Yakushi Kabuto took charge of neutralizing the guards inside the secret prison, while Jugo and Guren focused on opening the cell doors. The group moved swiftly, breaking open one cell after another as they made their way out.
Orochimaru strolled leisurely behind them, exuding confidence.
When they reached Danzo's cell, Orochimaru paused to glance inside, chuckling, "Sorry to ruin your plans."
Danzo's face darkened. "Foolish man!"
Though his cell door had already been opened, Danzo remained seated, showing no intention of escaping.
As Orochimaru had implied, Danzo had been banking on Tsunade convincing Orochimaru to return to Hidden Leaf. That way, Danzo's charges of colluding with Orochimaru could be re-evaluated. At the same time, to counter the prestige Orochimaru's return would bring to Tsunade's faction, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado would have to step in to reinstate Danzo as an advisor elder.
It was a well-laid plan, now utterly disrupted by Orochimaru's jailbreak.
"Heh, if you want to stay here, I can only wish you luck!" Orochimaru smirked, resuming his stride.
Danzo said coldly, "You won't escape!"
Orochimaru didn't look back, merely waving a hand. "We'll see."
The cell doors continued to be opened rapidly. Most of the prisoners hesitated, knowing that escaping their cells didn't guarantee leaving the prison, and even if they did, fleeing Hidden Leaf Village was another matter entirely.
Kabuto and his group paid no heed, pressing forward without pause.
The prison's guards were mostly Chunin.
Normally, they were more than sufficient for guarding the prison. After all, even in Hidden Leaf, Jonin were rare and valuable assets, not to be wasted on prison duty.
Kabuto's current strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Jonin. Even without entering Sage Mode, handling the prison's Chunin guards was child's play. The battles erupting inside the prison were brief encounters—screams barely faded before the dull thud of bodies hitting the ground echoed.
At that moment, two figures emerged from different cells and knelt before Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru glanced at them. "Still alive? Good."
The two were none other than Kidomaru and Tayuya, survivors of the Sound Four, who had been sent by Orochimaru as pawns to the Chunin Exams.
After the war, gravely injured and near death, they were treated by Hidden Leaf, kept alive, and interrogated before recently being transferred to the secret prison.
Boom. With a loud crash, the secret prison's gates burst open, smoke and dust billowing outward!
The guards at the entrance paled. Some prepared to rush in to assess the situation, while others immediately fired signal flares.
Swish.Bang! In an instant, a vivid red flare exploded in the night sky.
…
Atop a distant tree.
Seeing the commotion at the secret prison, Karin frowned slightly but quickly suppressed her emotions.
Rescuing someone from Hidden Leaf's secret prison was always going to be messy—achieving it undetected was nearly impossible. The fact that it had taken this long for the alarm to sound was a testament to Kabuto's group's skill and cunning.
"Shinji's now the captain of the Police Force. He might show up if he hears the commotion. That could be trouble…"
Though this operation was ordered by the Leader, Karin didn't want to clash with Shinji, her only friend in the village.
…
Hokage Building.
In the Hokage's Office, Tsunade shot to her feet, rushing to the window. Her gaze locked onto the glaring red flare in the night sky, and she muttered, "The prison?"
Swish. An Anbu burst into the office, reporting urgently, "Lady Hokage, someone's attacking the secret prison. Their identities are unknown!"
Tsunade waved a hand. "Investigate further!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The Anbu vanished with a swish.
Still at the window, Tsunade watched the chaos outside, pondering quietly, "Danzo? Or Orochimaru?"
…
Likewise gazing toward the prison was Shinji, from his apartment.
"With Karin there, breaking through shouldn't be an issue. I just wonder if Orochimaru will obediently do as I ask."
Orochimaru was notoriously cunning, and with several subordinates at his side, Shinji worried Karin might not be able to handle them alone.
With that thought, he activated Jikibi in his mind, instructing Ryuzetsu and Chino to slip out of the village amid the chaos and assist Karin outside.
…
Inside the Secret Prison.
Seeing Orochimaru stride confidently forward dispelled the prisoners' doubts, and their minds began to race.
If this chaos was caused by one of the Three Shinobi, Orochimaru, they might actually have a chance to escape. Without needing Orochimaru's encouragement, some bold prisoners started sprinting toward the prison's exit.
At first, it was just a few daring ones. But soon, word spread, and dozens, then hundreds, of prisoners surged forward in a frenzy.
With dozens to hundreds of prisoners charging, the prison's exit descended into chaos. Even as nearby Hidden Leaf patrol teams arrived, they were overwhelmed by the desperate mob, their formations scattered as fighting spilled into the surrounding streets.
Amid the noise and explosions, Orochimaru calmly stepped out of the prison.
Swish swish swish. Kabuto, Jugo, Guren, Kidomaru, and Tayuya converged from all directions, landing before Orochimaru and kneeling in unison. "Lord Orochimaru!"
"Let's go!"
Orochimaru wasted no words, leading the charge toward the village's outskirts.
Kabuto and the others quickly followed.
The prisoners Orochimaru had released caused significant chaos, but most were suspects detained during Hidden Leaf's investigations into the Akatsuki, with varying levels of strength and no notable Jonin among them. The disturbance was confined to the prison's vicinity.
As Orochimaru and his group broke out of the prison area, they were immediately intercepted by Hidden Leaf shinobi.
With some restrictions still limiting his strength, Orochimaru's followers sprang into action, engaging the Hidden Leaf shinobi blocking their path.
Fighting their way through, soon only Kabuto remained at Orochimaru's side.
Swish. At that moment, a figure in a Hidden Leaf Police Force uniform descended from above, blocking Orochimaru and Kabuto's path.
Orochimaru's eyes lit up. "Sasuke…"
Sasuke snorted coldly. "Hey, Orochimaru, are you really in such a hurry to die?"
Kabuto, looking at Sasuke with a hint of exasperation, turned to Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, you're not at full strength. Go on ahead—I'll handle this!"
Orochimaru knew now wasn't the time for delays. He nodded and moved to bypass Sasuke.
Sasuke snapped, "Trying to escape? You think you can get away?"
Kabuto flashed forward, intercepting Sasuke. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun, your opponent is me!"