Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi's escape abilities were top-tier in the shinobi world, and with Karin secretly monitoring pursuers using her Kagura Mind's Eye dojutsu, the Hidden Leaf Village's pursuit team naturally returned empty-handed.
The news of Orochimaru's prison break immediately caused a massive uproar in the village.
It was later confirmed that only Kabuto Yakushi, Guren, and Juugo were involved in the jailbreak operation, which made the Hidden Leaf Village lose face entirely.
At the same time, elite shinobi from other villages had arrived in the Hidden Leaf to experience Takamagahara, thrusting the village into the center of public scrutiny.
Inside the Hokage's Office.
Bang! A fist slammed heavily onto the desk as Tsunade roared, "Still no results? Are those idiots in the interrogation team even taking this seriously?"
An Anbu operative replied helplessly, "Lady Hokage, both Guren and Juugo, who were captured, have undergone anti-interrogation training."
"I don't care about that! I want the name of the traitor! You have one more day—if there are still no results, prepare to be sacked!" With that, Tsunade waved her hand. "Dismissed!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
The Anbu operative retreated.
Once the Anbu was gone, Koharu Utatane spoke, "It's been two days already. The news of Guren and Juugo's capture isn't a secret. The traitor who helped them must know by now."
Tsunade knew full well that as time passed, the chances of catching the traitor grew slimmer.
That was exactly why she was so agitated!
Homura Mitokado chimed in, "I had my people investigate. Over the past two days, no one from the Anbu, communications team, intelligence team, or interrogation team has gone AWOL. If the traitor is hiding in one of these departments, they're likely still lurking in the village."
Tsunade asked, "Could it be one of Danzo's people passing information to Kabuto Yakushi?"
The Third Hokage took over, "It's not impossible, but what would Danzo gain from this? Orochimaru's escape doesn't clear his name!"
Tsunade nodded slightly, agreeing with the Third's analysis.
For Danzo, the best outcome would be Orochimaru agreeing to return to the Hidden Leaf Village and atone for his crimes. That way, Danzo might have a chance to rise again. Otherwise, with Orochimaru's status as a rogue shinobi confirmed, Danzo's crime of colluding with a traitor would be cemented.
Knock, knock. A knock came from outside the office.
Tsunade called out, "Come in!"
The office door swung open, and Shinji stepped inside. "Lady Hokage!"
Tsunade looked at Shinji and said, "The Police Force performed exceptionally this time. The advisory council unanimously agrees to allocate additional funding to your team!"
Shinji smiled. "Thank you very much."
The Hidden Leaf Police Force, including Shinji as its captain, currently consisted of only six members. Yet, this time, both Guren and Juugo were captured by the Police Force, so it was only fitting that the village rewarded them.
After the formalities, Tsunade asked, "What are your thoughts on Orochimaru's prison break?"
Shinji pondered for a moment before saying, "There's a traitor in the village!"
Tsunade nodded. "Go on."
Shinji continued, "This traitor is likely in a key department within the village, someone who not only knows the inner workings of the secret prison but also has a good understanding of how the interrogation team operates."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "Do you have any suspects in mind?"
Without hesitation, Shinji replied, "Danzo!"
Tsunade's brow furrowed slightly.
Shinji analyzed, "The secret prison is a relatively isolated environment. Even within the Anbu, not everyone knows what goes on inside. So, someone who understands the prison's inner workings, is familiar with the interrogation team's methods, and can easily contact Kabuto Yakushi to orchestrate this jailbreak—only those present here and Danzo in the prison could pull it off!"
With a smile, Shinji glanced at the others. "Clearly, none of you would do it, so it has to be Danzo!"
Koharu Utatane asked, "Then why didn't he escape with them?"
Shinji replied calmly, "Outside the Hidden Leaf, he's nothing. He knows that better than any of us!"
Tsunade pressed, "What's his motive, then?"
"Maybe he's worried Orochimaru might reveal secrets that could harm him. Maybe Orochimaru threatened him with those secrets, forcing him to help. Or maybe he just wanted to stir trouble for the village." Pausing, Shinji added, "In any case, if you want definitive answers, I can personally interrogate him. Under my Mangekyo Sharingan, he won't be able to hide any sins!"
Tsunade gave Shinji a complicated look. "Alright, we'll seriously consider your suggestion. You can go now."
Shinji bowed politely and left the office.
Homura Mitokado sighed. "That kid just played us!"
Everyone present was sharp enough to see through Shinji's words. Though his reasoning sounded solid, it was clear he was targeting Danzo for a retaliatory strike.
The problem now was that Shinji was steadily climbing the ranks.
Whether it was the growing influence of Takamagahara or the reestablishment of the Hidden Leaf Police Force, Shinji's voice had become a force that even the Hokage couldn't ignore!
If Shinji managed to take down an advisory elder—even a disgraced one like Danzo—it would further elevate his influence in the village!
Sensing the rising threat of Shinji's emerging power, the office's top brass knew this wasn't the time to address it. After a few sighs, they tacitly moved on from the topic.
The Third asked, "Any conclusions about Kabuto Yakushi?"
Tsunade replied, "Yes, it's been confirmed. Kabuto likely mastered some form of Sage Mode, and we suspect it's related to the Dragon's Den!"
For a major shinobi village like the Hidden Leaf, which had its own Sage Mode practitioners, the three sacred sites of the shinobi world—Mount Myoboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Dragon's Den—were no secret. After investigating Kabuto's sudden surge in power, the Hidden Leaf not only had leads but also deduced that his Sage Mode likely originated from the Dragon's Den.
The Third said gravely, "If that's the case, Kabuto's threat level is no less than Orochimaru's!"
Tsunade, too, was visibly concerned. "Indeed. We have no experience dealing with Sage Mode. We'll have to wait for Jiraiya-sensei to return!"
The revelation that Kabuto had mastered Sage Mode cast a shadow over the gathered leaders.
Tsunade, in particular, was deeply frustrated. In her mind, if she had managed to convince Orochimaru earlier, the village could have secured both Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi as top-tier assets.
With those two on their side, the village would have far greater confidence in facing the Akatsuki or asserting dominance over the other four great shinobi villages, instead of being humiliated before them as they were now.