Doujin Artist: Ahem, don't take it the wrong way. I was just joking.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Because every ti Konan chats with us, it feels like she's sneaking around behind her abusive husband's back?
Shark-Faced Guy: Oh, I see. I actually thought Konan and Aizen really had that kind of relationship. Guess I was overthinking it.
Doujin Artist: Of course not. There's no way Konan would fall for soone as scheming as Aizen. I think she actually likes Anzen.
Shark-Faced Guy: ...
Hoshigaki Kisa had no idea how to respond anymore. They were the sa person!
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Wait, really?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Based on our analysis, there's about an 80% chance. Ruiko, haven't you noticed? Konan always seems really happy whenever Anzen shows up.
Doujin Artist: And Konan treats Anzen differently from other guys! Though to be fair, aside from Anzen, the only other guy in our group used to be Gin.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: That's true. If she had to pick, even an idiot would choose Anzen.
Curly-Haired Guy: ?
As the group continued gossiping, Aizen remained silent. He simply glanced at Konan out of the corner of his eye before turning his attention back to the screen in front of him.
The monitor displayed the Hokage's office.
"So, this is what Sosuke wanted you to have?" Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the wooden box with a deep frown.
"I'm sure of it."
Shisui kept his eyes locked on the box, his tone complicated. "The patterns on it are from a sealing technique Aizen and I developed together. Only the two of us know how to carve those markings. And besides, it was found beneath the southern stone monunt."
That monunt was the clue Aizen had left Shisui before being taken away by Konan and Itachi.
Back then, Shisui didn't think too much about it. He planned to ask Aizen for more details after he returned from Root, but he never expected that would be their "final farewell."
"Alright then, open it up," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded lightly.
Release!
Following the sealing technique he rembered, Shisui extended his index and middle fingers. With a soft "click," the black wooden box slowly opened. Inside, there was a letter filled with writing and several sheets of white paper covered in strange symbols.
Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up the letter and only skimd through it before suddenly standing up, his face changing dramatically. "Danzo, you—"
Near the borders of the Land of Grass, in a secluded valley.
"This is the place?" Shimura Danzo's aged face erged from the shadows.
"Yes, sir." The Root ninja beside him, wearing a fox-faced mask, responded respectfully. "This is where we detected that strange energy fluctuation."
Danzo nodded slightly and closed his eyes. Soon, over a dozen flickering flas of special energy appeared in his sensory field. A faint smirk ford at the corner of his lips as he muttered excitedly, "Yes... this is the source."
The so-called "source" referred to the origin of the Hollow transformation.
To Danzo, these creatures were a fascinating form of life. They wore bone-like masks resembling beasts and possessed extraordinary strength. Previously, it had taken six elite Root ninja just to bring down one of them and retrieve its corpse for study.
A special substance could be extracted from these sources. If injected into humans, it granted them incredible abilities and power. Danzo had nad this substance "Hollow Essence."
The discovery of Hollow Essence caused Danzo's ambitions to swell rapidly. He believed that if he could gather enough of it, he could create an unprecedented army of Hollow-enhanced warriors—perhaps even rule the entire ninja world with ease.
However, these sources were extrely rare and elusive. Even after sending countless Root operatives across the ninja world to investigate, there was barely any information on their whereabouts.
But today, in this remote valley near the Land of Grass, he had found a large number of them. How could he not be excited?
"Capture them imdiately. Don't let a single one escape!" Danzo ordered coldly with a wave of his hand.
By now, many of his subordinates had already undergone Hollow enhancent, making them far stronger than ordinary shinobi. Where they once needed to gang up on a single source, they could now take them down with ease.
"Understood!" The Root ninja responded and prepared to move.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Suddenly, several kunai shot out from the trees at the side.
Thud! Thud!
Two Root ninja were struck instantly and collapsed to the ground.
"Who's there?" Danzo barked, tearing off his bandages as his hands ford a series of seals.
Wind Release: Wind Cutter!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Transparent blades of wind materialized and slashed toward the trees.
Boom!
Towering trees were sliced in half, their lush foliage instantly stripped away. The figures that had been hiding among the branches were now fully exposed.
"You?!" Under the moonlight, Danzo finally saw who had arrived. "Orochimaru!"
"Hehehe... Long ti no see, Danzo." Orochimaru smirked coldly, his black cloak with red clouds swaying slightly as he rushed toward Danzo. "I've co to settle the score."
"Protect Danzo-sama!"
The remaining Root ninja imdiately took defensive positions, weapons raised.
But Orochimaru moved at an eerie speed. One of the Root ninja didn't even have ti to raise his guard before a blade pierced straight through his chest.
"What's happening?"
"There he is!"
"Damn it, why can't I keep up with his speed?!"
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One by one, the Root ninja fell. Against Orochimaru, they were nothing more than helpless prey waiting to be slaughtered.
Sothing wasn't right.
Danzo quickly realized the problem. These subordinates of his had all been enhanced with Hollow Essence. Even if they weren't as strong as Orochimaru individually, they shouldn't be going down without a fight like this!
What was going on?
Shhhk.
By the ti only one Root ninja remained by Danzo's side—a trembling figure wearing a fox mask—Orochimaru finally halted his slaughter.
He seed to have noticed sothing interesting. Staring intently at Danzo, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "That expression... You an to tell you had no idea?"
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