Mayuri Kurotsuchi Card Game, starting from Naruto

Chapter 26 The Third Generation's Partners and Fate

The newcomer vanished instantly, followed by a sharp gust of wind behind Lu Nie.

Boom!

A dull thud came from where the blade struck Lu Nie's neck.

This is?

A flicker of doubt flashed in the eyes revealed by the masked man. Then, in the next moment, his body went out of control; his feet were glued to the ground, and his entire body stiffened.

Shadow Binding Technique!

In the dim light of the night, shadows in the alleyways are extremely well concealed and extend far into the distance. The almost intimate proximity leaves no time for anyone to dodge.

The attacker was clearly aiming for a fatal blow, practically stepping onto Lu Nie's shadow.

What surprised the newcomer even more was that in the next moment, countless runes spread out from the darkness beneath Lu Nie's feet, winding along the shadows and covering his entire body.

"This is... a cursed binding technique!" The struggle in the newcomer's eyes intensified.

The combination of Shadow Binding Technique and Cursed Seal Binding Technique is the most proficient technique that Lu Nie has mastered so far, and it can be cast almost instantly.

This combination of techniques was originally intended to counter Jugo's berserk state. When facing a berserk Jugo, all that can be done is to apply powerful, continuous, and instantaneous control.

This ability to seize and control opportunities was honed by Lu Nie during his back-and-forth confrontations with Jugo over those few months.

Initially, you need to team up with Anko to seize opportunities and engage in dangerous battles to achieve your goal. Later, as you become more proficient at this process, facing the berserk Jugo becomes much easier and safer.

Dispel the Shadow Binding Technique.

Lu Nie turned around and looked at the attacker, who was half a head taller than him and dressed in the uniform of an ANBU member. The attacker's body was covered with curse marks, and the curse runes on his exposed palms extended to his fingertips.

"The back of a knife? Looks like they're not here to kill me, but to capture me for something else?"

Seeing the blade that attacked him, Lu Nie finally understood the reason for the strange, blunt-like sensation he had felt during the previous attack.

"You managed to block me in this remote place, were you waiting for me on purpose? You're so calm! If you're waiting for me here, you must at least know that this is the road I often take home after training."

This means you are very familiar with the road layout of Konoha Village and also know some of my daily information.

Judging from your attire, you belong to the Anbu. The Anbu serves the Hokage and only obeys the Hokage's orders. But if the Third Hokage wanted to see me, he could simply tell my lazy old man; there's no need for such methods.

I heard Orochimaru mention that there is an ANBU organization called Root within Konoha Village. It is Konoha's ANBU training institution and is part of the ANBU.

However, control of this part of the secret service was in the hands of an elder named Danzo...

Your emotions are finally showing signs of fluctuation; it seems I was right.

As Lu Nie spoke, he kept his eyes fixed on the attacker, carefully sensing the subtle emotional fluctuations in the other party by using some mental observation techniques he had learned from the mountain tribe.

After Danzo's name was uttered, the attacker's fleeting emotional fluctuation was keenly observed. Lu Nie sighed, no longer wanting to inquire further. He knew perfectly well that the rest was to be left to the adults who could handle it.

"That's really surprising."

Not long after, a figure appeared in the darkness and landed on the field with a whoosh of wind. When that familiar, magnetic, husky voice rang out, Lu Nie, who had been hiding in the darkness, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anbu? No, it smells like Root." Orochimaru looked at the Anbu members who were immobilized by the Cursed Seal Binding Technique and reinforced twice, his golden eyes narrowing into slits.

"Orochimaru-sensei," Shikane greeted Orochimaru.

"It seems he didn't intend to kill you." Orochimaru also noticed the wrong direction of the attacker's blade and almost instantly deduced the general information and the course of the battle.

"He tried to knock me unconscious, but he couldn't break through my Bloodlust Armor's defense," Lu Nie said simply.

"Leave this to me. You can tell Lu Ji."

Orochimaru paused for a moment, then summoned a giant snake that swallowed the attacker whole, before watching it disappear into the smoke with a bang.

"Is there any trouble?" Lu Nie asked, looking up.

"It was just a warning from a petty old man. You're the one who got dragged into this."

Orochimaru had now figured out the cause and reason for the attack, but he didn't intend to explain it to Shiro here. He took Shiro's hand and said, "Let's go, I'll take you home first. Then I'll go see my teacher."

After smoothly escorting Shikane back to the Nara clan's territory, Orochimaru immediately departed, leaving Shikane behind and Shikakichi, who sensed something amiss.

Following Orochimaru's instructions, Shikano explained everything that had happened that day to Shikaji. After leaving the somewhat somber-looking old man Shikaji to ponder, Shikano went back to rest.

……

Somewhere underground in the dim light.

An old man, hidden in the candlelight and leaning on a cane, looked at his subordinate kneeling before him, revealing only one intact eye.

"You're saying Orochimaru went to see Hiruzen?"

"Yes! We monitored Orochimaru entering the Third Hokage's residence and staying there for a long time before leaving," the kneeling ninja said respectfully.

"I understand." The old man nodded, watching his subordinate get up and back away.

……

"Hiruzen".

