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  ....

  "Gojo Kaigetsu is about to die."

  "Is it true or false?"

  For two or three secutive days, Orochimaru had been seriously p this question.

  He, Orochimaru, had long ceased to be aligned with Konoha.

  Having withe deaths of Tsunade's brother Nawaki, Dan Katō, and his own parents, Orochimaru felt the extreme fragility of life.

  A single explosive tag could deprive "Konoha's rightful heir" Nawaki of his life; such a ninja world was utterly absurd.

  It seemed that death was the only destiny for a ninja. No matter what great achievements were made or how powerful one became, a ninja... would eventually die, no different from ordinary people.

  All the fame and fortune achieved in life could vanish with the detonation of an explosive tag.

  From that moment on, Orochimaru developed a death ay.

  Afraid of his own disappearance, he became trapped in an unsolvable dilemma. Having gained a clear uanding of the cept of "death," he began to feel that everything was meaningless.

  Orochimaru found it hard to accept that one day he would no longer exist, and then all the knowledge, ninjutsu, retionships he had acquired would be wiped out as if by Dust Release, leaving no trace of him in the world.

  Sihen, Orochimaru's ninja way had ged.

  No longer tered on Konoha, no longer aiming to increase his own strength; everything he did was for immortality.

  Eternal life, immortality. the body was merely a vessel; sciousness would tinue forever.

  Perhaps inally, he could have been pulled bato the right path, but after failing in the Hokage ele against Minato, the st shred of attat in Orochimaru's heart was gone; he was pletely disillusioned.

  He infiltrated Konoha's forbidden jutsu archives, perusing sealing teiques and numerous ninjutsu scrolls, all in search of ninjutsu that could grant immortality.

  Among them, what fasated Orochimaru most was the ultimate forbidden teique ied by the Sed Hokage-**Edo Tensei (Impure World Reination)**. Thus, Orochimaru began to spend a vast amount of time studyiensei and researg other ninjutsu reted to immortality.

  This pathologiinja path became increasingly extreme, and Orochimaru began to be dissatisfied with ventional experiments.

  He started to secretly resume the terminated Hashirama Cell Transpnt experiments, kidnapping Genin, in, and infants from vilges around Konoha, extrag Hashirama's cells from the First Hokage's corpse and iing them into infants, seeking the possibility of immortality.

  If not for the high risk of capturing Jōnin, Orochimaru would have attempted it. Perhaps his experiments would yield results on materials like Jōnin, or even those above Jōnin!

  But with the rise of the Fourth Hokage, and Gojo Kaigetsu's successive martial w policies... Orochimaru's experiments became increasingly difficult.

  Despite being one of the top few ninjas in Konoha.

  It was no longer possible to frequently obtain live subjects as before without leaving traces.

  If it were just that live subjects were hard to obtain, Orochimaru could still endure.

  But the following points made Orochimaru's already twisted ninja way bee even more impatient and distorted.

  - The development progress of Edo Tensei had stalled;

  - Danzo's political struggle failed, and he was expelled from Konoha's core power structure by Gojo Kaigetsu; without Root's assistan Konoha, the risk of expreatly increased;

  - Gojo Kaigetsu's ambiguous hostility, the inappropriate strengthening of patrol iy...

  All these unfavorable factors were agitating Orochimaru's sensitive heart.

  After embarking on this path, Orochimaru had already prepared himself mentally. What he was doing couldn't remain hidden; sooner or ter, it would be exposed due to some ce occurrence.

  Perhaps, it might happen the ime he disposed of failed experimental materials.

  With such a mi, aremely bold idea sprouted in Orochimaru's heart-

  **[Defect from the Vilge]**

  Yes, as long as he could leave Konoha.

  He could settle down in any small neighb try, where there would be endless experimental materials to use, and he wouldn't have to worry about being watched by Konoha's Anbu and Police Force.

  But... he couldn't easily leave; he had no excuse.

  This involved the ambiguous hostility he felt from Gojo Kaigetsu.

