Land of Fire.
On his way to the Gold Exchange, Orochimaru happened to pass by Konoha Village.
Gazing at the distant village, he muttered to himself:"It's been a long time since I last returned to the village… I wonder if anything has changed during my absence."
With that thought, Orochimaru decided to sneak inside for a look.
As one of Konoha's most infamous figures—synonymous with crimes such as prostitution, gambling, and drug trafficking—slipping into the village was as easy for him as drinking water.
By now, it was already evening, and the streets were sparsely populated.
Orochimaru walked boldly down the middle of the road, his figure standing out under the dim light.
Suddenly, he heard the cheerful sounds of children playing in the distance. The noise piqued his curiosity, and he followed it to find a group of kids happily at play, seemingly oblivious to the encroaching night.
Orochimaru couldn't help but lick his lips, sighing softly:"It seems that since I left, the village's public order has improved quite a bit."
This thought reminded him of the days he spent in Konoha. Back then, he often used children as test subjects for his human experiments.
During those days, the children of the village were terrified, hiding away in their homes and not daring to wander outside.
That had been quite troublesome for Orochimaru—he could hardly find experimental subjects.
"Why was it that my research was always exposed just when success was within reach?" Orochimaru frowned deeply, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a certain figure appeared in his mind—Shimura Danzō.
For it was Danzō who had secretly supported his research. He was the only one in Konoha who knew about Orochimaru's human experiments.
Danzō and Orochimaru had formed a covert alliance, yet not long after, just when Orochimaru's experiments were nearing success, his activities were suddenly exposed.
Forced to flee Konoha, Orochimaru had escaped, but Shimura Danzō had remained perfectly safe and untouched.
At this realization, Orochimaru's gaze sharpened with malice. He suspected that his exposure had been orchestrated by Danzō himself.
He silently vowed:I must find the right opportunity to kill Shimura Danzō.
Meanwhile, deep in the Root headquarters, Shimura Danzō suddenly sneezed…
Back in the present, Orochimaru's eyes lingered on the children before him, a surge of desire swelling in his heart.
He thought of the countless experiments that had been abandoned, all of them only one step away from completion. If he could seize these children, perhaps he could resume his research anew.
Orochimaru's gaze burned with intensity, his eyes fixed on the children as if he were already witnessing his experiments' success.
He took a step forward, intending to abduct them—but after a brief hesitation, he withdrew his foot.
For he had suddenly realized: there now existed a new method of attaining immortality, one that no longer required reliance on human experimentation.
That thought brought him to a halt, and the hunger in his eyes gradually faded away.
Casting one last glance at the children, Orochimaru turned and walked off.
The children continued playing happily, unaware that they had just brushed past the god of death.
Ahead lay the commercial district, bustling with people. Orochimaru knew full well he could not reveal his true identity here.
So, employing the art of disguise he had mastered from the Eternal Life Technique, he altered his appearance with expert precision.
After an entire day's journey, his stomach growled with hunger.
Just then, a ramen shop appeared before him—Ichiraku Ramen.
Without hesitation, he entered, eager to savor a steaming hot bowl of noodles.
After ordering, he chose a window-side seat, quietly watching the scenery outside.
At that moment, several people walked in, each bearing the Uchiha clan's fan emblem upon their backs.
Their arrival stirred a ripple through the shop. The once lively chatter dwindled into silence as the men stepped inside.
"Boss, four bowls of tonkotsu ramen," one of them ordered.
"Coming right up," Teuchi replied cheerfully.
The ramen was soon ready. The Uchiha men carried their bowls over to a table near Orochimaru, sat down, and began eating while chatting amongst themselves.
"Konoha has indeed been plagued by thefts lately," one Uchiha murmured.
"Yeah, I've heard the same—seems like the culprit hasn't stopped their crimes."
"By the way, I heard the Hyūga clan's treasury was robbed just last night. The Hyūga clan head even went to complain to the Hokage."
"Hahaha, what? Doesn't the Hyūga clan have the Byakugan? How could their wealth be stolen right under their noses?"
Orochimaru's curiosity stirred at their words, and he leaned in slightly to listen.
"In the past few days, several households have been robbed, throwing the entire village into panic."
"Eat quickly. We've still got police force duties later."
Just then, another Uchiha suddenly burst inside, his face red with anger.
"You're still eating? Our clan's treasure vault has been robbed! Clan head Fugaku has summoned everyone back—we're joining forces with the other families to search for the thief tonight!"
The men who had been eating froze in shock. Tossing money onto the table, they hurried to their feet and rushed out.
"Damn it, someone actually dared to steal from the Uchiha!" their leader cursed as they stormed out of Ichiraku.
The moment they left, the restaurant, which had fallen silent earlier, erupted into chatter.
"Unbelievable, even the Uchiha clan was robbed!"
"What's the big deal? Even Lord Hokage was robbed—of course the major clans would be hit too."
"I heard defenses had been strengthened already, and yet things still got stolen?"
"Hah! What a joke!"
Listening to the gossip, Orochimaru felt as if he had stumbled upon something major.
He smirked, finding amusement in the situation."How fascinating… even my old teacher's money was stolen?"
Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Uchiha Fugaku stood before an empty chamber, rage burning in his eyes.
This room should have been filled with treasure, yet he had merely stepped out for a meal—only to return and find everything gone.
"Who on earth could have stolen so much in such a short time?!" Fugaku roared.
His Sharingan's three tomoe whirled rapidly, eventually merging into a new, ominous pattern.
"Bastard! Even if I have to dig through the earth itself, I'll find you!" Fugaku thundered.
He had already rallied the other clan heads, vowing that even if they had to turn Konoha upside down, they would track down this thief tonight.
Before long, the Hyūga clan, the Yamanaka clan, the Nara clan, the Akimichi clan—even the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō—had all joined in.
"Hokage-sama, clan leaders—tonight we must unite! We will catch this Konoha thief!" Fugaku declared.
Every person present had been robbed at some point, and each bore bitter hatred toward the thief.
"Clan Head Fugaku, I'll send the ANBU to assist you," Hiruzen promised.
With the Hokage's word, the other clans also pledged support.
"The Hyūga clan will give its all to aid Clan Head Fugaku!"
"So will the Yamanaka clan!"
"And us as well—the Nara clan!"
…
Thus, a large-scale manhunt for the thief rapidly swept through Konoha.
Anyone exhibiting suspicious behavior was immediately seized by clan members patrolling the streets.
Realizing things were spiraling out of control, Orochimaru quietly slipped out of the village.
Turning back toward the brightly lit Konoha from a distance, he muttered with intrigue:"Just who could have accomplished such a feat…"
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