"Let Torune and Fun return to the Root with you."
Shimura Danzo did not trust Akihara Kagura's words and said solemnly, "They are my personal guards and old members of the Root. Let them take over the Root and report the matters of the Root to me..."
"Alright."
Akihara Kagura slowly nodded and continued, "But the current double bloodline ninjas in the Root were all once subordinates of the Third Hokage. I can only guarantee the loyalty of a few, but not all..."
"Hmph..."
Shimura Danzo snorted disdainfully, thinking that Akihara Kagura as the Root Leader was indeed somewhat incompetent: "So many years have passed, and you still can't fully control the Root. Just let Torune and Fun stay at the Root..."
Shimura Danzo did not intend to take over the Root so quickly. He merely wanted his two guards to monitor Akihara Kagura, just in case Akihara Kagura made some secretive moves.
However...
Shimura Danzo's mind suddenly stirred.
Does Akihara Kagura not have any leadership skills?
This is also good. Once the Konoha Collapse Plan succeeds, I will become the Root Leader again, and under Akihara Kagura, I might even gain more power...
"The First Hokage and the Second Hokage will help us as well."
Orochimaru looked at Akihara Kagura and got serious: "I'll make my move right after you leave, arranging the Hidden Sound Four to form the Four Purple Flames Array, creating an isolated battlefield to engage in a cage fight with the teacher..."
"Let's leave it at that."
Shimura Danzo squinted his eyes and said in a deep voice: "Kagura, do you have anything to add?"
"Nothing to add."
Akihara Kagura had nothing to change about the plan but mentioned an external factor: "But my teacher Jiraiya is back."
"Find a way to get rid of him."
Orochimaru chuckled and proposed his idea: "Though Jiraiya's strength is no match for ours now, he still has the potential to create trouble..."
Orochimaru, smiling and unconcerned, looked at Akihara Kagura: "If we kill him, it will alert Konoha. Jiraiya is a fool; I can easily fool him away. I'll create some other information to trick him into leaving Konoha..."
"Fine."
Akihara Kagura had no problem with it and continued: "Then it's settled, I still have a lot of work in the village. Everything goes according to the plan."
Inside Konoha Village.
The atmosphere was tense, with signs of nervousness everywhere.
When Akihara Kagura returned and received an order from Sarutobi Hiruzen, he did not object openly but simply instructed Kabuto to train with Karin.
When Kabuto saw Akihara Kagura, he first reported the new information he received: "Orochimaru sent a message, asking me to always keep an eye on your movements..."
"Then tell him."
Akihara Kagura was rather indifferent, continuing on his own accord: "In any case, I won't do anything unnecessary. Everything waits until after the Konoha Collapse Plan ends..."
After finishing his words, Akihara Kagura brought up another matter: "By the way, does Orochimaru know you've mastered the Reanimation Jutsu?"
"Yes."
Kabuto nodded slightly, chuckling: "If I couldn't even master this Jutsu now, it would really disappoint him..."
"That's good."
Akihara Kagura nodded and began his next step: "I'll give you a sacrificial material. Use the Reanimation Jutsu to revive someone..."
"Revive who?"
Kabuto looked at Akihara Kagura with surprise.
"Someone named Katou Dan."
Akihara Kagura then called out to White Zetsu Awei, giving orders: "Awei, you go monitor Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo to prevent them from having any hidden schemes..."
"Got it."
White Zetsu Awei quickly left.
Once White Zetsu Awei burrowed into the ground and left, Akihara Kagura extended his palm, gathering Chakra, and a white, fleshy substance dropped from his palm.
The white, fleshy substance transformed into a White Zetsu upon hitting the ground. It was cultivated by Akihara Kagura using the Ten-tails husk within his body.
"This is..."
Kabuto's eyes hinted at shock.
"This was cultivated using Chakra."
Akihara Kagura instructed Kabuto: "First transplant Hashirama Cells onto it to enhance its life force, then use it as a sacrifice to revive Katou Dan..."
"Alright."
Kabuto nodded slowly and couldn't help but ask curiously: "What's so special about this Katou Dan?"
"Nothing special, I suppose?"
After thinking for a while, Akihara Kagura continued: "The village's higher-ups recently think I'm not suitable to inherit the Hokage position. My teacher Jiraiya will surely refuse to take over, but there might be someone else suitable to become Hokage..."
"Who could be more suitable than you?"
"The last one of the Sannin of Konoha, Tsunade."
Akihara Kagura mentioned the name but nonchalantly continued: "Actually, letting her become Hokage is fine. The position can be hers, but I need to make sure that this future Hokage Tsunade understands that without me, nothing can be done..."
"Tsunade?"
Kabuto was well-acquainted with this name.
Any medical ninja learning medical ninjutsu could not avoid Tsunade's name because she truly pioneered the medical ninja system.
"Yes."
Akihara Kagura looked at Kabuto and said, "The Katou Dan I'm having you revive was once Tsunade's lover. Although you're the one reviving him, I'm guessing Tsunade will likely blame Orochimaru for it, causing Tsunade to concentrate on dealing with her old friend's troubles in the future!"
"Besides..."
"The chance might come to use that Katou Dan soon."
Akihara Kagura chuckled and continued: "Maybe, he'll even save you and Orochimaru's lives then!"
"I understand."
Kabuto glanced at the White Zetsu sacrifice beside him, nodded, and asked: "But what are you going to do now? Aren't you going to accompany Karin?"
Akihara Kagura shook his head and whispered: "I'm going to the Mask Storage Hall left by the Uzumaki Clan in Konoha Village to retrieve something..."
"???"
Kabuto could not quite comprehend.
However, Kabuto did not ask more.
For Kabuto, it was enough to know that Akihara Kagura was not going on a self-sacrificing mission, as the psychological shadow Akihara Kagura left while saving him and Dean Nonou was too big.
A month flew by.
The tension in Konoha Village did not affect the candidates participating in the third round of the Chunin Exams, who were still diligently training, fearing a mistake would lead to failure.
Naruto Uzumaki, under Jiraiya's guidance, finally managed to use the Nine-tailed Chakra within him to successfully summon Gama Bunta once. However, Jiraiya did not continue guiding him and left upon hearing some news about Orochimaru.
With Rock Lee and Tenten's company, Hyuga Neji successfully mastered Revolving Heaven, though the process was dangerous and he almost got kicked by Rock Lee.
Others had their own gains.
Karin did not manage to master Sage Mode but fully mastered the Curse Seal given by Akihara Kagura, unlocking the second stage of Curse Seal Mode.
"You've done very well."
Kabuto stood beside Karin, clapping lightly.
Because Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered the double bloodline ninjas of the Root not to leave the Root Base, Kabuto accompanied Karin in training.
As nobles from other countries and the heads of major ninja villages arrived, along with the high-profile figures like Fourth Kazekage Rasa and the elder Muen from The Hidden Mist Village, the third round of the Chunin Exam Selection entered the day of commencement.
"Welcome, both of you, to Konoha."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, cheerfully puffing on a pipe, sincerely welcomed these leaders of the Great Country Ninja Villages to Konoha: "Ninjas from three villages gathering together—a grand event not seen in the Ninja World for a long time..."
The last such event dated back to the First Five Kage Summit hosted by the First Hokage, and Sarutobi Hiruzen felt fortunate just to meet these two in his generation.
"Heh heh..."
The elder Muen from The Hidden Mist Village merely chuckled, but it was a laugh without joy: "This might be the last time we meet..."