A short while ago- Before the attack.
The Five Leaf ninjas were discussing their infiltration strategy.
Tobirama spoke up. "Tsunade will no doubt be restrained. But I'm sure you can free her and her student. I will focus on Orochimaru. The moment he's out of the base, I'll move in for the kill."
"No." Daichi shook his head and opposed. "We don't know what he did to sensei. We need him alive. Maybe not in one piece. But we definitely need him alive. We have to be careful about this."
"It'll be a bit more of a headache but it's doable." Tobirama agreed after a few seconds of consideration.
"I have an idea that can minimize the risks even further…" Danzo suddenly spoke.
As everyone turned to him, Danzo began to lay out his strategy. He looked at the Genin and spoke. "Jiraiya is partially right. You are an important asset of the village. Sending you into Orochimaru's palms is a foolish idea. But he won't come out unless it's you walking into his trap… That's why I propose that I switch with him. I will take your place and confront him."
Tobirama and Jiraiya were suspicious when they heard that.
"Danzo, why do you want to meet with Orochimaru?" Tobirama asked with narrowed eyes.
"It's not for any nefarious purpose. Like I said, I only wish to minimize the risk on our side." Danzo turned to the second Hokage and replied with a casual shrug. "With me and Kakashi keeping Orochimaru and his guards distracted, you three can go in and find them."
Jiraiya and Tobirama glanced at each other and nodded.
Meanwhile Daichi was keeping a calm face as he looked at the elder. 'What's he up to? What's his angle? He has to have an angle he's playing at? Now that his future at the Leaf has come to an end, is he planning on joining up with that Snake?'
Daichi thought about it some more and frowned. 'Seems less likely. Based on everything I know about this guy, even though he's a backstabbing scumbag, he cares about the village. He wouldn't deliberately make things more difficult for us…Hmm… It looks like the Second Hokage and Jiraiya don't trust him. They must have some plans in place in case Danzo rebels.'
"Very well. Danzo will disguise himself and take Daichi's place." Tobirama spoke with crossed arms. 'We need to cover every angle Orochimaru might exploit.'
Danzo nodded. "Now we just need to consider Orochimaru's likely responses and countermeasures."
Kakashi glanced at Danzo with a serious gaze. "What do you think he would do?"
"He won't simply stroll out of his base unprepared," Jiraiya answered, glancing at Danzo and then to the rest of the group. "Once he realizes we're here, he'll want to protect his work. Orochimaru's cunning. He might leave a shadow clone inside to guard Tsunade and Shizune, or a summoning. Likely one of his snakes to monitor them."
Daichi nodded, arms loose at his sides. "Yeah. Based on his paranoid personality, he would definitely have a shadow clone inside. And that clone could react fast. Orochimaru might let his clone kill them or move them away if anything goes wrong." He paused a beat. "If it's just a snake summon, we have a better chance. Summons can be distracted or taken out more easily."
Jiraiya exhaled, turning to face them all. "Let's assume the worst—that he employs both options. A snake could be used to keep an eye on them, while a shadow clone remains in reserve. Orochimaru's experiments are too important for him to leave unguarded."
'The Snake might even be hidden so thoroughly that no one sees it until it's too late.' "If there's a shadow clone inside, that effectively means a piece of Orochimaru's consciousness is stationed with Tsunade." Tobirama crossed his arms and tapped his fingers as he thought of a strategy. "Killing it might be our only chance to free them. But if we do destroy the clone, Orochimaru will know immediately."
"Why not take Orochimaru out of the equation completely first?" Kakashi proposed. When he got everyone's attention he laid out his idea. "Instead of taking Daichi's place, why not have elder Danzo disguise as me and Lord Tobirama take on Daichi's role. That way Jiraiya can infiltrate the base and I'll be able to bring Daichi and myself inside with the teleportation jutsu."
Danzo's eyes slightly widened when he heard that. "You know the fourth Hokage's teleportation jutsu?"
Kakashi nodded. "I'm not anywhere near as proficient in it as sensei was but for this operation, I'm sure I can use it without much problems."
"What do you think, Lord Second?" Jiraiya asked the former Hokage. "Should we adjust our plan?"
The Second Hokage was silent for a few moments and then replied. "No. The person interacting with Orochimaru must be familiar with him. And not only that, Orochimaru would have defensive seals inside Tsunade's room. I can get rid of them the fastest."
There are other reasons he didn't speak of. 'I need to see her for myself. I need to know what that bastard did to her… And this is also a final test for you Danzo. I want to know what you're going to do. Now that an opportunity has presented itself, will you stand with us or betray the Leaf village?'
"Jiraiya is needed for a quick infiltration. I will be needed inside to break any barriers or seals and Daichi will be needed for his medical skills. That leaves Kakashi and you Danzo. We stick to the original plan."
Everyone nodded and didn't bother arguing with the reanimated Hokage. "Back to our original problem…" Jiraiya drummed his fingers on his arm thoughtfully. "If it's a snake summon, we could try a Genjutsu or a quick kill. I have a few illusions that can disorient large creatures but they're not that good. If we catch it off-guard, it might not have time to signal Orochimaru."
'But that depends on how the summoning contract is set up.' Danzo cleared his throat. "We must assume the snake can vanish at Orochimaru's call or deliver a mental alarm at any disturbance. So if it's a snake, you can't let it slip away."
Tobirama's gaze traveled the large rocky expanse before speaking. "We also need to address these barriers. Orochimaru's base will be layered with detection seals and protective wards. You asked if I could modify them, Danzo," he inclined his head toward the elder, "...yes, I can. But it would take a considerable amount of time. And any significant tampering might alert Orochimaru anyway."
"So we can't wait on a stealthy rewrite of his barrier system." He paused, eye flicking to Daichi. "Then that means our infiltration must be swift and direct. We can't linger or attempt an elaborate sabotage strategy."
