Danzo had assumed Orochimaru came to hold him accountable. He had even prepared a justification.
All for the sake of Konoha—Danzo had no choice.
But to his surprise, Orochimaru never mentioned Nawaki's death. In fact, he brought a pleasant surprise.
Nawaki's death had triggered something in Orochimaru. It sparked a fascination with the study of life itself.
Danzo's voice was hoarse, barely masking his excitement.
"You, Orochimaru… you're the junior I hold in the highest regard.
You have talent. You have the right mindset. You work harder than most. And yet… you're a civilian-born shinobi without a bloodline. That alone limits your potential.
In the face of Kekkei Genkai, hard work means nothing.
I spent forty years mastering Wind Release. And what did it get me? I couldn't even withstand a single blow from a true bloodline user.
You trained Earth Release and Summoning techniques relentlessly. And for what?
You never saw Lord Hashirama or Uchiha Madara on the battlefield… that's what true power looks like.
Like you, I've long been haunted by the limits of my own body.
But giving up is not our way. And those limits—aren't necessarily unbreakable.
Lord Tobirama once drafted some theoretical approaches. He never put them into practice… but I believe they hold great promise.
If you're willing to study shinobi physiology for the good of the village, I'll give you full support.
Tobirama-sensei's notes on transplantation, constitution, and Kekkei Genkai—I'll give them to you tonight.
During the war, every prisoner from enemy villages will be yours to experiment on.
After the war, we can even recruit volunteers from the ANBU. Their discipline and sense of duty are unmatched.
And if your research achieves results… I'll be your test subject myself.
I already have some transplantable material. I've just lacked the right technique to apply it."
Orochimaru thought to himself: 'Danzo must be aiming for the most elite material the shinobi world has to offer.' He replied, "Then I'd like to begin my research tonight."
Danzo, for once, allowed a rare smile.
"Tonight, I'll prepare your instruments and send every prisoner in camp to your tent.
Ōnoki killed the young Senju heir, Nawaki—Konoha will retaliate.
I'll order the ANBU to capture Iwagakure shinobi alive. All living bodies will be delivered to you.
During wartime, your supply of test subjects will be endless. Don't be stingy with them—progress is the priority.
However, I do wish to designate the first research focus."
"Oh? And what would that be?"
Orochimaru's curiosity was piqued. He wondered what Danzo truly intended to transplant.
"Eyes," Danzo said. "Begin with eye transplantation."
Orochimaru understood immediately.
Danzo's former comrade, Uchiha Kagami, had died without a trace left behind.
It seemed Danzo had taken Kagami's Sharingan.
Whether it was a final bequest—or theft followed by corpse disposal—was anyone's guess.
"Orochimaru, from today forward, you are the head of Root's research division. Codename: A."
"Why Root?" Orochimaru asked. "Why not ANBU?"
Danzo answered coolly:
"Hiruzen refuses to bear any stain on his name—even if the deed is done in ANBU's shadows.
From now on, we will shoulder the village's sins—Root and I.
To protect Hiruzen's honor, we've redefined Root's role. We train ANBU recruits… and perform the missions even ANBU can't touch.
Don't worry—your induction into Root will be reported to Hiruzen, and he'll approve it."
Orochimaru turned and left the tent.
Danzo noticed the guards outside were from the Fox Squad. He called out, "Fox, come in."
Yako was given a new mission—escort all prisoners in the camp to Orochimaru's tent.
Danzo also informed him: Orochimaru was now part of Root, head of the research division, and held captain-level authority.
When Yako arrived at the prisoner enclosure, he ordered three teammates to bind the five Iwagakure prisoners and take them.
The prisoners had already been drugged by the interrogation squad—unable to mold chakra, unable to resist.
One prisoner asked in fear, "Where are you taking us? Is our village negotiating a prisoner exchange?"
Yako paused, then said, "If I had to guess… the age of prisoner exchanges is over. From today on, Konoha won't trade prisoners with anyone."
"Why… why are you so cruel?"
Yako just shook his head. 'You should've killed yourself when you had the chance,' he thought.
When they arrived outside Orochimaru's tent, they found a young boy already waiting.
The tent flap opened. Orochimaru emerged, eyes scanning the prisoners first.
Through the narrow opening, Yako could see two long tables inside—lined with crude scalpels, scissors, forceps, and drills.
The boy spoke, voice trembling with conviction:
"Orochimaru-sensei! I'm sorry for your loss!
