Akihara Kagura left the house.
Before he left, Akihara Kagura turned back and took a deep look at the house, seemingly regretting that it couldn't belong to him, but only to Orochimaru.
The top floor of the house.
Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo stood there, watching Akihara Kagura leave through the glass, both with a hint of suppressed gloom in their eyes.
"Be careful."
Shimura Danzo leaned on his cane, slowly turning his head back and warned in a low voice: "That brat has deep thoughts, and might kill us directly as a tool for his rise once the plan is complete."
Shimura Danzo spoke from experience.
Because Shimura Danzo was the first victim.
Even now, Shimura Danzo still remembers how Akihara Kagura pretended to be loyal to him, looking as if he'd kill anyone who displeased him at any time, making Danzo hesitant to act against him even though he doubted Akihara Kagura's loyalty, only to be played by him.
"I certainly know he's not simple."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly, as if he had long seen through Akihara Kagura's true nature, but felt Shimura Danzo still lacked clarity.
"If the power gap between allies is too great, everyone will ruthlessly use up the ally and then drop them…"
Orochimaru turned to Shimura Danzo, chuckling as he continued: "Only by possessing a threatening ability to balance the ally can one ensure the ally adheres to the agreement. No one likes weak allies; they can only be seen as tools that can be discarded at any time…"
However…
Akihara Kagura's thoughts were different.
Once Akihara Kagura left Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru, he showed respect towards his former supervisors in front of Karin: "They are not my allies, they are people I respect, they were our guides in the past and will pave the way for us in the future…"
"I understand."
Karin nodded seriously.
Although Akihara Kagura's words were quite cryptic, Karin immediately grasped the essence, wasn't it just using Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo as stepping stones?
"How is Kakashi doing over there?"
Akihara Kagura casually asked about his old friend's situation, speaking softly: "If that guy can't win against Momochi Zabuza, I'll go over there and mock him…"
"Kakashi and Team 7 won…"
Karin hesitated to mention what she sensed throughout the battle.
"But the victory was not pretty, right?"
Akihara Kagura seemingly had already guessed the outcome.
"Yes…"
Karin felt that Kakashi Hatake and Team 7 didn't win in a very appealing manner, but still tried to defend her classmates: "However, the battle was indeed spectacular!"
Kakashi Hatake led Team 7, comprised of three Genin and Dazna, an ordinary person, against Momochi Zabuza, a traitorous ninja from the Hidden Mist, and managed to win…
"Momochi Zabuza is very skilled."
Karin wasn't stingy in praising the defeated, adding: "After all, he almost threw Team 7 into a desperate situation in an instant, worthy of someone who managed to escape intact from before Lord Kagura…"
"???"
Akihara Kagura looked at Karin in confusion, recalling with surprise: "How do I remember capturing Momochi Zabuza with a single move back then?"
After speaking, Akihara Kagura didn't shy away from praising Momochi Zabuza: "That guy's flashy hand seals are quite beautiful, he managed to string together over forty seals without making a mistake, fortunately my ninjutsu only requires one or two seals, otherwise I'd definitely mess up…"
"Ah?"
Karin's eyelid twitched.
Karin recalled the battle she had secretly watched.
Momochi Zabuza's flashy hand seals indeed were eye-catching, stringing together over forty seals; Kakashi Hatake used his Sharingan to replicate over forty seals too…
"So-called escape intact…"
Karin's eyes showed a hint of confusion.
Akihara Kagura pondered his memory from six years ago, revealing the truth from back then: "If I remember correctly, at that time the Fourth Mizukage Karatachi Yagura was still alive, he taught me a unique ninjutsu as a trade, and I let Momochi Zabuza go…"
"The truth… is this?"
Karin remembered overhearing.
Kakashi Hatake swore by Akihara Kagura as a comparison to assure Team 7 how terrifying Momochi Zabuza was they were about to face…
Yet…
Was this considered a 'escape intact?'
A captive released also counts as an 'escape intact?'
Elsewhere.
Kakashi Hatake had just concluded leading Team 7 in their battle against Momochi Zabuza, or more accurately a forced conclusion, since Momochi Zabuza was dead.
A masked pursuer ninja from the Hidden Mist suddenly appeared, killing Momochi Zabuza with senbon and claiming to Kakashi Hatake and others that Momochi Zabuza was a traitorous ninja from the Hidden Mist Village, demanding to take his corpse away for disposal.
This pursuer ninja from the Hidden Mist took away Momochi Zabuza's body, placing it in an open area, reaching to remove the bandage from his face when suddenly, a voice appeared interrupting the action!
"Yo."
A young Konoha ninja accompanied by a red-haired girl approached, followed by a group of masked ninjas with crimson eyes.
"That is…"
The pursuer ninja from the Hidden Mist was so frightened he dared not move.