manynovel Chapter 312 is here, everything is here, all the past events...
Chapter 312 is here, everything is here, all the past events...
Chapter 312 is back, everything is back, all the things from the past...
the other side.
Konoha Village.
Underground prison.
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
The same words echoed in my mind countless times throughout the night.
Danzo was drenched in sweat. He sat up abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, and took several deep breaths to recover.
shame.
anger.
"Damn it, that damned Hiruzen—"
"A fool who only knows how to favor his own followers."
Just as Danzo was muttering curses about Hiruzen Sarutobi's many crimes.
Heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Immediately following was the crisp sound of the keys clattering together.
-
Danzo paused, and his one eye instantly rose.
The ANBU ninja in charge of guarding the area lowered his voice and said something respectfully.
Then came the sound of the key being inserted into the lock, followed by a click as the iron door was pushed open.
When Danzo saw who it was, his anger was reignited.
The person who arrived was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi. He stood at the door, carrying a small cloth bag in his hand. His face was tired, and his eyes no longer had the sharpness of someone who sat firmly in a high position. Instead, they were filled with gloom and loneliness.
He came here today not to blame or to judge, but simply to find someone who might understand him and have a few words to say.
However, before he could even speak...
A burst of angry roars erupted inside the cell.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi! What are you doing here again? To laugh at this old man? You hypocritical, despicable, and phony old bastard!"
Danzo's single eye was bloodshot as he stared intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was clearly taken aback for a moment.
The worry that had been etched on his face was dispelled by the sudden roar, revealing his astonishment and confusion.
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, looking at Danzo who was acting like a madman in the cell, and sighed helplessly, "Danzo, what's wrong with you? I just wanted to come and see you out of kindness, is that wrong?"
He was already frustrated enough during this period, so he had no energy left to deal with Danzo's unreasonable behavior.
However, Danzo ignored him completely and sneered, "Hmph! Hypocrite!"
"Stop your disgusting act, Hiruzen Sarutobi! I've fallen to this state entirely because of you! Now you're pretending to be a good person? I can't accept your concern! Get out!"
In his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi came here specifically to mock his pathetic state.
Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly watched Danzo.
There was no anger or explanation in his old eyes, only a deep weariness.
All the things he wanted to say, all the questions he wanted to ask, all his enthusiasm vanished.
Danzo was no longer listening to anything; his emotions had clouded his judgment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly shook his head, gave a bitter smile, and said nothing more.
He gently placed the cloth bag on the floor of the cell.
"It seems I've come at the wrong time today."
Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to be speaking to Danzo, but also to himself.
"That's enough."
He turned around, his back view appearing particularly thin.
As he reached the door, he paused, not turning around, and said desolately, "I'll come back in a few days, when you've calmed down."
"There are some things I wanted to hear your opinion on, but now it seems there's no need to rush."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were clearly off, but Danzo, enraged, didn't take them to heart at all.
He only let out a cold snort, then simply turned his head away, his back to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately said nothing more, silently opened the cell door, and walked out.
The prison cell was closed again.
Danzo turned around, but his one-eyed gaze couldn't help but fall on the cloth bag on the ground.
The air above emitted the familiar smell of cigarettes that Hiruzen Sarutobi often wore, a smell he had been absorbing in the Hokage's office for decades.
Yinyin Village, underground laboratory.
Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, sinking deep into it, and stared blankly at the ceiling with his head tilted back.
His golden vertical pupils were unfocused, and the smile that usually graced his lips was gone; in fact, his brows were slightly furrowed.
Not far away, Kabuto was busy following the rules Orochimaru had set up the night before.
He pushed the cart, placing the pre-numbered reagent bottles one by one on the table, then bent down to calibrate the instrument scale, adjust the temperature, and record the data.
However, his gaze behind his glasses would always unconsciously drift towards Orochimaru, his face full of worry.
This is the second time.
The first time was when Orochimaru saw the results of his research on Wood Release in a dream, and was briefly stunned.
He recovered quickly that time.
But this time is different.
Kabuto could sense that Orochimaru was wavering.
He wanted to ask, but he knew very well that Orochimaru hated having his train of thought interrupted.
