"So it's you."
Danzō Shimura's face turned ashen as he looked at the newcomer.
Especially when he saw Nagato's face, a wave of disbelief washed over him.
Even though Nagato looked vastly different now, Danzō recognized him instantly!
"Did Hanzō of the Salamander betray me to you?"
"Or perhaps," Orochimaru interjected with a hoarse laugh, licking his lips, "Hanzō of the Salamander is already dead?"
At this point, Orochimaru was also contemplating escape.
"This idiot Danzō actually sought out Hanzō of the Salamander?"
Seeing the current situation, Orochimaru didn't need much time to realize that Danzō had dragged him into a mess.
Danzō, in his arrogance, had sought Hanzō without even considering the possibility that Hanzō might already be dead!
"And this guy... something's off about him."
Orochimaru's gaze fell on the red-haired, emaciated man before him. Even he felt a flicker of unease.
But those Rinnegan eyes—there was no mistaking them!
"Hanzō of the Salamander is dead?"
Danzō's expression grew heavy. Nagato nodded.
"That's right. He's long dead. He died before you, but you'll be joining him soon."
Nagato paused, then turned his gaze to Orochimaru.
"Long time no see, Orochimaru. So, you're the other person he mentioned."
"I didn't expect them to be foolish enough to find you."
Orochimaru's voice was laced with unease. Having experienced the power of the Rinnegan firsthand, he knew how terrifying it was.
"Although you're a traitor, I'm curious about one thing."
Nagato's voice was calm, as if he had everything under control.
"What is your purpose this time?"
"Danzō Shimura," Orochimaru answered without hesitation. Glancing at Nagato and his companions, he licked his lips again.
"However, if you're willing to expand your goals a bit, I might be able to help."
"Oh?"
Nagato raised an eyebrow, showing a hint of interest.
In the past, he might have acted impulsively, but after suffering two defeats, he had become much more cautious.
At least now, he was willing to hear what Orochimaru had to say.
"I don't know what your plans are, but whatever they may be, Konohagakure won't be easy to deal with right now."
Orochimaru licked his lips again, trying to buy time. He didn't believe Nagato was alone—there had to be others nearby.
"Not to mention that Konoha must have made thorough preparations for the Chūnin Exams. And then there's Kitagawa Minamoto. That kid isn't easy to handle.
I suffered a significant loss at his hands, to the point where I could barely fight back. That boy has likely surpassed Minato Namikaze.
With him around, whatever you're planning will be much more difficult."
"Go on."
Nagato fell silent for a moment before speaking. Orochimaru quickly continued.
"So, I think I can assist you. At least this time, we can collaborate. After all, I know Konoha inside and out."
Nagato and Orochimaru began conversing openly, without any pretense.
Although Nagato wanted to kill Orochimaru, he didn't fully trust Obito Uchiha's abilities.
Orochimaru, unreliable as he was, might still be useful, especially since he was already in Konoha.
For Orochimaru, this was an opportunity to further his "Konoha Destruction Plan" while having someone else take the blame.
If he played his cards right, he believed he could escape Konoha unscathed.
"Bastards..."
Danzō's fists clenched tightly as he listened to their blatant disregard for him.
How dare they look down on him so much?!
Then again, being underestimated wasn't necessarily a bad thing—it might give him a chance to escape.
"Are these lunatics targeting my Konoha?"
Danzō's face darkened. To him, Konoha was his to control. Even at nearly seventy years old, he firmly believed he could become Hokage!
"They seem to fear Kitagawa Minamoto?"
Danzō caught onto a crucial point. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to hold Minamoto in such high regard!
"If I can just make it back to the village center, then they..."
Thud. Thud.
Just as he was forming a plan, he heard the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground behind him.
The sound was eerily similar to that of bodies falling.
Boom!
Suddenly, a massive surge of Chakra erupted behind him, accompanied by a deafening roar.
Turning around, Danzō saw numerous Root members lying lifeless on the ground!
"Lord Danzō... run..."
Aburame Torune, coughing up blood, managed to utter a warning.
Yamanaka Fū was flung through the air and crashed heavily to the ground. His body was turning a sickly purple hue—clearly poisoned!
"Hmm?"
A sudden gust of wind behind him made Danzō instinctively draw a kunai and turn to block.
Clang!
He successfully deflected the attack, but his pupils dilated in shock—it was just an arm that had attacked him!
"You're quick to react!"
The next moment, a figure emerged and delivered a powerful kick to Danzō's chest.
Danzō's defenses crumbled, and he was sent flying backward!
"So, you're Danzō Shimura?"
A cold, low voice echoed.
"I've heard you're a Wind Release user. I've been looking forward to this. Mind lending me your heart?"
"You..."
Danzō tried to speak, but his instincts screamed danger. He leapt back and quickly formed hand seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A violent gust of wind blew away the kunai flying toward him. Only then did he see a red-haired figure step forward.
"Impressive Wind Release. Just what I was hoping for!"
The red-haired man's expression remained cold and emotionless.
"I heard you fought Ebizō for a long time and even won. So, mind lending me your body? I'm curious how you managed it."
"Kakuzu... Sasori..."
Seeing the individuals surrounding him, even Danzō felt a twinge of panic.
And then it hit him—
"Was that earlier explosion part of their plan?"
Looking at the still-lingering mushroom cloud in the distance, he realized he had been outmaneuvered.
An explosion of that magnitude would surely draw the attention of the village, leaving him vulnerable here...
"But if you think you can kill me, you're underestimating me!"
Danzō roared, tearing off his cloak to reveal his pale, grotesque body.
He quickly unsealed his right arm, revealing several Sharingan embedded within it.
In an instant, one of the Sharingan closed, and Danzō's figure reappeared in its original position.
"Izanagi, huh? What a waste of Sharingan."
At that moment, a masked figure emerged from a distortion in space.
"But using that technique in front of me—are you serious?"
"Obito Uchiha..."
Danzō's expression grew even grimmer. His technique held little mystery for the Uchiha.
"Danzō Shimura..."
Nagato's cold voice broke the tension. His emaciated face and Rinnegan glared at Danzō with unrelenting hatred.
"It's time to settle what you and Hanzō did all those years ago."
"We'll make it quick. After all, Hanzō has been waiting for you for quite some time."
"Your life... is mine!"
(End of Chapter)
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