Konoha Year 16, July, early morning.
Sarutobi, along with Orochimaru and the four Jōnin, put on the wide, black cloaks used to conceal their identities during travel, and quietly exited the Hokage Tower.
The group arrived at the main gate of Konoha, where twelve fully armed Chūnin, also clad in dark black cloaks, had been waiting patiently for some time.
The twelve Chūnin were organized under the four Jōnin. Everyone was directly under Sarutobi, making Orochimaru appear somewhat out of place. The Chūnin glanced at Orochimaru, but he ignored them, maintaining a composed demeanor as he followed Sarutobi.
His dark-golden snake eyes swept over the twelve accompanying Chūnin. They were all capable Chūnin with formidable auras. The subordinates of the two Anbu brothers, needless to say, clearly exhibited the unique presence of Anbu members.
Orochimaru keenly observed that the subordinates under Uchiha Tomoshige and Hyūga Harano were, without exception, elite members of their respective clans.
Orochimaru immediately began calculating. It seemed that Sarutobi had made certain compromises to win over the two major clans for this mission. It also appeared to be an opportunity to temper the elite young generation of the clans, which was why he himself was included.
Wait, a sudden sense of unease flashed through Orochimaru's mind. There are not just eighteen people; there is one more.
Thump, thump, thump—
A subtle but crystal-clear sound of wooden sandals reached Orochimaru's ears. He looked up to see a man with a dark black, loose-fitting male kimono, a resolute and bold face, and thin, merciless lips appear next to Sarutobi.
The man exuded a powerful and overbearing aura, suggesting a hard-line personality. Yet, his dark black eyes, subtly revealing a fierce glint and threads of malice, imbued his presence with an unsettling and hateful sinister quality.
A cold, imperceptible, wicked smile crossed Orochimaru's lips. This man was Shimura Danzō.
Danzō walked up to Sarutobi, subtly sizing up Orochimaru, and offered an enigmatic, knowing smile.
Sarutobi looked at Danzō and gave a hearty laugh, saying, "I'm leaving now. I'm entrusting the village to you!"
Danzō gave a faint nod.
With the exchange concluded, Sarutobi and his group immediately dashed toward the Land of Rivers.
Behind them, Danzō watched their figures rapidly disappear into the distance, his eyes flickering with an unreadable light.
The Hatake Clan compound in Konoha.
Sakumo sat cross-legged and stably beneath a towering tree in the courtyard, like a small tree whose roots had finally dug deep into the soil. A short sword in a silver-white sheath, the White Light Blade (Hakko Chakra Blade), rested quietly on his knees.
Sakumo's hands rested naturally on the hilt and sheath. With his eyes half-closed, he sensed the blade's aura and its fundamental principles.
Hatake Gen stood in the corridor watching Sakumo from afar, his solemn gaze containing a hint of deep concern.
A breeze swept through, and leaves drifted down with the light wind.
Suddenly, a thread of needle-sharp, blade-like cold light erupted from Sakumo's half-closed eyes, fixed on the ground.
Tsing! Clang!—
The sound of drawing and re-sheathing the sword, due to its extreme speed, merged into a single, continuous, melodious note, echoing through the courtyard like exquisite music.
In the air, a stunning streak of silver-white light instantly appeared. This light was incredibly fast, flashing in and out, gone in an instant, like a ghost.
The few falling leaves continued their slow descent, but the moment they touched the ground, they silently and abruptly split open, each cut neatly into two halves.
Sakumo maintained a calm, water-like composure. He silently stood up and bowed respectfully to Hatake Gen.
Hatake Gen, seeing Sakumo's newly acquired, valuable composure, a stability he lacked before, flashed a look of satisfaction. He said softly, "Your Instant Blade Technique has reached an initial mastery. Go back and continue your classes."
"Yes, Father!" Sakumo seemed hesitant to speak. "How is that person doing now?"
As his father, Hatake Gen knew exactly what his son meant. He sighed and briefly recounted Orochimaru's achievements and reputation in the village recently, then continued, "Right now, he's accompanying Lord Sarutobi on a top-secret mission. From what I know, he has already reached the Chūnin level, and his actual combat ability is likely far greater than that."
Sakumo listened calmly, a spark of fierce fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. He replied faintly, "Yes, Father. I'll go to the Academy now."
Hatake Gen smiled and nodded.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—
Threads of faint, subtle sounds of cutting through the air continuously appeared in the dense forest.
Sarutobi and his company were moving rapidly through the forest toward the Land of Rivers. They were arranged in a Wedge Formation, with Sarutobi as the arrowhead, the four Jōnin flanking the two sides, and the Chūnin following closely behind the Jōnin. They truly resembled a released arrow, shooting swiftly toward the Land of Rivers. They ran day and night for three days, finally covering most of the distance.
Having experienced a near-fatal ordeal, Orochimaru's chakra had not only risen to the Chūnin level, but his physical strength had also significantly increased in the process of breaking down and rebuilding.
Now, with his powerful spiritual sense, Orochimaru could clearly perceive the counter-points of the airflow and the clash points of energy, all the mysteries invisible to the average person. He was now able to utilize some of the unique ninja foot techniques he used when the Eight Inner Gates were open. During the intense run, his chakra consumption was minimal, yet he easily kept pace with Sarutobi and the Jōnin, even having energy to spare.
During these three days, Sarutobi and the Jōnin were also testing the level of these elite youngsters while maintaining high-speed travel. Predictably, Orochimaru's relaxed expression and the strange chakra fluctuations around him once again made him stand out, leaving a deep impression on the Jōnin.
Uchiha Tomoshige, in particular, with his advanced Three-Tomoe Sharingan, saw the effectiveness of Orochimaru's unique foot technique clearly. The shock he felt inwardly was immense.
Hyūga Harano, the elder of the Branch House, constantly turned back, observing Orochimaru with a peculiar gaze. He was just short of activating his Byakugan and openly spying on him.
Sarutobi silently noted the actions of the Jōnin from the two great clans and chuckled to himself. The inclusion of the elite members from the two clans in this operation certainly involved Sarutobi's compromise, but it was also a result that Sarutobi was happy to see. As for how much his subtle manipulations contributed to this, only he knew.
With the addition of the elite members of the two clans, not only did their combat strength increase, but if the unexpected occurred, the loss to his loyal Anbu faction would also be minimal. Why wouldn't he embrace it?
And the spur-of-the-moment decision to include Orochimaru now seemed to Sarutobi like a genuinely wise choice!
Sarutobi continued his journey while contemplating. After another hour, his eyes suddenly lit up.
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