After everyone left the basement to get ready, Kakashi returned to his private room, the tension in the air still heavy. He knelt in the center of the space, forming a quick series of hand seals with ease.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."
With a puff of smoke, a small dark green snake slithered out and coiled gently on the wooden floor in front of him.
"Go to Garaga," Kakashi said softly. "Tell him I need to be summoned."
The snake gave a small nod and vanished in a burst of smoke.
A few heartbeats passed in silence before Kakashi felt the tug on his chakra. With a flash of summoning chakra, the floor beneath him rippled, and in the next moment, Kakashi was reverse summoned to Ryūchi Cave.
The dim light of Ryūchi Cave greeted him, faintly glowing with a phosphorescent shimmer from the cave's moss-covered walls. He stood upon a secluded ledge deep within the winding network of the White Snake Sages' domain.
Garaga, the massive red-scaled serpent, curled comfortably along the rock wall, his golden eye opening lazily at Kakashi's arrival.
"Keh. You again, what do you want this time, Kakashi?"Garaga rumbled, as if he wasn't the one who summoned him.
"You're not biting first and asking questions later. I'll take that as progress." Kakashi offered a half-smile. He knew that after all this time, Garaga had accepted him as a true partner, but his mouth was still tough.
"Tch. Don't push it." Garaga snorted.
"What do you need?" Then, more calmly, he asked.
"I need a white snake," Kakashi replied. "The kind Orochimaru used to deliver messages. One that's connected to Ryūchi Cave."
Garaga narrowed his eye slightly but didn't ask why. Instead, he uncurled and moved deeper into the shadows.
"Follow me."
Garaga led Kakashi through narrow tunnels and down a damp, winding corridor that opened into a quiet, coiled nest hidden far from the main chambers.
Within it were several white snakes resting in clusters, their thin bodies faintly glowing under the ambient light.
Garaga lowered his head toward one. "That one," he said. "Fast and obedient."
The little white snake turned at the sound of Garaga's voice, and upon seeing the massive red serpent, it began to shiver violently.
"Garaga-sama?!"
It slithered forward quickly, prostrating itself with a frantic, almost humanlike nod.
Garaga gave it a growl. "You'll do whatever he says," he commanded, jerking his head toward Kakashi.
The snake nodded again so fast it almost bounced.
Kakashi knelt and reached into his pouch, retrieving a tightly sealed scroll infused with faint traces of chakra from Orochimaru's split soul.
"Orochimaru's chakra is inside this scroll," Kakashi said. "I've sealed it with a falsified pattern mimicking one of his chakra signatures. I also added scent markers and coded chakra pulses."
"Your job is simple: swallow this scroll, travel aboveground, and deliver it to the target coordinates." He said as he pointed to the parchment's seal tags.
"This is where Danzo will be." He held out a second slip with a mapped route
The white snake gave one more nervous nod and pressed its head against Kakashi's hand.
"Thanks again." Kakashi turned to Garaga.
"Hmph. Don't mention it." Garaga responded.
The snake swallowed the scroll carefully, its body glowing for a second as the chakra-reactive seals aligned within it.
Garaga gave one final look at Kakashi before snapping his tail.
And in a swirl of smoke and chakra, Kakashi reappeared in his room with the white snake beside him. The moment it touched the floor, the little snake uncurled and looked up for final instructions.
"You know what to do," Kakashi said. "Stick to the shadows. Let the chakra guide you."
The snake dipped its head once more, slithered up the window frame, and vanished into the forest beyond the village.
Kakashi closed the window and exhaled deeply. It was in motion now.
He raised his hand, quickly sending out silent chakra pulses to the others.
Within minutes, Tsunade, Kurenai, and Anko appeared in his room with subtle flashes of movement. Sasuke followed not long after.
"It's done," Kakashi announced.
"That was fast," Tsunade said, impressed.
"I was reverse summoned by Garaga and I got one of the white snakes from Ryūchi Cave, and sent him out with the scroll. The chakra inside mimics Orochimaru's chakra signature. It'll draw Danzo like a moth to flame."
"Then we move tonight?" Sasuke's eyes sharpened with excitement.
"Yes," Kakashi confirmed.
"I want to see the look on that old bastard's face before he dies," Sasuke muttered, fists clenched at his sides.
Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted from behind the hallway.
"Wait, WHAT?! You're going without me?!"
Naruto stormed into the room, arms waving and cheeks puffed in frustration. Karin and Sakura followed right after him, looking a little more composed.
"Naruto…" Kakashi smiled helplessly.
"Don't 'Naruto' me! You're leaving me behind?!" Naruto said as he imitated Kakashi.
"You're not being left behind," Kakashi said calmly. "You, Sakura, and Karin are helping Tsunade tonight."
"Huh?"
Tsunade stepped in. "I need all hands on deck for the Root lockdown. Your Shadow Clones ' strength and senses will help us sweep through the underground faster than any other team."
Sakura nodded. "We'll have to break seals, find files, and deal with rogue Root agents. It's not going to be easy."
"I'll track the chakra in the base while you suppress it," Karin added.
Naruto frowned for a second, then crossed his arms.
"Tch… fine. But next time, I get to punch someone important."
"You'll get your chance, kid." Anko grinned.
"Good kid. Now help Tsunade. Sasuke and I will take care of Danzo." Kakashi patted Naruto's shoulder.
"Don't die, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto gave him a quick thumbs-up.
"I'm too stubborn to die." Kakashi smiled.
He turned to Sasuke. "Get ready. We'll need to be in position before midnight. Don't expect to sleep."
Sasuke's Sharingan flared. "Wouldn't be able to even if I tried."
With that, he disappeared in a flicker of shunshin, leaving a crack of static in his place.
Kakashi turned to his three women, his expression softening slightly.
He stepped forward, giving each of them a quick, warm kiss, first Kurenai, who smiled gently; then Anko, who gave his hair a quick playful tug; and finally Tsunade, who lingered a bit longer before sighing.
"Be careful, Kakashi," she said.
He nodded. "I will. Once he's dead, I'll send a snake to confirm it."
"We'll be waiting," Tsunade said. "And we'll burn Root down."