  Normally, as a ninja-a profession wielding military power and violehey are not allowed to leave the vilge without cause. To go out, they have to accept missions, write missios... This was troublesome for Orochimaru, who wao delve into the pursuit of immortality.

  inally, as one of the Legendary Sannin, he could go out freely-Tsunade could, Jiraiya could, but when it came to him, Orochimaru, it wasn't allowed.

  He was bound to Konoha by Gojo Kaigetsu uhe pretext that "the Fourth Hokage is inexperiehe vilge's defensive forces are weak, and we he esteemed senior Sannin to stay."

  As the oh the highest achievements among the Sannin, staying in Konoha was something Orochimaru almost couldn't refuse.

  He could have disregarded such moral coer, but excessively aggressive and unreasonable behavior would iably increase the Hokage fa's suspi of him.

  His teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was inviting him to the Sarutobi residence for tea more and more frequently.

  This was a warning to him!

  How suffog!

  Without Root's assistaransp the equipment and finished materials needed for experiments out of the vilge was very difficult. Orochimaru suppressed his frustration and y dormant.

  Like a venomous snake coiled in a dark cave, silently waiting for an opportunity to defect.

  And now, the opportunity he had been waiting for seemed to have e to him?

  Gojo Kaigetsu's life ah were uain; this was undoubtedly great news for Orochimaru.

  That annoying guy ossibly dead, and the deep waters of Konoha were stirred up and muddied.

  Although the vilge was once again under martial w, as long as he got past this critical moment...

  He, Orochimaru, would take his talents and disappear into the dust of the ninja world.

  Sitting quietly at home, Orochimaru slowly opened his snake-like pupils; it was time to make a decision!

  Just then...

  *Knock, knock-*

  "Enter."

  Orochimaru looked up and saw that the visitor was Kakashi Hatake.

  "Orochimaru-sama, the Fourth Hokage requests your presence."

  ....

  "Acc to the test intelligehered, Hidan from the Yugakure is a six-year-old boy. Despite his young age, he has already shown outstanding ninja talent but dispys extreme bloodthirstiness and brutality, pletely inpatible with our Konoha Vilge's Will of Fire."

  "Although the Yugakure cims externally that it has formed a prehensive partnership with the Kumogakure, because its geographical location is surrounded by our Konoha, Sunagakure, and Amegakure, the Kumogakure hardly reinforce it."

  "Moreover, the vilge's own defensive forces are not strong. As long as we, Konoha, are willing, we take it down with overwhelming for the first day we issue our external statement."

  "The only might be the Daimyō."

  Nara Shikaku held the intelligence report in his hands, rep with a serious expression.

  After all, for aernal special military operation, preheernal pns must be made before officially releasing a statement.

  Currently, the outside world only knows that Konoha is iigating the culprits and will unch the most severe retaliation. Each vilge is anxious but doesn't know which vilge Konoha pns to retaliate against.

  But in Konoha, they have already phe number of ninja squads to dispatch, the leading anders, and the enemy vilges' military facilities that o be targeted.

  When the Five Great Vilges fight each other, the Daimyōs usually don't interfere.

  But invading small ninja vilges, especially ral or friendly ones, is another matter. Retionships between Daimyōs are often iwihrough marriage, vassage, or main and branch families.

  To un invasion without rep to the Daimyō is tantamount to spping the Daimyō's face; it's a taboo.

  Regardless of the battle results achieved, there will likely be repercussions from the Daimyō afterward.

  Questions like, "Does the Hokage of Konoha Vilge not have me, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, in his eyes?" or "Today you dare to invade friendly neighb tries without the Daimyō's permission; will you dare to unch a surprise atta the Daimyō's resideomorrow?" are unavoidable.

  If it's more serious, the Daimyō's financial aid might face epic redus, and legal procedures might be used to interfere with the vilge's political ecology, supp another fa...

