Meanwhile, the ninja unit led by Danzo Shimura had already clashed with the forces of Yangyan Village.
The battle itself was brief.
From the moment the two sides engaged, it was clear that Yangyan Village's ninjas were at a disadvantage. Faced with Konoha's superior coordination and strength, they chose to retreat rather than fight to the end, leaving behind several corpses as proof of their failure.
Danzo did not order an immediate pursuit.
He understood that desperate enemies were the most dangerous.
Still, Konoha's forces advanced cautiously, maintaining formation as they followed the retreating enemies deeper into the forest.
It was then that danger revealed itself.
During the pursuit, a ninja from the Hyuga Clan suddenly stopped.
"Stop!"
His Byakugan activated instantly, veins bulging around his eyes as he scanned the surroundings.
"There's a trap," he said sharply. "Explosive tags—embedded in the tree trunks. They're connected by wires."
The warning spread through the formation at once.
"An explosive detonator!" another Hyuga ninja confirmed.
Danzo's visible eye narrowed.
"A trap ninja from Yangyan Village?" he muttered.
Beneath the bandages covering his right eye, Danzo slowly opened it. Through his unique vision, he saw the forest differently—explosive tags concealed inside the trees, thin wires stretching between them, some even buried underground in an intricate network.
"Danzo-sama," a Hyuga ninja asked, "should we dismantle the trap?"
"There's no need," Danzo replied coldly.
He raised his hand.
A moment later, the explosive tags detonated from a safe distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of explosions tore through the forest. Trees were uprooted, earth blasted into the air, and shockwaves rippled outward. When the smoke finally cleared, the area was nothing but devastation.
Danzo surveyed the destruction.
"Was this merely a trap to buy time?" he wondered.
But no matter how carefully he searched, there was no sign of the Yangyan Village ninjas.
"Hyuga Takeashi," Danzo called.
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
Takeashi activated his Byakugan again, scanning the surroundings thoroughly.
"The Yangyan Village ninjas have completely retreated," he reported.
Danzo frowned.
"A harassment operation?" he mused. "No… they wouldn't stop at something this shallow."
In Danzo's mind, Yangyan Village's actions were not random. Small villages did not dare provoke Konoha without a reason. If left unchecked, this would set a dangerous precedent.
"Return to Konoha," Danzo ordered.
He had matters to discuss with Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado—specifically, a punitive strike against Yangyan Village.
Such arrogance needed to be crushed.
If Konoha showed weakness now, other minor villages would follow Yangyan Village's example, attacking Konoha simply to prove their own worth.
That could not be allowed.
Konoha – Command Center
Upon returning, Danzo wasted no time voicing his proposal.
"This was a deliberate provocation," he said. "We should launch a surprise attack against Yangyan Village."
Homura Mitokado frowned slightly.
"Danzo, it would be wiser to wait for Hiruzen's return," he said after a moment's thought. "He'll be back in Konoha tomorrow."
Utatane Koharu shook her head.
"This is nothing more than a punitive strike against a small ninja village that dared attack Konoha," she said firmly. "There's nothing to deliberate. I agree with Danzo."
In her view, Yangyan Village had crossed a line. Even if Konoha wiped them out entirely, no one would question it.
Danzo nodded.
"Hiruzen returns tomorrow?" he said calmly. "Very well. Then we'll discuss it after he arrives."
He had no intention of acting without the Hokage's approval—especially not when Hiruzen Sarutobi could later use it as an excuse to restrict him.
Northern Iron Country – Mountain Cemetery
In the cold, silent depths of the northern peninsula, Uchiha Madara awoke.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The eye he had once sacrificed to Izanagi—an eye that should have remained blind—had regained its power.
More than that.
It had evolved.
Madara rose unsteadily and walked toward a pool of still water. When he looked at his reflection, his breath caught.
Purple ripples stared back at him.
"T-the power of all creation…" he whispered. "Is this… the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan?!"
He stared in disbelief, checking again and again, even wondering if he was dreaming.
He had long since given up hope of awakening the Rinnegan naturally. Instead, he had relied on Senju Hashirama's cells to prolong his life, waiting for an impossible miracle.
And yet—
At the moment he had completely abandoned hope, the Rinnegan had awakened.
"Yes," Madara laughed softly, his body trembling with excitement. "I am the savior of the ninja world!"
He threw his head back and laughed.
At last.
At long last!
Madara had awakened the Rinnegan.
Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu was even more excited than Madara himself.
For thousands of years, he had waited for this moment.
The plan had finally taken its most critical first step.
"Mother… wait for me," Black Zetsu whispered. "I'll free you soon."
The dawn of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's resurrection was finally in sight.
Night – Forest Camp
Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across Orochimaru's face.
