Chapter 113: Orochimaru's Suspicion
Beautiful!
So incredibly beautiful!
Absolutely stunning!
Even the hardened shinobi present couldn't help but be deeply captivated by this woman's overwhelming presence.
Her physical appearance accounted for perhaps only 40% of the effect. What truly mesmerized them was the alluring, almost supernatural charm she radiated. It felt like invisible fingers slowly caressing their skin—that tantalizing, elusive sensation was what proved most bewitching.
The young Ino-Shika-Cho trio lowered their heads in embarrassment, desperately trying to avert their eyes.
Even the elderly Hiruzen Sarutobi had to admit he felt somewhat tempted despite himself.
After all, his own wife had grown old over the years. Otherwise, why would he spend so much time using his crystal ball to observe the women's bathhouse?
His nose felt slightly damp, nearly bleeding. He ground his teeth together, muttering darkly: "What kind of demonic seduction technique is this...?"
But the Hokage was still the Hokage. Within moments, he used his formidable willpower to forcibly wrench himself free from that entrancing feeling. His eyes blazing with righteous fury, he roared: "How dare you! You have the audacity to impersonate Danzo and infiltrate my office—right before my very eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi!"
"Wait! Let me explain—!"
Danzo desperately tried to defend himself.
However, the enraged Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't listening to any explanations. He unleashed a devastating punch without holding back.
BANG!!!
The merciless strike slammed directly into Danzo's face.
The tremendous force made her head ring like a bell, the impact visibly rippling across her delicate, feminine features.
She screamed in pain and was sent flying backward, smashing completely through the office door and crashing spread-eagle against the corridor wall outside.
Hearing that distinctly feminine scream, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio's eyes twitched involuntarily, genuine sympathy flickering across their expressions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaped through the destroyed doorway, seizing the woman by her throat with murderous intent radiating from every pore. His gaze instinctively averted to the side as he demanded loudly: "Tell me the truth! Which village sent you as a spy? When did you replace the real Danzo? And where is he being held?!"
Danzo, her throat gripped painfully tight, felt utterly wronged and humiliated. Her eyes reddened with unshed tears, her gaze filled with deep resentment as her pink lips parted slightly: "Stop... Hiruzen, I really am... Danzo! If you don't believe me, I can prove it! I have proof!"
"Prove it? How exactly do you plan to prove such an absurd claim?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's killing intent remained palpable and threatening. Although he and Danzo were frequently locked in political power struggles, he still deeply cared for his old comrade-in-arms.
"Ahem... When you were six years old, you secretly peeked at Lady Mito in the—"
Danzo's revelation was abruptly cut short as Hiruzen's hand clamped over her mouth.
"That's quite enough!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face darkened considerably, his teeth grinding audibly. "How could you possibly know about that incident?"
"Didn't I just tell you? I AM Danzo!" The woman, finally released, clutched at her bruised throat while sitting in an undignified position. She looked up at him with a mournful, wounded expression. "If you still refuse to believe me, I have many more secrets I can reveal to prove my identity. Like that incident when you were eight years old and—"
"Enough! ENOUGH already!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt genuine terror creeping down his spine and immediately stopped him, feeling his temples throbbing wildly with stress. "You claim you're actually Danzo. What other evidence can you provide?"
Danzo considered for a moment, then directly pulled open her clothing without warning. "Look here—the Reverse Four Symbols Seal. Do you believe me now?"
What they witnessed wasn't the seal—but rather a magnificent pair of breasts practically radiating with holy light.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Instantly, nosebleeds erupted from multiple sources.
The young Ino-Shika-Cho trio were the first casualties, completely overwhelmed. Even the older, more experienced shinobi couldn't suppress embarrassed reactions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, clutching his bleeding nose while half-covering his eyes with his other hand, shouted desperately: "Alright, alright! I believe you! Now please, for the love of the Sage of Six Paths, PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!!!"
"Now you finally believe me?"
Danzo stared at him with deep resentment, her reddened eyes giving her an incredibly pitiful, vulnerable appearance.
