Meanwhile, in a hidden room somewhere in Konoha, two shady figures met.
One of them removed the Kazekage hat from his head, but the face revealed beneath was not that of the current Kazekage. Instead, it was a pale, delicate visage.
The other had bandages wrapped around his head, covering one eye, and his hand was also entirely swathed in bandages.
"So, what brings you here in such a hurry, Danzo?"
Orochimaru smirked faintly, his eerie gaze fixed on the gloomy old man before him.
Though he himself wasn't exactly favored by Hiruzen, Orochimaru still believed he was slightly better off than the man in front of him.
A man full of ambition but lacking courage, resorting only to underhanded methods.
Of course, his disdain for Danzo didn't stop him from collaborating with him. If anything, a Danzo like this was the perfect partner for him.
"There have been… unexpected developments in our plan."
Danzo seemed unwilling to elaborate on his own experiences, merely pressing a hand unconsciously against his chest.
That was the spot where an ordinary-looking branch had pierced straight through him.
If he hadn't instinctively formed hand seals to activate Izanagi, he would have already been defeated in what should have been an easy mission.
What was supposed to be a foolproof capture operation had not only wiped out his entire squad of elite Ninja but also forced him to expend one of his precious Sharingan to restore himself.
Every time he thought about it, Naruto's face, which, according to the records, was always carefree and cheerful, resurfaced in his mind, now inextricably linked to the agony of that piercing strike.
Izanagi could heal injuries, but the pain before the restoration was all too real.
"Oh?"
Hearing Danzo's words, Orochimaru licked his lips with interest.
"I need you to keep an eye on someone… Uzumaki Naruto."
"Uzumaki Naruto?"
Hearing this name, Orochimaru became interested.
"The Fourth Hokage's son, right? He's also the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, isn't he?"
The true identity of the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki might have been a secret to other villages, but Orochimaru undoubtedly knew.
Though he spent little time in the village, he had spies feeding him all sorts of intelligence.
Moreover, thanks to Danzo's manipulations, Naruto's status as the Jinchuriki wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Anyone who paid attention to the rumors about the Demon Fox could easily piece it together.
"If I recall correctly, that boy should only be in his early teens, right?"
About the same age as that Uchiha brat he had his eyes on.
"Even if he's a Jinchuriki, what could a child that young possibly do?"
"No!"
To his surprise, Danzo reacted vehemently, raising his voice in rebuttal.
"That brat has been hiding his true strength all along! He may have already mastered the power of the Tailed Beast."
Otherwise, there was no way he could have instantly subdued his elite squad and even 'one-shot' him.
Danzo couldn't think of any other explanation.
Seeing that there was still some lingering shadow in the eyes of the old guy in front of him, Orochimaru secretly curled his lips in his heart.
'What a useless guy.'
'…But whatever. Once my plans succeeded, this old man would outlive his usefulness anyway.'
"Don't underestimate that brat! Do you think I'm joking with you?"
Danzo's eyes became somewhat dangerous.
"Alright, alright. So, what do you want me to do?"
Orochimaru didn't care about the other party's attitude and still had that playful look on his face.
"The Konoha Crush Plan must be launched ahead of schedule."
After saying this, as if trying to justify himself, Danzo added, "With our current forces, waiting until the final round of the Chunin Exams to execute the plan would guarantee failure."
"With Hiruzen and that demon fox brat both present, the Sunagakure's Ninja and your village's Ninja you brought won't be enough."
"As for me, the most I can do is temporarily divert Konoha's main defensive forces. Anything more than that is impossible."
Seeing how adamant Danzo was, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity about Naruto.
"Is that brat really that strong?"
Of course, his primary target was still Sasuke.
After all, in Orochimaru's mind, nothing held greater allure than eternal life.
And obtaining the Uchiha Clan's bloodline and Dojutsu was the greatest stepping stone toward that ultimate goal.
Once he implanted the Cursed Seal into Sasuke and used the Living Corpse Reincarnation to take over his body, Orochimaru would finally experience firsthand just how far the Sharingan could evolve.
"Are you still doubting me? Do not underestimate him!"
Being questioned again and again by Orochimaru, Danzo became a little angry and embarrassed.
But he couldn't bring himself to admit that he had been killed by a mere child with nothing but a tree branch.
Fortunately, Orochimaru wasn't truly concerned about the details.
Forcing Hiruzen to step down, or even killing him, wasn't his true objective. It was merely one of the costs of his collaboration with Danzo.
So, he nodded in agreement.
As for the finer details… there was no rush. They could discuss those slowly.
…
On the other side, Naruto, who had just walked a few steps out of the Hokage Building, was immediately ambushed by Konohamaru, who had been lying in wait for him.
This time, the young boy had brought along his two little friends, Moegi and Udon.
"Please train us together, Naruto-nii-chan!"
The moment they saw Naruto, the two children immediately mimicked Konohamaru's earlier gesture, bowing deeply with utmost sincerity.
When Naruto saw this scene, his originally heavy mood immediately improved a lot.
Perhaps influenced by Roger, Naruto had developed a similar habit.
Just as Roger had nurtured promising talents like Naruto and Shanks, Naruto also enjoyed offering guidance to younger generations he took a liking to.
Interacting with these pure-hearted, spirited kids made the oppressive gloom looming over the village seem to dissipate slightly.
Looking at Konohamaru, who was full of admiration, and then looking at the two passionate little kids beside him, Naruto thought for a moment before nodding.
"Alright, come with me. I'll take you to meet your 'senior'. You can train together."
'Let's keep one thing at a time.'
Naruto is indeed leaving Konoha Village, but that didn't mean he couldn't teach Konohamaru and the others in the meantime.
Behind him, Moegi and Udon followed excitedly, while Konohamaru, trailing behind, looked puzzled.
'Did Naruto-nii-chan have other students?'
Of course he did.
That 'senior' could be none other than Sasuke.
Though, strictly speaking, Konohamaru was technically the first student Naruto had personally trained since returning to this world.
But… given the age gap between them-
Not actually that-
According to his understanding of someone's self-esteem-
Ah, whatever. It wasn't easy for any of them.
Konohamaru would just have to bear with being the junior for now.
'There was still some time before the Chunin Exams, so let's just consider this my last lesson for you guys before I leave.'