Tennyo used her ribbon to roll up the scroll, flicked it lightly in the air to shake off the disgusting mucus, and then handed it to nma.
Taking the scroll, nma infused it with chakra to sense its contents. Indeed, the sealing scroll contained a vast, surging life force, pulsing like the tides.
Though Orochimaru was undoubtedly deranged when it ca to human experints, as long as one was strong enough to match him or had potential for cooperation, his credibility was sowhat reliable.
Watching Orochimaru disappear into the forest, nma left the area with Shinigami and Tennyo.
If a real fight had broken out, Shinigami's scythe wouldn't just absorb Chakra… it could also inflict damage to the soul. Against Orochimaru, who had incomplete soul, it would have been a perfect counter.
As nma landed, a white tiger wearing a mask leaped out from the forest and stopped before him, crouching low.
It carried nma on its back and sprinted through the woods.
Around Konoha, there were still many of Orochimaru's secret bases… so many that even Danzo wasn't aware of all of them.
Now that Orochimaru had fled, these bases would be abandoned.
nma had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
Before long, the white tiger stopped at a hidden entrance on a cliff.
Standing on the platform outside the entrance, one could see the Naka River in the distance, as well as the Uchiha Clan's compound about ten kiloters away, where the Naka Shrine stood.
That shrine was the Uchiha Clan's secret gathering place. The basent of the shrine also houses a stone tablet said to have been left by the Sage of the Six Paths, which was later altered by Black Zetsu.
"The view from this secret base isn't bad." nma remarked, withdrawing his gaze as he descended into the dark passage.
Tennyo and Shinigami floated ahead, clearing the traps and chanisms within the passage.
Though small in scale, this secret base was fully equipped, with unfinished experintal specins suspended in cultivation tanks and an independent power system humming steadily.
Byakko, Tennyo, and Shinigami began clearing out the remaining traps and snakes Orochimaru had left behind in the base.
anwhile, nma entered a resting area, where he found so experintal logs.
It seed this wasn't Orochimaru's primary research site, as the logs were hastily scribbled across just a few pages. Still, they gave nma a basic understanding of the lab.
Byakko has a very high sensory ability and has discovered three of Orochimaru's secret bases, all of which would now beco nma's assets.
Suddenly, a searing pain shot through the seal on nma's waist.
"So, it's ti?" nma put down the experintal logs and swiftly ford hand seals.
He pressed his palm firmly against his lower back.
[Cage Seal]
A light-colored curse marks flickered on his skin for a mont before fading into silence.
anwhile, in the forest outside Konoha...
Obito, wearing Akatsuki's black cloak with red clouds and a spiral-patterned mask, stood on a big tree and frowned slightly.
"Obito, sothing's happened in Konoha. The White Zetsu reported that the village is on high alert, with many Sensor Ninjas being dispatched to investigate the surroundings." The venus flytrap Zetsu half-erged from the tree trunk, his white side chattering away.
"Outside, you will address as 'Madara-sama'!" Obito said coldly.
"Okay, Obito-sama." White Zetsu replied with his usual incessant grin.
Obito was used to this kind of banter. Ever since being saved by Madara and confined underground, his only company had been White Zetsu. Even when Zetsu spouted nonsense, Obito would at most ignore the topic.
"Has the White Zetsu you planted in the orphanage reported back?" Obito's Sharingan glanced at Zetsu from behind the mask.
"Now that you ntion it, that White Zetsu hasn't sent any updates in a while." Zetsu said, stepping fully out of the tree and standing beside Obito, tilting his head with a playful smirk.
"It seems sothing unexpected has happened within Konoha that we're unaware of." Obito once again used Kamui to sense the mark he had left.
However, he could no longer detect the mark he had placed on the child of his forr teacher.
This made Obito's eyebrows frown deeply from under the mask.
He couldn't help but recall the battle three years ago… how his forr teacher, Minato, had deduced the nature of his abilities after just one exchange, severely injuring him with [Flying Thunder God - Second Step] and then severing his control over the Nine-Tails with a Contract Seal.
'Could there be a Sealing Technique capable of blocking Space-Ti Ninjutsu's marks?' Obito thought of the Uzumaki Clan, which was renowned for their Sealing Techniques.
However, the Uzumaki Clan had long since fallen, their nation destroyed. Even within Konoha Village, no Ninja skilled in Sealing Techniques should be capable of such a feat.
'Damn it… What exactly happened to that brat?!' Obito grew increasingly anxious. After all, that child was a crucial part of his revenge plan!
He had even looked forward to seeing Minato's two sons kill each other a decade later!
"Hey, hey! Obito, are you really going to Konoha?!" Zetsu exclaid, watching as Obito's body gradually phased into intangibility.
"Don't worry. The Fourth Hokage is already dead." A low, confident voice erged from beneath the spiral-patterned mask: "No one can threaten now."
…
Deep within Konoha, inside the Root base, in Danzo's quarters-
A Root's Ninja landed outside the sliding door, his silhouette outlined in the dim light.
"Danzo-sama! Orochimaru has defected!"
Danzo, who had been lying on the tatami under a blanket, abruptly opened his left eye.
"Summon Kinoe here," Danzo commanded.
"Yes!" The Root's Ninja acknowledged and swiftly vanished.
Danzo pushed aside the covers and slowly rose to his feet.
'Orochimaru… So you've finally reached this point, have you?' Danzo had supported many of Orochimaru's experints, but he also knew that using Konoha's Ninjas as live test subjects would cross Hiruzen's line.
Once the number of imprisoned criminal Ninja was no longer sufficient, Danzo had ordered his subordinates to abduct ordinary Konoha's Ninjas to supply Orochimaru's research.
Of course, officially, he knew nothing, and it was all done by his subordinates.
"Danzo-sama!" Soon, a thirteen-year-old boy wearing a tanuki mask, codenad 'Kinoe', stood before Danzo.
Danzo took out a scroll and handed it to him: "Go to this location. Deliver the scroll to the person there, then wait for Orochimaru and assist in his escape."
Though Kinoe possessed the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai, his strength was only at the level of a Jonin… far inferior to a Kage-level figure like Orochimaru. So Danzo didn't expect Kinoe to subdue Orochimaru.
But Orochimaru could not be captured and brought back by Hiruzen. After all, if he were to reveal Danzo's involvent, it would spell disaster.
Since Danzo can't let Orochimaru co back and he also doesn't have the ability to kill him, and he still needs Orochimaru's research, he can only assist Orochimaru in his escape.
"Understood!" Kinoe took the scroll and left instantly.
The mont Kinoe left, an Anbu arrived at the Root's base, escorted by Tatsuma.
"Danzo-sama! Hokage-sama summons you!"
"Got it." Danzo draped on his outer robe, carefully concealing the secrets hidden beneath his bandaged arm.
User Comments
0 comments from readers