Leaving
Orochimaru slipped away through an underground passage.
Upon realizing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately ordered:
"After him!"
Hiruzen and his squad of Anbu rushed into the passage, only to be met with a horrifying sight.
The walls were lined with hundreds of Explosive Tags, already ignited and seconds from detonation.
"Retreat!" Hiruzen shouted sharply.
The Third Hokage, Kakashi, and the Anbu barely escaped before the entire tunnel entrance erupted in a massive explosion, collapsing in on itself. The ground trembled, sealing Orochimaru's escape.
Hiruzen stared grimly at the rubble. He turned to an Anbu and ordered:
"Dispatch a sensory unit immediately. The rest of you, clear the passage. We continue the pursuit!"
While the messenger left, Hiruzen, Kakashi, and the others began the arduous task of unsealing and clearing debris. Once enough rubble was removed, they pressed forward into the dark passage.
---
Regret
As they advanced, Hiruzen's thoughts weighed heavily on him.
He should have ended it the moment he confronted Orochimaru. Hesitating to hear his former student's words had cost him dearly. Now, the snake had slipped away, and once Orochimaru escaped, even Konoha's Hokage knew the chances of recapturing him were slim.
Still, Hiruzen pressed forward, unwilling to abandon the chase.
Suddenly, a swarm of snakes slithered toward them, filling the passage like a living flood.
"Kakashi!" Hiruzen barked.
"Yes, Lord Third!"
The young Anbu captain moved ahead, lightning sparking across his body. "Chidori!"
With blinding speed, Kakashi pierced through the mass of serpents, his blade of lightning tearing them apart. Hiruzen and the remaining Anbu followed closely behind him, cutting down the stragglers.
Eventually, the group emerged from the tunnels, finding themselves deep within the forest outside Konoha.
Footprints and disturbed bark on trees marked a trail, which Hiruzen's team immediately followed—only for the tracks to end abruptly at a lake.
"Third Hokage," an Anbu reported grimly, "the trail disappears here. No signs beyond this point."
Hiruzen's eyes darkened. "A diversion. Orochimaru led us here on purpose."
Moments later, the sensory unit arrived and confirmed the worst: Orochimaru had completely vanished.
Hiruzen stood in silence for a long moment before exhaling heavily. "Enough. We return to the village."
---
Konoha Council
Back in Konoha, the first order Hiruzen gave was to seal and investigate Orochimaru's former hideout.
When he finally returned to his office, Danzo, Utatane Koharu, and Homura Mitokado were already waiting. The commotion Orochimaru caused—tearing through his base with Rashomon to make his escape—had drawn their attention.
They wasted no time questioning Hiruzen.
"You acted without us," Danzo said coldly, his single eye narrowing. "You should have called on Root to surround and eliminate him."
Hiruzen sighed. "Orochimaru was my disciple. I wanted to resolve it myself. I hesitated when I shouldn't have, and it cost us the chance to end him."
Homura frowned. "You, of all people, losing focus? What did he say to you?"
Hiruzen waved the question aside. "It no longer matters. What matters is that he is gone, and finding him now will be extremely difficult. We will designate Orochimaru as an S-rank missing-nin and put him on the bingo book immediately."
Koharu and Homura both nodded. "Agreed."
Danzo, however, gave no approval—only silence and simmering resentment. Had Root been involved, Orochimaru might not have escaped.
Koharu's eyes narrowed. "Then only one remains."
The implication was clear.
But Hiruzen raised a hand. "Not now. Orochimaru is already a grave loss. Moving against Chi Yu recklessly will risk throwing Konoha into chaos again. For now, we wait."
---
Elsewhere
Far from the Hokage's office, a faint vibration stirred the ring on Chi Yu's finger. He smirked.
"So, he's made it out."
Channeling chakra into the ring, he opened a connection.
Orochimaru's voice slithered through: "Chi Yu, I've already left. I'm heading to the Land of Rice Fields. We'll meet again."
"Understood, Teacher Orochimaru," Chi Yu replied calmly. "This ring can contact the other members as well. If you need something, let them handle it. Until then, I wish you safe travels."
When the connection severed, Chi Yu let out a quiet breath. Orochimaru was gone. Apart from Kakashi, he had few ties left within the village.
His focus now shifted elsewhere—training Neji and Naruto, preparing for the aftermath of the Uchiha clan's demise, and eventually leaving Konoha behind.
But one matter still weighed on him.
Uchiha Fugaku's Mangekyō Sharingan.
Whether or not he could wield it himself, it was too valuable to leave behind. Perhaps it could even be entrusted to Orochimaru one day.
After all, Orochimaru no longer seemed obsessed with the Sharingan. Chi Yu suspected his teacher would one day turn toward more adaptable vessels—White Zetsu, for instance. With Hashirama's cells, such a body could bear any dōjutsu without succumbing to blindness, much like Uchiha Obito.
The possibilities were endless.
And Fugaku's Mangekyō technique… still a mystery waiting to be uncovered.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters