Just how important was establishment status?
In his previous life, Akihara Kagura had never once managed to get it.
Judging by real-world experience, if Orochimaru had offered to help arrange such a position for him, Kagura would have been expected to show up every holiday with gifts in hand.
In this life, however, Konoha's establishment status was just as valuable—perhaps even more so.
It represented entry into the strongest ninja village in the world.
Konoha was the center of this world.
As long as Akihara Kagura entered Konoha, he would be able to keep track of the world's direction at all times—and perhaps even influence its future.
More importantly…
The system had issued a new task.
[System Notification]:
[New Work Assignment: Travel to Konoha, seek out Orochimaru's ally Shimura Danzō, learn Wood Release ninjutsu, and monitor the alliance between Orochimaru and Shimura Danzō.]
There was no time limit on this assignment.
System missions were always tied to superiors, yet they never specified deadlines—giving Kagura the faint unease that this task might never truly end.
And that…
Was exactly what made him cautious.
If he followed orders step by step, he would be trapped in endless work forever.
Only by taking initiative could he escape a job with no clear endpoint.
Rustle… rustle…
The sound of something slithering through grass suddenly reached them.
A small white snake emerged from the underbrush and affectionately rubbed itself against Orochimaru's calf.
Orochimaru bent down and extended his hand.
The snake opened its mouth and spat out a scroll into his palm.
The scroll was almost larger than the snake itself—it was hard to imagine how it had swallowed it in the first place.
But then again…
This was the ninja world.
Such oddities were common.
Orochimaru unrolled the scroll, scanning the contents. A sinister smile crept onto his lips, as though he had read something amusing.
Strictly speaking…
This was a sharply worded letter of accusation.
It came from Shimura Danzō.
Back when Orochimaru was still in Konoha, Danzō had secretly funded his Wood Release human experimentation, even helping to supply experimental subjects.
Naturally—
Investments demanded returns.
Orochimaru had once repaid Danzō by handing over a partially successful Wood Release test subject, allowing Danzō to glimpse the project's potential.
After all, investors needed to see results.
Though that test subject was nowhere near as perfect as Akihara Kagura, it had been enough to convince Danzō that the Wood Release experiments were promising.
Wood Release experiments…
Definitely had potential. They would succeed.
Even after Orochimaru defected from Konoha, Danzō continued funding his research despite the enormous risk of being exposed as an accomplice to a rogue ninja.
But—
Investors always wanted returns.
Danzō's messages were filled with interrogation:
Where's my money?
What did you do with it?
Have there been any new results over the years?
Only near the end of the scroll did Danzō mention something else.
That previously "unsuccessful" Wood Release test subject had been discovered by the Third Hokage and absorbed into the Hokage's直属 ANBU.
Danzō demanded that Orochimaru cultivate another Wood Release ninja.
He also requested a meeting.
After all, Orochimaru had been out of his control for years—this investor wanted to inspect the project's progress himself.
"Heh…"
Orochimaru ignored the accusations entirely. When his eyes reached the final request, a faint smile appeared.
"How convenient."
"Perfect timing… this can serve as an explanation to him."
"What?"
Akihara Kagura looked at Orochimaru in surprise.
Was his superior hiding something from him?
"It's nothing."
Orochimaru smiled gently, reaching out to pat Kagura's hair with a look of false benevolence.
"Someone will come to pick you up soon… before that, I'll teach you how to解除 a certain curse seal."
"What curse seal?"
"The Tongue Eradication Curse Seal."
Orochimaru said it lightly.
The name sounded terrifying, but its function was rather unimpressive.
This was a sealing technique created by Shimura Danzō, used primarily on his subordinates to prevent information leaks.
By planting the seal beneath a person's tongue, any attempt to speak about Danzō would immediately trigger it—rendering the victim unable to speak, or even move.
One of Orochimaru's reasons for sending Kagura to Danzō was to plant an informant.
Naturally, he wouldn't allow Kagura to be bound by such a seal.
After teaching Kagura how to解除 the Tongue Eradication Curse Seal, Orochimaru also reminisced about his homeland, giving Kagura a general understanding of Konoha.
"My teacher…"
"The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi…"
"He has ruled Konoha for decades…"
"Perhaps age has softened him. He's become too kind—even toward those who might threaten Konoha…"
"..."
Akihara Kagura raised an eyebrow.
He knew quite a few secrets about Konoha himself.
The reason people believed the Third Hokage was kind and gentle was because someone else played the ruthless role.
Konoha, the strongest organization in the ninja world, could never exist entirely in the sunlight.
There had to be shadows.
Without question—
Shimura Danzō was one of them.
Kagura wanted to understand his future superior better.
After listening quietly, he asked with careful curiosity:
"The Shimura Danzō-sama you want me to join… what kind of person is he? Is there anything I should watch out for?"
"Danzō?"
Orochimaru's smile grew darker.
"Danzō… is the shadow behind the Third Hokage."
"A ninja's life is darkness."
"And the Hokage is the source of that darkness."
"Humans love to beautify themselves. My teacher enjoys appearing righteous and approachable… so someone must deal with the filth for him."
"Hehehe…"
Orochimaru laughed softly, clearly pleased.
"My teacher has always been like this—hypocritical. He doesn't want people to know he's stained by darkness. Those Wood Release experiments with nearly a hundred percent fatality rate? He proposed them first. He just lacked the will to endure constant failure."
"..."
Akihara Kagura nearly wanted to plug his ears.
Why did Orochimaru always bring up his teacher whenever Konoha was mentioned?
It had been years since his defection—why was he still so obsessed?
Was it because he wasn't chosen as Hokage?
Because he was expelled from his homeland?
Wasn't that your own fault?
Right now—
He just wanted to hear about Danzō.
---
(End of Chapter 3)