In the dark and damp underground laboratory, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wielding the Adamantine Staff that Enma had transformed into, led a group of ANBU and cornered Orochimaru in the cave.
A cold sweat ran down Orochimaru's forehead, and his pale face showed a fatigue he couldn't hide: "Master, I didn't expect your skill hadn't diminished over the years."
Hiruzen Sarutobi snorted coldly: "Orochimaru, you have strayed from the path."
"As your master, today I'm going to clean house."
Hearing that, Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, smiling slightly: "Master, are you really going to kill me?"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression became complex for an instant.
But thinking of Mirai Uchiha, thinking of Danzo Shimura, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally didn't say much more and, with a firm gaze, said: "It's not my intention, but..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi lunged abruptly at Orochimaru: "Everything is for the good of Konoha."
Orochimaru retreated at full speed and clasped his hands together forcefully.
Boom!
Countless explosive tags detonated inside the cave. Small and large rocks fell from above and, in just a few seconds, the cave completely collapsed.
Much later.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the place where Orochimaru had disappeared, with a cold gaze.
"Go and bring me Orochimaru."
"Yes, sir!"
As the group of ANBU left to carry out the order, a sense of crisis arose in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.
Today he had come to kill Orochimaru without telling anyone, but Orochimaru seemed to have prepared in advance. Not only had he moved all the relevant research material, but he had also placed explosive tags at the base...
After thinking long and hard, Hiruzen couldn't find a reason and, in the end, as usual, he blamed Danzo Shimura.
"That bastard Danzo! If he hadn't acted on his own, how could Orochimaru have prepared in advance!"
"When I get back, I have to teach that idiot a good lesson."
————
With Hiruzen Sarutobi's declaration, Orochimaru's crime of secretly conducting human experiments was completely confirmed.
The once most revered of the three Sannin, who had achieved great merits for Konoha, overnight became an "S-Rank" rogue ninja hated by all.
This sudden change left the villagers of Konoha sighing with regret.
"I didn't expect it to be true! Why would Lord Orochimaru do something like that?"
"Attacking his own comrades from the village is absolutely unforgivable."
"Luckily, Lord Third is perceptive and put justice before family. Otherwise, if a guy like Orochimaru became Hokage, Konoha Village would be finished."
"Lord Third said that until a new successor for the Hokage is formed, he will continue to strive and contribute his strength to the village."
"How moving... for his own successor to turn out to have this problem, Lord Third must also be very sad."
Comments like these were ubiquitous. Occasionally, someone would raise a question like: "Since Orochimaru had problems, why not choose Mirai Uchiha as Hokage, if his prestige is equally high?", but those people quickly disappeared from the village.
Orochimaru became infamous and the people connected to him were investigated one after another.
For a time, panic gripped Konoha.
Besides that, Jiraiya, who had just returned to the village, decided to leave again.
————
After reporting, an expression of excitement appeared on Inabi Uchiha's face: "That's great! With Orochimaru's defection, the Hokage's faction has, so to speak, lost an arm."
"Lord Mirai, what luck! With such a strong competitor gone, your chances of becoming Hokage are even greater!"
Mirai Uchiha snorted and said indifferently: "Every development that favors you is the result of a well-thought-out game."
"As an Uchiha, being happy about something like 'luck' only shows that you are not qualified."
Hearing that, Inabi Uchiha froze.
Had he just said something wrong?
Couldn't it be considered luck that Orochimaru, the Hokage's successor, became a renegade, greatly weakening the Hokage's faction?
At that moment, Yashiro Uchiha returned from outside.
Behind him was a girl with short, bluish hair, wearing a yellow jacket.
"Lord Mirai, this girl's name is Anko Mitarashi." Yashiro Uchiha leaned into Mirai Uchiha's ear and bowed. "Lord Orochimaru asked us beforehand to ask you to take care of this girl."
Mirai Uchiha examined Anko Mitarashi with curiosity.
The girl in front of him held her head high and in her eyes was a desolation she couldn't hide, but on her face, she was forcing a smile.
"She's a girl who doesn't give up easily."
Mirai Uchiha commented to himself.
After Orochimaru's defection, besides the research data and ninjutsu scrolls, he had taken many subordinates with him.
But Anko Mitarashi, his disciple, had been abandoned in Konoha.
And in such a situation, to force herself to act as if she didn't care, he could only say that it fit the impression he had of her.
"In the future, if you have any problems or any questions about your training, you can come and find me."
"Now... I'll take you to meet some comrades."
With that said, Mirai Uchiha got up and headed for the exit.
Anko Mitarashi snorted: "I don't need comrades. Having my kunai with me is enough."
With that said, she stuck out her pink tongue and licked a sharp kunai.
Thump!
"Ow, it hurts!"
"Don't do that again."
"Hmph! Why?"
Mirai Uchiha roughly ruffled Anko Mitarashi's hair: "It's already weird enough when Orochimaru does that. If a girl does it, it seems even more perverted than him."
"Don't mention that guy in front of me."
"You should be grateful he didn't take you with him when he escaped. You could be living a quiet life like now."
"Who cares!"
"..."
Seeing Mirai Uchiha and Anko Mitarashi leave, one after the other, Inabi Uchiha finally came out of his daze.
He looked at Yashiro Uchiha in disbelief and asked: "Yashiro, are you saying it was Orochimaru who asked Lord Mirai to take care of this girl?"
Yashiro Uchiha replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "That's right."
Inabi Uchiha said in a grave voice: "Then, does that mean... that Lord Mirai was already in contact with Orochimaru?"
Yashiro Uchiha, a little impatient, said: "What is it you want to ask?"
Inabi Uchiha swallowed and said, amazed: "Orochimaru's defection, could it have something to do with Lord Mirai?"
Yashiro Uchiha replied without thinking: "Of course. Otherwise, why do you think so many people were recently discussing 'when would Orochimaru become Hokage and when would the Third decide to step down'?"
Seeing Yashiro Uchiha slowly walk away, Inabi Uchiha's mind felt as if it had been struck by lightning, leaving it buzzing.
"Gulp..."
Inabi Uchiha swallowed. It seemed he was beginning to understand the words Lord Mirai had said before.
Orochimaru's defection was not at all a matter of "luck," it was all part of Lord Mirai's plan!
---
Special Announcement: Tomorrow, a free file with chapters 141 to 300 of Naruto: Saving the Uchiha will be uploaded, along with another file for I Have Caught a Pokémon from chapter 300 to 450!
-------------------------------------
Featured projects:
Naruto: Saving the Uchiha 140 chapters (R-18 novel)
The Crime Value System 120 chapters (R-18 novel)
I Have Caught a Pokémon — 300 chapters (R-18 novel)
Goddess Training Manual — 750 chapters (R‑18 novel)
Second Generation Villain (Revised Version) — 90 chapters (R‑18 novel)
Detective Conan Fanfic — 380 chapters (R‑18)
The Heroine Wants to Join My Harem — 1050 chapters
I Am the Villain's Father — 400 chapters
----------------------------------------------------------------
👉 Join and support these projects at: patreon.com/LEYI396
— Don't miss a single chapter or any manga translation done on demand!