"But even with all these precautions he's taken, we might have a chance." Danzo inclined his head, though his expression remained impassive. "Even cunning men have blind spots. Orochimaru likes to toy with his prey, to let them think they have a chance. That arrogance is what we can exploit. The crucial point to this plan is to time everything flawlessly."
A new hush settled over the group. 'If Orochimaru's arrogance is truly our best leverage, we have to rely on his desire to flaunt his superiority.' Jiraiya wet his lips, then said, "So the plan is, Danzo draws Orochimaru out. Kakashi fights his guards. Meanwhile I slip inside to find Tsunade and Shizune. Once I find those two I summon Lord Second and Daichi and we confirm how they're being watched. Shadow clone or snake or some other method and we adapt."
Tobirama looked at Danzo. "If it's a shadow clone and Orochimaru finds out, you'll have to press him hard, Danzo. You'll have to stop him from escaping or retaliating remotely. In that window of time, Jiraiya and I will destroy all barriers and seals restraining them. Daichi, you will heal them if needed and you will need to collect all the materials in that lab. We need to know what he's done to her."
Jiraiya nodded. "Once they're free, you can teleport them to a safe distance. I'll follow you behind with Daichi once we've completed our task. After that, we can decide if we need to capture or kill Orochimaru."
Kakashi nodded. "We should pick an extraction point now."
Jiraiya pulled out a small map, spreading it on the ground. "This ridge area here. About a kilometer from this location. It's rocky enough to hide our presence from any patrolling ninjas, but open enough for an easy teleport if needed."
Tobirama examined the map quickly, then traced a circle with his finger. "Yes, that works. Once I get them there, I'll form a small perimeter barrier to keep them safe. And Daichi can administer any emergency treatment if needed. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded. A certain weight hung in the air—this was life-and-death planning, with Tsunade's fate resting on their success.
Danzo took a slow breath. "He'll ask me how we found him so fast," he predicted. "He'll want to test what we know."
Tobirama's eyes glinted. "Answer vaguely, or not at all. The more we keep him guessing, the more time we buy."
Danzo turned to Daichi and had him recall all the events that had happened after he found out about Tsunade's abduction. He finally nodded. "I know what to say to keep him busy and his attention on me."
"Since you're going to confront Orochimaru, here." Tobirama addressed Danzo and threw a small scroll towards him. Danzo opened the scroll and inside it was the prosthetic arm that was taken after the Root Raid.
Tobirama turned to the medic in the group. "Daichi. Attach that arm to him."
Jiraiya was surprised at this turn of events. 'Why did he give back that arm? I'm sure he doesn't trust Danzo. So what's he planning? Is it because he wants Danzo to have a fighting chance against Orochimaru or is there something more?'
Danzo was silent as Daichi did as he was told. The Gamer ninja already used 'Observe' skill on the arm and found that it was an inferior creation based on the original Sharingan arm.
'Hmph. I took off an arm from him and now I'm reattaching another. There must be some poetic irony to this.' Daichi kept his thoughts and feelings in check and quickly completed the procedure.
A few moments later they all vanished from their spot and got ready.
—-
Presently
Jiraiya glanced at the two figures that appeared near him. The real Daichi and Tobirama were already trying to sense every corner of the hideout as soon as they appeared.
"Looks like the plan worked. While Danzo keeps him busy, let's get those two out of here." Jiraiya spoke in a hushed tone.
Above the hideout, as the disguised Danzo kept the Snake Sannin busy, Jiraiya, Tobirama and Daichi infiltrated the underground base. They quietly sifted through illusions and locked doors and scanned for any signs of life besides Tsunade and Shizune.
'We can't afford to be reckless now.' Daichi glanced at the system interface in his peripheral vision, noting his Chakra and Mana levels were stable. He needed to be ready for a potential showdown or any complicated seal-breaking. Step by step, they advanced, their sandals making barely a whisper on the stone floor.
"We're close," he whispered, feeling the subtle pulse of chakra from the far side of the passage. "Orochimaru's lab should be just beyond here. Be ready."
As the three ninjas reached near the room where Tsunade and Shizune were held, a snag presented itself.
Partway down a corridor, all three Leaf ninjas sensed a strong presence hidden in the shadows, a chakra reminiscent of Orochimaru's own. They halted abruptly, the corridor's torchlight casting trembling lines over the rough walls.
"This presence…" Tobirama murmured, kneeling to press his fingers against the floor. 'It feels like Orochimaru's signature, but isn't quite him.'
He closed his eyes, running a swift check with his advanced sensor abilities.
Jiraiya carefully scanned their surroundings, hand hovering near his kunai pouch. "A snake?" he guessed softly.
Tobirama's face tightened. "Yes. Or a shadow clone in disguise. Hard to say. The chakra's suppressed, but it's definitely related to Orochimaru." He rose to his feet again, gaze vigilant. "He's left a guardian. Possibly a security measure to oversee Tsunade and Shizune."
They spoke in hushed tones, aware that any slip might alert this hidden watcher. Jiraiya said quietly, "If we fight it and destroy it, Orochimaru might realize we're here. That could endanger Tsunade."
Tobirama nodded. "Exactly. We must be sure what it is before we act. If it's a shadow clone, we hold off. If it's just a snake summon, we can trap it with Genjutsu or a swift kill without raising alarms."
Jiraiya glanced at Tobirama and thought about the strategy they put in place. 'It's a good thing we didn't just rush in. Danzo knew just what Orochimaru might do. Seems he knew that snake more than I thought.'
Their senses soon found out what it was.
"Based on what I can sense, it seems to be a special summon… I'll do it." The toad sage took the lead and the other two nodded and hid themselves.