Forest East of Konoha, Midnight
Kakashi and Sasuke moved swiftly through the dark woods, the full moon casting silver shadows on the forest floor.
They moved without words, their steps light, barely rustling the leaves.
Eventually, Kakashi halted in a small clearing surrounded by moss-covered trees and tall ferns. He crouched low and pressed his palm to the earth.
"Here's good," Kakashi said in a low his low but steady voice.
"We're not too far from the village." Sasuke glanced around, eyebrows drawing together.
"Exactly. That's what makes it perfect." Kakashi reached into his pouch and pulled out a black scroll lined with crimson ink.
"Danzo would assume Orochimaru wouldn't risk coming too deep into the Land of Fire. He'll expect a short trip, not a trap this close to home."
Sasuke watched as Kakashi bit his thumb and smeared blood across the edge of the scroll. Then, with swift precision, Kakashi began drawing strange, complex seals across the tree trunks and forest floor using the Formula Reconstruction Technique. The ink glowed faintly with chakra.
"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his eyes.
"These," Kakashi said, not looking up, "are suppression and paralysis seals. I'm hiding them with a cloaking formula that bends light and diffuses chakra, meaning they're practically invisible unless someone is directly looking for them."
"Why go through all this trouble?" Sasuke's Sharingan flared slightly, scanning the ink.
Kakashi's tone grew heavier.
"Danzo always brings two guards. Fū Yamanaka and Torune Aburame. The former is a Yamanaka, with a mind technique. But the dangerous one… is Torune."
He finished drawing another seal across a tree root before standing up.
"Torune's body is covered in nano-sized insects. They're microscopic, and once they touch you, they destroy cells rapidly. One touch is enough to paralyze or rot skin, and medical jutsu doesn't help unless done immediately."
"Tch… sounds like a pain." Sasuke frowned.
"That's why I'm setting up this barrier. These seals will suppress the chakra in the surrounding field. Once they're inside, the field will activate. Their chakra will be dulled, and if they trigger one of the inner traps… paralysis."
"And then?"
"Then you kill Danzo, but if you can't, I will step in."
"I won't stop you." Sasuke nodded slowly, his dark eyes unreadable.
"I know you won't." Kakashi gave a small smirk.
Sasuke crossed his arms, watching the faint light of the seals flicker for a moment before vanishing from sight.
"When do you think they'll show?"
"Early morning," Kakashi said. "Danzo's type likes control. He'll come while the village is still asleep. That gives us a few hours."
"Then I'll keep watch. Try to rest, Sensei." Sasuke stepped back, his eyes still glowing faintly.
"With Danzo involved? Sleep's not happening." Kakashi chuckled quietly.
…
Meanwhile… in a Hidden Root Base
Far beneath the Hokage Monument, deep in the shadows of Konoha's foundation, a cold, sterile silence hung over the vast Root base. Flickering torchlight barely illuminated the narrow corridors, and the stone walls echoed with each sliver of movement.
A small white snake glided silently through the tunnels, its glowing body winding around bends with purpose. The Root sentries stationed in the hallways saw it, but didn't lift a finger. They had seen these snakes before.
And every time, they'd been ordered not to interfere with it.
The snake came to a halt outside a heavy steel door. Slowly, it slid beneath the crack and entered the dimly lit chamber beyond.
Sitting at a low, paper-strewn desk was Danzo Shimura. His form was aged, hunched slightly, wrapped in white bandages and a sleeveless kimono. His right arm, completely concealed in white wraps, rested on the table, and over his right eye sat a slotted guard, hiding the implanted Sharingan beneath.
He didn't speak when the snake entered.
His one visible eye narrowed sharply as the creature slithered forward and stopped a few feet away.
With a flick of its jaw, the snake spat out a small scroll onto the desk. Then, in a puff of mist, it vanished, reversing back to Ryūchi Cave the moment the delivery was made.
Danzo stared at the scroll for several seconds before moving. He reached out and picked it up with his left hand, grimacing at the thick trail of mucus left on the surface.
Disgusting, Orochimaru was always like this.
Still, he wiped it clean and carefully opened the scroll.
His eye widened slightly as he began to read.
"Danzo,
I have achieved something remarkable. A way to reverse the aging process by 20 years in the body, all thanks to the Hashirama cells. A blend of natural enzymes and genetic restructuring. It works, trust me.
If you want it for yourself, come tomorrow morning, not far from the east of the village. I'll show you the proof. In exchange, I want Sasuke Uchiha to be a perfect vessel for further research. Bring him to me, and you will walk away 20 years younger.
-Orochimaru
Danzo's hand slowly lowered the scroll.
The room grew still.
For a moment, there was only the soft crackle of the torch behind him.
Then his lips curved into a thin, calculating smirk.
"So… the snake wants the boy. And in return… I get my body restored?"
Danzo leaned back, thinking. He knew Orochimaru had been weakened. Hiruzen had sealed his arms not long ago, leaving him unable to perform jutsu. Danzo had spies in every nation, and none had reported Orochimaru recovering since.
And if Orochimaru was truly offering him this deal, it meant one thing:
He couldn't get Sasuke himself.
"He must be desperate," Danzo whispered to himself.
Still, the offer… was hard to ignore.
Hashirama's cells had already prolonged Danzo's survival for years. But with reverse-aging? His ambitions could outlast everyone.
The return of youth meant the return of power. Chakra control, speed, strength… even time.
But he wasn't stupid. Orochimaru couldn't be trusted.
That's why he wouldn't go alone.
Danzo stood, reaching for his cane, then turned toward the hallway and called out.
"Fū. Torune."
Within seconds, two figures entered the room. Fū Yamanaka, with his green flak jacket, short hair, and neutral face. And Torune Aburame, taller, draped in black, wearing a full-body cloak and glasses.
"You called, Danzo-sama?" Fū said.
"We're going on a mission," Danzo replied. "We move before sunrise. East of the village. Orochimaru has sent an offer."
"Orochimaru? I thought his hands were sealed." Torune tilted his head.
Danzo's lips twitched. "It's a trap. I know that. But he's desperate and he's offering something big."
He tapped the scroll. "He claims to have reversed aging. And he wants Sasuke Uchiha in exchange for the process."
Neither of the two men spoke.
Danzo continued, "We'll pretend to go along with it. Capture the boy if we must, but if it's a trap, we kill everyone there and seize whatever research he's brought."
. "Understood." Fū gave a short nod
"I'll prepare my insects." Torune adjusted his gloves.
Danzo turned, his mind already calculating.
No matter. He had prepared for every possible betrayal. With his right eye and the power of the Sharingan, he could rewrite moments in time. Even if they got the upper hand for a second, it wouldn't matter.
By the time they realized what was happening, they would already be dead.
He turned away from his subordinates.
"Let's move."