That night, nothing happened.
Facing Wood Release plus Sage Mode, with no preparation, achieving gains proved difficult. Further considering being within Konoha Village, once fighting began, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade would arrive at any moment.
Whether the Third would strike heavily, Orochimaru could guess. Whether Tsunade would strike heavily, Orochimaru could probably also guess.
"If you change your mind, I welcome you anytime, Shuji-kun."
Leaving these words, this Legendary Sannin turned rogue ninja quietly departed, just as when arriving. Shuji also had no intention of pursuing. Orochimaru proved too difficult to kill. When he himself was not rushing to deliver himself, wanting to kill him proved excessively difficult.
He merely quietly watched the opponent vanish before returning to the old estate. He also did not tell Anko what had occurred.
Only the following morning, when encountering Tsunade, who had led ANBU through all-night searches yet gained nothing and carried fatigue between her brows, did Shuji casually mention last night's events.
"Orochimaru? He went to the western suburbs' old estate last night?" Tsunade's voice instantly rose. Her fist unconsciously clenched. However, after taking a deep breath, she rapidly forced herself to calm down. "How would he directly seek you out?"
On the surface, Shuji was merely an ordinary jōnin. When he used Wood Release, he appeared under ANBU identity. Yet Orochimaru directly targeted Shuji for probing, indicating he definitely already knew something before acting.
The greatest possibility for information leaking was someone among upper echelon secretly colluding with Orochimaru.
As for who...
"Danzo..." Tsunade ground her teeth. Though she had been internally designated as Fifth Hokage and was in transition state, she had after all not yet formally assumed office. With her current authority, she truly could not handle Shimura Danzo.
Currently, only Sarutobi Hiruzen could restrain Root.
"His objective is probably still the Uchiha clan," Shuji said.
Tsunade agreed with this assessment. She immediately arranged for people to inform Uchiha Fugaku of Orochimaru's possible movements, having him pay extra attention to Uchiha internal situations.
"However, the probability of Danzo choosing to actively provoke large-scale incidents within the village at this moment actually proves quite low," Shuji suddenly said. "Especially during this current sensitive period with the daimyo still not departed. Once malicious incidents occur, this Chūnin Exam aimed at displaying village strength and securing more mission quotas will see its results greatly discounted."
"At that time, even without any direct evidence, merely reasonable suspicion and association suffice to plunge Danzo into tremendous passivity."
At their level, sometimes evidence proved non-unique. Who had capability and motive for acting often proved more telling.
Mission quotas directly related to the village's future fiscal revenue and influence. If internal turmoil affected negotiations, Danzo's recently reacquired partial authority through the Box of Ultimate Bliss incident would likely immediately be lost and regained, his situation even worse than before.
"This point, Danzo himself should understand better than anyone."
Indeed, Danzo understood especially well.
Therefore, when learning Orochimaru had again acted without authorization, his internal fury proved almost impossible to suppress. He even momentarily considered terminating cooperation, allowing Otogakure's establishment plan to abort.
"Where did you go again last night?" Danzo's voice was icy.
"I went to the place you hope deep in your heart I would investigate," Orochimaru cared not at all about Danzo's gloomy eyes. "That child truly proves surprising."
"You killed him?" Danzo instinctively blurted out before understanding this probably proved impossible. If Shuji truly died, the enraged Tsunade would likely already have stormed here rather than current calm.
He also felt somewhat regretful. If Orochimaru truly could seize the opportunity killing Shuji, then even enduring Sarutobi Hiruzen's subsequent accountability would prove worthwhile.
This way, perhaps Tsunade's hemophobia could be triggered again, plunging her back into combat inability.
If losing Shuji, this key bridge and support, plus a Tsunade unable to normally fulfill Hokage duties, the Uchiha clan would again fall into previous isolated and helpless circumstances among Konoha's upper echelon.
He could proceed according to original plans, eliminating the Uchiha clan, erasing Konoha's greatest destabilizing factor while grasping the Sharingan in hand.
Danzo suppressed chaotic thoughts. "Your unauthorized actions will disrupt my plans."
