The conference table shattered under Darui's fist.
"This is unacceptable!" he snarled, his frustration echoing through the Hidden Cloud's war room.
Mabui, Samui, and the other jonin exchanged glances but said nothing. They understood his anger perfectly.
The negotiations with Konoha had stalled. Again.
Nara Shikaku had presented four non-negotiable conditions and refused to budge an inch. After a month of circular discussions, Konoha's strategist had finally made his position crystal clear: return Yugito Nii, Killer B, and the Fourth Raikage—or face the consequences. He hadn't needed to spell it out. They all understood the threat.
"Do we have any choice?" Tutai asked quietly after a long silence.
"We have to bring them home," Mabui said, her voice steady despite the weight of the words. "Without Yugito, Killer B, and the Raikage, the Hidden Cloud becomes prey."
Darui's jaw clenched. She's right. But agreeing to everything means we're still prey—just a different kind.
"If we refuse," Mabui continued, "the other villages won't wait. They're circling, watching to see what Konoha does. The moment we show weakness, they'll strike."
It was a trap with no exit. Agree and lose autonomy for years. Refuse and watch the village torn apart by vultures.
"There might be another way," Samui said quietly.
All eyes turned to her.
"Hanekawa," she continued. "He's the Hokage's assistant now. If anyone can help us—"
"Hanekawa?" Darui's laugh was bitter. "He's the one who captured them in the first place!"
"Exactly," Samui replied calmly. "Which means he has leverage. And he made us a deal before—one he kept. His identity as our spy still has value to him, or he would have exposed it already."
Mabui frowned. "Even if that's true, what could he possibly do? Tsuchihashi's already been handled. There's no back door for us to use."
"I'm not talking about back doors," Samui said. "I'm talking about negotiating directly. My relationship with him is... acceptable. It's worth trying."
The room fell silent. They were out of options. Hanekawa was their only card left to play.
Samui's fingers unconsciously smoothed her short black skirt. She remembered that day—the punishment Hanekawa had dealt out. She'd been thinking about it ever since.
He treats me differently, she'd realized. Whether that was intentional or not didn't matter anymore. If it could save the Hidden Cloud, she could pay whatever price was necessary.
---
Konoha Forest clearing was silent except for the sound of Hanekawa's breathing.
His hands moved through the final seals.
Wood Style: Wooden Man Jutsu!
His chakra drained in an instant—a sensation like watching water pour from a broken cup. Weakness crept through his limbs.
Hanekawa wasn't surprised. Wood Style: Wooden Man was comparable to the Uchiha's Susanoo in raw power and scale. The chakra consumption was astronomical. Countless ninja had received Hashirama's cells, but none could use it. Only Yamato managed it, and only after being possessed by White Zetsu.
Under normal circumstances, only Hashirama Senju could wield it.
The ground trembled.
Massive tree roots erupted from the earth, and a colossal wooden figure began to rise—
Then collapsed halfway up with a thunderous crash.
Hanekawa sat down hard, breathing heavily. Not yet. But getting closer.
He closed his eyes and began cycling his chakra, letting the afternoon sun warm his face.
By the time the shadows had shifted across the clearing, his reserves had recovered. Hanekawa stood, brushed dirt from his clothes, and made a decision.
Time to visit an old friend.
He formed the hand seals for Flying Thunder God and vanished.
---
The door to Orochimaru's compound swung open.
"Hanekawa-senpai?!" Mitarashi Anko's surprise was genuine. "What are you doing here?"
"Anko," Hanekawa greeted warmly. "It's been a while. How are things with your uncle?"
"Wonderful!" She puffed out her chest proudly. "I can eat whatever I want, I get plenty of spending money, and I'm learning all kinds of jutsu!"
Lucky girl, Hanekawa thought. Compared to what Sasuke and Kimimaro will go through, she's living in paradise.
"Is Orochimaru around? I need to discuss something with him."
Hanekawa stepped into the courtyard. Immediately, snakes emerged from the shadows, coiling around him.
"Leave him alone!" Anko scolded, hands on her hips. The snakes obeyed instantly, vanishing as if they'd never existed.
"Come on, I'll take you to the teacher!"