"I believe you, I believe you! But..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression became extraordinarily complicated, feeling as though his entire understanding of reality was about to completely shatter. "I still cannot comprehend how you possibly ended up in this... condition."
"It was a slight... miscalculation during training."
Danzo's lips twitched, but ultimately she chose not to reveal the complete truth. "I was practicing an extremely dangerous forbidden technique, and something went catastrophically wrong. This is the result."
Although the cursed ring had transformed him into a woman, the extraordinary life force contained within this new body—along with various astonishing supernatural abilities—had undeniably increased his overall combat effectiveness significantly.
If he told the complete truth, based on his understanding of Hiruzen's character over their many decades of association, that shameless opportunist would definitely try to confiscate it.
"Danzo, are you actually serious right now?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyebrow twitched skeptically. Such an obviously fabricated lie—did Danzo genuinely think he was an idiot?
"Regardless, that's the truth. Believe it or don't."
Danzo clearly had no intention of revealing the real circumstances, stating stubbornly: "If I hadn't been transformed into this humiliating state, why do you think I've been hiding myself away from everyone?"
"Fine. Very good. Excellent!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered repeatedly, now perfectly aware of Danzo's true thoughts and motivations.
He had been genuinely concerned about his old friend's wellbeing, only to discover he'd been deluding himself the entire time!
The atmosphere became uncomfortably tense.
At this awkward moment, Nara Shikaku carefully wiped the blood from beneath his nose and cautiously interjected: "Um, Hokage-sama... regarding the war situation we were discussing..."
"We're done for today!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi swept his sleeve dismissively and stated coldly: "Think carefully about your strategic proposals and report back tomorrow morning!"
With matters having escalated to this absurd degree today, how could he possibly maintain the proper mindset to discuss critical military strategy?
Besides, even if Kirigakure did launch their attack, it wouldn't happen within just a few days. He was far more concerned with uncovering exactly what Danzo was concealing from him.
The emergency meeting ended on an extremely sour note.
Before departing, Danzo specifically and urgently instructed everyone present not to leak any information about what they'd witnessed.
With increasingly strange expressions plastered across their faces, the assembled shinobi finally gave complicated responses—or rather, extremely reluctant agreements to maintain confidentiality.
Only Orochimaru—the primary instigator of this entire embarrassing revelation—departed silently, his eyes filled with profound contemplation, having observed everything like a detached scientist studying fascinating specimens.
Secret Laboratory
After returning to his hidden base, Orochimaru settled into his chair as a mysterious light flickered deep within his pale golden serpentine eyes.
In the dim illumination, his face appeared eerily unpredictable and calculating.
He propped his chin thoughtfully with one hand while tapping rhythmically on the table with the other. Two specific names flashed repeatedly through his analytical mind: "Uchiha Kazuki... Shimura Danzo... Are they somehow connected to 'Him'?"
He had carefully observed the unusual 'technique' Uchiha Kazuki employed during the Chunin Exams.
That power seemed to exist entirely outside the established categories of ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu.
And now, more than a month later, he'd detected that exact same distinctive feeling emanating from Danzo—a strange, supernatural ability that didn't belong to any recognized shinobi discipline.
This couldn't be dismissed as simple 'coincidence.'
Orochimaru, naturally cautious by temperament and possessing an insatiable thirst for forbidden knowledge, had been secretly investigating ever since discovering clues suggesting that 'His' power operated beyond conventional chakra-based techniques.
Now, two seemingly unrelated individuals exhibiting identical anomalous conditions were impossible not to connect in his mind.
"How fascinating..."
Orochimaru's tongue flicked across his lips, a crazed gleam of obsessive curiosity burning in his eyes. "No matter what you truly are... I will uncover your secrets sooner or later."
He was a serpent by nature—inherently cold-blooded, extraordinarily cautious, consumed by curiosity and hunger for knowledge. But most importantly, he was never one to obediently follow anyone's rules!
[End of Chapter 113]
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