Kabuto's intelligence sent Danzo into deep contemplation.
At his level, his personal interests and those of the village had long diverged. Sometimes, sacrificing the village's interests could yield personal gains.
This was one such opportunity!
Currently, he and his ostensibly disbanded Root had been cornered by the Third Hokage. Especially with Jiraiya and Tsunade's return, his influence had plummeted.
He even sensed that he'd been excluded from the village's highest decision-making circle.
This was why Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, who had long supported the Third, were increasingly aligning with him.
The forces that once balanced the Third's power had gradually lost their leverage due to Jiraiya and Tsunade's return, Yakumo's emergence, Naruto's growth, and other factors.
And this imbalance was only worsening.
If Danzo couldn't turn the tide quickly, his influence among the village's leadership would continue to wane. After all, he wasn't young, and time was not on his side.
To reverse this imbalance, the most effective and direct method was to successfully capture an Akatsuki member.
With his mind made up, Danzo waved a hand.
Swish.
A Root shinobi appeared before him. "Lord Danzo, your orders?"
Danzo leaned on his cane. "Mobilize all forces!"
"Yes!"
Without question or hesitation, the Root shinobi acknowledged the order and vanished.
In the blink of an eye, the day of Shinji's meeting with Orochimaru arrived.
Evening.
The forest.
Orochimaru arrived early at the meeting spot, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, exuding nonchalance.
Swish.
With a gust of wind, Kabuto landed before him, whispering, "Lord Orochimaru, Danzo's men are all in position!"
"Understood," Orochimaru replied with a smile. As he'd predicted, Danzo hadn't reported the intelligence to the village, opting instead for a covert operation.
Kabuto asked, "Lord Orochimaru, shouldn't we warn Kimimaro?"
"No need!" Orochimaru waved dismissively. "Go."
Kabuto, aware that staying was dangerous, nodded and vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.
After Kabuto left, Orochimaru crouched slightly, touching the ground with two fingers to sense his surroundings. A faint smirk curled his lips. "It seems Danzo's invested heavily to capture 'A'!"
He detected at least seven or eight chakra signatures nearby, and that likely wasn't Danzo's full force.
Standing, Orochimaru crossed his arms again, thinking, "The Akatsuki's 'A' is no Shisui Uchiha!"
Danzo did have a track record of successfully ambushing a Mangekyo Uchiha, but this time, Orochimaru wasn't optimistic about his chances.
Of course, while Orochimaru intended to use Danzo to test 'A's sincerity, if Danzo managed to severely wound 'A,' he wouldn't mind stepping in. After all, 'A's Mangekyo Sharingan was a treasure he coveted.
Time ticked by.
The sun dipped below the horizon, plunging the forest into darkness.
Orochimaru showed no impatience, maintaining his composed demeanor.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from the shadows in the distance.
Orochimaru's expression shifted, his crossed arms slowly lowering.
A figure emerged from the shadows, and Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly. The figure wore a hooded red-cloud cloak and a mask.
"'A'…"
Orochimaru confirmed the identity.
Among this masked Akatsuki faction, only 'A' favored a cat-face mask. 'B' typically wore a fox mask, 'C' a dog mask, and the recently emerged 'D' donned a peculiar Hannya demon mask.
Thus, masks were a key way to distinguish these Akatsuki members.
Orochimaru subtly glanced around, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
Catching this, Shinji, approaching slowly, said, "You seem to be expecting something."
Boom, boom, boom.
Before Orochimaru could respond, explosions erupted nearby, mingled with faint roars and cries.
Clearly, a fierce battle had broken out!
Orochimaru grew wary, fearing 'A' might attack, but 'A' seemed oblivious to the nearby conflict. So, he asked, "What's the purpose of this meeting?"
Shinji replied calmly, "Cooperation."
"Oh?" Orochimaru's interest piqued. "Cooperation regarding what?"
"I admire Kimimaro and want to recruit him into the Akatsuki." Shinji paused, shaking his head with feigned regret. "Unfortunately, he's ill—gravely so. Even I'm not entirely confident I can save him."
Orochimaru snorted. "That excuse won't convince me! And aren't you worried Pain will hold you accountable for cooperating with me?"
Shinji chuckled lightly. "Do you think I need to care about his opinion?"
Boom, boom.
The nearby battle raged on, punctuated by occasional explosions and flashes of fire that lit the night sky intermittently.
Under this flickering light, Orochimaru stared intently at Shinji, finally asking a question that had long burned in his mind. "Who exactly are you?"
Shinji remained unfazed. "You don't need to know who I am. You only need to consider my proposal."
Orochimaru pressed, "So, what's the cooperation about? Treating Kimimaro? Is he worth all this effort?"
Without hesitation, Shinji replied, "Worth it!"
Orochimaru suddenly realized that Kimimaro's value to 'A' might be greater than he'd previously thought.
At that moment, the surrounding chaos subsided, the intense battle seemingly over.
If Orochimaru had held any hope for Danzo's ambush before, he now abandoned it entirely.
Moments later, more footsteps approached.
Orochimaru looked toward the sound and saw none other than the Akatsuki's 'B,' clad in a hooded red-cloud cloak and a fox mask.
The sight of 'B' instantly put Orochimaru on edge, even more so than 'A's presence.
He had witnessed firsthand the terrifying might of 'B's complete Susanoo looming over the Hidden Leaf not long ago, so he knew just how formidable 'B' was.
But to his surprise, 'B' didn't stand as an equal. Instead, they took a subservient position behind 'A.'
Then, from the opposite side of the forest, a spiritual figure in Akatsuki garb drifted forward.
"'D'…"
Orochimaru's expression grew darker.
This 'D' had recently humiliated him, a Sannin, by instantly ensnaring him in genjutsu!
And just when he was most wary of 'D,' they, like 'B,' obediently took their place behind 'A.'