"I am even considering whether continuing to support Otogakure's establishment remains necessary."
Orochimaru merely responded to Danzo's threat with low laughter.
Danzo apparently had not fully grasped the situation. Cooperation initiative never truly rested in his hands but always remained with Orochimaru.
Even regarding subsequently handling that Uchiha ANBU squad, which hands the obtained Sharingan would ultimately fall into, Orochimaru also decided. If those eyes' value exceeded Otogakure itself, he naturally could keep them for slow research. Even if only partially delivered to Danzo, what could Danzo do?
Now, the one most desperately wanting to change current situations, most urgently needing external unconventional power, was Shimura Danzo, not him, Orochimaru.
"As compensation for this small accident," Orochimaru hoarsely spoke, breaking oppressive atmosphere, "that Uchiha squad matter, let me handle it."
Danzo fell silent briefly, weighing pros and cons. "Related intelligence has been prepared for you. However, Orochimaru, remember—without my next explicit instructions, absolutely no further unauthorized actions are permitted!"
"Now, immediately leave the village. I will arrange reliable people to contact you."
"Under current circumstances, if truly Danzo contacting Orochimaru intending to stir up situations, then the more likely entry point is that Uchiha ANBU squad executing missions outside," Shuji analyzed to Tsunade.
"At this critical juncture, if they easily die, plus someone secretly fanning flames, it will inevitably greatly stimulate the Uchiha clan's already sensitive nerves. Even Fugaku himself will develop doubts about cooperation matters."
Tsunade immediately realized the problem's severity. "Should orders immediately recall them to the village?"
Shuji shook his head. "Not quite appropriate. Having them return would necessarily interrupt Uchiha Police Force reform progress. Previous efforts may prove futile."
"Moreover, recalling them now, what about later?"
"Should they remain in the village continuously? In that case, reform likewise proves difficult to advance deeply."
Furthermore, if these people, after ANBU training and observation, still could not reverse extreme thinking, remaining stubbornly rigid, their ultimate outcome had long been predetermined. They merely would not be purged as rebels but instead commemorated as those who died in service. The difference lay only in timing.
"Currently most urgent is immediately notifying Shisui, having him absolutely guard against Orochimaru's attacks."
As long as sufficiently vigilant, with Uchiha Shisui's strength, Orochimaru could accomplish nothing.
"What we truly should do is accelerate reform pace," Shuji continued. "Quickly transfer new Uchiha clan members into ANBU, and right within the village internally assign them actual, weighty missions, allowing the Uchiha clan to see ANBU entry benefits."
"This way, even if the previous batch encounters misfortune, the impact and shock created will be controlled within limited scope."
"Lady Tsunade, if I recall correctly, the shinobi academy recently is recruiting new teachers, correct?"
Tsunade looked toward Shuji, seemingly understanding his intent. "You mean?"
"The village can consider selecting several Uchiha chūnin originally holding low clan status unable to enter Police Force but with acceptable qualifications and relatively gentle temperaments, having them enter the shinobi academy for positions."
"Police Force core interests originally had little relation to them, but shinobi academy teaching or management positions are visible, tangible benefits, benefiting more ordinary Uchiha families, allowing them to feel actual benefits change brings."
"Then recall Shisui to the village," Shuji finally suggested. "Have him cooperate with Fugaku, suppressing those clan members with loudest opposition voices, fully pushing the reform plan for Hyūga clan entry into Police Force."
"We must quickly make reform show actual effects, allowing some originally promotion-less Uchiha members to obtain new, respectable development space, allowing ordinary Uchiha clan members unable to benefit from Police Force monopoly to see change's hope, thereby voluntarily breaking free from old family power structure constraints."
"This way, voices from Uchiha internal radicals will only grow weaker. Their extreme propositions will gradually lose soil and support for survival."
"By that time, even if a few stubborn elements with unclear minds remain, handling them merely requires dispatching small ANBU numbers to resolve, no longer stirring major upheaval."
"Then, regardless what small tricks Shimura Danzo attempts, they will prove utterly meaningless."
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild