The atmosphere inside the Hokage's office was somewhat heavy.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat behind the large desk, his brow deeply furrowed as he sank into thought.
"So, you are saying that in the Land of Lightning, you not only encountered an ambush by two elite squads from Kumogakure, but also faced the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist within the Land of Fire?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was low, betraying neither joy nor anger.
"Yes."
Sora replied calmly, slowly recounting the prepared explanation he had ready.
"Kumogakure somehow obtained intelligence about this mission and used a tracking device based on an Uzumaki clan secret technique, locking onto a blood sample I had shed on a previous battlefield."
He omitted the specific details of being schemed against by Orochimaru, as well as the crucial information about the Third Raikage's personal involvement.
Sora continued.
"As for the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, I, along with Chunin Might Duy and Jonin Uchiha Takumi, fought a hard battle. In the end, we killed four of them, and three escaped."
He distributed the credit for killing the Swordsmen among the three of them, emphasizing Might Duy's explosive power after opening the Seventh Gate and Uchiha Takumi's crucial support at the critical moment. He himself played the role of an assistant and someone who finished off wounded enemies.
As for the bodies of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and their swords, Sora naturally would not hand them over to Sarutobi Hiruzen. He casually gave reasons like "the battlefield was chaotic, there was no time to collect the bodies" and "the swords were summoned away" to gloss over it.
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not probe deeply into this. He simply listened quietly, then silently took a draw from his pipe.
The fact that Sora managed to escape from Kumogakure's encirclement was already surprising enough for him. That involved at least two Anbu squads led by jonin, and possibly even stronger individuals intervening.
And the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist... they were the signature elite fighting force of Kirigakure. To have four of them killed on the spot by Duy, Takumi, and Sora... this achievement was enough to shake the entire battlefield.
But what concerned him more was the information revealed in the first part of Sora's account.
Orochimaru!
Aside from Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, only Orochimaru had inquired about Sora's mission to the Land of Lightning some time ago!
He had long noticed that this disciple of his had become increasingly eccentric in recent years, secretly conducting dangerous forbidden technique research.
But, considering their master-disciple bond and Orochimaru's illustrious battle achievements for the village, he had always chosen to turn a blind eye. Deep down, he had even once considered him a strong contender for the Fourth Hokage.
But now, Orochimaru had actually reached out towards Sora, a fellow Konoha ninja?
Not only secretly collecting his blood, but also selling intelligence to the hostile Kumogakure?
This was no longer simply crossing a line. This was outright betrayal!
A surge of anger rose in Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart, but even more so, a deep sense of powerlessness and a difficult choice.
Orochimaru was a rare genius, a vital combat asset for Konoha, especially during this time of war. Thoroughly investigating and dealing with Orochimaru would inevitably cause unrest within the village and weaken the forces on the front lines.
But if he let it go...
He glanced at Sora standing below, his expression calm.
This child, though an outsider, was undeniably exceptionally talented and powerful. His missions were always completed cleanly and efficiently, and he had never shown any disloyalty to the village.
And this time, he was nearly killed by one of their own!
Both publicly and privately, he had to make some gesture.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe, slowly exhaling as if trying to expel the knot of frustration in his chest along with the smoke.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"I understand the sequence of events now, Sora. You have worked hard on this mission. The village will record your performance during the mission in the Land of Lightning, as well as your subsequent achievements in dealing with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
"Regarding the leak of mission intelligence... I will investigate it personally and give you an explanation. However, the war is not yet over. Many matters... require careful consideration over the long term. I hope you can understand."
Sora felt no ripple of emotion in his heart.
Careful consideration over the long term? Understand?
He had expected this outcome all along.
Sarutobi Hiruzen valued Konoha's "stability" above all else, especially when it involved high-level combat assets like Orochimaru. As he grew older, his indecisiveness and tendency to compromise were inevitable.
The so-called investigation and explanation would most likely come to nothing, or at most result in a private warning to Orochimaru.
That was why Sora had not explicitly named Orochimaru from the beginning. He never expected Sarutobi Hiruzen to actually do anything about Orochimaru.
Sora showed no dissatisfaction on his face, replying calmly.
"I understand, Lord Hokage. The village's greater good comes first."
His compliance set Sarutobi Hiruzen slightly at ease, while also stirring a faint, almost imperceptible trace of guilt.
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded.
"Good, it's good that you think that way."
"Your original mission period still had over twenty days remaining. In light of your experience and expenditure on this mission, this remaining time will be converted into your vacation. Take a good rest. Also..."
He picked up a pen, quickly wrote on a document, stamped it with the Hokage's seal, and handed it to Sora.
"With this order, you may go to the Anbu Ninjutsu Archive and freely select three ninjutsu to learn."
This was compensation, and also appeasement.
Three freely chosen ninjutsu were a considerable temptation for any ninja.
Sora took the order, allowing a fitting hint of "gratitude" to appear on his face.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage."
"Go now. Make good use of this opportunity to improve yourself."
Sora gave a slight bow, turned, and left the Hokage's office.
...
Walking out of the Hokage Building, Sora looked at the order in his hand, his eyes calm and unmoving.
The matter in the Land of Lightning was easier to handle for now; it likely wouldn't reach Konoha immediately. But the incident with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist certainly couldn't be kept secret. Therefore, reporting the agreed-upon "battle report" directly to Sarutobi Hiruzen was more advantageous for him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's reaction was completely within his expectations.
A perfunctory appeasement, seemingly generous rewards, and evasion of the core issue.
But regarding Orochimaru, Sora did not expect Sarutobi Hiruzen to act against him either. After all, in the original story, even after Orochimaru experimented on Konoha ninja, Sarutobi Hiruzen still let him go.
Therefore, Sora had long since formed his own plans. He only needed to wait for the right time. When the time was ripe, that snake would meet his end!
'Orochimaru, next time, let me be the oriole that stalks the mantis!'
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