After a moment of heavy silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi lifted his eyes from the scrolls spread across his desk and nodded to the group assembled before him.
"Very well. Regarding what happened in the Land of Earth… This matter requires a broader perspective, so we'll leave things here for now." the Third Hokage said firmly. He sat down and clasped his hands. "I'll call a strategy meeting with Shikaku first thing in the morning. He always sees possibilities that we often overlook. I'll decide our next steps on that matter then."
Kakashi nodded, understanding the Hokage's implication. The smartest strategist of the Nara clan was the best person to untangle the complexities of the current situation with the Land of Earth.
Hiruzen turned to the silver haired Jonin. "Kakashi, you've been through enough for one day. Go home, rest while you can. When Daichi wakes tomorrow, escort him here. I want to speak with him directly."
"Understood, Lord Hokage," Kakashi replied with a respectful nod. He nodded to Tobirama and Jiraiya before slipping silently out of the room.
The moment the door clicked shut behind Kakashi, the Third Hokage turned to the other two. "We've been reacting, defending, and enduring Orochimaru's attacks until now. I'm done with playing defense. It's time to shift our approach... We're not going to wait anymore. Now that he's dead, we can go on the attack."
"Finally!" Jiraiya's eyes sparked with interest, stepping closer. "What do you want us to do sensei?"
Tobirama's expression grew serious. "You want to dismantle Orochimaru's operations proactively, don't you?"
"Precisely," Hiruzen confirmed, eyes gleaming with determination.
He enrolled a map and pointed to a series of symbols clustered within a specific territory. "We know several of Orochimaru's bases and laboratories. It's high time we take direct action. We'll systematically hunt down every known base and destroy them—starting with the ones located here, in the Land of Rice Paddies."
"I'm not arguing with this plan but now that he's dead, you really don't need to look so grim." Jiraiya said with a small smile, trying to relieve some tension in the room.
Hiruzen sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Orochimaru may be dead but there might be several strong unknown shinobi who are still fanatically loyal to him. Like that dead Guren woman. If they decide to retaliate and take revenge for their master's death, that will be another headache we'll have to deal with in the future."
"There is also the man called Kabuto Yakushi. He is highly intelligent, a capable spy and an excellent medic ninja. As I recall from the reports, he is Orochimaru's direct and closest subordinate. We need to find him as well." Tobirama spoke as he recalled all the information the village gathered on the dead missing Sannin and his allies.
"Yeesh. Ok, when you put it like that, we still have a lot on our plate." Jiraiya grimaced and sighed.
"Exactly," Hiruzen nodded. "Right now, they don't know what happened to Orochimaru. And they don't know that we have so much intelligence on them. The next few days will be our best window of opportunity to find and get rid of them before they realize what happened and go into hiding."
Jiraiya rubbed his chin, nodding slowly. "Makes sense."
"We'll begin with his known base in the Land of Rice Paddies. If we eliminate his assets there, we can cripple his influence in that land and among the people there. I've already sent Anbu 'Bear' to investigate that land. He should be using your teleportation marker in the morning." Hiruzen said, eyes gleaming with determination.
Tobirama nodded approvingly. "An offensive strategy is prudent. We need to send a clear message. Any further aggression against the village will be met with swift and brutal retaliation."
Hiruzen addressed both shinobi directly. "You two will leave in the morning. Jiraiya, you should get some rest now. You'll need all your strength. Lord Tobirama, you'll remain here in the tower for now. If Dragon or anyone else decides to make an appearance, your strength and teleportation ability will be vital. We can't afford another unexpected breach."
"Got it." Jiraiya agreed without hesitation. His tired eyes sharpened with anticipation, clearly ready to turn the tables after being cornered for so long.
The legendary Senju also nodded with a contemplative silence, accepting Hiruzen's logic. Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and the atmosphere around him shifted noticeably. Both Hiruzen and Jiraiya immediately noticed the change in his posture.