The old man, leaning on a cane and covered in bandages, pushed open the door to the Hokage's office. His single eye, visible outside, swept over the Third Hokage working inside and Nara Shikakichi working silently on the other side, before turning his attention back to the Third Hokage, who was looking up at him.

"What do you want with me?"

"Last night, Orochimaru's disciple Nara Shikano was attacked by the Anbu. Danzo, do you have anything to say about this?" The Third Hokage picked up his pipe and took a puff. His somewhat aged face was obscured by the smoke, making it difficult to see clearly.

"What does the attack by the Anbu have to do with me?" Danzo sneered, retorting righteously.

"Do you know what Orochimaru did?" Seemingly expecting Danzo's denial, the Third Hokage rubbed his temples with a headache after a moment of silence, and said helplessly.

"What can he do?" Danzo stood in front of the Third Hokage's desk, his eyes sweeping disdainfully over Nara Shikakichi, who was working in silence, and said coldly.

"He sent the attacker to the interrogation room." The Third Hokage said with his eyes closed, "The head of the interrogation room, Yamashita Kenji, interrogated him personally. Do I need to elaborate?"

"What can he possibly get out of this interrogation?" Danzo's eyes narrowed.

"Orochimaru helped unseal the many seals and binding techniques you placed on the attackers beforehand." The Third Hokage, looking worried, smoked a cigarette, opened his eyes, and stared at Danzo through the smoke.

"What does he want to do? I have a clear conscience!" Danzo snorted.

"Why do you think our teacher chose me to be Hokage instead of you?" The Third Hokage suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"That's only because you beat me to it and said you'd cover the retreat!" Upon hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's question, Danzo, who had been calm all along, suddenly became agitated and shouted angrily.

"No! It's because the teacher knows very well that you are someone who only knows how to be ruthless but not how to compromise, who is a little clever but doesn't care about the big picture, and who is short-sighted and has no long-term vision."

"A person like you becoming Hokage would only be a disaster for the village!" the Third Hokage replied, enunciating each word clearly.

"You're talking nonsense!" Danzo slammed his cane down on the ground several times, and the veins on his hands gripping it bulged. He was almost instantly enraged by his old friend.

"Take a good look at what you've done! How dare you lay a hand on the villagers! First it was Sakumo, then it was Rokune, and now, are you going to attack me?" the Third Hokage retorted angrily.

Danzo stared intently at the Third Hokage's furious face, then suddenly fell silent.

"From now on, the peace and tranquility of the village will be the responsibility of the Anbu directly under the Hokage. Your Root organization will only be responsible for matters outside the village. In addition, given the mistakes you have made recently, the funding and personnel selection of Root will be subject to corresponding restrictions." The Third Hokage looked at Danzo, who had calmed down, and gave his final punishment in a straightforward manner.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!" Danzo's hands clenched even tighter. Even a harsh scolding from Hiruzen, forcing him to lose face in front of Shikaji, would have been far more unbearable than this punishment. This was a ruthless stripping of his power!

"I am the Hokage, aren't I?" the Third Hokage said coldly.

"Hmph!" Danzo turned around and left the Hokage's office with a gust of wind.

"Should you and Shikaji be satisfied with this punishment?" Watching Danzo leave, the Third Hokage rubbed his temples wearily once more.

"I have no objection, Hokage-sama." Nara Shikakichi stood up and bowed respectfully to the Third Hokage.

"You promised me, teacher?" Orochimaru emerged from a hidden door, his eyes fixed on his teacher.

"The funds allocated for the reduction of the Root will be at your disposal, and Danzo has no right to interfere with the personnel of the Ino-Shika-Cho triad, but you can discuss and choose," the Third Hokage nodded.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, meeting the gaze of his teacher.

"This is not what you promised me last night." After a moment of silence, Orochimaru licked his lips, somewhat dissatisfied.

"Do you know how much manpower and money it takes to create a new department? Although the village's economy has improved and become much wealthier, it's not yet at the point where we can squander money like water."

Besides, even if I were the Hokage, if I wanted to create a completely new department, I would have to convene a Jonin meeting and vote on it.

"Tsunade's medical department wasn't established overnight either." The Third Hokage shook his head.

"But as it turns out, the establishment of the medical department was the right thing to do! Tsunade's suggestion at the time was also the right thing to do! Your delay, teacher, was meaningless and of no benefit to the village." Orochimaru replied bluntly.

The third generation immediately started smoking his pipe again.

"At the very least, you need to show me and the Jonin the value of this department, right? The Technology Development Department, according to your requirements, will require more money and manpower than the Medical Department! I can't see what its significance is for the village." The Third Hokage said with some distress.

Looking at the village's chaotic finances, even as the Shadow, he was in a dilemma. The medical department had only been established for a few years, and the investment hadn't even been recouped yet. Now, to bring in another money-guzzling entity—doesn't someone in charge of the household not know the cost of living?

"This doesn't match our agreement." Orochimaru's eyes had narrowed into slits.

"Here's what we'll do. I'll authorize you to set up this department and allow you to recruit staff on your own. I can also provide some initial start-up capital. But if you can't produce enough results later, you'll be responsible for the financial burden yourself. Do you agree to this solution?" The third generation pondered for a moment and offered a compromise.

(End of this chapter)