Moreover, this abnormality is most likely related to last night's dream.
Dou could only suppress his doubts and focus on doing his job better.
Orochimaru's thoughts were definitely not in the laboratory.
What kept replaying in his mind was not the data on cell division, nor the structure of the White Zetsu sample, but the Hokage's office in his dream.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice still echoed in his mind: "I have higher expectations for you."
It's important to know that in reality, Hiruzen Sarutobi preferred to leave the Hokage position to Jiraiya and placed his hopes on a younger, ordinary person.
Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin, was the leader of Konoha's core research team and made countless contributions to the village.
Ultimately, however, it was rejected.
However, in the dream, Hiruzen Sarutobi completely approved of "him".
Orochimaru can accept the difference between dreams and reality, and he can accept the success of another research path in dreams.
Those are all issues of choice.
However, the heir chosen by the teacher is not so simple.
Orochimaru's gaze lingered on the ceiling, as if trying to see through that layer of concrete.
"What does my other self—the one in my dreams—look like?"
Orochimaru discovered that he had never seen what kind of person he was in that dream.
What exactly did he do to earn the teacher's approval?
Could he be closer to the truth than I am now?
For Orochimaru, losing is not terrible.
What's terrifying is losing to yourself, and losing so thoroughly.
Just as Dou was stealthily glancing over again.
The air in the center of the laboratory suddenly distorted, like a stone being thrown into a calm lake, and the light was stretched into eerie ripples, forming a familiar vortex.
Dou's movements froze instantly.
Orochimaru's gaze suddenly focused at that moment.
No longer is it a blank stare; instead, there is a cold, sharp focus, like a snake locking onto its prey in the shadows.
Soon, a figure stepped out from inside and landed steadily on the ground.
Obito acted casually, as if he were just visiting a friend.
Orochimaru slowly straightened up from his seat, his eyes fixed on Obito, his voice more displeased than usual: "It's you again."
"I remember our deal had just started, and the materials weren't in place yet."
"What brings you here so frequently?"
"Is the Akatsuki organization really that relaxed right now?"
Obito was completely unconcerned about Kabuto's wariness and Orochimaru's displeasure.
He didn't answer Orochimaru's question immediately. Instead, he took two steps forward and leaned against the edge of an unused lab bench in a more casual manner. He said calmly and composedly, "Don't be so nervous, Orochimaru."
He casually slapped the ground, and then the smoke dissipated.
Ten unconscious young men, dressed only in simple clothes, were summoned by spirits and lay haphazardly on the laboratory floor.
Orochimaru did not immediately go over to check.
He glanced down at it, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes, then turned his head and gave Dou a look.
Dou immediately nodded, stepped forward, squatted down, pressed his hand against the carotid artery of one of them, then opened his eyelids to check the pupil response, and casually touched the skin temperature and muscle condition.
After the inspection, he stood up and turned to report to Orochimaru.
"Lord Orochimaru, your physical condition is excellent and meets the requirements."
Orochimaru nodded.
Immediately afterwards, Obito's voice came through the mask, impatiently urging, "This is the first batch of materials you requested."
"I've gotten the things for you as quickly as possible."
"Now, I need you to immediately push the research forward with all your might."
Orochimaru's gaze swept over the ten unconscious men on the ground.
He certainly hadn't expected the masked man to move so quickly.
The request was made yesterday, and the goods were delivered to my door first thing this morning.
This efficiency demonstrates that the channels behind the other party are ridiculously powerful.
This also shows that the Xiao organization's need for this treatment technology is so urgent that they are unwilling to wait any longer.
However, Orochimaru showed no surprise on his face, only a wicked smile, as if praising or mocking.
"Your efficiency is quite good; this ability of yours is very convenient."
Obito snorted coldly and said, "In short, I have brought the person to you. If you have any other requests afterward, I will try my best to fulfill them."
"But I want to see results. The faster you give me results, the more support you will receive, possibly even beyond your expectations."
"The opposite—"
He didn't continue, the threat was obvious.
Kabuto frowned warily, while Orochimaru remained calm, not even raising an eyebrow.
"rest assured."
