he have?
The three of them fell silent at the same time.
For the first time, they truly felt something unsettling—
They didn't really understand their old classmates at all.
...
Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat quietly in his office, reading reports with a calm expression. For him, this kind of quiet, slightly dull routine was the ideal state.
As long as Konoha was stable and nothing went wrong, that was all he wanted.
The thing he dreaded most was some unexpected trouble appearing at this exact moment.
Because right now, Konoha couldn't be considered truly stable. Although the world was slowly moving toward peace, undercurrents of tension were still clearly present.
What frustrated him even more was that, whether it was Konoha's internal situation or the broader state of the shinobi world, he had to invest more and more energy just to maintain balance.
He had to be even more careful, walking on thin ice with every decision, in order to avoid mistakes.
And the root of all of this…
Was the fact that ANBU had been stripped from his control.
For a Hokage, ANBU was not just a violent enforcement tool—it was also a crucial intelligence network.
Losing it meant losing a significant portion of his information flow.
On top of that, Root was now struggling as well due to Danzo's disappearance. Hiruzen simply didn't have the energy to manage both the Hokage's authority and the reconstruction of Root at the same time.
With a helpless sigh, he finally let the thoughts go.
At this point, there was nothing he could do.
"Hokage-sama."
A voice suddenly echoed inside the office.
Hiruzen's body stiffened slightly. He immediately recognized the owner of that voice.
Senju Natsuhiko.
The man who had taken ANBU away from him.
The young shinobi who held Danzo's deepest secrets—and possessed strength so overwhelming it felt suffocating.
In truth, Hiruzen had often wondered why this boy was so terrifyingly strong.
Flying Thunder God and Wood Release—he had mastered both to an exceptional degree. It was as if he combined the powers of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju into one person.
More than that, his personality resembled Hashirama's in some ways, yet his methods and scheming ability were on Tobirama's level.
A combination like that was nothing short of exhausting to deal with.
Even Hiruzen had to admit that facing this boy made him feel… old.
"Commander Natsuhiko," Hiruzen said carefully, his tone immediately turning cautious despite his thoughts. "Is there a reason you've come here? Entering like this… isn't exactly appropriate, is it?"
"Indeed," Natsuhiko replied calmly, standing there with a faint smile. "You are the Hokage, after all—my direct superior. Using a technique to enter like this was improper on my part."
He paused slightly, then tilted his head.
"So… should I withdraw and come in again?"
"Don't go too far, Commander Natsuhiko."
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Natsuhiko's attitude. He didn't know exactly what Natsuhiko had come here for, but one thing was very clear—he was not happy with how this young man was behaving.
Still, no matter how displeased he was, Hiruzen could only swallow it for now. The situation with Danzo forced him to bear far more pressure than usual.
"I understand. In fact, I have always respected the Hokage," Natsuhiko said with a soft sigh.
He slowly walked up to Hiruzen's desk and casually waved his hand.
In an instant, all the ANBU hiding in the corners of the Hokage office appeared behind him. Without hesitation, they filed out of the room in an orderly manner.
Just like that, the entire office was left with only two people—Hiruzen Sarutobi and Natsuhiko.
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy and suffocating.
Hiruzen's expression darkened further. To him, Natsuhiko's actions were undeniably provocative. In a harsher interpretation, it was outright mockery—mocking the fact that he had lost control over the ANBU.
Still, Hiruzen was a man with considerable patience. He chose to interpret it as a need for a private conversation and forced himself not to explode.
"Hokage-sama," Natsuhiko said calmly once the ANBU had fully left, "what are your thoughts on Orochimaru?"
That single sentence made Hiruzen's expression shift again.
What did he think of Orochimaru?
What could he even think at this point?
He had supported Orochimaru in the beginning, yes, but now the situation had completely spiraled beyond his control. Rumors were spreading throughout Konoha, and everything was rapidly turning against Orochimaru. There was little he could do anymore.
