Kazuyama Gekkō walked along the road back to the village, still lost in thought over the current situation.
The war had settled down—something he hadn't expected. It's not like he did anything major.
All he did was take out Shukaku, kill the Third Mizukage, and drain the Fourth Raikage's coffers. That was it, right?
And yet, the war had come to a halt?
This was the Third Great Ninja War, after all.
"Kazuyama, what's wrong?"
"Isn't the end of the war a good thing?"
Chōmei was confused. Wasn't Kazuyama someone who hated war?
So now that things had calmed down, why did he look so unhappy?
"It's nothing. It's just that things aren't going the way I expected."
"This kind of bizarre outcome really bugs me."
"Let's go, Chōmei. We need to get back to the village as soon as possible."
To get a better grasp on the situation, Kazuyama spread his wings and used Crystal Release to fly straight toward the Land of Fire.
...
In the Land of Fire, within a concealed facility in Konohagakure...
"Lord Orochimaru, I've mastered the ninjutsu you taught me."
"Hmm…"
"If there's nothing else, I'll return to my training."
"Wait… was there any intel about Kazuyama in today's report?"
Silence followed. Orochimaru let out a quiet sigh.
"All right, I understand. Yamato, you may go."
Yamato's expression dimmed. It had already been six months since Kazuyama disappeared.
And it wasn't just Orochimaru who was upset—he was too.
After all, it was Kazuyama who helped him come up with the name "Yamato." He was one of the few people Yamato knew, and one of even fewer who'd treated him well.
To suddenly have no idea where he'd gone… Yamato still couldn't fully accept it.
Not long after, Orochimaru set down the equipment he'd been working with and instructed,
"Yamato, I'll be leaving for a while. Take these few days to rest, and focus on mastering Wood Release as soon as you can."
"Understood, Lord Orochimaru."
...
Elsewhere in the Hokage Building of Konohagakure, a meeting was in session.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wore a grim expression. Gathered around him were the heads of the major clans and several of the village's top advisers.
The meeting was focused on the war.
"Hiruzen, Iwagakure has already withdrawn. Why not press the advantage and launch an offensive against them?"
"Sunagakure has submitted a peace proposal. This is the perfect time for us to…"
"Bang!"
Danzō's sentence was abruptly cut off by the sharp slap of Hiruzen's hand slamming onto the table.
Hiruzen glared at him, clearly displeased, and stopped him from saying another word.
"Danzō, that's enough. Don't you understand why the war came to a halt?"
"I know more about Ōnoki than you do."
"Besides, we're already fighting on multiple fronts. Now isn't the time to start another war."
But Danzō remained stubborn, completely unfazed by Hiruzen Sarutobi's anger.
"Hmph! Cowardice!"
"The Land of Earth is in chaos right now. It's the perfect opportunity!"
"Kumogakure is hiding, Sunagakure is retreating, and we don't even know why Kirigakure pulled out."
"This is the best time for us to strike Iwagakure."
His speech gained a lot of support, but then someone else stepped in.
It was Danzō's secret partner—Orochimaru.
"I don't support continuing this war…"
"If this meeting is just about that, then I'm leaving…"
"I've got more important things to do…"
Orochimaru's voice was sharp and cold. His mood was clearly at rock bottom.
The moment he spoke, several clan heads, including the Uchiha, turned their eyes toward him. At this time, Orochimaru held considerable influence in the village—many saw him as the next Hokage.
Only a few present understood what Orochimaru was truly feeling.
His teacher Hiruzen Sarutobi, his teammate Tsunade, and his collaborator Danzō.
"Hmph! Orochimaru, when did you become so soft?"
"So what if Kazuyama Gekkō is dead?"
"He died for the village. The village will remember his sacrifice—but that doesn't mean you should fall apart over one person!"
Danzō redirected his fire, aiming it squarely at Orochimaru.
Orochimaru's gaze turned ice-cold, and his voice dropped to a chilling tone.
"Kazuyama is only missing…"
"He's not dead…"
"Mind your words, Lord Danzō…"
This was the first time Orochimaru had ever directly and forcefully talked back to Danzō, leaving the latter fuming with rage.
"Hmph! Pathetic behavior!"
"Hiruzen, is this the fine student you raised?"
"Throwing away a golden opportunity just for one person? Ask the others—would they give up this chance?"
Danzō cast his gaze across the room.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane didn't side with the Hokage this time—they supported Danzō.
"Hiruzen, Danzō's right. Iwagakure has attacked us repeatedly."
"This is our chance to strike back. Sure, we've always followed a policy of non-aggression, but we can't keep letting them walk all over us."
With the two advisors backing him, Danzō stood taller than ever, as if everything was going exactly as he had planned.
Then Orochimaru spoke again.
"If you want to fight, go ahead. No need to raise hands or vote. I've got things to do. I'm out."
Without another word, he pushed open the door and left, leaving the rest of the room in stunned silence.
Tsunade stood up next.
"I'm leaving too. Don't you know how swamped the hospital is?"
"Seriously, meetings for everything. Orochimaru's right—if you're so eager to fight, head to the frontlines. What's the point of sitting around talking?"
"I'm out."
As Konoha's princess, Tsunade didn't bother sparing anyone's pride. She followed Orochimaru out without hesitation.
The meeting room fell silent.
It wasn't until much later that Danzō's furious voice erupted again.
"Outrageous! Hiruzen, look at the kind of disciples you raised!"
"Hmph, I actually think Orochimaru and Tsunade have a point. If you want to fight, go ahead."
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, puffing on a cigarette, his tone icy cold.
The meeting dragged on, but without the two of them, it turned sour.
Though really, only Danzō seemed bothered by it.
...
"Hey, Orochimaru, that was pretty bold of you—calling out Danzō like that. Nicely done."
"Tsk, tsk. You really do care about Kazuyama Gekkō, huh? I heard you've been dropping by his place a lot lately."
"You've been bringing stuff to his little brother too. Those who know you're his sensei get it, but people who don't... tsk, tsk."
Tsunade caught up with Orochimaru, smiling.
But his face still looked grim.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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