  In the past, the Daimyō's funding was like a leash on the ninja vilge, treating the ninja vilge like a dog, making the vilge afraid to have other thoughts.

  From Nara Shikaku's perspective, it's not worth vioting these taboos just for a six-year-old talented ninja.

  After all...

  In the eyes of these traditionalist ninjas, the Daimyōs still hold siderable authority. Especially for the Nara , who are allowed to participate in political discussions in the Land of Fire, this authority is even more important.

  But the Daimyōs' authority doesn't work on Gojo Kaigetsu, nor does it work well on Minato Namikaze, who has been influenced by Gojo.

  Minato's expression was gentle:

  "As for the Daimyō, I will go expin afterward; it's not a big problem."

  In the past, Minato, as Hokage, would have had some s about his duties. But looking at Konoha's ey now, even without the Daimyō's funding, the gap be quickly filled.

  The shackle once pced around the ninja vilge's neck has been broken!

  "This... alright then."

  Nara Shikaku was somewhat helpless.

  He was loyal to the Daimyō of the Land of Fire but also loyal to Konoha. The Nara eeded the Daimyō's monarchical authority but also o eheir status as a ninja Konoha.

  Everything should prioritize Konoha first, and then sider the Daimyō.

  Nara Shikaku tinued rep:

  "As for the situation in the Vilge Hidden in Grass, it's a bit more plicated..."

  The Vilge Hidden in Grass has been maneuveriween all sides in the ninja world, being friendly with Konoha while also being friendly with the Kumogakure, almost being an untroversial vilge by default.

  Their internal politics are corrupt, but externally they are pragmatic, maintaining good retions with the royal families of the Lands of Lightning and Fire. The political turmoil after invasion is a foreseeable trouble.

  At the same time, Grass Ninja was one of the first vilges to respond to the Kumogakure's call and joihe 'Cloud Alliance' militarily.

  Eically, they enjoy the Kumogakure's support, at the cost of relinquishing some military trol, carving out a piece of territory for the Kumogakure to station ninja troops.

  "Uzumaki Momohime's identity is someecial. Acc to our intelligence personnel's iigation, she is used as a 'medie bag' in the Vilge Hidden in Grass and holds great significe to them."

  "The likely situation is:"

  "When we annouhat the Vilge Hidden in Grass must hand over Uzumaki Momohime, they will firmly reject our extradition request. From the Daimyō and Kumogakure, they will exert pressure on us, Konoha."

  Nara Shikaku poi the map.

  It must be said that the Kumogakure's cil of Elders has some strategic vision. By stationing troops in Grass, they have established a supply line. Invading the western world of the ninja world now has a forward base.

  "Acc to my analysis, there's at least a 70% ce of a real military flict breaking out."

  "To achieve oal, we will dispatch Konoha ninjas to ehe Vilge Hidden in Grass for bat."

  "To minimize losses... I suggest that from the first moment the 'Konoha Special Military Operatioion' is annouo the ninja world, we dispatch elite forces to blitz the Grass Ninja."

  "Before the Daimyō and Kumogakure react, we will defeat the Grass Ninja and the Kumogakure's statioroops at the fastest speed, achieving our predetermined objectives."

  Minato listened and nodded repeatedly, aowledging Nara Shikaku's pn.

  In Konoha, for the big picture, they listen to Gojo; for the details, they still o sider the advice of the senior members of the Nara .

  "In that case, we o firm the personnel."

  "Who will be responsible for serving as the ander of this blitz force?" Nara Shikaku asked and answered himself: "I propose that Orochimaru take on this role."

  "In terms of strength and prestige, Orochimaru is qualified to lead this blitz squad."

  For a surprise attack, at the very least, it should be one of the elite ninjas of the vilge to ehe smooth progress of the pn.

  Preferably, a ninja with high mobility. In the ninja world where uniethods are not yet developed, transmitting messages mostly relies on manpower or ninja birds. As long as the mobility is suffit, there's a lot that be done during the gap when messages are being transmitted.

  ...

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