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Chapter 375 - Battle: Orochimaru & Danzo
🕑 Added 2025-02-11 11:34:41 +0000 UTCWith Orochimaru.
A chill wind swept over the rocky plateau, whipping dust and tiny pebbles around the two shinobi locked in a tense standoff.
Danzo stood with a stoic expression as he gazed at the enemy.
“You…” The revelation had thrown the Snake Sannin off balance. Danzo was one of the last people he expected to encounter. ‘Why is he here? I thought he'd be busy trying to take advantage of this situation in the village.’
“Did you really think you could hide your schemes forever?” Danzo’s words were dripping with contempt. ‘I’ve shaken him but only for a moment. He’s already planning his next move.’
As the former Root leader expected, Orochimaru quickly regained his composure and a sly smile formed on his face. “So,” he murmured, letting a small, crooked smile form across his lips, “it really is you, Danzo. This is quite a twist. I have to admit. I didn't see this coming.”
“You seem surprised.”
Orochimaru chuckled, his golden eyes narrowed slightly. “Surprised, yes. But not unprepared. How curious to see you here. I never would have guessed you had the nerve to venture out of your hole… Or the cunning to disguise yourself as that Genin.” He chuckled softly. “How did you do it? And more importantly, why?”
Danzo folded his real arm behind his back, letting the synthetic one rest easily at his side. “I came for Tsunade… but also to end the threat you pose to the village. Nothing more needs to be said.” His single visible eye slid over Orochimaru’s face and read the subtle tension in his posture.
The Sannin snorted in disdain. “You, of all people, playing the selfless rescuer? Please. Don't make me laugh.”
He put on a calm face but his mind was running a mile a minute. He had already deduced the identity of the people inside his base.
‘It seems I was wrong in my judgement. There are already intruders near Tsunade. If Kakashi is here then that means the village already knows this location. So then aside from Danzo and Kakashi, there is also Daichi, Jiraiya and possibly the Second Hokage. Maybe even more. But at the very least those three would be here. But I need to be sure. There could be more waiting but I don't sense anyone else near here.’
‘If it really is Jiraiya and Lord Tobirama near Tsunade then I need to be careful.’ The smile on Orochimaru’s face vanished and a dangerous intent began to form around him. ‘How did they even get to this location? I need to know what they know. After that I can summon Tsunade and escape from here.’
Orochimaru exhaled a theatrical sigh. “After all the trouble I went through to keep this base a secret. And you still got here. I'm curious Danzo, are you here with Sarutobi sensei’s blessing? Or did you sneak off like the old snake you are, hoping to seize some advantage while your dear village is in disarray?”
‘Him of all people, calling me a snake.’ Danzo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the enemy. “Your poor attempt at gaining information is pathetic, Orochimaru. I thought Hiruzen taught you better.” ‘I need to buy time for them to save Tsunade and take her away… Hmm… It seems I'll have to indulge him to keep his attention on me for a bit longer.’
“Does that mean you're not going to tell me?”
Danzo’s face showed no emotion. But after a few moments of silence, he replied. “We found you because we discovered your connection to the Finance Minister. Unusual cargo imports from around the world. Disappearing shipments. You might have thought you were clever, but there were people who knew where they were going. I know far more about your plans than you think.”
Orochimaru raised a brow, though his smile didn’t waver. “Oh? And what exactly do you think you know?”
“I know you’ve been using the minister from the start,” Danzo shot back. “Convincing him to funnel resources and transport shipments under the guise of fulfilling his ambitions. Offering him what he wants and letting him think he has a choice. Quite smart.”
“Thank you.”
“And your second target, the Intelligence Minister and his territory. They were nothing more than two puppets tangled in your strings and used to start a war.”
“It seems you've uncovered a lot more than I expected.” The Sannin’s eyes held a dangerous glint. “It’s surprising considering the measures I took to keep this a secret.”
