By noon the next day, the formal meeting had arrived. Naturally, it wasn't held in the Hokage's office—it was far too small for such an event. Konoha had a designated hall specifically for diplomatic discussions.
In the center of the hall, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, extended a friendly handshake to the envoy leader, who was, unbeknownst to all, Orochimaru in disguise. They then sat adjacent to one another. The remaining members of Konoha's delegation and the envoy's group followed suit, sitting in orderly rows on their respective sides.
"Hokage-sama, do you have anything to say about your recent defeat?" Orochimaru's tone was sharp and unyielding, catching the Konoha side off guard. For a noble to speak so disrespectfully to the Hokage was unheard of. Could it be an indirect message from the Daimyo, expressing dissatisfaction with Konoha?
Hiruzen sighed bitterly, his weariness palpable. "The responsibility for this defeat lies squarely on me as Hokage. I have no excuses."
Watching his old teacher, once a revered hero of the shinobi world, now so meek and seemingly spineless, filled Orochimaru with both anger and an unshakable sadness.
The passage of time was the world's greatest tragedy—watching life wither and fade.
"What action does Konoha plan to take next?" Orochimaru pressed on relentlessly.
Konoha's shinobi exchanged uncertain glances. Wasn't the envoy supposed to discuss funding for reconstruction? Why were they broaching such sensitive topics?
Hiruzen, though perplexed, answered honestly, "We'll focus on comforting the families of fallen shinobi and the general populace."
"Of course, we'll also enhance our training programs for the next generation of ninja to ensure this doesn't happen again."
Orochimaru's hands clenched involuntarily at the evasive answer.
"So, Konoha doesn't intend to retaliate?"
"Retaliate?" Hiruzen echoed, momentarily stunned. The word felt antiquated, a relic from a more violent time.
"That would be unwise," he replied. "If Konoha were to mobilize, the other four great villages would likely follow suit, plunging us all into another Shinobi World War."
"Then you're content to let others trample all over Konoha?" Orochimaru's voice rose, thick with mockery and disdain.
Even the most oblivious among Konoha's shinobi began to sense something was off. This envoy's demeanor was far too aggressive, unlike anything they'd encountered from the Daimyo.
"Hokage-sama! Watch out!"
Suddenly, a swarm of Anbu and other shinobi appeared, surrounding the hall. Yet, they hesitated, for Orochimaru's next move held them in check—he had a kunai pressed against Hiruzen's throat, an oppressive and malevolent aura radiating from him.
That cold, serpentine feeling—it was all too familiar.
"Is it you, Orochimaru?" Hiruzen asked calmly, though the man before him still wore the envoy's guise. He was certain of the identity.
Orochimaru didn't bother maintaining the facade. His long tongue slid out, leaving a trail of slick saliva.
"Sarutobi-sensei, you've grown old."
"Allow me to send you to meet the previous Hokage today!"
The name Orochimaru echoed through the room, filling the Konoha shinobi with dread. Once a trusted ally, his name now carried the weight of a nightmare. Any one of the Sannin had once been powerful enough to contend with a village's Kage during the Shinobi World Wars.
If not for Konoha's overwhelming strength at the time, any one of the Sannin could have easily risen as a Kage elsewhere.
"Let's catch up properly, Sensei," Orochimaru sneered, dragging Hiruzen upward as they broke through the ceiling and ascended to the rooftop.
"Protect Hokage-sama!" shouted one shinobi, rallying the others to action despite the overwhelming fear.
"Heh," came a derisive laugh. "Your opponents are right here!"
A massive red scythe, its long chain glinting ominously, blocked their path. The wielder, Hidan, couldn't suppress his excitement as he dispelled his transformation jutsu, eager to indulge in the carnage.
"Tiger! Fox!" barked a captain. "Your squads handle this! The rest of you, follow me to assist Lord Hokage!"
Before they could move, an intense wave of fire roared toward them.
"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"
The flames were the work of Kakuzu, who had also dropped his disguise, standing ready to block their advance.
Elsewhere, several of Orochimaru's experimental subjects—nameless figures from the original timeline—raced toward the rooftop, leaving destruction in their wake.
"Four Violet Flames Formation!"
The familiar barrier jutsu sprang to life, enclosing Orochimaru and Hiruzen in a space for their duel.
Meanwhile, Deidara and Sasori exchanged a glance. They couldn't risk being discovered just yet, any knowledge of Amegakure's involvement in the plan would be disastrous. For now, they settled for low-profile acts of sabotage.
"Hey, Kakuzu, Hidan," Deidara called out, glancing back at the two, who were enjoying their brawl.
"Two things:
"One, don't provoke the guy in the green spandex."
"Two, under no circumstances should you strip off your clothes!"
Hidan scowled. "What the hell kind of nonsense is that? He's even crazier than me, and I worship a god!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
By the time Deidara and Sasori exited the meeting hall, Konoha was already in chaos. Smoke billowed everywhere—not from Deidara's explosives, but from Orochimaru's pre-arranged forces and a summoned serpent from Ryūchi Cave rampaging through the village.
"What's your plan now, Sasori?" Deidara asked.
"I'm collecting shinobi with kekkei genkai," Sasori replied curtly.
"Alright, we'll go our separate ways. Just don't mess this up." Deidara smirked.
"Tch. You're the one prone to screwups," Sasori retorted. "I'm more… thorough."
"True." Deidara scratched his head, looking faintly annoyed. "Well, if I die and get caught, just tell Orochimaru to use Edo Tensei on me. I've got a big secret to share with him."
Sasori rolled his eyes. "Fine."
As they parted ways, Deidara's first target was the Aburame clan's insect-controlling secrets. Naruto and Sasuke? Not his problem. Those two were undoubtedly under heavy protection anyway, far out of his reach.
Wait… how do I get to the Aburame compound again?
Deidara stopped to consider, but a sudden hiss broke his thoughts.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Dozens of serpents shot toward him from the sleeve of a furious Anko Mitarashi.
This level of attack? Child's play for Deidara. He didn't even need explosives to deal with someone like her.
"Oh, it's you, little girl! Didn't I give you 70,000 ryo last night? Turning on me already? That's cold," Deidara quipped, his tone teasing.
"Shut up! You invaders—I'll kill every last one of you!" Anko snarled, her eyes burning with determination.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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