"Be careful, stand steady."
Tsunade leaned in and whispered softly into Hanekawa's ear.
Her breath brushed against him.
Hanekawa felt a slight itch in his ear.
"You arrived just in time."
Tsunade released Hanekawa and stepped forward, speaking expressionlessly.
"We encountered Kumogakure ninjas on the way, which delayed us."
Orochimaru's gaze swept over the group, feeling particularly surprised.
Aside from Hanekawa and Uchiha Shisui, who looked pale, Tsunade and Hatake Sakumo showed no signs of exhaustion.
What shocked him the most was that none of the four bore any obvious injuries.
This was completely different from the mutually destructive outcome he had anticipated.
On the other hand, Kumogakure's Fourth Raikage, Killer B, and Yugito Nii were all unconscious.
Orochimaru was well aware of Tsunade and Hatake Sakumo's strength.
They couldn't have achieved this.
So the variable must be Hanekawa and Uchiha Shisui.
Orochimaru instinctively licked his lips.
Could it be that Uchiha Shisui had truly awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?
As a high-ranking member of Konoha and a research fanatic, Orochimaru naturally knew about the existence of the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had considered testing it before, but with Hatake Sakumo around, he never found the opportunity.
Shimura Danzo snapped back to reality, his expression turning ugly.
He never dreamed that two tailed beasts and the Fourth Raikage would lose so miserably and so quickly, failing to hold out until their arrival.
Utterly useless!
No matter how much he refused to believe it, this had become an undeniable fact.
Tsunade, leading the group, had captured two tailed beasts and the Fourth Raikage alive, her prestige now rivaling that of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.
As long as she didn't voluntarily step down, the position of the Fourth Hokage would not go to anyone else.
The only solution now was to eliminate her!
Shimura Danzo instinctively glanced at Orochimaru.
Alone, he was no match for Tsunade and Hanekawa.
Only with Orochimaru's help did they stand a chance.
Their eyes met.
Orochimaru immediately understood his thoughts, inwardly cursing him for being an idiot.
If they were all severely injured, it might have been worth a try.
But in the current situation, their chances of success were slim.
If they failed, they would have to flee and become rogue ninjas.
Orochimaru, however, wasn't ready to become a rogue ninja just yet.
The reason lay in Uchiha Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Staying in Konoha would make it easier to seize the eyes.
Moreover, could the Mangekyō Sharingan alone really defeat two tailed beasts and the Fourth Raikage?
Orochimaru felt there were details he was missing, and acting rashly would be too risky.
Especially since his forbidden technique wasn't yet complete.
"Rescue them."
Orochimaru waved his hand and said.
Tsunade secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Although she wasn't afraid of Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru, she was worried Hanekawa might get hurt.
She also didn't want to see Konoha ninjas turning on each other.
Fortunately, Orochimaru hadn't lost his mind over the Hokage position.
"Orochimaru!"
Shimura Danzo couldn't help but urge.
He might as well have said outright, "Are you giving up on the Hokage position?"
"Tsunade."
Orochimaru ignored Shimura Danzo, smiling faintly as he said, "I'm curious how you managed to defeat two tailed beasts."
"..."
Shimura Danzo trembled with anger but could do nothing.
If he were still the leader of Root, he could mobilize Root ninjas to join the attack.
But now, Root had been disbanded, and the former Root ninjas had been absorbed into the Anbu.
Being able to mobilize eight Root ninjas was already a result of Sarutobi Hiruzen's sentimentality.
"Wait."
Hanekawa released the necklace in front of him, took Tsunade's hand, and pulled her behind him.
"...?"
Tsunade looked at him in confusion, not even minding that he had taken her hand.
"Uncle Orochimaru."
Hanekawa stepped forward and asked, "What is the punishment for someone who colludes with Kumogakure?"
Tsunade couldn't help but frown.
With this question, she knew what Hanekawa was planning.
But she felt it was unwise to bring it up now.
However, since Hanekawa had already done so, she could only support him. Immediately, she became alert.
Hatake Sakumo and Uchiha Shisui exchanged glances.
Was there a traitor among them?
"What do you mean?"
Shimura Danzo's heart skipped a beat as he instinctively asked.
"According to Konoha's laws, it's the crime of betraying the village."
Orochimaru glanced at Shimura Danzo, calmly asking, "Who are you referring to?"
"Shimura Danzo."
Hanekawa said, word by word.
"Baseless accusations!"