He looked down at Tsunade, who was sleeping soundly in his arms.
She was just as clingy as she had been in childhood.
Orochimaru gently held her, his hand resting on her back. Tsunade shifted slightly, adjusting her posture.
As a Snake Sage who had approached the Ryūchi Cave at a cellular level, Orochimaru's body possessed flexibility far beyond that of ordinary humans. Movements that would leave others sore or injured meant nothing to him.
Back pain, at least, would never be his problem.
"We return to Konoha tomorrow," he thought. "I wonder how long we'll be able to rest."
Ōnoki was still alive, and the war between Iwagakure and Konoha was not truly over—only paused by a fragile truce.
Orochimaru still felt some regret that he hadn't been able to kill Ōnoki. Still, he had to admit that Sarutobi-sensei's concerns were not unfounded.
Alliances in the ninja world were fragile things.
Even allies were capable of betrayal at any moment.
There were no true friends in the ninja world—only power.
The more one cared about reputation, the more easily they were shackled by moral restraints.
Look at Kumogakure's Raikage.
From the Third to the Fourth Raikage, had any of them ever hesitated to take what they wanted?
And yet, despite their reputation, no one truly ostracized Kumogakure.
Did it affect them at all?
Not in the slightest.
Orochimaru closed his eyes, ready to sleep, when another thought crossed his mind.
"Tomorrow… I should ask Hikari whether she read my erotic novel," he mused seriously. "But how do I ask without hurting her feelings?"
The Limb Regeneration Technique should eventually be promoted throughout Konoha. Once perfected, it could elevate the White Snake Pharmaceutical Company to unprecedented status—not just in the ninja world, but beyond it.
"Hm…"
Tsunade stirred again, turning over in his arms. Her tight black outfit accentuated her curves as she ended up lying face-down on him.
Orochimaru paused.
"Why does Tsunade seem… smaller than I remember?"
He felt the softness against his chest and reluctantly admitted the truth. Compared to her original self, Tsunade's development was clearly more restrained.
"Secondary development phase?" he wondered.
The Next Day – Return to Konoha
Konoha's forces returned triumphantly after driving Iwagakure's troops back into the Land of Earth.
As the most aggressive front-line units, they were warmly welcomed by the villagers.
Where there was joy, however, there was also sorrow.
Families of fallen ninjas mourned deeply.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was heartbroken. He could only provide the highest compensation possible.
The war was not yet over, and funerals could only be simple.
Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya were not involved in these proceedings.
"I really want to eat Orochimaru's cooking!" Jiraiya exclaimed as they walked together. "I haven't had it in ages!"
Tsunade rolled her eyes.
At the entrance of the house, Hyuga Mio stood waiting.
"Welcome home!"
Unable to contain her excitement, she rushed forward and hugged Orochimaru tightly.
Even though she often saw his Shadow Clones, she still longed to see the real him.
"Hey! Mio!" Tsunade snapped. "We just got back from the battlefield!"
Mio blinked, then smiled apologetically.
"Sorry… I got carried away. I'm just glad you all came back safely."
"Mio keeps getting prettier," Jiraiya remarked with admiration.
Hyuga Mio smiled faintly.
"Jiraiya," she said, "you're still just as unreliable as ever."
"Unreliable?!" Jiraiya protested. "I've grown a lot!"
"Are you talking about your peeping techniques?"
Jiraiya's face flushed.
"O-of course not!"
Orochimaru glanced around.
"Where's Hikari?"
"She's training over there," Mio said, pointing toward the open field.
Orochimaru nodded.
Jiraiya, meanwhile, felt his curiosity ignite.
"An Uchiha girl, huh…" he thought excitedly.
Hokage Building – Command Center
"Yangyan Village attacked us… for this reason alone?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned in disbelief.
Koharu spoke firmly.
"This is not a time for leniency. If we tolerate this, other small villages will follow their example."
Hiruzen nodded slowly.
"I understand. Then the Yangyan Village operation—"
"I'll handle it," Danzo began.
"No," Hiruzen interrupted. "Assign Sakumo Hatake to lead the operation."
Danzo's face darkened.
"Danzo," Hiruzen asked, "what were you about to say?"
"Nothing."
The matter of Yangyan Village was settled.
But Hiruzen had another concern.
"I've heard about Orochimaru's recent research," he said. "Can it be used in the village? Are there side effects?"
Danzo replied coldly, "If imperfect coordination counts as a side effect, then it's already usable. But Orochimaru hasn't answered yet."
Hiruzen sighed.
"I'm thinking about the future," he said quietly. "I want Orochimaru to become the Fourth Hokage."
The room fell silent.
"Let's discuss the limb regeneration technique," Hiruzen added at last.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)