"This will be your residence during your stay."
Orochimaru addressed the group outside a traditional Japanese-style estate.
Standing before the main gate, Ryuji surveyed the estate and its surroundings, a strange sense of familiarity washing over him.
It was a secluded area, far from the center of Konoha. The surroundings were wooded, with a small stream flowing not far away.
Even at the gate, one could hear the sounds of birds from the forest and the gentle flow of water, inducing an involuntary sense of tranquility.
Yet Ryuji felt something was off.
He was certain this was his first time in Konoha and his first time in such a setting. Yet, he kept experiencing a persistent sense of déjà vu, prompting him to fall into deep thought.
"Are you satisfied with this location, Ryuji-kun?"
At that moment, Orochimaru's voice sounded beside him.
Ryuji looked up to see him squinting slightly, a faint smile on his face, showing no trace of their near-confrontation from earlier.
"Yes, very satisfied."
Suppressing the incongruous feeling in his heart, Ryuji nodded. "Please convey my thanks to the Hokage."
"This is simply Konoha's duty." Orochimaru spoke modestly, then his expression turned serious. "Regarding the academic exchange, personnel will come tomorrow to escort you for internships at the hospital and the Shinobi Academy. Please finalize your team assignments by today. Also, there are several areas within the village where outsiders are not permitted to enter freely. We ask for your respect regarding our rules."
"Naturally."
"Then, you have all traveled a long way and must be weary. I shall not disturb your rest further. If there is anything, you can come directly to me."
With that, Orochimaru turned into a cloud of white smoke and vanished.
Ryuji withdrew his gaze, continuing to examine the estate.
The feeling of déjà vu continued to puzzle him. He cared enough to investigate.
Searching his memories carefully, he finally found a clue in his past-life recollections.
—The Uchiha Clan's Compound.
This was the area where the Uchiha Clan was relocated after the Nine-Tails Rampage, suspected by the village and marginalized.
When Ryuji recalled a page from a manga in his previous life depicting this very estate, realization dawned. 'So that's what this place is. It doesn't have the Uchiha Clan's emblem displayed, so I didn't recognize it at first.'
"Leader, is there a problem?"
Karura, seeing Ryuji standing motionless before the gate for so long, approached to inquire.
"Just remembered something rather interesting."
A mischievous smile tugged at Ryuji's lips. He then issued instructions, "Once inside, conduct a thorough search of every inch of the grounds. Dispose of anything suspicious. Then, sterilize the entire compound to eliminate pests like insects. Don't leave any behind."
This area was near the Aburame Clan's territory. The entire nearby forest was likely under their surveillance.
Whether this placement by Konoha's leadership was deliberate or coincidental was unclear, but caution was essential. Ryuji had no intention of allowing their every move within their residence to be monitored.
The Hokage's Office.
"So, what were the results of the probe?"
Hiruzen sat behind his desk, a pipe in his mouth.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stood on either side, their gazes fixed intently on Orochimaru before the desk.
"As Nara Shikaku analyzed, he's a very assertive individual."
Orochimaru ran his long tongue over his lips, a smile playing on his face. "I merely released a faint hint of killing intent, and that boy immediately met it with his own without hesitation. He showed no concern for the potential consequences of such an action within another village."
"But someone who could so decisively pressure Shikaku in negotiations would surely understand the potential consequences."
"He knew Konoha wouldn't act, so he felt confident in his boldness."
Koharu and Homura offered their interpretations from left and right.
Hiruzen deeply agreed.
The confrontation between Orochimaru and Ryuji had been arranged by him. The purpose was to deliver a warning to the Sunagakure's delegation, encouraging them to behave during their stay and avoid causing trouble.
Simultaneously, it served to probe Ryuji's character.
After all, with achievements like facing ten elite Shinobi alone, killing nine and driving one to flee; terrifying an army of thousands with three shots; defeating Minato's team single-handedly... Hiruzen couldn't possibly ignore such a person.
The probing results aligned with Shikaku's analysis: a hardliner with a tough stance towards Konoha, possessing a sharp mind as well.
'A troublesome individual, indeed!'
Hiruzen took a rather troubled deep drag from his pipe, exhaling slowly. "Issue the order: no one is to cause them any trouble. In these troubled times, Konoha has no energy to spare for minor squabbles."
"Yes."
An Anbu waiting by the door acknowledged the order and vanished in a body flicker.
Hiruzen sighed, pulling a small scroll from a drawer. "This is a message just received from Danzo. The plan to make Iwagakure withdraw from the alliance has failed."
"...Is that so? Even that man failed."
A heavy silence fell over the room for a moment before Homura spoke with some lament.
Among the six elite guards of the Second Hokage, Danzo was known for his cunning. Even he had failed, making them acutely aware of the situation's tricky nature.
"Danzo made an error in this matter. He underestimated Onoki's ambitions." Hiruzen tapped out the spent tobacco from his pipe, then retrieved a tobacco pouch from the drawer. As he refilled the pipe, he continued, "He tried to leverage Onoki's wariness of Kumogakure while simultaneously using Sunagakure as a scare tactic. This made Onoki fear the war would ultimately evolve into Sunagakure and Konoha versus Kumogakure and Kusagakure."
"If the war truly developed that way, there's no doubt it would be a major victory for Konoha and Sunagakure," Orochimaru interjected.
"Precisely."
Hiruzen nodded, placing the refilled pipe in his mouth. After lighting it and taking a satisfying puff, he continued, "Konoha's strength is the greatest in the Shinobi World. It's merely our consistent low-key approach that makes us appear less intimidating, but only slightly so."
"Onoki fears that if the allied forces of Konoha and Sunagakure defeat Kumo and Kusa, they might simply eliminate Iwa as well?"
"Exactly."
Hearing this, everyone in the room fell silent once more.
Danzo, fearing Onoki-led Iwagakure wouldn't withdraw, tried to bluff with Sunagakure's banner. The result was shooting himself in the foot.
"Prepare for war. The message from Danzo indicates that with Amegakure's withdrawal, Iwa and Kumo have reached a compromise. War will likely break out before long."
…
Konoha Village.
Sunagakure Delegation Residence.
In a spacious traditional-style room, the siblings Karura and Yashamaru were reporting the search results to Ryuji.
"We have searched over three hundred rooms in the entire compound, every inch. No hidden compartments or suspicious items were found."
"Many insects were indeed discovered in numerous corners and secluded areas."
Ryuji gave a slight nod. "Instruct the puppeteers to prepare insecticides targeting these pests. Whether these insects are simply forest inhabitants or deliberately placed by the Aburame Clan for surveillance, eliminate them all. Don't spare the vegetation in the compound either."
"Furthermore, Aburame Clan insects possess strong adaptability. Update the insecticide formula every week."
"Yes."