Shimura Danzo immediately flared up, "I am Konoha's Hokage Advisor! To accuse me of betraying the village is utterly absurd!"
"Evidence?"
Orochimaru raised his hand, stopping Shimura Danzo.
But inwardly, he was exasperated. Your overreaction is practically admitting guilt.
"Mabui."
Hanekawa looked towards Mabui, who was not far away.
Mabui was slightly startled.
But she was very intelligent and quickly realized what Hanekawa meant.
He was referring to the four Root ninjas captured by Kumogakure.
Wait!
Mabui suddenly realized something.
How did Hanekawa know?
Could it be that he had witnessed everything? If so, this ambush had been anticipated by Hanekawa and his team.
In other words, they had been confident of victory even before the battle began.
Mabui broke out in a cold sweat.
"How can the words of a mere Kumogakure ninja be considered evidence?"
Shimura Danzo quickly interjected before Mabui could speak.
"That's a fair point."
Orochimaru nodded slightly, then said, "Hand them over to me, and I'll interrogate them."
Shimura Danzo's eyes lit up at this.
With Orochimaru's skills, Mabui in his hands would surely lead to a twisted narrative.
He could also take the opportunity to erase any traces.
"No."
Hanekawa refused.
Handing them over to Orochimaru would only lead to a foregone conclusion.
"Hanekawa!"
Shimura Danzo's face turned livid, "Don't forget, Orochimaru is the commander here!"
"He is the commander, true, but his responsibility is to command during war."
Hanekawa spoke unhurriedly, "And now, the war is over."
"Very well!"
Shimura Danzo suddenly sneered, "You are now committing insubordination by slandering the Hokage Advisor. I have the right to arrest you!"
Without hesitation, he formed hand seals and exhaled a gust of wind.
The wind was sharp, carrying a cutting edge.
Orochimaru's mouth twitched.
This was clearly forcing his hand.
"Don't move!"
Hanekawa stopped Tsunade and the others from intervening, then clapped his hands together.
Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!
The ground swelled, and trees burst forth, quickly forming a forest.
"Wood Release?!"
Orochimaru's eyes widened, then he stopped.
He stood still, and the branches and vines didn't attack him.
Orochimaru was utterly excited, his gaze was fixed on the forest before him.
He had previously collaborated with Shimura Danzo on Wood Release experiments because he knew of Hashirama Senju's invincibility with Wood Release and wanted to obtain it.
Now, a living, breathing ninja using Wood Release was right before his eyes. How could he not be thrilled?
"No! Impossible!"
Shimura Danzo was momentarily stunned.
In that moment of distraction, branches and vines wrapped around him.
Shimura Danzo instinctively tried to dodge, but Hanekawa seized the opportunity to close the distance.
Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!
Their eyes met, and Shimura Danzo's face filled with fear.
More branches and vines surged, completely enveloping him like a cocoon.
Tsunade was startled.
How did Hanekawa still have chakra to use Wood Release?
Wait!
Tsunade suddenly sensed a familiar feeling from the chakra.
She instinctively looked at the First Hokage's necklace Hanekawa wore.
So that's it.
Tsunade's face showed understanding.
She looked at the spirited Hanekawa, a slight smile tugging at her lips, her heart fluttering slightly.
This kid looked even more handsome than usual.
"Uncle Orochimaru."
Hanekawa turned to Orochimaru, "Shimura Danzo has been captured. Do you have anything to say?"
Normally, Shimura Danzo wouldn't be so easily defeated, but witnessing Wood Release had shaken him, causing him to lose the initiative.
Once again proving the saying, ninja battles are battles of information.
"Impressive!"
Orochimaru extended his tongue, licking his lips, his eyes filled with eagerness and desire as he looked at Hanekawa.
After the failure of the Wood Release experiments, he had turned his focus to pursuing eternal life.
Having studied many of Konoha's forbidden techniques, he had conceived the idea of the Living Corpse Reanimation.
Human bodies have limits, so why not switch to a new body upon reaching those limits?
But now he realized that the perfect vessel for him was Hanekawa!
Too perfect!
Perfect beyond belief!
Taijutsu, genjutsu, kenjutsu, ninjutsu, and the Wood Release kekkei genkai.
Could there be a more perfect vessel in the ninja world?
"...?"
Hanekawa subtly took half a step back.
He could accept such a look from a woman.
But from a man, it was terrifying.
Without a doubt, he had caught Orochimaru's interest.
But Hanekawa wasn't afraid. Strength ruled all, and no matter what Orochimaru thought, he couldn't defeat him.
