Traveling through Naruto with Heroes of Might and Magic.

……

"boom!"

The door to the ward was closed.

The third generation breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that Qingwu was merely overdrawing his abilities.

He then walked to a quiet room next door.

Danzo, who had been following him all along, hurried in. "Hiruzen, I didn't leave because I wanted to prove my innocence. I didn't..."

"Danzo!" The Third Hokage snapped out of his daze. "You've disappointed me greatly!"

"..." Danzo did not try to explain further. The two had worked together for decades, and their understanding of each other went beyond ordinary friendship.

"Hiruzen, you're too naive," Danzo said slowly.

"You saw the result today. We couldn't even defeat Orochimaru. The power that Senju Seigo possesses is too dangerous. We must have absolute control over it so that this power can be used by Konoha!"

"To be used by Konoha?" The Third Hokage sneered. "Or to be used by you?"

"I am the root, the root of Konoha!" Danzo straightened his back:

“Everything I’ve done has been for Konoha, unlike you, Hiruzen, who is always blinded by ridiculous emotions.”

"So you colluded with rogue ninja!?" The Third Hokage stretched out his hand, revealing an old Konoha headband to Danzo.

"Attack a Konoha genin during the Chunin Exams?" The Third Hokage's anger finally erupted: "Danzo, do you know what you're doing?"

"Rogue ninja..." Danzo repeated slowly, then said disdainfully, "You failed to manage your own disciples, are you going to blame it all on me?"

"You—" The Third Hokage's anger came to an abrupt halt.

At that moment, he seemed to have aged considerably.

In fact, he had been growing increasingly distant from his disciples for a long time, and sometimes he had thought that this day would come sooner or later.

However, when he saw his disciple's headband lying carelessly in the dirt, he felt only deep sorrow and self-reproach.

Yes, can we completely blame Danzo?

Orochimaru preferred to work for Danzo in Root rather than help his teacher.

That once beloved disciple... has long since drifted apart from him.

"..."

After a long silence, the Third Hokage finally spoke again.

"From this day forward, Senju Seigo is a member of the Hokage's direct Kageshield. Anyone who attempts to contact him, control him, or harm him, whoever he may be..."

The third generation's voice was aged yet powerful: "I will consider this—a traitor to the village!"

The words "betrayal of the village" struck Danzo like a thunderbolt.

Danzo's one eye snarled, "Hiruzen, are you insane?! You're going to break ties with me for the sake of a brat?"

"You crossed the line first!" The Third Hokage no longer expressed anger, but calmly announced:

"Danzo, remember your place. You are the leader of Root and the Hokage's assistant, but first and foremost, you are a Konoha ninja, and the Hokage is me!"

The two stared at each other, and the air almost froze.

After a long while, Danzo slowly took a step back, his face regaining its usual gloomy expression.

“Fine…I won’t touch Senju Seigo.” Danzo said, seemingly resigned. “But, A…”

"Similarly, from today onwards, Kagami is a member of Konoha's Anbu, and you can no longer have contact with him."

Taking advantage of Danzo's "mistake," the Third Hokage simply issued an ultimatum.

"..." Danzo's face was extremely gloomy.

Faced with the "ultimate move" of "I am the Hokage", he was as powerless to fight back as ever.

Moreover, Orochimaru's failure this time meant that his efforts were not only in vain, but also enraged the Third Hokage.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!" Danzo rasped.

"Hmph!" The Third Hokage ignored Danzo and turned to walk out of the room.

Watching the Third Hokage's resolute back, Danzo, who had once again fallen to the disadvantage in the confrontation, had a trace of resentment flash in his single eye.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

Danzo gripped his cane tightly, cursing under his breath, "Useless... Orochimaru!"

If today's task is successful, it doesn't matter if he is reprimanded or pays other prices.

A? Actually, it's not that important.

Orochimaru has already confirmed that the Wood Release technique, which is merely a shell of the First Hokage, is far inferior to the First Hokage's and does not significantly contribute to the progress of the experiment.

and so……

How could we possibly give up on that kid, Senju Seiwu, so easily?!

However, it's not advisable to make a move right now; we need to find a better opportunity.

Danzo believed that, being in the shadows, he was more likely to seize opportunities than others.

Tap, tap, tap!

The sound of the cane tapping the ground faded into the distance, and the dark room fell completely silent...

……

On the rocky mountain deep in the Death Forest, the night was as dark as ink.

Orochimaru stood on the edge of the cliff, putting on Konoha's green tactical vest for the last time.

From here, he could see the distant sparks of Konoha, and... the silent statues of the Hokage of each generation on the Hokage Rock.

His golden, vertical pupils reflected the land where he was born, grew up, and was about to leave forever.

"Konoha..."

He whispered the name.

There was no hatred or longing in his voice, only a cold, detached scrutiny, as if he were observing a specimen about to be dissected.

"Thousand-Handed Green Wutong..."

Orochimaru licked his lips, a complex light flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, he had both hands intact.

As long as it's not a sealing technique, his modified body can recover from both physical and ninjutsu attacks.

only……

The complex emotions stemmed from...excitement, curiosity, greed, and...a touch of frustration.

He is Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, a Kage-level ninja, who has mastered countless forbidden techniques and secret methods.

He actually suffered a loss at the hands of a 13-year-old ninja.

Although it was only a minor injury, and although I won, but—

"I actually failed!"

Raising one hand, Orochimaru felt a twisted pleasure...

Chapter 50 The Future of the Village!

This feeling...

It's like discovering a rare, never-before-seen specimen; it might hurt itself, but that only proves it's more valuable for research.

Reflecting on the battle of the day.

Orochimaru recalled those strange summoned creatures, the most important of which was the giant tree spirit that had held him back.

"Wood Release..."

It can bind thousands of snakes and block its own attacks countless times.

and also……

The boy's hand held a ninjutsu that could be used instantly without hand seals.

Whether it was the arrow spell with arcing electricity or the control spell with vine patterns, both aroused his endless desire to explore.

However... he doesn't get an answer, at least not now.

Because of Konoha, there's no going back.

The mountain breeze at night carried a chill.

Orochimaru turned around and slowly walked north.

Defection... was certainly not a spur-of-the-moment decision.

In fact, he had been preparing for this for many years.

Several research bases he established are scattered throughout the ninja world.

He has already secretly taken control of the northern land of Tian.

He has even established his own ninja village.

"Ho..."

"I will come back!"

With one last glance back, Orochimaru's figure resolutely disappeared into the night.

……

at the same time.

In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage stood by the window, the light from his pipe flickering in the darkness.

He gazed in the direction of the distant rocky mountains, remaining silent for a long time.

The master and apprentice seemed to be "in sync".