Orochimaru slowly began, "The research began yesterday after you left."
"The theoretical foundation and preliminary technical route are already clear."
"Now that we have suitable materials, the progress will naturally speed up."
Obito seemed to nod in satisfaction.
"Very good, I'll remember your words."
"I will come again tomorrow."
As soon as he finished speaking, the space around Obito began to distort, the light was stretched into eerie folds, and the vortex began to spin, gradually swallowing his figure.
A few breaths later.
Only the ten unconscious people and silence remained in the laboratory.
Dou slowly exhaled, only then realizing that his back was a little cold.
He turned to Orochimaru and said worriedly, "Lord Orochimaru, this masked man always appears out of nowhere in our core laboratory."
"If this continues, won't our secrets become meaningless in his eyes? Isn't this too unsafe?"
Orochimaru slowly shook his head upon hearing this.
"Kabuto, the current situation is different from when we were cooperating with Danzo."
"At least for now, we need their efficiency to advance the research."
He paused for a moment, his golden vertical pupils slightly contracting.
"Kimimaro can only hold on for another six months."
"Therefore, it is necessary to take on some manageable risks."
"Do you understand?"
Dou paused for a moment, instinctively wanting to say it was too risky, but he swallowed the words back.
He bowed his head and replied, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru. I understand."
However, the surprise in my heart could not be suppressed.
Lord Orochimaru—would he actually include the risks in his plan for Kimimaro's sake?
Orochimaru offered no explanation.
He pointed to the ten men on the ground, his voice returning to its familiar calm, and ordered, "Lock them up first, and test them according to procedure. I need the most comprehensive data."
Dou took a deep breath and immediately cleared his mind of distractions.
"yes!"
He turned around and gathered his men, opened the side door, and called over his subordinates who were on guard duty. They carried away the unconscious test subjects one by one.
The laboratory then became busy.
Orochimaru stood still, not making a move immediately.
He looked up at the spot where Obito had disappeared.
The space has returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
"Space-Time Ninjutsu —"
Orochimaru muttered to himself.
He had long heard of the convenience of the Flying Thunder God Technique.
However, the Flying Thunder God technique requires a spell mark and needs to be set up in advance.
The masked man's abilities, however, did not seem to have such limitations.
Come whenever you want.
Go whenever you want.
Excitement slowly surfaced in Orochimaru's eyes.
Danger?
Of course it's dangerous.
However, for him, danger often meant something more valuable to study and analyze.
Perhaps, while studying White Zetsu, we could also take the opportunity to study how to defend against, or even counter, this kind of space-time ninjutsu.
Time passed, and night fell.
When Orochimaru opened his eyes again, he was greeted by the familiar dimness and rows of seats extending from the depths of darkness.
"Are we the audience tonight? —"
Orochimaru sat in the soft chair and snorted in dissatisfaction.
[Ding! Orochimaru's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
Orochimaru rarely shows his emotions.
However, he did feel regret.
After all, we can no longer trace the path of another version of ourselves in our dreams today.
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the screen in front of him. He quickly composed himself and instead showed interest.
Yeah.
-
-
Since we can't get in, let's stand as bystanders and observe that world.
"Lord Orochimaru."
A respectful voice rang out.
Orochimaru looked up and saw Kabuto emerge from the darkness. He glanced at Kabuto and simply nodded slightly.
Just then, several blurry figures appeared in the audience.
The first to appear was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The moment that figure sat down, Orochimaru's expression changed slightly, a rare occurrence.
Memories surfaced uncontrollably in my mind.
[Ding! Orochimaru's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +600!]
He didn't greet me with his usual sarcastic remarks.
Instead, he subconsciously turned his head away, avoiding Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze; even he himself found this reaction stiff.
Orochimaru's gaze swept quickly over Hiruzen Sarutobi. The Third Hokage looked much older than the last time he saw him here.
It wasn't just that the wrinkles deepened; the whole person seemed to have lost all their energy.
After taking his seat, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not speak immediately, but just stared blankly at the screen.
Kabuto stood slightly behind Orochimaru, his head lowered in a subtle manner.
However, the silence was soon broken.
"Yo."
Jiraiya's teasing voice rang out.
