"Hiruzen! Give me an explanation!"
Danzo Shimura's angry roar almost blew the roof off the Hokage Building. Not many people had seen Danzo Shimura so furious, not even Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado. The last time Danzo Shimura lost his composure like this was back when they were in the Ninja Academy.
Advisor's Office
Homura Mitokado heard Danzo Shimura's roar and asked, "Koharu, should we go take a look?"
"You go if you want. We should interfere less in Danzo and Hiruzen's affairs."
Utatane Koharu had heard a little about the medicinal tea, and because of this, she knew very well why Danzo Shimura was so enraged.
Selling it to those dignitaries was fine, thankfully it wasn't sold within the Village, otherwise, she, as an Advisor, would also be embarrassed.
Hokage Office
"Danzo, calm down! Things are already this way; even if you smash the Hokage Office, it won't help."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a pipe in his mouth, calmly watched Danzo Shimura, whose old face was flushed with anger, breathing heavily like an enraged bull, and reminded him, "Also, this is the Hokage Office."
Even though Danzo was furious at him, he really wanted to laugh. Danzo looking like this was too rare!
Hiruzen Sarutobi's wildly upturned lips were almost impossible to suppress.
Danzo Shimura became even more furious at the words, pointing at Hiruzen Sarutobi and cursing, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, how could I not have seen how malicious your intentions are! How could you hide such an important matter from me!"
If Danzo Shimura had known about the effects of the shimura herbal tea, he would never have claimed it was his family's secret recipe. Wouldn't it have been better to just find someone else to take the blame?
He couldn't even imagine how the nobles of the Land of Fire viewed him now!
He, Danzo Shimura, was going to be Hokage in the future!
Danzo Shimura imagined what the Land of Fire's nobles would say about him once he became Hokage.
Fourth Hokage Danzo Shimura? Isn't that the guy who sells aphrodisiacs?!
Bang—!
Danzo Shimura slammed his hand on the desk, his left eye glaring fiercely at Hiruzen Sarutobi. If he were a member of the Uchiha Clan, with such intense emotional fluctuations at this moment, he might have even awakened his Mangekyo.
Originally, he thought he had a chance to become Hokage, but now, he felt that opportunity was much smaller.
He even thought that if he became Hokage, he might tarnish the Hokage's seat!
This was all Hiruzen Sarutobi's fault!
"Danzo, did you make money from the shimura herbal tea business? Did the Shimura Clan's dissatisfaction with you decrease? Did your efforts bring benefits to the Village?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi crossed his hands on the desk, looking at Danzo Shimura with a serious expression, asking these soul-searching questions.
…
Danzo Shimura was silent, not speaking.
"Your efforts have united the various great clans in the Village, and the Uchiha Clan has further integrated into Konoha's big family. Danzo, your merits are beyond doubt, and your contributions to Konoha are genuine."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke truthfully. He planned to sell shimura herbal tea in Konoha. While the business in Konoha might not be as profitable as selling to the nobles, it wouldn't be bad either.
Even if fewer people bought it, the number of newborns in Konoha would increase, which was very beneficial for Konoha's strength recovery. With more people, there would be more children with Ninja talent, and the overall strength would steadily increase.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "Danzo, I think you should sell shimura herbal tea in the Village."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! Don't even think about it!"
Danzo Shimura rejected Hiruzen Sarutobi's suggestion without thinking. Selling shimura herbal tea in the Village? Are you kidding? What about his reputation?
"Danzo, think about those nobles, they all need shimura herbal tea. There are also people in the Village who need shimura herbal tea. You can't be unaware of its effects. Even if fewer people buy it, it will increase the number of newborns in the Village. You understand this, don't you?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, gazed at the scenery of the Village, took a deep puff from his pipe, exhaled the smoke, turned around, and pointed his pipe at Danzo Shimura, saying very seriously, "Danzo, you are not doing a shimura herbal tea business; you are contributing to the future of the Village!"
Danzo Shimura was deeply shocked by Hiruzen Sarutobi's words. For a moment, he didn't know how to refute. No matter how he thought about it, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words made sense, but he always felt something was a little off!
So, to contribute to the Village, he, Danzo Shimura, must sell shimura herbal tea?
And shimura herbal tea with *that* kind of effect?
"Danzo, are you going to refuse? I understand. I'll find a way to handle the matter of selling shimura herbal tea in the Village."
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, as if giving up on convincing Danzo Shimura.
"Hiruzen, since you've put it this way, then I, Danzo Shimura, will sell shimura herbal tea in the Village."
Danzo Shimura still agreed. Given the situation, what else could he do?
His name, Danzo Shimura, was already well-known among the nobles of the Land of Fire. Everyone knew that the recipe for the shimura herbal tea, hailed as the Midnight Divine Tea, came from him, Danzo Shimura, and was his family's secret recipe.
"Hiruzen, remember this: everything I, Danzo Shimura, do is for Konoha!"
Leaving that statement, Danzo Shimura slammed the door and left.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Danzo Shimura's retreating figure, took a deep puff from his pipe, and slowly exhaled the smoke.
