Takuno swiftly flipped through the hard-won scrolls in his hand.
The cold edges of the paper brushed against his fingertips, and he could clearly feel the weight of the forbidden knowledge they contained.
"A pleasant transaction."
He knew very well that Orochimaru had no chance to prepare false information during this sudden interception.
He also had his own conjectures about the authenticity of the information, believing it to be a viable research path.
As for the fragment of the Eight-Tails' horn, shimmering with a unique luster, its immense vitality and distinctive Chakra residue were the most undeniable markers.
On the other end, Orochimaru extended his pale, nimble fingers, carefully stroking the container holding the cells.
His characteristic snake-like eyes gleamed with an uncontrollable fervor and hunger, as if he couldn't wait to begin his research.
"A pleasant transaction," his hoarse voice carried a hint of satisfied pleasure, and the corners of his lips imperceptibly curved upwards.
These Jugo cells were enough to propel his Cursed Seal research into an entirely new phase.
Although being semi-forced into this transaction had caused a cold flash of annoyance in his heart.
But when his fingertips truly felt the power of the cells, this dissatisfaction was quickly replaced by a sense of reward; paying a small price for these cells was worth it.
Takuno's gaze swept across the surroundings, the earth horrifyingly scarred as if struck by a meteorite, shattered clumps of soil and deep ravines silently showcasing the terror of his monstrous strength.
However, what concerned him more were the twisted giant snake corpses strewn across the ground; the traces left by these summoned creatures were unmistakable directional evidence.
After pondering for a moment, he firmly pressed a hand onto the soft earth.
Instantly, the ground seemed to come alive, an invisible force controlling the soil like a flowing sand sea, engulfing the snake corpses. Mud waves churned with a grating sound, instantly devouring and decomposing all remnants, burying them deep underground as if they had never existed.
As for this battlefield, it would take too much time to fully restore, so he gave up.
Having done all this, his figure flickered, leaving no afterimage, and he merged into the gloom of the forest, completely vanishing from Orochimaru's sensory range.
"Heh, he truly is... meticulous." Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils gazed at the direction Takuno disappeared, showing no surprise, but rather a playful sneer.
He was not entirely unprepared either; with a puff of white smoke, his figure also quietly vanished, leaving this land that had just experienced a brief and deadly confrontation.
When Konoha's Anbu and patrol Shinobi finally rushed to the site of the intense Chakra explosion, what greeted them was a shocking scene of a ruined battlefield.
Huge cracks, like grotesque scars, ran through the forest, and the earth was churned and broken as if gnawed by a giant beast.
Minato, clad in the Hokage's ceremonial robe, stood at the edge of the ruins, his bright blue eyes now clouded with an unyielding solemnity.
He sensed the terrifying residual Chakra within.
"Two powerful Shinobi... fighting fiercely right at Konoha's doorstep?"
His brows furrowed tightly, and a familiar figure almost instantly flashed into his mind: Orochimaru!
However, who was the opponent capable of confronting him head-on and causing such extensive destruction?
"Could it be... that person?"
The night of the Nine-Tails' attack, the figure of the mysterious powerful enemy who called himself Madara and controlled the Nine-Tails became exceptionally clear in his memory.
Or was there a third party in the darkness, unknown to him, coveting Konoha?
His hand instinctively pressed against his throbbing temples; the clues were too scattered to piece together a complete picture.
With the enemy uncertain, what could he do proactively besides strengthening defenses? He sighed deeply.
Deep down, he was unwilling to believe the possibility of an insider. Among those with such strength who could fight Orochimaru, Konoha currently, besides himself, probably only had—Jiraiya-sensei and Lady Tsunade.
His gaze swept over the violent destruction again; it did bear some resemblance to Tsunade's monstrous strength.
But she... had no reason to act like this while hiding her identity, right?
His chaotic thoughts ultimately dissolved into a deep sense of powerlessness.
The storm was brewing; Konoha at this moment was like dancing on the edge of a knife. The only thing they could do was 'meet force with force, and counter any challenge'.
He quickly made a decision: he must temporarily suppress the news of Orochimaru's defection!
Konoha, just staggering back from the disaster of the Nine-Tails, could not withstand this second heavy blow.
Panic among the people, a shaken trust in the higher-ups—every consequence was enough to tear open unhealed wounds.
Minato secretly gritted his teeth, intending to strictly limit this news to the smallest circle of informed individuals; even Jonin did not need to know the truth for now.
However, the irony of fate was, how could the one who personally stirred the whirlpool in the shadows allow things to remain calm?
An invisible dark hand had already quietly manipulated the mechanism of information dissemination.
Minato never expected that while he was desperately trying to block the news, the information that 'Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, was conducting human experiments and betraying Konoha' had already erupted in the undercurrents across the Shinobi World, spreading at an astonishing speed.
Ironically, the Konoha Shinobi, as the location where the event occurred, were almost the last to learn the truth. It wasn't until the surging wave of public opinion almost crashed before his eyes that Minato realized it.
"It was him, after all?" Minato stood by the Hokage Office window, his gaze heavy as he looked out at the distant Konoha, symbolizing reconstruction, his voice low, as if speaking to himself.
