Naruto: The Tale of an Otsutsuki

When Kirito and TenTen returned to Konoha Village, the storm caused by Orochimaru's prison break had subsided.

Contrary to Kirito's imagination, Konoha Village was not completely destroyed like during the "Konoha Collapse Project" two years ago.

The only areas that suffered complete destruction were the surroundings of Orochimaru and Sasuke's prison, as well as a suburban area where Orochimaru's subordinates retreated from.

"The battle looks to have been intense," Kirito said, observing the battlefield from a distance through his Byakugan.

Most of the houses had collapsed, scorch marks from various explosions marred the landscape, the ground was crystallized in some areas, and signs of ninjutsu damage were everywhere.

"Yeah, if Kakashi and Naruto hadn't happened to be in the village, the consequences would have been disastrous," Tsunade remarked, sipping tea.

"Lady Tsunade, you don't seem to be in much of a hurry..."

Though Tsunade had used emergency contact methods to summon them back, Kirito couldn't help but feel his worries were in vain upon seeing her casually drinking tea in the Hokage's office.

Tsunade finished her tea in one gulp and firmly placed the cup on the table.

Boom! She then slammed her fist on the solid table, scattering documents and teacups everywhere.

"Ah—!" Tsunade's sudden outburst startled Shizune, who stood nearby.

Gritting her teeth, Tsunade said, "What else can I do but drink tea now that everything's already happened? Orochimaru's detention location was an absolute secret, known only to a few. How did they find it so precisely? Someone must have leaked the information!"

Kirito flipped through the report and noted, "It mentions that 'Root' may have been involved. It seems likely they leaked the secret."

"I bet it's that old fox Danzo!" Tsunade snapped, biting her nails. "Now that sly old man is nowhere to be found, and he hasn't even offered an explanation!"

"I'm curious, Lady Tsunade—don't you despise Danzo? Why not just lock him up?" Kirito asked, exasperated.

Tsunade sighed. "It's not that simple. Those two old geezers in the village council always protect him, and I can't act without solid grounds."

She continued, "This is why I need someone like you to assist me and eventually take over as Hokage. With your strength, no one would dare oppose you. Oh, how I'd love to see the looks on those old men's faces!"

Hearing this, Shizune quickly interjected, whispering, "Lady Tsunade, please keep your voice down—it's broad daylight."

Tsunade slumped back in her chair, gesturing toward Shizune and Kirito. "See? This is the kind of nonsense I have to deal with just to get rid of Danzo!"

"Ah..." Shizune could only sigh in resignation.

As Kirito continued reading the report, Tsunade remarked, "I never expected Orochimaru to have such strong subordinates. I thought his forces would have dissolved after his capture."

"The leader appears to have been Yakushi Kabuto," Kirito noted, analyzing the details. "There was someone who could transform into a monster, another who could turn entirely into water, and a woman with the rare ability to use Crystal Release."

[Good grief, it seems Kabuto gathered Orochimaru's elites from the original story.]

"Those subordinates were indeed troublesome," Tsunade said. "Kakashi fought the woman with Crystal Release and concluded her strength rivaled Orochimaru's. Even Yamato's Wood Release couldn't subdue the one who transformed into a monster."

At the end of the report, Kirito noticed a peculiar detail. "It says here that Orochimaru died. But Kabuto and the others succeeded in freeing him, didn't they? How did Orochimaru end up dead?"

The report didn't explain Orochimaru's death, so Kirito turned to Tsunade for clarification.

"According to witnesses, after rescuing Orochimaru, Kabuto and the others went to the cell where Sasuke was being held," Tsunade explained. "Orochimaru died mysteriously inside Sasuke's cell. When the Konoha ninja arrived, they found only Sasuke and a white phosphorous snake beside him."

Tsunade paused, visibly saddened. Despite their differences, the death of Orochimaru—a fellow member of the "Three Legendary Sannin"—weighed heavily on her.

Kirito placed the report back on the desk and said, "But didn't Orochimaru possess the 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' technique? Couldn't he have used it to take over Sasuke's body?"

Tsunade nodded. "We considered that, so the Yamanaka clan confirmed Sasuke's true identity with their secret techniques."

"What if it's the other way around?" Kirito suggested. "What if Sasuke used that technique to take Orochimaru's power?"

"You're saying Sasuke suppressed Orochimaru and stole his power?" Tsunade asked, surprised.

"Exactly," Kirito replied confidently.

Tsunade leaned forward, deep in thought. "It's unlikely... but it's not impossible. Fine. I'm assigning you to investigate Orochimaru's death."

"Understood," Kirito agreed, though he was curious. "Why hasn't the village investigated this until now?"

This time, Shizune responded. "After the attack, Lady Tsunade prioritized rooting out Orochimaru's spies within the village. She wanted to be thorough before addressing anything else."

Tsunade added, "This incident is the perfect opportunity to clean house."

"I see," Kirito said. He understood Tsunade's perspective but wasn't particularly interested in her internal politics. He was more curious to see how Sasuke had changed since the incident.

(End of Chapter)

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