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Orochimaru watched the battlefield from the split trunk of a dead cedar, its lifeless wood pressed against his back like a carcass. He barely blinked as the Third Raikage's black lightning roared across the ruined clearing. Even from this distance, he felt the bite of that energy. The technique scraped the air raw, humming with raw life force. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.
So that was the real price.
He had intended to strike the Raikage precisely at that moment... when the black lightning burned his cells as the man's body reached the tipping point between strength and collapse. But the Eight-Tails jinchuriki moved faster than Orochimaru anticipated. Killer Bee had scooped the Raikage up like a precious relic and leapt from the destruction with animal instinct. The opportunity vanished.
Orochimaru exhaled through a thin smile.
"Well," he murmured, fingers absently stroking a cracked piece of bark, "at least he won't be walking away from this unharmed."
"Huhu... Kumo seems to be in possession of some mighty treasure tools. Maybe I will take them for myself later." Orochimaru has changed quite a bit after the death of sensei. He was a father figure to him, he wanted to avenge him in whatever way he can do so he agreed to Danzo's request. As he was experimenting the reanimation jutsu all alone he developed a twisted personality.
The Raikage's body was failing. Orochimaru had witnessed the toll... skin splitting, chakra pathways fraying, bones threatening to shear under the pressure of black lightning. Those observations alone made the failed assassination tolerable. He had seen his reanimation technique, felt its nature, understood the principle. It was more than he expected to gain. Now, He can improve his technique lot quicker.
He stood from his hiding spot, stretching lazily as if he had simply been napping. And he licked his eyes with his snake like tongue to wipe the eye drops formed from yawing.
"I should thank him for the demonstration."
The forest around him groaned as Hashirama's last sealed roots withdrew into silence. The battlefield was settling. Hashirama and Tobirama were now sealed. The enemy had retreated and time for him to do the same.
He turned and slipped into the shadows, after he left there was another shadow far way on the other side which also vanished as soon as Orochimaru left. He started moving toward the retreating Konoha forces. One chakra signature stood out... a cold ember burning in a controlled rhythm. Fugaku Uchiha.
Orochimaru found him several ridges away, standing with a cadre of Uchiha and other Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans who carried wounded allies. Fugaku's armor was cracked. His blade was chipped. His movements were steady, but the exhaustion hid behind the stoic mask.
Orochimaru stepped into view without ceremony.
"Fugaku-san," he drawled, licking a smear of dried blood off his glove with unsettling calm. "It seems you managed to injure the Raikage quite a bit before my arrival."
Fugaku's eye twitched. He didn't trust the snake... not here, not now, not ever. Orochimaru had lingered in the shadows during critical moments, choosing not to push the battle in Konoha's favor. He had watched. Just watcehd. That much was obvious.
"You give me too much credit, Sannin-san," Fugaku replied evenly. "The Raikage has already used quite a bit of his strength. Anyone would show wounds after that."
Orochimaru hummed. "Anyone, yes. But he seemed particularly invested in you." He tilted his head recalling the Raikage's words to Tobirama. "He did claim you were stronger than Hiruzen."
Fugaku didn't rise to the bait. He simply motioned his clansmen to continue moving. They heard nonetheless. The Sannin lingered only long enough to decide Fugaku was no longer useful to him in this moment. Then he vanished, heading for Konoha long before the Uchiha reached their regrouping point.
--
Konoha's central tower felt colder these days. The hallways were dimmer, the guards stiffer, and the air carried the faint smell of fresh ink with all the unspoken orders. Danzo Shimura stood beside the Hokage's chair, running a hand over the carved wood as if feeling the texture of the chair.
He had wanted this seat for decades.
He had nearly taken it during the First Great War.
But now, after Hiruzen's death, command fell to him by default. A caretaker Hokage in all but name. The responsibility widened his world and narrowed his patience. Every report, every casualty list, every strategic note hammered home the same truth: Konoha's strength had been overestimated. Its peace taken for granted. And now, its enemies were circling.
Danzo stared out toward the village, calculating the next month, the next week, the next day.
A soft voice disrupted the silence.
"Danzo-sama." "Orochimaru-sama is requesting your audience."
He didn't turn immediately. He already recognized the chakra and the footstep pattern. The kunoichi kneeling behind him moved with a practiced stillness... almost machine-like.
She had green hair that she tied in a bun on top of her head with a hair needle running through it and one short and long strands of hair with orange tips framing each side of her face, though the band tying it was replaced with a Root-issued cloth. Her clothing bore no clan insignia. Her eyes... sharp, brown, pupiless... held a stillness almost eerie for her age.
Her build was lean, all wiry strength and controlled motion.
Danzo had reshaped her.
Her bitterness toward Sunagakure after their "disposal" of her had been the perfect crack to manipulate. And Danzo's agents had brought her to Konoha from Tsunade. He'd taken advantage of the vulnerability. He always did.
She was now one of his strongest weapons... on par with elite jounin, nearly brushing the barrier of kage level on the battlefield. And now she was loyal to him not to konoha, not to anyone but him. At least he gained something in this war.
"Call him in and stand guard," Danzo ordered.
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
She rose and moved toward the door without sound.
--
Moments later, the doors slid open and Orochimaru walked in with the languid grace of someone who never considered consequences might apply to him.
"Danzo-san… or should I say Danzo-sama?"
Danzo's gaze hardened, but he didn't rise to the title. "Whichever you prefer. Tell me the status."
Orochimaru's smile sharpened.
"Well… I successfully summoned the First Hokage and Second Hokage. Although the mission of killing the Raikage has failed, he used a considerable amount of life force to seal them both away. He should be out of commission for some time." As he withheld the information of the treasured tools as he wanted them for himself.
Danzo clenched his jaw. "Even with Hashirama-sensei and Tobirama-sensei on our side, we remain at a disadvantage." He exhaled slowly, annoyance slipping through the cracks. "This war drained us more than expected."
Orochimaru tilted his head. "Such is the burden of leadership."
"You wouldn't understand it."
Danzo studied him. There was something different in Orochimaru these days... a quiet hunger replacing the old, theatrical ambition. Before, his obsession with becoming Hokage had been misguided pride. Now? It was gone. Something colder took its place. Unlike before, he was no longer interested in being a Hokage.
Danzo let the silence settle, then spoke with intent.
"Orochimaru. I want you to restart the Hashirama cell experiments."
A slow grin curled across the Sannin's face. "You're asking for too much, aren't you, Danzo-san?"
--
A/N: Suna girl, pakura, is now a loyal servant to Danzo.
I've started writing an original novel. Take a look and tell me what you think. The Fourth Edge: Damnation