"Let me go! Let me go!"
A child's cry for help could be heard.
[Right, there's still this plot point. When Naruto and Sakura were fooling around, Konohamaru ran into the Sunagakure trio, which leads into the Chunin Exams and introduces Gaara and his siblings.]
It's a pretty useful trope. In the manga, it was used to directly lead into the Chunin Exams.
So, have I caught up to this?
Thus, Amane activated Kagura Minds Eye over a small area.
[There are quite a few Anbu... Makes sense, one is the grandson of the current Hokage, and the other is the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.]
Around the center of the incident, at least five or six pairs of eyes were watching closely from the shadows.
[Well then, let's join the fun and test the waters.]
However, after just a few steps, Amane sighed regretfully. She silently walked to the roadside, bought a large cotton candy, and sat on a nearby bench.
"Do not contact the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki for now, Jiu."
A rhythmic code came from behind, conveying a cold command.
To think that after arriving in Konoha, the first to make direct contact would be Root.
For a moment, the urge to kill the person behind her filled her heart!
"Jiu?" Seeing no reaction from Amane, the contact behind her increased the volume of the code.
"...Understood. Does Lord Danzo have any new instructions?"
The killing intent only flared for a second. If she killed Danzo's spy now, it would be all harm and no benefit for her plan to drag Danzo down later.
It would be equivalent to telling Danzo in advance that she had defected; it would be hard to deal with him once he became wary.
Amane remained constantly vigilant against Kotoamatsukami.
This was also what gave Amane the biggest headache regarding Danzo.
With her current strength, even if Danzo had those ten minutes of invincibility, she would dare to fight him head-on!
But Kotoamatsukami specifically had to be neutralized somehow.
"Lord Danzo wants you to give your all during the Chunin Exams."
Amane's brow twitched; she hadn't expected this to be Danzo's request.
She had thought The Third had already spoken with Danzo and they had set some conditions.
Could it be that after Kakashi reported to The Third, The Third didn't go to see Danzo?
If so, then The Third might actually be worth looking forward to. Provided, of course, that those two old men weren't conspiring to screw her over, and The Third himself didn't have other ulterior motives.
"I understand, but if I face Ninjas from the same Village..."
"You cannot kill the scions of Great Clans or the Jinchuriki. For the others, it doesn't matter."
Heh, fine. It really fits the core of the Ninja World's clan system; after all, the essence of the Village's creation was the grouping of various clans. It's understandable.
But there's really not even a speck of the so-called Will of Fire here.
Amane sneered inwardly and then asked directly:
"No contact with the Jinchuriki for now? I could have tried to guide him in using the Nine-Tails Chakra. The more he uses it, the faster the Sealing weakens. Right now, I'm probably the only one in Konoha who can re-strengthen the Sealing. Then Lord Danzo could..."
"Don't be hasty, 'Jiu'." The code interrupted her. "Lord Danzo has his own plans. With the Hokage's faction suppressing us, your trump card cannot be played yet."
A light flashed in Amane's eyes; she understood a bit more now.
"Understood. Then please report to Lord Danzo that Jiu will definitely complete the mission as expected."
Isn't it just to show off that Amane, coming from Root, is more outstanding than the ordinary education of the Hokage's lineage?
I'll satisfy you, Danzo. I'll let you see just how excellent I am.
But whether it suits your tastes in the end, I don't know.
Amane stood up, threw the finished cotton candy stick into a roadside trash can, and walked away in the opposite direction without looking back, showing no curiosity about the figure behind her.
A few minutes after Amane left, the Root member behind her slowly stood up and walked away step by step.
What he didn't notice was that a small snake was already silently following him.
This person strolled normally through the streets of Konoha, seemingly enjoying the bustle brought by the Chunin Exams. In reality, while passing a common shop, he had already transmitted the conversation with Amane.
[Sneaky and secretive... It seems Root really hasn't recovered its strength. If The Third had truly reached an agreement with Danzo, there would be no need to be so cautious now.]
[However, I still won't let my guard down; after all, Kakashi knows my strength...]
Amane's Shadow Clone, using Transformation Jutsu as a second insurance, also wandered the street, but its steps had to stop there.
The Root member who had passed the information used someone else to look after the shop and slipped into a hidden passage, sliding down into the pitch-black underground.
The small snake noticed something as soon as it entered.
The passage was covered in something like lime powder, but fortunately, being a snake, it didn't necessarily need to travel on the ground.
And it was of the most stealthy kind from Ryūchi Cave; if it had a name, it would be "Hidden Snake."
They can turn invisible like the Wind Snakes. But unlike Wind Snakes, which use wind-natured Chakra, these can completely merge into shadows and have extremely small bodies.
And most importantly, simple Chakra detection cannot sense them.
Amane's curious research found that this was related to their scales, which could shield and block Chakra.
It's currently unclear if they can evade the Sharingan and Byakugan.
From the Hidden Snake's perspective, after traversing the long tunnel and nearing an exit above, the man looked back. Confirming only his own footprints remained, he used Wind Release to smooth over the passage and slipped out.
What met the eye was a quiet and elegant courtyard.
A robust, one-eyed old man covered in bandages sat on a chair under the porch, leisurely sipping tea.
"What is it?"
The newcomer immediately knelt on one knee and reported the conversation between Amane and the spy in full detail.
"Very good." Danzo nodded slowly. "Now... the members are finally gathered. To dare covet my pawn... Orochimaru, this is the price."
He muttered to himself, waved for the man to leave, and continued to sip his tea leisurely, like an old man enjoying his retirement.
The Hidden Snake huddled in the shadows of the courtyard, watching silently. Many presences were hidden around, but none could detect its existence.
[Found you, Lord Danzo. I didn't expect you to be living such a comfortable life.]
Sharing the Hidden Snake's vision through Ninjutsu, Amane's true body in the inn saw the old man, who looked much older after years of not seeing him, and a cold killing intent flashed in her eyes.
There are only three ways to kill someone.
A direct assault, a sneak attack, or killing with a borrowed blade.
And for Danzo, the best method is a sneak attack!
Amane had planned this long ago, and she had the opportunity and strength to pull it off.
[I'll first have a Shadow Clone absorb Natural Energy, and then I just need to get close to Danzo and release the Shadow Clone. It's a pity Danzo won't see me now; is it because he doesn't want anyone to notice anything at this final stage?]
It seems The Third really did hide the fact that I contacted Kakashi; that conclusion should be correct.
Otherwise, Danzo would likely have met her and then used Kotoamatsukami.
This was one of the scenarios Amane had considered before; if that were the case, Danzo would already be a corpse by now.
At the same time, she could directly conclude that The Third was either stupid or wicked.
In the current situation, Amane didn't know whether to call it a regret or feel slightly relieved; perhaps it was both.
[Let the Hidden Snake continue to lurk by Danzo's side. It's a pity to have lost such an opportunity.]
After making this decision, Amane prepared to stay at the inn until the competition officially began tomorrow.
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