Danzo crossed his arms and looked at the former Leaf ninja with disdain. “You underestimated us, Orochimaru. Do you really believe this plan of yours will succeed? The risk of starting a war with the village over Tsunade’s bloodline was utterly foolish.”
Orochimaru made a languid gesture with one pale hand. “Hahaha… War with the Leaf village is only just a means to an end… and a diversion. My focus, as you well know, is collecting valuable DNA and harnessing new power. The Land of Earth’s ministers merely provided resources and enough chaos to keep the rest of the world off-balance. If the war truly escalates, then that would be an interesting stage for me to gather more data. And Danzo, you should know… Lord Hashirama’s power is a valuable tool for anyone.”
Danzo clenched the synthetic fist and he frowned. “You might fool the Finance Minister with sweet talk about overthrowing the Daimyo and giving him power, but I know better. The moment he ceases to be useful, you’d replace him or eliminate him quietly. And the Intelligence Minister—once his involvement was no longer necessary, you’d have enough blackmail material to ruin him or forcibly recruit him. With the Senju bloodline, the Finance Minister’s resources, and blackmail material on the Intelligence Minister, you’d have everything you’d need to carve your own empire. That’s your style.”
Orochimaru’s lips curled in approval and a second later he laughed. The sinister sounds echoed through the barren rocks. “Bravo, Danzo. I have to applaud your intellect. Your deductions are sharp, as expected of the man who once held Leaf’s secrets in the palm of his hand. But it’s a pity your brilliance didn’t extend to the affairs of your own Root. It’s almost tragic how many resources you wasted chasing your own tail.”
Danzo tensed hearing those words, and Orochimaru’s smile widened. “Oh, yes. Did you think I wouldn’t notice your little spies infiltrating my operations? I found them, Danzo. One of your men turned out to be quite… suggestible. He gave me plenty of amusement. And do you know what I did?”
The old man was silent as he stared into the serpentine eyes.
The Snake Sannin chuckled as he felt the man's anger. “I fed them just enough truth to keep you convinced that they were reliable, all the while feeding you lies. I knew you’d bite the bait. And you did. I made you believe you were ahead, that your information was valuable, while I orchestrated my plans right under your nose. I had your little minions pass along worthless leads designed to push you into conflict with the Third Hokage. But it seems that plan has failed.”
Orochimaru leaned closer, his serpentine grin mocking. “But still, tell me, Danzo. How does it feel to realize you were outplayed?”
Danzo’s brow furrowed, a muscle in his jaw twitching. ‘So it’s true he used my agents to feed me deliberate misinformation.’ “I suspected that you were behind some of the more dubious intelligence, but not to this extent. You aimed to keep Hiruzen and me at each other’s throats while you enacted your plans here… Those seven bases. You wanted me to know about them. You knew Hiruzen would come to me for help with finding you…”
The Snake Sannin nodded with a malicious grin. “Yes. They were decoys to keep sensei’s forces busy and bait for you. I was counting on you to start a power struggle in the village. I had even hoped for a civil war. But alas, that doesn't seem to be the case... So yes, seeing you here, it was a surprise. I thought you'd be in the middle of launching a coup right now.”
A tremor of rage rippled through Danzo’s shoulders. He recalled the dead leads, the circular missions that led nowhere, precious Root operatives lost in fruitless hunts. ‘This bastard. He played me. And like a novice fool I fell for it.’
“You were always a snake, Orochimaru, slithering and scheming. But don’t think I didn’t learn from my mistakes. You fooled me once but there won't be a second time.” Danzo’s voice was grim and his chakra began to swirl ominously.
“We’ll see about that.” Orochimaru tilted his head, his amusement undiminished. He felt Danzo charging his chakra. ‘It seems that's all the information I'm going to get from him. Well, no matter. Once I deal with him, I'll take Tsunade and leave here.’