"…What exactly is your opinion?" Hiruzen asked after taking a deep breath, his tone filled with cautious confusion. "Commander Natsuhiko."
"It's simple," Natsuhiko replied, a faint smile appearing on his face. He crossed his arms and looked down slightly at Hiruzen. "Orochimaru has attacked Uchiha Fugaku. What does the Hokage think about that?"
"That is the head of the Uchiha clan. For a disciple of the Third Hokage to commit such an act… it is truly something worth reflecting on."
"Furthermore, according to my information, even Fugaku's son—the Uchiha prodigy, Itachi—has been taken by him."
"Hokage-sama, this situation is far more interesting than it first appears."
"What?!" Hiruzen's expression changed dramatically.
Uchiha Fugaku?
Orochimaru had really gone that far?
Not only that, he had taken Uchiha Itachi as well? Was he planning to use the boy as experimental material?
So that missing Uchiha from before… it really was Orochimaru's doing.
Had the man completely lost his mind?
Hiruzen's anger flared instantly. He shot up from his seat, glaring at Natsuhiko.
"Are you certain?!" he demanded through gritted teeth. "Is this really true?!"
"The ANBU intelligence network is something you know better than anyone, Hokage-sama," Natsuhiko replied lightly. "This happened not long ago. I believe you still have time to act."
"Hmph!"
Hiruzen snorted coldly, then immediately removed his Hokage robe, revealing the battle uniform underneath.
Without another word, he rushed out of the office.
But inside, his fury burned intensely.
Orochimaru was the last disciple he still had within the village—and now it seemed even that was slipping away.
...
Inside Orochimaru's underground laboratory, he was swiftly gathering and burning various materials.
Useful data was carefully packed away, while useless documents were directly incinerated.
Beside him, a nutrient tank stood quietly.
Inside it, a young boy floated motionless, his entire body pale as death.
It was clear he had been dead for a very long time.
This young boy was the same Uchiha youth Orochimaru had captured last time.
He had never disposed of the corpse, because deep down he had a vague intuition—an inexplicable feeling that he would need it again someday. So he kept it.
And as it turned out, that intuition was right. He really did end up needing it.
After cleaning up all traces of his work, Orochimaru stood in front of the containment vessel and looked at the boy inside, shaking his head slightly.
He was about to leave Konoha. For some reason, he felt a faint sense of reluctance—but he also knew that the moment he had chosen to take part in this experiment, certain outcomes had already been decided.
Especially after launching an attack on an Uchiha, things had only become more dangerous.
Attacking the children of Konoha's clans—there was no doubt his teacher would never forgive him for that.
But for the sake of uncovering truth, he had still done it. Especially when it came to the secrets of Wood Release, he had been willing to take the risk.
Now, he was finally paying the price—but he still didn't regret it.
"The path of truth always comes with sacrifices," Orochimaru murmured, licking his lips. "To you, I may be a devil… but who can say what the future will bring?"
He had left the body behind precisely so someone would bear full responsibility for everything that had happened.
After all, he was leaving Konoha—and he knew Natsuhiko would need someone to carry the blame. In that case, he no longer cared about something as meaningless as reputation.
He glanced at the still-unconscious Itachi Uchiha and licked his lips again. He truly wanted to take Itachi with him.
But he knew that was impossible. He and Natsuhiko had already reached an agreement.
Bang!
Just then, Orochimaru's laboratory was blasted open by a powerful force. Hiruzen Sarutobi burst in with several ninjas. The first thing they saw was the boy inside the tank.
"Orochimaru!"
Hiruzen's roar echoed through the room, filled with a tangled mix of emotions—disappointment, heartache, sorrow, and rage all intertwined.
And when he saw Uchiha Itachi lying on the ground, his heart sank even further.
At that moment, he understood clearly—Orochimaru was beyond saving.
Orochimaru turned calmly. Fresh blood still stained his body—though none of it was his.
Looking at the furious Third Hokage, he smiled faintly.