"What is it?" Hiruzen asked, sensing urgency.
Tobirama quickly looked in a certain direction, sensing carefully. "The marker on my kunai—someone has activated it," he announced abruptly, reaching for his white mask and pulling it smoothly over his face.
Hiruzen's eyes widened. Only one person should have the Second Hokage's marker at this time outside the village. "Bear!"
"I'll be back." In an instant, the Second Hokage vanished, leaving behind an empty space.
Jiraiya glanced toward the spot Tobirama had occupied just seconds earlier, eyebrows knit with concern. "Well, that can't be good. What's going on?"
Hiruzen, who had briefly closed his eyes in concentration, spoke after a pause. "Give me a moment. I'm seeing through Lord Tobirama's eyes…"
—-
Hidden Sound Village.
Tobirama reappeared instantly next to an ANBU operative who immediately straightened and stood at attention.
'He appeared in an instant. That's just like Lord Fourth's teleportation jutsu. Who is this guy?' 'Bear' didn't know who this man was but only knew that his codename was 'Blue' and that the Hokage had sent him as backup. 'Lord Hokage did say that if I had to summon him, then I would have to follow his orders.'
They were atop a rocky ledge and Tobirama immediately began scanning the devastated landscape stretched out below him.
Fires smoldered among piles of rubble, several buildings reduced to shattered shells. 'An immense destructive force had swept through this area.'
"What happened here?" Tobirama asked bluntly, eyes narrowing at the sheer devastation before him.
"I've been here for a day and have been tracking activity in this region as ordered. I found people associated with the traitor Orochimaru and interrogated some of them. I was able to gain information on the entrances to some of the labs. A short while ago I decided to infiltrate the main hideout but when I came to this location, I found that the facility here and nearby labs have already been raided and destroyed... Someone else got here first." Bear reported.
Tobirama surveyed the destruction with narrowed eyes. Multiple buildings lay collapsed, walls blown outward, roofs caved in. Broken and burned equipment littered the ground, evidence of rapid, decisive action.
"Did you uncover who was responsible?" Tobirama asked.
Bear hesitated slightly, his voice dropping. "Yes. I encountered someone here. But I don't know his identity. He's a shinobi wearing a dragon mask."
'Dragon? Was he here too?' Tobirama immediately tensed. "Describe him."
Bear immediately recalled his features. "His face was covered with a mask in the design of a dragon head but I could tell that he had blond hair. He was wearing a long black jacket with a buckle on the left sleeve, a blue shirt and vest, a frilled cravat, and a simple belt holding a pair of loose light-blue pants with black boots. He also wore a pair of brown gloves and a top hat with goggles over the band."
'So it's not Dragon…And that's not an attire usually worn by shinobi.' Tobirama deduced. "Continue…"
"He deliberately confronted me but wasn't too aggressive. He referred to himself as 'Sabo'. He warned me away from the area."
"What?" Tobirama turned his head to look at the masked ninja beside him.
"Yes. He said he was Dragon's subordinate. I don't know who that is. And according to him, he'd already killed some of the ninjas who were directly under Orochimaru and destroyed the laboratory installations here. He warned me not to pursue any further." Bear paused, recalling the brief exchange clearly. "He claimed their interests aligned with ours for now."
Tobirama stared at Bear thoughtfully for a few moments. "Since he isn't here in chains I assume he's escaped. How strong is he?"
Bear sighed and slightly lowered his head. He recalled the short fight he had with the enigma who called himself Sabo. "He's exceptionally strong. His fire style ninjutsu was powerful. I've rarely seen jutsu executed with such control. He also has incredible speed. He outclassed me."
"Did he use any other ninjutsu nature?" Tobirama asked.
Bear shook his head. "No. He only used Fire style nature and taijutsu."
