Actions Against Orochimaru
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in his office, pipe smoke curling upward as his mind wrestled with a heavy decision.
Orochimaru.
His once-prized disciple had strayed further and further down the path of forbidden jutsu. To leave him unchecked risked exposing experiments so abhorrent they would shake the trust of Konoha's people—and drag Hiruzen's own name into disgrace. Yet to act against Orochimaru openly, with the elders at his side, would also mean humiliation: a teacher forced to slay his own student.
No. This had to be handled quietly, by his hand alone.
After long thought, Hiruzen considered someone he could trust: Hatake Kakashi.
Kakashi had grown into an exceptional ANBU since the war. He carried out every mission with precision and had gradually become one of the village's most reliable operatives. For Hiruzen, it was both a reassurance and a small triumph—once Chi Yu's student, Kakashi was now firmly under his command.
The Hokage summoned him.
Moments later, a figure in standard ANBU attire, wearing a feline mask, entered and dropped to one knee.
"Third Hokage."
Hiruzen regarded him with satisfaction. "Kakashi, you have grown into one of Konoha's pillars. I am pleased."
"This is thanks to Hokage-sama's guidance," Kakashi replied evenly, lowering his head.
Hiruzen's expression hardened. "Kakashi, during your time with Chi Yu, you must have visited Orochimaru's facilities more than once."
Kakashi's heart tensed. For a fleeting instant, he feared his secret correspondence with Chi Yu had been discovered. After all, their communications sometimes relied on snakes. But Hiruzen's tone suggested something else.
"Yes," Kakashi admitted carefully. "Chi Yu and I were often summoned there."
Hiruzen leaned forward. "Then tell me. Did you ever notice a hidden chamber? Something sealed?"
Kakashi immediately understood—this was about eliminating Orochimaru. He recalled what Chi Yu had once told him: Orochimaru was prepared to abandon Konoha at any time, and the secrecy around his work grew tighter each month.
After a pause that felt just long enough to be natural, Kakashi answered, "Orochimaru's base is sparse, but… there was one room. Sealed with a barrier formula. If a secret chamber exists, it would be there."
Hiruzen's eyes sharpened. A sealing barrier inside Orochimaru's own compound—of course it hid something.
He exhaled a long plume of smoke. "Kakashi, I trust you understand why I ask these things."
Kakashi's voice was steady. "An ANBU does not question the Hokage's will. I do not need to understand—I only need to obey."
A faint smile tugged at Hiruzen's lips. This was why Kakashi had earned his confidence. "You are too strict with yourself. Still… your resolve is admirable."
Then the Hokage's voice grew heavy with conviction. "I once hoped Orochimaru might turn back. I even extended the same mercy to Chi Yu, who has kept to his path quietly of late. But Orochimaru persists with his inhuman experiments. He has become a danger to Konoha. As his teacher, my heart is heavy. Yet for the sake of the village and the Will of Fire, I must act."
He set the pipe aside. "Tomorrow night, I will lead a strike force of elite ANBU to his laboratory. This time, Orochimaru must not escape. You will be at my side."
Kakashi inclined his head. "Yes, Hokage-sama. I will uphold the Will of Fire and protect the village."
---
That same evening, at Chi Yu's home…
Chi Yu sat on the tatami, watching little Cangna stumble across the room. Barely more than a year old, the boy could already toddle unsteadily and had learned to call out for his parents.
"Daddy, hug!" the child squeaked, arms outstretched.
Smiling, Chi Yu scooped him up, pinching the chubby cheek. "Little Cangna, you love Daddy most, don't you?"
But the boy wriggled free and toddled toward the bedroom. "Cangna—?" Chi Yu began, puzzled.
Kushina emerged, and the child latched onto her leg. "Mommy! Daddy says I love Daddy more, but I love both of you the same!"
Kushina laughed, hoisting him up and kissing his cheek. "Such a good boy."
Cangna's eyes lit up mischievously. "Then can I eat more tempura tonight?"
Kushina chuckled and kissed him again. "Since you're being good… just a little."
Chi Yu stared in disbelief. "He's bargaining already? At this age?"
Kushina shot him a playful glare. "Where do you think he learned it from? A little cunning will keep him from being taken advantage of in the future, won't it?"
"Mommy, what's 'taken advantage of'? Is it tasty?" Cangna asked innocently.
"It's bitter," Kushina teased, "ten times worse than that melon you hated."
The child shook his head vigorously. "Then I don't want it!"
Chi Yu chuckled—then suddenly grew alert. His gaze shifted to a small opening in the wall: a passage he'd left intentionally for certain visitors.
A pale serpent slid through, scales glinting faintly in the lamplight. Tied to its belly was a scrap of paper.
Chi Yu knelt, removed the note, and unfolded it.
> Tomorrow night. Orochimaru. Action.
His eyes narrowed.
So, it was finally happening. Hiruzen had held back for too long. The strike against Orochimaru was about to begin.
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