"Hiruzen-sensei… you've come."
His tone carried no panic whatsoever. It was as casual as if they had met on an ordinary day.
That calm attitude only made Hiruzen's anger burn even hotter. The lack of remorse was unbearable.
"Why… why would you do this?" Hiruzen's voice trembled as he clenched his fists tightly. "What do you gain from it?!"
Orochimaru glanced at the boy in the tank, then at the collapsed Uchiha boy on the ground. He licked his lips lazily and smiled.
"Perhaps… it's for truth."
"Truth? What a ridiculous excuse!" Hiruzen gritted his teeth and instantly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted inside Orochimaru's laboratory, the sound reverberating across the entire village.
Smoke filled the air.
And within it, a dark figure shot out, fleeing rapidly toward the outskirts of Konoha.
...
"Haah... haah..."
Inside a forest somewhere in the Land of Fire, Orochimaru panted softly as he moved forward step by step toward a hidden base he had prepared in advance.
He clutched his left arm, blood continuously seeping from his shoulder. His pace was slow, partly because of his injuries, and partly because he kept stopping to erase his tracks.
He did not dare use the Oorochimaru-style Body Replacement Technique. Not now—Natsuhiko was still out there, and using that technique might interfere with the mark and expose him further.
His escape from Konoha had not gone smoothly. In fact, with the Nine-Tails incident recently having shaken the village, Konoha's defenses had tightened even further.
Along the way, Orochimaru truly hadn't encountered anything close to smooth sailing. On top of that, he had Uchiha Itachi with him, which meant Hiruzen Sarutobi's pursuit had been extremely fast as well. During his breakout, he had already suffered no small amount of injuries.
If it had only been Hiruzen Sarutobi alone, he might still have been able to handle it.
After all, his teacher was already old. Even if Orochimaru himself was in poor condition, there was still a chance he could slip away.
But inside Konoha, what he was facing was an entire ninja force of unknown size.
He was alone, with nothing on his mind except escape. Under such circumstances, everything had naturally become extremely difficult.
Fortunately, he had finally broken out. Although there were still many ANBU ninja chasing him from behind, he was confident he could shake them off.
"What a pity… I didn't manage to finish dealing with all my materials."
Orochimaru glanced around, and once he confirmed he was temporarily safe, he couldn't help but shake his head.
The Third Hokage had arrived too quickly, and the pursuit had been far too decisive.
Because of that, he hadn't had enough time to burn everything. Thankfully, he had anticipated something like this happening years ago, so a large portion of his important data had already been relocated in advance.
"Forget it. Since it's come to this, leaving the Land of Fire as soon as possible is what matters most."
That thought settled in his mind as he slowly moved forward. He had already noticed that his teacher had stopped the pursuit—at least in a sense, that meant he had been let go.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had ultimately shown mercy.
And that decision carried deeper intent behind it.
The trouble Orochimaru had caused this time was enormous—he had actually attacked the Uchiha clan. The political fallout alone was severe enough to shake the village.
At a moment like this, using the harshest possible methods would normally have been the most appropriate response.
But if he went too far—if he treated even his own disciple with absolute cruelty—it would leave an extremely negative impression.
So in the end, Hiruzen chose to let go. Allowing Orochimaru to escape was also a way of showing a softer, more humane side of himself.
A Hokage who was merciful, nostalgic, and emotionally attached—especially one who was already preparing for succession—was far more effective in winning people's hearts.
In truth, Hiruzen didn't want to make such a choice either. But the pressure from Natsuhiko and Minato Namikaze had become too great. He had no choice but to make compromises.
As for that Uchiha genius boy… Hiruzen could only sigh over it. Or perhaps, he had intentionally allowed things to unfold that way.
After all, capturing Orochimaru had been an ANBU operation. And if ANBU hadn't been deployed this time, then responsibility would inevitably fall on them.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi could never have imagined that at this very moment, Natsuhiko had already arrived beside Orochimaru...