'Different from the combat style Danzo described. A different person.' Tobirama's mind rapidly connected dots. 'Dragon isn't alone. He's organized and disciplined, probably has multiple well trained subordinates and potentially running an entire operation beneath our notice.'
Hiruzen, seeing and hearing through Tobirama's senses, felt a sharp pang of unease. He swiftly relayed new instructions through their mental connection. 'Change of plans Lord Second. Tell Bear to continue with his search. In the meantime, please get to the other hideouts we know of. Since they're attacking Orochimaru's people like this then maybe this Sabo or someone else connected to Dragon might be there and we could capture them. I have a feeling he won't be focused on us anytime soon.'
'Yes. That's also what I've been thinking.' Tobirama's eyes narrowed in understanding.
"Continue your investigation discreetly. Search for any additional survivors and potential information. If you find anything significant, contact me immediately."
"Understood." Bear nodded and vanished swiftly, leaving Tobirama alone atop the ledge, gazing thoughtfully at the ruined bases beneath him.
'Dragon. It seems you've truly become a major player in all this. You're not Orochimaru's ally. So who exactly are you…?' Tobirama took one last lingering look at the destruction and disappeared without another word, moving swiftly toward another known hideout, following Hiruzen's instructions...
—-
Back in the Hokage's office, Jiraiya watched curiously as Hiruzen's expression tightened further. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he broke the silence. "What happened? Something important?"
Hiruzen nodded slowly, a troubled look in his eyes. "Dragon isn't alone. One of my Anbu operatives encountered someone claiming to serve under Dragon directly. It seems Dragon may have his own subordinates or possibly even a small organization backing him."
Jiraiya exhaled sharply, running a hand through his wild white hair. "This just keeps getting worse. First the Akatsuki, then Orochimaru and now Dragon forming a group of his own. Attacking Orochimaru's bases aligns with our goals, but stealing our secrets certainly doesn't… Do you think he's connected with Tsunade in any way? After all, his actions helped us find and rescue her."
Hiruzen leaned back heavily behind his desk. "What exactly are you getting at Jiraiya?"
"Perhaps a debt or past collaboration? That would explain his motivation for assisting us against Orochimaru. Maybe this assist is a one time thing.. Or maybe it's all a coincidence. I'm not sure." The Toad Sannin sighed.
Hiruzen considered the possibility carefully. "We won't know anything until we can ask Tsunade directly. For now, we'll avoid pressing Shizune on this matter. She's exhausted and emotionally compromised. Tsunade herself will have the answers we need once she wakes up. I'm sure she'll have better insight and can clarify any potential link between herself and this Dragon… if there is any…"
Silence filled the room again as they each considered the implications.
After a moment, Jiraiya broke the quiet. "I know the ANBU teams will continue monitoring Orochimaru's known facilities. But should we press our assault now, considering Dragon might have already targeted other locations?"
Hiruzen made his decision swiftly. "Yes. We still press forward. Tobirama will use his teleportation to quickly check other bases. If Dragon's group destroyed them already, it saves us resources. If not, we'll have the element of surprise on our side."
'I'm getting too tired for this.' Hiruzen rubbed his temples gently, feeling the weight of responsibility bearing down on him more heavily than ever. "If Dragon truly intends to act against Orochimaru, he may have unknowingly provided us with the perfect distraction."
Jiraiya grinned faintly. "Yeah I know. If we play our cards right, we might be able to finish this up sooner than we thought."
Finally, Hiruzen straightened, regaining his composure and determination. "Yes. We've done all we can for tonight. Get some sleep, Jiraiya."
Jiraiya nodded quietly, knowing the older shinobi was right. "I'll be down on one of the lower floors."
Hiruzen nodded quietly and watched as his former student left the room. The old kage sat there silently for a few minutes before taking his leave as well.
—------------
Author's Note's
False trails for anyone looking to find him. Deception is Daichi's main strategy with the Dragon identity. For anyone wondering, Sabo won't be making an appearance again anytime soon.