The instant the shadow clone was swallowed by the explosion, Naruto—standing by the window—felt the feedback ripple through his senses.
Looking toward the distant flash of light in the Forest of Death, he calmly tracked the aftermath.
Two chakra signatures vanished in rapid succession.
One belonged to the Third Hokage.
The other belonged to Enma, his summoned companion.
They had most likely escaped through reverse summoning.
As for Orochimaru—
His chakra signature was still present.
But it had already burrowed deep underground, retreating at terrifying speed—almost reaching the edge of the forest's barrier in moments.
As expected… master and student, Naruto thought.
He knew the limits of the technique he had used.
Although the Great Spiral Wheel Calamity detonated quickly and violently, its blast radius was not particularly large. The chakra Naruto had allocated to that shadow clone was limited.
Against high-tier shinobi like Orochimaru or the Third Hokage, the attack was dangerous—but not decisive, so long as they reacted in time.
What truly caught Naruto off guard was who had appeared in the Forest of Death.
Orochimaru…
At this point in the timeline, Orochimaru should have been operating alongside the Akatsuki.
Why return to Konoha now?
A fleeting thought crossed Naruto's mind.
Was Orochimaru acting as a Konoha agent, infiltrating Akatsuki?
He dismissed the idea instantly.
A man obsessed with immortality and the truth of the world would never accept such a meaningless role.
Even when Orochimaru later joined Akatsuki under coercion, it was only to seek an opportunity to steal the Rinnegan.
So why come back?
It clearly wasn't to reunite with the Third Hokage—otherwise the Hokage wouldn't have personally led a strike team to intercept him.
Another name surfaced in Naruto's thoughts.
Danzo.
Of course.
Orochimaru's return was meant for Shimura Danzo.
Naruto remembered the Sharingan arm, the experiments, and the collaboration that extended all the way into the Shippuden era. Their alliance had never truly ended.
But then—
Naruto frowned.
The timing is wrong.
The Uchiha massacre hadn't happened yet.
Naruto withdrew his attention from the Forest of Death and surveyed Konoha instead.
Dozens of chakra signatures were moving rapidly through the village. Shinobi were mobilizing everywhere.
He glanced at the closed window and exhaled softly.
"Time to rest."
Later That Night
Even at midnight, the Hokage's Office remained brightly lit.
A man leaning on a cane entered, his shadow stretching long across the floor.
"Hiruzen. I'm here."
Inside, the Third Hokage sat at the head of the meeting table, still wearing his battle armor. Few in the village were even aware that he had already returned.
Seated to one side were Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, Konoha's two senior advisors.
The man with the cane was Shimura Danzo.
"You have something to explain, don't you… Advisor Danzo?"
Hiruzen's voice was cold.
Danzo did not answer immediately.
After glancing briefly at the two elders, he took his seat.
"There's nothing to explain about Orochimaru," Danzo said calmly.
"And frankly, I don't see why I should explain anything at all."
"Everything I've done is no different from what you've done, Hiruzen."
"It was all for the good of Konoha."
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
"In that case," he said sharply,
"effective immediately, you are stripped of your position as Hokage Advisor."
"Root will be disbanded."
The words had barely left his mouth when Koharu and Homura spoke up.
"Hokage-sama, perhaps this decision is too hasty."
"Root is still vital to the village's operations. Disbanding it now could create instability."
Hiruzen's gaze turned razor-sharp.
"So… you oppose me?"
Homura calmly withdrew a scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
Hiruzen opened it.
His expression changed instantly.
"Is this information accurate?"
"My intelligence is never wrong," Danzo replied flatly.
"It's a report written personally by Uchiha Shisui. Since your departure, the Uchiha clan has been secretly holding frequent internal meetings."
Hiruzen read the scroll in silence.
Gradually, his expression eased.
"…Very well. I'll look into this matter."
Then his eyes hardened again.
"But you still need to explain your contact with Orochimaru."
Danzo's face darkened.
After another glance at the two elders, he finally spoke.
"It was merely a transaction. I exchanged information for intelligence from outside the village."
Hiruzen's voice was stern.
"What information? What intelligence?"
Danzo met his gaze directly, a hint of irony in his eyes.
"He's your student. You already know what he offered me."
"As for what I received—information about Akatsuki, operating out of the Land of Rain."
Hiruzen's heart clenched.
He already knew what Orochimaru must have traded.
And it filled him with rage.
"Didn't you claim years ago that Akatsuki had already been destroyed by Hanzo?" Hiruzen demanded.
Danzo shook his head.
"Not completely. Akatsuki now controls the Land of Rain."
"All of its current members are S-rank missing-nin."
"Orochimaru is one of them."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"Do you have detailed intelligence on them?"
"No," Danzo answered without hesitation.
Hiruzen rose and moved to his desk, quickly writing on a blank scroll. He raised his hand toward the window.
An ANBU appeared instantly.
"Deliver this to Jiraiya via ninja crow."
The ANBU vanished.
Returning to his seat, Hiruzen said gravely:
"Now… let's discuss the Uchiha situation."
At those words, a trace of undisguised satisfaction flickered across Danzo's face.
The Next Morning
The sun had barely risen when Naruto set out for the Hokage's Office.
He was already close.
"Naruto," Minato asked inside the seal,
"are you sure about going to see the Third Hokage right now?"
"What's wrong, Father?"
"Nothing… but you saw what happened last night. Orochimaru. The Forest of Death."
Naruto replied calmly:
"I just want to put his mind at ease."
"…And keep him busy."
The streets were unusually quiet.
The chaos of the previous night had clearly shaken the village. Naruto saw few civilians, though he sensed many hidden shinobi stationed nearby.
Only two streets remained.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted ahead.
"Please! I swear it was only once!"
"Hmph! Lying, are you? You think my Sharingan would miss this?"
"You dared steal during an emergency? Come with us—to the Konoha Police Force!"
"No! My children—I only took those things for them! Please!"
Naruto rounded the corner.
Several Uchiha clan members, wearing police uniforms, were escorting a terrified man down the street.
Nearby, villagers whispered angrily.
"So what if they're Uchiha? He's just a petty thief."
"They abuse their power—grabbing whoever they want."
"Didn't you hear him say he was innocent?"
"Look at them… acting like they're above everyone else."
Naruto did not stop.
He continued toward his destination.
Inside the seal, Minato sighed quietly.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.
"Do you pity the thief too, Father?"
Minato shook his head.
"No. I just think the villagers' words are unfair."
"The Police Force exists to maintain order. Those Uchiha weren't wrong to arrest him."
"They shouldn't turn this into a clan issue out of emotion."
Naruto had already reached the Hokage Tower.
After asking Kurama for silence, he replied evenly:
"Whether their words were unfair doesn't matter."
"At most, they're just speaking from a lack of empathy."
"You know this well, Father."
He paused.
"The greatest difference between those who act and those who do not…"
"…is that the latter will always have the right to criticize the former."
(End of Chapter)
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