Surprisingly, even after his dismissal, his subordinates in Root detained, Danzō remained unmoved. He maintained complete silence, as if none of this concerned him.
Meanwhile, a massive upheaval took place in the village, though the news was tightly sealed, with not a whisper leaking outside. Over in Mist Village, however, there was no containing the outrage. Leading the fury was none other than the injured Third Mizukage, who immediately ordered Yagura to gather his forces and launch a full assault on the Fire Country’s encampment. No room was left for negotiation, nullifying all the preparation Yagura had meticulously planned beforehand.
As Mist Village prepared for battle, Konoha readied itself as well. However, Orochimaru, the commander-in-chief, was not in the best of spirits, as his former partner, Danzō, had been ousted.
Orochimaru, while waiting for Yagura’s approach, instead received the bad news: Danzō, due to repeated embezzlement of resources, had been stripped of his position by the Third Hokage—completely and without mercy. From the Third Hokage’s stance, it seemed Danzō had been given no chance to redeem himself, effectively exiled to retirement. If not for their long-standing relationship, Danzō might have ended up imprisoned.
As an Anbu ninja reported on the state of the village, Orochimaru’s expression remained unruffled, a smile lingering on his face.
"So, now I can only rely on myself, and my ‘partner’ can no longer offer any support?”
Why had Orochimaru partnered with Danzō? Purely because Danzō could acquire the medical equipment and research samples that Orochimaru otherwise couldn’t access. With Danzō now out of the picture, Orochimaru’s interest in him had vanished.
"Though Danzō has been dismissed, rest assured, Lord Orochimaru, his support will continue,” the Anbu assured with a respectful bow.
“That’s not support. It’s a warning,” Orochimaru replied coldly.
With things as they were, Orochimaru was eager to cut ties, while Danzō would surely work to prevent any separation. Neither man was a saint; they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. The Anbu, keeping his head bowed, refrained from comment.
A glint of malice flashed in Orochimaru’s slit-like pupils as his killing intent surfaced. Sensing it, the Anbu remained unmoved, resigned to his fate should Orochimaru choose to kill him here and now.
After a tense moment, Orochimaru’s clenched fists slowly relaxed, and his gaze softened. “Go tell Danzō that our collaboration will continue, but his plans need to be expedited. I don’t have the luxury of waiting. As for the research facilities, I’ll resume work after the war. He should prepare sufficient funding; no research can proceed without it.”
“Yes, sir!” the Anbu replied, respectfully excusing himself.
Watching the Anbu depart, Orochimaru let his smile fade and muttered, “Anbu seem to be more active than ever lately.”
Meanwhile, Takuya, Minato, and Nawaki entered the command center, oblivious to recent events in the village. With the Third Hokage ordering a news blackout, and Tsunade refraining from divulging anything, they had no clue that Danzō had been stripped of his title and sent into retirement.
“Orochimaru-sensei, did you call us for a special mission?” Takuya asked.
After leaving the Uzushiogakure encampment, the team had returned to the coastline base, where they’d been resting, waiting for Mist Village’s forces to arrive. Orochimaru’s smile returned as he handed Takuya two intelligence scrolls. “Take a look at these reports.”
Takuya opened the scrolls, quickly frowning as he read.
"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen? Hasn’t the village sent anyone to intercept them?”
"No rush. Keep reading,” Orochimaru gestured.
As Takuya opened the second scroll, his expression shifted to utter shock, his eyes widening.
Wait a minute… Is this really happening?
“What is it?” Minato and Nawaki leaned over to read the contents as well, each exclaiming in disbelief.
“Wow! Who’s this tough?”
Konoha has someone this fierce? They’d never heard of such a figure. If the information hadn’t come directly from Orochimaru, they’d have thought it was a hoax.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen sure were having some bad luck. First, Takuya had taken out Fuguki Suikazan and claimed the sword Samehada. Now, when they’d tried to disrupt Konoha’s supply lines within the Land of Fire, they’d run into a Genin named Might Duy. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen had suffered massive losses: three killed, four managed to escape, two of whom were gravely wounded, while the remaining two fled in terror.
"This can’t be real,” Nawaki muttered, looking back at Orochimaru.
“It’s very real,” Orochimaru replied with a nod. “This happened just a few days ago. Only the escapees are left to be captured, so the news hasn’t been released yet.”
“When did Konoha’s Genin become this formidable?” Nawaki wondered aloud.
A single Genin taking down most of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen—was this some kind of fever dream? Nawaki glanced at Minato, who shook his head, equally astounded.
“It was a man named Might Duy,” Orochimaru explained, his own reaction much like Nawaki’s when he’d first heard the news. “Apparently, this Genin practiced a technique called the Eight Gates, a taijutsu that unlocks enormous power at the cost of the user’s life force. He nearly wiped out the entire Seven Ninja Swordsmen team.”
It was through this incident that the Eight Gates gained attention, leading to special consideration for Might Duy’s son, Might Guy.
If not for this, Might Guy would have faced difficulties even becoming a ninja, let alone advancing to Jonin. Ninja exams in this era required well-rounded skills, not just combat proficiency, making Guy’s potential advancement a rarity.
"So, Duy’s already dead, then?” Takuya asked, piecing it together.
The Eight Gates, though powerful, had devastating side effects. While capable of ending battles swiftly, the price was usually fatal. A technique with this level of power often resulted in the user’s demise.
“Are you asking us to take care of the survivors?” Takuya guessed.
With three of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen dead and four fled, Orochimaru was likely calling on them to handle the remaining members.
“Yes.” Orochimaru nodded, pointing at a map. “The incident took place here. After the battle, the survivors fled, but Anbu hasn’t been able to track them down. I need the rear guard secure, so I’m sending you three on this mission.”
"Given that this involves the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, I’m designating this an S-rank mission.”