The elder of the Leaf had a mocking sneer on his face as he readied for his attack. But he launched one last mental attack against Orochimaru, hoping to gain even the smallest advantage. “You think you're capable of waging war with the Leaf village? Even after months of preparations, even after hiding in a corner in a hostile nation, we still found you in a matter of days. Even after being part of the village for decades, you still underestimated us. You're going to die here, Orochimaru.”
A low chuckle rumbled from Orochimaru’s throat. “Big words from the elder who was always overshadowed by Sarutobi sensei. Didn’t you yourself once want the seat of Hokage, Danzo? Strange how you posture as a hero now. Are you sure you aren’t just here to take Tsunade for your own schemes?”
Danzo’s eye flashed with anger, but his voice remained icy. “If you think this is about personal ambition, you’re mistaken. The Leaf won’t stand for you abducting Tsunade and Shizune, nor your meddling in other nation’ affairs to cause a war. The difference is, I’m willing to act immediately, without the moral hesitations that hamper Hiruzen or those others.”
“Mmm,” Orochimaru purred, “Indeed, you always had more… pragmatic methods. But let’s not pretend you’re some gallant savior. You’d kill thousands in the name of protecting the village, just as I’d sacrifice them in the name of my research. We’re not so different, Danzo.”
“You're a fool if you think we're the same. And I told you, you're not leaving here alive, Orochimaru!”
Orochimaru dipped his head, eyes half-lidded. “Do you think you can stop me now?” He flicked his right wrist, summoning a short sword from a swirl of snakes. “I’d love to see you try.”
Danzo slid his feet apart, adopting a measured stance. He raised the synthetic arm slightly, letting the faint moonlight glint off its surface. “You have no idea the lengths I’ll go to. You and your illusions of grandeur will end here, or at the least you’ll crawl away from this place only half-alive.”
Both moved almost simultaneously and the air between them exploded with tension and killing intent. Danzo leapt back, forming quick seals, while Orochimaru surged forward towards him.
The Snake Sannin took a closer look at Danzo’s prosthetic arm and noticed that it was different from the one he created. ‘That arm is not the one I grafted onto him. I can feel the First Hokage’s cells but their power is much weaker. And they don't have Sharingan. So that's why I couldn't activate any of the seals I've hidden. Either Sarutobi sensei found and destroyed that arm or Danzo is being extremely cautious.’
Danzo swiftly completed his seals and spat out several invisible attacks.
‘Wind style - Vacuum Bullets.’
Seven tiny air bullets targeted Orochimaru’s vital areas. But the Snake Sannin showed his impressive sword skills and parried each bullet and changed its trajectory in fluid motion as he moved forward.
The vacuum bullets hit the rocks and boulders on the sides of Orochimaru’s path and destroyed them but neither shinobi paid it any additional attention.
The Sannin increased his speed and came near his enemy. The moonlight reflected on the sword as Orochimaru’s blade slashed toward Danzo’s midsection.
Danzo smoothly pivoted and dodged. A moment later his synthetic arm snapped up to parry with a wind chakra enhanced kunai.
A clang rang through the crisp night air, sending sparks skittering across the stone.
“A decent reflex,” Orochimaru murmured in mild amusement. He twisted his blade free, aiming a follow-up slash at Danzo’s flank.
Danzo’s expression remained stony. With impeccable timing, he formed a single seal with his real hand.
He conjured a gust of wind-natured chakra around his synthetic forearm to increase his arm strength. The wind increased the sharpness and power of the arm and met Orochimaru’s slash mid-air.
Wind nature chakra collided with steel in a brutal clash.
Orochimaru hissed, forced to sidestep. He pivoted swiftly, flicking a serpent from his sleeve that snapped fangs at Danzo’s face. Danzo twisted aside, slapping the snake’s head away, then delivered a firm stomp to the ground, sending a localized quake trying to unbalance Orochimaru’s footing.
The Sannin chuckled under his breath. “Danzo, Danzo… So prepared, so desperate.” His eyes shone with a wicked glint. “This will be entertaining.”