With Nawaki gone, I'll train twice as hard—I'll make up for what he couldn't accomplish!
Please, take me as your disciple. I won't let you down!"
Orochimaru looked away from the prisoners, unimpressed. He studied the boy.
"You came here… does Lord Danzo know?"
"No. I haven't seen the clan head. He's probably still in the village."
This boy from the Shimura clan didn't even know Danzo was at the frontlines.
He had been a benchwarmer in Nawaki's squad, and now that Nawaki was dead… he thought it was his turn to shine.
Orochimaru let out a low, twisted laugh. "Very well. Go inside."
Then he turned to Yako:
"Bring the prisoners in. Stay close. You'll be disposing of the bodies tomorrow."
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."
Screams tore through the tent shortly after.
Orochimaru found them noisy—so they stopped.
The rest of the night was filled with muffled cries and agonized moans. It made the scalp crawl.
By morning, Orochimaru stepped out of the tent.
Sunlight washed over his pale face. Strangely… he almost looked serene. Whether from the experiment—or simply enjoying the sun—was unclear.
He waved the Fox Squad in to clean up.
Six corpses.
Wait… wasn't there supposed to be only five prisoners?
One extra body.
The Shimura clan boy… had been dissected?!
Did Danzo know? Should this be reported?
After a moment of thought, Yako decided: yes, it should.
Orochimaru wasn't his direct superior.
Danzo was his superior's superior's superior.
The prisoners' bodies were burned outside the camp. The boy's body was kept for now.
Yako entered Danzo's tent and gave his report.
Danzo paused… then said, "I understand."
Some sacrifices were necessary if he was to receive the eye transplant.
That boy shared his bloodline—made for an ideal test subject.
Orochimaru wasn't being reckless. Still, they'd need to limit the number of Shimura test subjects in the future.
Yako blinked. 'That's it?'
He quickly excused himself and didn't press the matter again.
The boy's body was burned.
Watching the flames consume it, Yako murmured to himself: 'Danzo is ruthless. To enemies, to allies, even to his own clan.'
'And that kid too… trying to act like "the next Nawaki." What a way to go.'
Yako took one last glance at him. Especially those black, hollow sockets. His eyes—gone.
***
The Captain of the Black Ape Unit had made a surprisingly fast recovery and rejoined the frontlines.
"Been a while, Fox."
"Welcome back, Captain."
Yako glanced down at his leg—Black Ape's injured limb was visibly thinner than the healthy one.
The poor man had lost an arm, and now even his leg hadn't healed right.
Black Ape said,"In the coming days, we need to capture at least three Iwa shinobi. The stronger, the better.
Fox, your squad's the most capable in the unit—you'll take point."
He added, "Of course, you won't be working for free. I've just secured an Earth Release scroll for you. You can choose one jutsu from it."
Yako's eyes lit up.
He had completed numerous missions in the ANBU. Finally, he could trade his merit for a jutsu.
The ANBU didn't follow a clear rewards chart—there was no standard exchange rate for B-rank or A-rank missions. Recognition depended not just on performance, but also on perceived loyalty to the Will of Fire.
And whether you embodied that Will? That depended entirely on your superior's judgment.
Black Ape believed Fox's loyalty was like forged steel—but with a different captain, it might be seen differently.
Yako opened the Earth Release scroll and skimmed the contents.
He currently possessed three elemental jutsu:
Hidden Fish in Earth Technique
Earth Substitution Technique
Water Release: Water Formation Wall
He had infiltration, substitution, and defense covered—what he lacked was a proper offensive technique.
One name caught his eye: Earth Release: Rising Earth Spear.
He'd seen Iwa jonin use this in the Battle of Mount Ushiga.
By channeling chakra into the ground, razor-sharp earthen spears would erupt upward—impaling enemies in an instant.
The spears could be summoned from behind an opponent, perfect for ambush. An ideal offensive Earth jutsu.
"Captain, I'll take this B-rank technique."
Black Ape's face twitched at the name.
"My leg was shattered by a jutsu just like that. Good choice."
He unrolled the scroll to the appropriate section and instructed Yako to copy it down.
Once Yako finished transcribing the technique, Black Ape said, "We move out tomorrow night to capture more Iwa shinobi. Get this jutsu down as fast as you can."
Yako didn't sleep that night.
He went straight to the training field and began his practice.
Part of the reason he chose this technique was its simplicity—it only required a single hand seal.
Just the Bird Seal (酉印)—and it was done.