"Isn't that Orochimaru?"
He walked up to Orochimaru and Kabuto in a few steps, a casual smile on his face, and said, "Last night's dream was quite interesting, Orochimaru."
[Ding! Jiraiya's emotional fluctuations have been detected! Emotional value +300!]
Orochimaru gave him a cold glance and didn't reply.
Jiraiya reached out as if to pat Orochimaru's shoulder, but before he could touch him, Orochimaru dodged to the side with a look of disgust.
Jiraiya wasn't embarrassed at all, and shrugged, saying, "Don't be so cold, Orochimaru."
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards Hiruzen Sarutobi. When he got closer, Jiraiya's eyes lingered on the Third Hokage's slightly haggard face. His smile faded and his voice became serious.
"teacher."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his eyes and nodded at him.
Jiraiya sat down beside him, wanting to say something, but not knowing where to begin.
In that brief silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze slowly fell on Orochimaru, who was not far away.
The master and apprentice's eyes met in mid-air.
There was no anger or hatred in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, only the calmness of an old man.
Orochimaru met his gaze for a moment, then quickly looked away.
Before the atmosphere could build further, a new figure appeared in the audience.
As Tsunade sat down, she glanced around, her gaze lingering briefly on Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi before turning to Orochimaru in the distance.
"snort."
Jiraiya awkwardly touched his nose, as if he wanted to smooth things over but was afraid of getting punched, so he could only sit up straight obediently.
Orochimaru did not look at Tsunade.
Next to appear were Nagato and Konan.
The people from Konoha clearly noticed their arrival as well.
Nagato scanned Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade one by one, as if confirming their identities.
His gaze paused for a moment when it fell on Orochimaru.
Orochimaru keenly noticed that Nagato was staring at him for a little longer than he was staring at others.
Dou subconsciously pushed up his glasses, didn't interrupt, but observed everyone's reactions.
Just then, the screen in front of me lit up.
The person appearing in the picture was actually Danzo.
On the screen, Danzo is sitting at a desk.
Orochimaru watched this scene with great interest, a glint of light flashing in his snake-like eyes.
He knew this office all too well.
The Root Organization's base, Danzo's office.
When Danzo opened his eyes again, he found himself sitting behind a large desk, surrounded by a familiar scene.
Root organization base, leader's office.
For a fleeting moment, Danzo even thought that his loss of power and imprisonment in reality were a nightmare.
He took a deep breath, a sharp glint flashing in his single eye.
came back.
-
Everything is back.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +500!]
Danzo roared inwardly, his excitement surging.
Moreover, the environment here is exactly the same as the dream I had yesterday.
In Izuna's world, the Root organization has not yet been established.
In the world where the Watergate kids are still alive, the Root organization has long been disbanded.
Only here does the root organization still exist.
well.
very good.
Danzo's gaze grew colder and colder.
The failures in reality and the humiliations of yesterday's dreams can be settled here together.
He wanted to make those guys outside who were watching the dream, especially Hiruzen Sarutobi, see clearly what Danzo Shimura was truly capable of.
He will take back what he has lost, twice as many times over, here.
He will repay the humiliation he suffered a hundredfold.
Having made up his mind, Danzo quickly got into the zone.
He straightened his back, his single eye sharp as an eagle's. The first thing he needed to do was to grasp the current situation of the Root organization.
Mobilize forces.
Then, let some people realize what true power is, and what the inviolable darkness is.
Danzo tapped the table three times, neither too hard nor too softly.
Boom, boom, boom.
The sound echoed clearly in the quiet office.
This was the code he set.
Upon hearing this, the Root members guarding the door must immediately enter the office and await instructions.
However----
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Ten seconds passed.
The office door remained firmly shut.
There were no footsteps outside the door.
Danzo's cold smile froze.
A look of astonishment and disbelief flashed across his one eye.
What happened?
The subordinate just happened to be away?
No, it's impossible.
The organization operates essentially like 007, and it is absolutely impossible for the leader's office to be unattended.
Didn't you hear me? This absurd thought was ruthlessly extinguished by Danzo.
The root members are rigorously trained and would never ignore such a clear signal.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +600!]
