*"I, Orochimaru, still hold value. Even if you expose me, I'll walk away unscathed. At most, I'll face some questioning—nothing that truly matters.
"But you, Danzo… you're worthless now."*
Orochimaru waved his hand dismissively, his tone sharp as a blade.
"That boy is mine. Everything else is yours. I've lost interest in further research."
He turned to leave.
Danzo roared in frustration.
"Impossible!!!
"Orochimaru, you had better hand over what belongs to me!"
After countless experiments, costing the lives of so many, they had finally produced one viable subject. And now, Orochimaru wanted to claim it for himself?
"Feel free to try taking him back by force."
With a cold laugh, Orochimaru strode away without looking back.
Danzo's fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead and neck. His subordinates' hands hovered over their weapons, ready to attack at his command.
Damn it! Damn it!!!
Danzo's face turned ashen with rage, and his cane creaked under the pressure of his grip.
He wanted to act, to take Orochimaru down right then and there, but deep down, he knew better. Even with his men, he wasn't confident they could defeat Orochimaru.
And as for capturing him? That was a pipe dream.
Danzo understood all too well how strong Orochimaru truly was.
Even though Orochimaru had taken the experimental subject, Danzo couldn't afford to openly retaliate.
Cowardice? Fear of failure?
Smirking faintly, Orochimaru disappeared into the forest.
Danzo's belongings held no appeal for him.
After the chain of events that had forced his hand, Danzo was left with no people, no funding, and almost nothing of value in his labs. The boy was the only exception.
Even Senju Hashirama's cells no longer interested Orochimaru.
Why waste time researching Hashirama's cells when studying Wood Release directly is far more productive?
As for the experimental subject—a child who couldn't even control a flower—what value could he possibly offer?
"Let's go!"
In the end, Danzo chose to back down.
It's just one experiment. If it succeeded once, it can succeed again—albeit at the cost of more sacrifices.
Outside Konoha, Danzo could acquire funds and gather new test subjects without the need to skulk in shadows as he had within the village.
Escaping Konoha wasn't the outcome Danzo had desired, but circumstances forced his hand.
Glancing back toward the village, he let out a cold snort.
"I will return someday!"
The former Hokage advisor, Shimura Danzo, had escaped!
The news couldn't be contained. Once the prison was stabilized, word spread like wildfire, leaving all of Konoha in shock.
To most people, especially shinobi, Danzo had always been a lofty figure of power. That such a man could escape from prison was almost inconceivable.
Wait—how had someone of his stature even ended up in prison in the first place?
The situation made no sense.
Having a high-ranking official imprisoned was already shameful, which was why the matter hadn't been made public.
But now, with Danzo's escape, everything had come to light.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much dirt to uncover.
Before the Third Hokage could return, the news had spread completely. At this point, even with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado working to suppress it, they had no choice but to issue a wanted notice and bounty.
The announcements sent waves through Konoha, sparking widespread uproar.
The Uchiha clan was particularly impacted.
To them, Danzo was the ultimate adversary, the number one figure who had targeted their clan for years.
Now, this hated figure had not only been imprisoned but had escaped.
Many in the Uchiha found it unbelievable.
But as the shock wore off, it was replaced with delight.
If Danzo, the leading opponent of the Uchiha, was gone, didn't that mean the clan's future would be less troubled?
Under the clan leader's orders, the Uchiha elders and several jonin convened an emergency meeting.
Everyone of significant status or strength was present, except for Uchiha Mikoto.
Having Takuya as her ally, Mikoto never got involved in such matters.
While there were some dissenting voices within the clan regarding her, Fugaku had quashed them.
Mikoto was destined to leave the Uchiha, perhaps even changing her surname. There was no point antagonizing Takuya over a woman.
With the village leadership already hostile toward them, the last thing the Uchiha needed was additional enemies—especially not someone as influential as Takuya, backed by Tsunade and Konoha's younger generation of powerhouses.
In the dimly lit underground meeting room within the Uchiha shrine, the clan's leaders had gathered.
Fugaku Uchiha, the clan head, sat at the central seat of honor.
To his left and right were the clan elders and the most powerful elite jonin.
Those of lower rank sat farther down, and those without seats stood at the back.
For the Uchiha, strength mattered more than seniority. The stronger you were, the more benefits and respect you earned.
The room buzzed with murmured discussions about Danzo's escape.
"Everyone!"
Fugaku's voice rang out, silencing the room as all eyes turned to him.
Once he had the attention of his clan, Fugaku spoke with a grave expression.
"As you all know, Shimura Danzo, the primary antagonist against our Uchiha clan, escaped from Konoha's prison earlier today and has fled the village."
"As your clan leader, I've called this emergency meeting because I believe Danzo's escape signals a turning point—a chance for the Uchiha to rise and reclaim their rightful place."
The room erupted in murmurs of shock.
Fugaku rarely made such statements. He typically remained neutral, allowing the hawks and doves within the clan to debate freely without showing favoritism.
"Clan head, are you saying the Uchiha should aim for the center of the village's power?"
One of the hawkish elders stood up, his excitement evident.
What nonsense.
Fugaku nearly rolled his eyes.
"Ridiculous!
"The Uchiha's priority isn't to seize power—it's to eliminate the village's surveillance and distrust of us. Only then can we coexist peacefully with the village!"
Hearing such dangerous words from the hawkish elder, one of the doves immediately stood to refute him.
"You're spouting nonsense! Only by entering the village's power center can the Uchiha avoid being ostracized."
"Old fool, you—"
As the two sides bickered, their faces red with anger and their voices rising, Fugaku could hardly contain his frustration.
"Enough!!!!"
He slammed the table, his voice silencing the room.
"Look at yourselves."
Fugaku's face darkened as he glared at the elders.
"You're squabbling like children. Have some dignity!"
The younger jonin exchanged awkward glances. While arguments between the elders were common, seeing them come close to blows was a first.
After scolding the elders, Fugaku sighed heavily and raised his hand to explain.
"Gaining a foothold in the power center is indeed a goal for the Uchiha. As one of Konoha's great clans, we must aspire to compete for the position of Hokage."
The hawks smiled at his words.
But Fugaku quickly continued.
"However, the precondition for entering the power center is that the leadership must be willing to accept us. Without that, we can't even begin to eliminate the surveillance and hostility directed at us."
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to 50+ Chapter at Patreon com/ Emik01.