"Orochimaru!"
Shimura Danzo barely broke free from the genjutsu, but his body was bound, unable to form seals, and he could only struggle instinctively.
"Since you've captured him, we'll detain him for now. Once we return to Konoha, the old man will decide his punishment."
Orochimaru suppressed his emotions, speaking calmly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Shimura Danzo had a deep friendship. At most, he would strip Danzo of his authority, but he wouldn't kill him.
"Bastard!"
Shimura Danzo understood this, but being captured by Hanekawa was a humiliation he couldn't bear.
How dare you curse me?
Hanekawa glanced at him.
The vines and branches tightened again, knocking him out cold.
At that moment, three lines of text appeared before Hanekawa's eyes.
[B-grade Talent: Pot Breaker.]
[Trigger Condition: Defeat Shimura Danzo.]
[Effect: All Wind Release techniques' power increased by 100%.]
Hanekawa let out a soft exclamation.
He hadn't expected Shimura Danzo to contribute a talent.
In terms of effect, it wasn't bad.
Although the boost wasn't as significant as Water Release, Wind Release countered Lightning Release, which could be useful in critical moments.
Of course, the most important thing was that a free talent couldn't be passed up.
Hanekawa waved his hand, dispelling the Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees.
"Hiashi, head to Konoha's base and bring more ninjas to clean up the battlefield."
Tsunade, seeing that Shimura Danzo had been dealt with, returned to the main issue.
"Yes!"
Hyuga Hizashi replied excitedly.
The stronger Hanekawa became, the more the Hyuga clan stood to benefit.
He now felt a pang of regret.
If he had acted sooner, perhaps he could have had Neji become Hanekawa's disciple.
Hyuga Hizashi led his team away in haste.
The remaining Konoha ninjas busied themselves.
Medical ninjas tended to the wounded, while others searched for injured comrades and guarded the captured Kumogakure ninjas.
"Hanekawa, come with me."
Tsunade took Hanekawa's hand and led him into a temporarily erected tent.
Hanekawa had just exhaled when exhaustion washed over him, leaving him feeling incredibly weak.
He swayed and began to fall backward.
Tsunade quickly caught him.
She knelt on the carpet, sitting back on her heels, and cradled Hanekawa in her arms.
"Who told you to push yourself so hard?"
Tsunade looked at Hanekawa, both angry and helpless.
In her view, he shouldn't have wasted chakra dealing with Shimura Danzo.
Even though he had used the chakra from the First Hokage's necklace, it still affected him.
After all, it wasn't his own chakra, so it wasn't as easy to control.
Hanekawa instinctively pressed his hand to his forehead.
The Yin Seal had automatically deactivated.
He suddenly remembered the consequences of overusing the Yin Seal.
"Have I aged a lot?"
Hanekawa touched his face but found no wrinkles.
"No."
Tsunade's voice was calm.
There was a slight change, but it wasn't noticeable, and it even added a touch of maturity.
"That's good."
Hanekawa nodded.
Even if there were side effects, once his chakra recovered, he would return to normal, at most taking half a day.
Hanekawa came back to his senses and realized he was resting his head on Tsunade's lap.
Her arms were around him, and her scent filled his nostrils, bringing him comfort.
"Sensei, remember to have someone contact Kumogakure and retrieve those four Root ninjas beforehand."
Hanekawa looked up, trying to see Tsunade's face, but his view was blocked, and he could only see the side of her chest.
"I know."
Tsunade nodded, "I'll have Sakumo handle it."
These four Root ninjas were direct evidence.
As long as they were captured, Shimura Danzo's guilt would be undeniable.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't be able to protect him.
But sentencing Shimura Danzo to death would be difficult.
Hanekawa fell into thought.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen around, it would be hard to execute Shimura Danzo, at most resulting in a life sentence.
But what if he defected?
Hanekawa thought he could give him a nudge.
If he defected, Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't be able to save him, and they could eliminate him.
"Alright, don't worry about this. Right now, you need to rest."
Tsunade reached out and flicked his forehead.
"Yes."
Hanekawa had been holding on, and as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep.
Tsunade cradled his head and laid him down on the carpet.
She watched him for a few seconds, then leaned down and kissed his forehead before standing to leave.
Compared to Hanekawa, she hadn't used much of the Yin Seal, so she wasn't tired.
Besides, with Orochimaru around, she couldn't rest easy. She needed to secure the evidence of Shimura Danzo's collusion with Kumogakure first.
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