Such a precise strike at Konoha's most vulnerable moment, a ruthless method intended to incite greater chaos and war, left little doubt: it was definitely 'Madara,' the one who controlled the Nine-Tails!
The Nine-Tails failed to flatten Konoha, so he intends to ignite the flames of war in Konoha?
A heavy sigh ultimately transformed into a resolute command.
An emergency high-level meeting was quickly convened. Faced with the cruel truth that could no longer be concealed, Minato had no choice but to publicly present the evidence of Orochimaru's forbidden human experiments and declare him a rogue Shinobi.
The meeting room was deathly silent, then replaced by an uproar! Whispers instantly turned into shocked commotion.
One of the Sannin! Lord Orochimaru? Human experiments! Another Danzo?! Anger and disbelief collided and permeated the air.
"Everyone!" Minato's voice rang out again, but with an unprecedented gravity, instantly quelling all discussion.
"Since the incident can no longer be concealed, all Shinobi must be informed, but this is not the only crisis." His gaze sharply swept over every high-ranking official present. "After the Nine-Tails' attack, Kumogakure and Iwagakure have long been eyeing the Land of Fire's borders. Previously, both sides were still testing, and conflicts were limited to skirmishes. However—"
He paused, his voice growing heavier, "Orochimaru's defection makes Konoha appear weaker than ever in the eyes of our enemies."
No more words were needed; every veteran Shinobi present could almost smell the gunpowder.
The fertile land and abundant resources of the Land of Fire constantly attracted greedy coveters.
They knew this too well; putting themselves in the enemy's shoes, how could they let go of this heaven-sent opportunity?
"Effective immediately, the Intelligence Department must closely monitor all border activities! Issue orders to all departments to immediately begin war preparations!" Minato's voice crashed down like a rock, setting the tone for the meeting.
"Yes!" The responses were uniform, yet carried a chilling sense of impending storm.
After the meeting, only Minato remained in the empty office.
He remained silent for a moment longer, then formed a special hand seal, pressing his palm lightly to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!" As the white smoke cleared, a toad appeared before him.
"Please deliver this letter to Jiraiya-sensei as quickly as possible." Minato solemnly handed a pre-written secret letter to the summoned toad, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Konoha needed that bold and unrestrained figure to support it once more.
The storm had already gathered; war was pressing close.
In the deputy commander of Anbu's office.
Takuno sat alone, twirling an intelligence scroll that had just arrived from the border overnight.
The situation at the border was extremely tense.
As he expected, when the news of Orochimaru's defection spread, the situation in the Shinobi World began to boil rapidly.
The Land of Wind and the Land of Water? These two struggling siblings were still licking their own wounds, too preoccupied to care about Konoha's turmoil.
What truly felt like daggers in his back were the shadows of the Land of Lightning and the Land of Earth.
The Iwagakure Shinobi from Iwagakure became increasingly brazen, openly snatching mission shares, their greedy eyes sweeping over Konoha's sphere of influence.
Although the friction had not escalated to direct combat, the poised stance was already clear.
However, this was not the most troublesome opponent.
—
Takuno's gaze fell on the section concerning Kumogakure of the Land of Lightning, his brows showing no surprise.
Kumogakure's actions were faster and more aggressive, with continuous probing and pressure, and the skirmishes along the border steadily escalated.
They were like an energetic, long-dormant behemoth, extending its claws, cautiously testing the strength of Konoha, this 'wounded dragon'.
The reason was clear: the Third Great Ninja War had not severely crippled Kumogakure.
The heroic sacrifice of the Third Raikage preserved most of their strength and bought them precious breathing room.
Years of biding their time had sharpened Kumogakure's blade to a gleam.
Their military was flourishing, and their national power was robust.
In contrast, Konoha was plagued by misfortune; the shadow of the Nine-Tails' attack still lingered, and Orochimaru, one of the Sannin, had defected from the village.
In Kumogakure's eyes, the Land of Fire had long become an irresistibly tempting 'fat sheep'.
The sound of knuckles lightly tapping the tabletop was particularly abrupt in the quiet room.
Takuno's lips silently curved into an arc.
Soon, at this rate, the war between Konoha and Kumogakure, driven by circumstances, would inevitably erupt!
Large forces from both nations were already secretly vying for power along the border, just waiting for the first thunderclap to sound from somewhere unknown.
As one of the heads of the Intelligence Department, his duty was to analyze intelligence and transmit information.
Important or urgent battlefield intelligence could also bypass him and go directly to the desk of the Fourth Hokage, Minato.
This position, which didn't require going to the battlefield, was a relatively safe haven.
But safety was not what Takuno desired.
He slowly rose; this position had too many restrictions.
Under Minato's watchful eye, the 'things' he wanted to do were difficult to achieve.
Even relying on the Summoning Jutsu to maneuver back and forth, there would always be times when it wasn't quick enough.
One or two absences might be barely explained away, but if it happened too often, it would inevitably arouse suspicion, and trouble would soon follow.
His gaze swept over the totem on the wall symbolizing Konoha and the Land of Fire, and a flicker of determination flashed deep in Takuno's eyes as he pondered his plan.
It was also time for him to use the legendary strongest Genjutsu!
He straightened his Anbu uniform, pushed open the door, and with steady steps, headed straight for the Hokage Building in the center of the village.