She skipped ahead, and Hanekawa couldn't help but smile. A miracle. Seeing someone this carefree in Orochimaru's presence is genuinely miraculous.
---
Orochimaru was already waiting in the living room.
"Ah, the Hokage's assistant graces us with his presence," he said smoothly, his eyes gleaming with interest. "How unexpected."
His tongue flicked out, moistening the corner of his mouth—a habit that betrayed his predatory nature. If I could study him... Wood Style, that power... what secrets does his body hold?
"Anko, leave us," Orochimaru commanded casually.
She hesitated, glancing between them with obvious curiosity, but obedience won out. She turned and left, though not without a lingering look.
"A second Hokage's assistant," Orochimaru mused once they were alone. "How times change. I almost miss Danzo Shimura. At least we had an understanding."
"I'm here to discuss cooperation," Hanekawa said, cutting straight to the point.
Orochimaru's eyebrows rose. "Cooperation? That's... unexpected. What could we possibly cooperate on?"
"Your research," Hanekawa replied. "I imagine it's been difficult without resources. No funding, no materials, no freedom to move about."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. "You know what I'm researching?"
"No," Hanekawa admitted. "But I know research requires money and materials. Things you're currently lacking."
A slow smile spread across Orochimaru's face. "You're offering to fund my work? What's the price?"
"Share your results," Hanekawa said. "The ones that would benefit Konoha."
Orochimaru's expression darkened immediately. "That's impossible. My research is—"
"I'm not asking for everything," Hanekawa interrupted. "Just the applications. For example, your expertise in human physiology could revolutionize Konoha Hospital. Imagine how many ninja we could save."
Orochimaru studied him carefully. Is he sincere? Or is this another manipulation?
But then he remembered: Hanekawa was Tsunade's student. This sounded exactly like something she would say.
"I'll decide what to share," Orochimaru said finally. "But the value must match what you provide."
"Fair enough," Hanekawa agreed. "There's one more thing, though. I want you to take another student."
"I'm not accepting disciples," Orochimaru said flatly.
"Kabuto Yakushi," Hanekawa continued as if he hadn't spoken. "War orphan, adopted by Yakushi Nono. Exceptional medical talent and a genuine interest in research."
Orochimaru's interest flickered. A research assistant... I've needed one for years.
"How do you know he has research talent?"
"He's curious about experiments and that sort of thing," Hanekawa said. "And he's only seven."
Seven years old. Orochimaru's mind raced. Young meant malleable. Young meant he could shape the boy into exactly what he needed.
"Ninja teams usually have four members," Hanekawa continued. "I can provide another student. You'll be satisfied, I guarantee it."
"Who?" Orochimaru asked, intrigued despite himself.
"Itachi Uchiha."
The name hung in the air like a blade.
Orochimaru's eyes lit up with genuine hunger. "Fugaku's son? The Uchiha prodigy?" His tongue flicked out again. "The conditions for awakening Mangekyō Sharingan..."
He understands immediately, Hanekawa thought. Good.
Orochimaru had experimented on Uchiha Shin and actually created a Mangekyō Sharingan. With Itachi, the possibilities were even greater. And with Hanekawa's butterfly effect changing Itachi's circumstances, it was better to have him under controlled conditions.
More importantly, Hanekawa had the power to keep both of them in line.
"I accept," Orochimaru said, his voice dripping with anticipation.
Hanekawa withdrew a kunai marked with the Flying Thunder God seal.
"Do you know what this is?"
Orochimaru's expression shifted. "You've learned the Flying Thunder God Technique?"
"Yes," Hanekawa confirmed. "I'll mark both Kabuto and Itachi with this seal."
The threat was unmistakable. With those marks, Orochimaru couldn't touch them without Hanekawa knowing. More than that—it meant he could never betray the village. Escape would become impossible.
Orochimaru's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. He was trapped, and they both knew it.
"A pleasure doing business," Hanekawa said, tossing the kunai casually. Orochimaru caught it, his fingers trembling slightly with suppressed rage and frustration.
How did this happen? How did I become the one being controlled?
"Kabuto and Itachi will arrive tomorrow," Hanekawa added. His body shimmered and vanished.
"Flying Thunder God," Orochimaru whispered to the empty room, staring at the kunai in his palm.
He'd been outmaneuvered completely. And there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.