He remembered a line from an old news report in his past life. A general once said:"Why aim? Just raise your gun and fire. He who shoots first, wins."
The same principle applied to shinobi. A one-seal jutsu was superior to a three-seal one.
If he could launch his attack first, the enemy would be forced to react—he would dictate the tempo of the battle.
"Earth Release: Rising Earth Spear!"
A sharp spear of earth erupted and struck the target tree stump.
Unfortunately, it was too soft—harder than dirt, but brittle. It shattered on impact.
Self-training was always slower than techniques learned from the system.
Still, Yako kept practicing. Over and over, he infused more chakra into each spear, strengthening them bit by bit.
Ten spears per set. Break. Repeat.
By sunrise, his spears could pierce all the way through a tree stump.
He looked at the gaping hole in the wood and nodded in satisfaction.
This jutsu was now viable for real combat.
Next came refinement—making the technique faster, sharper, stronger.
In the end, what mattered wasn't how many jutsu you had, but how well you mastered them.
Even Kakashi, said to know a thousand jutsu, only used three or four regularly.
That night, the Black Ape Unit mobilized. Their mission: capture more Iwa prisoners.
Beyond the forests marking the border of the Land of Fire, they entered the open plains of the Land of Grass.
Konoha shinobi were used to woodland warfare—suddenly transitioning to wide-open grasslands felt like running naked. Exposed. Uncomfortable.
Black Ape briefed the squad leaders:
"Advisor Mitokado Homura negotiated well in Kumogakure. The Hidden Cloud is planning to strike the Land of Waterfalls while Iwagakure is weak.
They've declared war on the Stone.
This means the Iwa shinobi in this region may retreat.
We need to move fast—before the prey is gone."
The Battle of Mount Ushiga had become a turning point. Konoha was no longer on the defensive—they were pressing the attack.
White Ram, using his Byakugan, scanned the plains for enemy movement. Soon, he spotted them:
"A four-man Iwa squad. They just fetched water from the river and are moving toward 2 o'clock."
"Perfect," said Black Ape. "Before they notice us: White Ram Squad and I will attack head-on. Fox and Leaf Monkey Squads—flank them on both sides and close the trap!"
Captain Yellow Dog had personally evaluated Black Ape's condition. Now it was time to prove he could still carry out ANBU operations.
Yako and his team reached the riverbank and leapt into action.
As he sailed through the air, Yako felt a strange irritation in his nostrils.
Ever since acquiring the Forest of the Senju bloodline, his body had become hypersensitive to external stimuli.
Something was off.
He had inhaled… something unpleasant.
The scent was coming from the river.
But visually, the water seemed normal.
In the distance, Leaf Monkey Squad was already speeding ahead. Yako didn't slow down.
Still… why did the river smell so acrid?
He pushed the doubt aside and focused on the mission.
The Iwa squad soon noticed they were being surrounded—Konoha's three teams converged on them from different directions.
The enemy scrambled to break through.
They were strong. Even the weakest among them was at least chunin level—and fast.
Yako gathered chakra into his arm and hurled a kunai with all his might.
His enhanced physique, boosted by bloodline, made his taijutsu and projectile skills far sharper.
The kunai sliced low across the grass and struck the last enemy in the calf.
The Iwa shinobi cried out and tumbled to the ground.
His teammates didn't even look back. They kept running.
"Nice throw, Fox!" Black Ape called out. "Well done!"
Yako's growth was undeniable.
Purple Cat immediately used Transformation Jutsu to possess the fallen target, while Antelope injected him with a paralyzing toxin.
The captive lost all resistance and was secured.
The rest turned into a slogging pursuit.
The Iwa squad's rear guards fell back in sequence, sacrificing themselves to buy time for their captain.
Capturing live enemies was harder than killing them—and time-consuming.
Eventually, the enemy captain looped around and made a break back toward the river.
Then White Ram shouted, "Wait! Ambush!"
Black Ape's unit had chased too far—out of Byakugan range. The river had become a trap.
Over thirty enemy ninja burst from the water—each wearing a distinct gas mask.
Rain shinobi.
Sometime after Konoha and the Cloud allied to fight Iwa, the Stone had struck a deal with Hanzo of the Salamander.
Now Iwagakure and Amegakure were allies.
The Rain had crossed into the Land of Grass—and now they'd intervened.
Yako's heart sank as he remembered the faint, stinging scent he'd smelled by the river.
Could it have been Rain's poison?
"Careful—it's poison!"