He increased the force and slammed the table again.
Boom!Boom!Boom!
The sound was louder than before.
After knocking, he immediately straightened up and stared intently at the door with his one eye.
Time slowly passed.
ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Half a minute.
It remained silent outside the door.
Danzo's expression shifted from astonishment to confusion, then to rage and even deeper disbelief.
good very good.
Danzo gritted his teeth inwardly.
It seems the world has changed more than he imagined.
"Orochimaru—Hiruzen Sarutobi—what on earth did you do?"
We can't sit here waiting for an answer any longer.
Danzo suddenly stood up and pushed open the office door.
Outside the door was a familiar, dark corridor, but it was completely empty.
Not only were there no guards at the entrance, but there was also no one in sight at either end of the line of sight.
There were no ninjas on duty.
Danzo's doubts grew rapidly; this was definitely not normal.
The base operates with precision and efficiency, maintaining a high state of alert and operation 24 hours a day, making it impossible for such a large-scale vacancy to occur.
Several possibilities flashed through his mind.
All personnel mobilized immediately?
A special mission?
The base was temporarily cleared out?
However, regardless of the type, there should never be no one guarding the area outside the leader's office.
Danzo took a deep breath, calmed himself down, tapped his cane on the ground, and began to inspect the base as he walked along the corridor.
The areas that should have been guarded were now all closed or ajar, and the interiors were pitch black.
He pushed open the door to a training room.
The target inside was still standing, and the bandaged knife handle was still on the shelf, but no one paid any attention to it.
He then walked past the interrogation room.
The iron chair is still there, but it's empty and eerily quiet.
The further he went, the heavier Danzo's heart became.
An unnatural silence filled the air. Could it be that something big happened today?
Just as his doubts reached their peak, a series of slightly hurried footsteps broke the silence of the base from around the corner of the corridor not far away.
Danzo's spirits lifted, and he immediately quickened his pace, approaching the corner to see who it was.
He stopped at the corner, his body tense, ready to appear.
However, before he could take a step, a figure suddenly rushed out from the other side of the corner, head down, carrying a large stack of shaky documents in his arms.
They were about to collide.
Danzo's eyes flashed with disdain. He moved his feet slightly and slid half a step to the side, avoiding the attack cleanly and neatly.
He didn't even let the other person touch the hem of his clothes.
However, the guy carrying the documents wasn't so lucky.
The other party clearly did not expect anyone to be around the corner. The moment they saw Danzo, they were startled and stumbled.
"Ouch!"
A disheveled cry rang out in the corridor as the young man lost his balance, the documents in his arms scattering and covering the nearby floor.
He himself fell hard on his backside, landing squarely in a pile of scattered documents.
"I'm so sorry!"
"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!"
"terribly sorry!"
The young ninja panicked, his voice trembling and his face pale. He didn't even have time to cry out in pain. He scrambled to his feet and immediately squatted down to pick up the documents, his movements clumsy and ridiculous. Several times he picked them up only to drop them again.
Danzo stood to the side, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
He looked the disheveled young man up and down.
He was in his early twenties, wearing the standard uniform of the Root organization, without a mask on his face, and his eyes were filled with tension and panic.
Judging from his attire, he is indeed a member of the Roots.
But this kind of behavior—
Danzo instinctively offered his judgment.
Poor skills, unstable lower body, slow reaction, poor balance, lacks even the most basic stealth and alertness, panics in the face of danger, and has no composure whatsoever.
What we need are efficient and precise tools, not these useless tools that panic at the first sign of trouble.
More importantly, during the eerily empty moment at the base, the only member who appeared turned out to be this kind of person.
A surge of anger rose within Danzo.
Yesterday, he was still humiliated in his dream by Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi, and he was thinking about coming back to regroup and get revenge.
And now?
The headquarters had become a ghost town, and the only subordinate they encountered was a piece of trash.
[Ding! Emotional fluctuations from Shimura Danzo have been detected! Emotional value +1000!]
"In the base of the roots—"
With a cold expression, he slowly spoke, looking down at the young man who was still frantically picking up documents, and questioned, "Why would I allow trash like you to exist?"
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