Hearing the mocking words, the elder of the hidden Leaf snarled in anger. “You're going to regret those words boy.”
Orochimaru’s grin widened. “Then by all means, make me.”
Danzo wove seals in mere moments and breathed in a large amount of air. Orochimaru recognized the seals Danzo used and braced himself.
“Wind style - Great Breakthrough.” Danzo exhaled a powerful current of air in Orochimaru’s direction.
The strong wind kicked up a large amount of dust and destroyed several large boulders as it quickly made its way to its target.
Orochimaru used substitution jutsu and escaped just before the attack hit but suddenly had to dodge several shuriken coated with Wind Chakra coming his way. His keen senses picked up where the shuriken were coming from and rushed toward Danzo’s position.
As the old Root commander was about to launch another wave of shuriken, he sensed Orochimaru coming and quickly raised his kunai to defend himself.
The Kusanagi sword and Danzo’s kunai clashed, sending sparks into the air. They were in a stalemate for only about a second before Orochimaru parried and broke through his opponent’s defense.
Danzo tilted his body to evade but the Snake Sannin twisted his wrist and changed the path of the sword.
With one well-timed move, he stabbed Danzo through the shoulder.
“Got you.” Orochimaru grinned.
“Not really.” Danzo scoffed and grabbed his enemy’s neck and arm. Danzo held the Sannin in place while he tried to break free. The next moment, Danzo’s body turned to mud and multiple explosive tags appeared on his chest.
Orochimaru’s eyes widened. “You-”
BOOMM!!
A large explosion rocked the area as the real Danzo hid behind a giant boulder several dozen meters away.
He took several large breaths of air and felt tremors and pain radiating throughout his body. He knew one thing for certain at that moment.
‘My body can't keep going for much longer. Even if I had Lord Hashirama’s cells, it won't help now. It seems today will be my last battle.’
He looked up and saw the beautiful starry sky. Memories of his childhood and his years as a Leaf shinobi passed through his mind. A small smile formed on his face as he recalled the past. ‘It seems this is where we part ways. Thank you for giving me this chance… Hiruzen.’
He closed his eye, exhaled and focused.
The former Root leader turned toward the dust and smoke rising on the battlefield and gripped his weapon tighter. ‘Let’s finish this, Orochimaru.’
—----------
Author's Note:
Now some of you might be thinking, why didn't Orochimaru just keep his distance, summon Tsunade and escape.
First, he was absolutely confident in the traps and seals he put in place to slow down any intruder.
Second, he wanted to know how they found his location and how much Danzo knew.
What he didn't count on(and don't know) was for Daichi helping Jiraiya and Tobirama with the seals and quickly deciphering them.
Comments
Gamer4Life
Hi. I've caught a nasty flu and was resting this last week. I'll be up and running in 2 days. Now, on to your question, I've already update the stat and skill sheet doc and was planning to post it here and in public after the end of the Tsunade rescue. I'm curious to see your stat and skill sheet. Send the document linkherea. I'll check it out. And then I'll get back to you with an answer. I hope that's alright.
256
What's up Monk. In my third reread of your fic, I decided to make a stats and skills sheet for Daichi, including even the techniques that don't have their system screen. I have the document ready and I wanted to post it on Wattpad, but first I decided to ask your permission and thoughts. Is there any place I can send you the doc link?(My Wattpad account Lumma4690 with a tree pfp and my fanfiction.net account is Noah Fritz.)
Gamer4Life
You have to subscribe to see those links
Yessir101
I can’t access the google links from chapter 377 all the way to chapter 406. Please help
Notplayingone
STRAIGHT HEAT 🔥🔥🔥
Legnas
Merci pour le chapitre. Quand même un peu déçu d'avoir un chapitre avec Danzo, après tant d'attente... Mais c'est un plaisir de revoir mon Moine préféré !