Danzo, your contributions to the Village will be remembered by everyone.
---
Orochimaru, who had returned to Konoha, went home after collecting her reward at the Mission Hall of the Hokage Building and found the notebook recording her experiences in Whirlpool Hidden Village on the bed.
Given the size of Whirlpool Hidden Village, it would be great if the entire Land of Whirlpools could be transferred using the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Orochimaru flipped through the notebook, thinking about Whirlpool Hidden Village's water source. Land of Whirlpools was not a floating island in the sea, nor was it Kumogakure's Turtle Island. Transferring it was almost impossible.
Orochimaru dismissed the unrealistic idea in her mind.
Ding-dong—!
The doorbell rang. Orochimaru closed the notebook, walked to the door, opened it, and saw Hyuga Mio standing at the entrance, a smile on her face.
"You're here. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Orochimaru used the Flying Thunder God Technique to take Hyuga Mio to the Laboratory.
The slow progress of the Caged Bird Curse Mark research finally began to accelerate with the arrival of the test subject, Hyuga Mio.
"Mio, how do you feel now?"
Orochimaru held a thermos and took a sip of the original shimura herbal tea, which had no extra medicinal ingredients.
"My eyes... my field of vision..."
Veins bulged around Hyuga Mio's eyes. After using her Byakugan, she found that her field of vision had changed from 359° to 360°. The 1° blind spot that had spread backward from her first thoracic vertebra had disappeared.
"Has your vision recovered?"
Orochimaru appeared behind Hyuga Mio, pointing a finger at the 1° blind spot she previously had.
"What did you do to me?"
Hyuga Mio grabbed Orochimaru's hand, her pale blue eyes fixed on Orochimaru, her face showing barely concealed excitement.
"The Caged Bird Curse Mark connects to the occipital lobe and cerebellum to control your life and death. The visual nerve connects the occipital lobe and cerebellum, meaning the Caged Bird Curse Mark occupies a portion of the visual nerve's ability, causing all Byakugan users of the branch family who have the Caged Bird Curse Mark to have a 1% visual blind spot."
Orochimaru pulled her hand from Hyuga Mio's grasp, took a sip of the shimura herbal tea from the thermos, and spoke eloquently, "I tried to develop a new Curse Mark based on the Caged Bird Curse Mark. However, developing a new Curse Mark isn't that simple. The recovery of your visual blind spot is the result of my development of the new Curse Mark."
Orochimaru extended her hand. The shimura herbal tea in the thermos surged out of the cup under the effect of Water Release Chakra, forming a mirror in front of Hyuga Mio.
"The Caged Bird Curse Mark, it's gone…"
Hyuga Mio looked at herself in the mirror in shock. The Caged Bird Curse Mark, which had been branded on her forehead since she was three, was gone. Her smooth forehead no longer bore that ugly Caged Bird Curse Mark.
"It's not gone. More accurately, it hasn't manifested… Hmm? Why are you crying?"
Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Mio, who was crying while looking in the mirror. She could understand why she was so excited that she cried, but now was not the time to cry. If she was going to cry, she should wait until the Caged Bird Curse Mark was completely removed!
"Mio, if you're going to cry, wait until I've completely removed the Caged Bird Curse Mark from your forehead. The Caged Bird Curse Mark on your forehead hasn't been completely removed yet."
Orochimaru patted Hyuga Mio's shoulder.
"Orochimaru… Thank you, truly thank you…"
Hyuga Mio wiped away her tears, looking at herself in the mirror. Only now did she see hope of breaking free from the Caged Bird Curse Mark's 束縛. Her destiny, her everything, would no longer be that of a bird confined in a cage.
"You don't need to thank me. We are simply taking what we need. I want to research the Caged Bird Curse Mark, and you want me to help you break free from its shackles. It's a fair trade between us."
Orochimaru said calmly in response to Hyuga Mio's thanks, a faint smile on her cool and serene face.
"I still suggest you keep the Caged Bird Curse Mark. According to the data from the recent experiment, it won't be long before the Main Family can no longer control you with the Caged Bird Curse Mark."
Orochimaru's finger touched Hyuga Mio's forehead, and the Caged Bird Curse Mark, symbolizing the Hyuga Clan Main Family's absolute control over the Branch Family, reappeared on her forehead.
"At that time, the Caged Bird Curse Mark will be a protection for you, protecting you from being harassed by those who covet the Hyuga Clan's Bloodline Limit, the Byakugan, and protecting you from becoming their target."
"I will consider it."
Hyuga Mio understood her own strength. Just as Orochimaru said, keeping the Caged Bird Curse Mark might be the best option for her.
Orochimaru received the memories and fatigue of her Shadow Clone left at home, as well as the sensation of being punched by Tsunade.
"What's wrong?"
Hyuga Mio saw the change in Orochimaru's expression and became nervous, thinking something had gone wrong.
"It's time to return to Konoha."
Orochimaru held the thermos in one hand and hooked a finger with the other. The forehead protector on the table fell into her hand.
"Thank you."
Hyuga Mio took the forehead protector and put it on her forehead, covering the Caged Bird Curse Mark.
-------------------------------
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