Chapter 247: Hidden Snakes
Konoha Hospital.
The village was already preparing the inauguration process for Tsunade to succeed as the Fifth Hokage. Meanwhile, Tsunade had arrived here to deal with the casualties.
"Grandma Tsunade, how is he?" Naruto asked expectantly.
"His body has been maintained very well; he actually looks quite healthy. If it weren't for the mental trauma, I'd suspect he wasn't injured at all," Tsunade remarked.
From Kakashi's body, she felt a vibrant vitality. However, her chakra probe confirmed that his mind had indeed suffered severe damage. Then, under the hopeful eyes of Naruto and the others, Kakashi slowly opened his eyes.
A familiar yet slightly altered figure appeared before him.
"So big... no, Lady Tsunade... ahahaha, long time no see." Kakashi spoke, then immediately realized his slip of the tongue.
"Mhm. How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
"None. It's just... I feel like I had a recurring dream. There was someone constantly eating apples next to me, asking if I wanted one," Kakashi said, feeling the lingering exhaustion in his mind as he tested his physical state.
Tonbo Tobitake chuckled. "Our genius Kakashi, beaten into such a state by a junior. How embarrassing!"
"Oh, it's you. Don't talk to me, I want to rest." Kakashi gave him a dead-fish stare, clearly unwilling to engage with Tonbo's twisted sense of humor.
Tsunade looked serious. "It seems Uchiha Itachi is truly powerful if he could take you down like this."
Uchiha Itachi, huh? A troublesome fellow. He reminded her of Orochimaru. Every defector from Konoha seemed to be a massive headache.
"Mhm, there was no helping it. His Genjutsu is too formidable," Kakashi recalled the clash. Having sparred with Tonbo, he felt he had a deep understanding of how to dispel Genjutsu and was on high alert. Theoretically, he should have been able to break it in less than a second. Unfortunately, that technique was clearly on another level; in less than a second of real time, it felt as though three days had passed. His mind was ravaged before he even had a chance to resist.
"How does it compare to my Genjutsu?" Tonbo asked. He was curious to know the difference between his own techniques and Itachi's Tsukuyomi from Kakashi's perspective. He had never experienced Tsukuyomi himself.
Kakashi shot him a look. "There is no comparison."
"Is that so? I didn't realize you trusted my strength so much. You have good taste," Tonbo said, satisfied with the answer.
"I mean your Genjutsu is nothing compared to Itachi's."
Kakashi remembered those eyes. To him, Tonbo's Genjutsu was something that could still be cracked. Facing Itachi's, the only way to "break" it was to not get caught in the first place; otherwise, there was no escape.
Everyone's expression turned solemn. Tonbo Tobitake was currently the strongest Genjutsu-type ninja in Konoha. If he was considered "nothing" in Kakashi's eyes compared to Itachi, the power of the Uchiha was terrifying. No wonder Kakashi had been bedridden for so long.
"Hey, hey, Kakashi, what's that supposed to mean? And what's with those looks from the rest of you?" Tonbo felt his pride wounded. "As a senior who is nearly ten years older than Itachi, it's embarrassing to be overtaken like that. Don't compare my past self to my current self; my Genjutsu has improved significantly."
"Is that so? If you ever have the chance to experience it, you won't be saying that," Kakashi replied. He didn't believe Tonbo's progress over the years could reach that god-like level. However, if it was a matter of defending against Genjutsu, he felt Tonbo might have a chance.
"Uncle Tonbo, stop bragging! Kakashi-sensei bought this intelligence with a long stay in the hospital!" Naruto teased from the back.
"We can discuss the intelligence later. Let's go save the next one," Tsunade said, seeing that Kakashi was fine. Behind her, Guy—looking extremely hopeful—could barely wait. Lee's condition had haunted him for a long time, and now that Lady Tsunade was back, he finally saw a glimmer of hope. He was currently fidgeting nervously as he looked at her.
A dark cave.
"The time is almost right, Kabuto..."
Orochimaru spoke while enduring intense pain, addressing Kabuto who was tending to him.
"Mhm. I've already found a way to crack Konoha's barrier. That Senior Tonbo is quite impressive; he actually adjusted the village's barrier, making your previous preparations useless, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said while administering medicine. One could hear the genuine praise for Tonbo's abilities in his voice.
Since Tonbo became Acting Hokage, many things in Konoha had changed. Beyond the barrier adjustments, even the codes and ciphers had been overhauled. Kabuto had expended a great deal of effort to keep up. He wondered if Tsunade would change things again now that she was back. He'd have to wait for an opening to scout the new situation.
"Heh heh... that guy. He truly is one of the most interesting people I've seen. I always get the feeling he's doing something significant while being afraid to reveal too much of his true strength. It's almost like... a version of me back then, plotting something in the shadows."
Orochimaru recalled the intelligence on Tonbo and their few meetings. He felt that while Tonbo looked normal, he was different from the ninjas of the Five Great Villages—different from "normal" ninjas entirely. He seemed to have his own private goals, and those goals were long-term.
It was just a hunch; Orochimaru couldn't be certain what Tonbo was after. But he was sure something wasn't right. In the files, Tonbo seemed like an ordinary ninja, but his strength was immense and continued to grow. Someone like that doesn't just act like a "normal" ninja.
The "Acting Hokage" stint... might have even been a piece of his puzzle.
"You seem very concerned about this 'Captain Tonbo,' Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto noted. Tonbo was strong, but compared to the Third Hokage, he surely was just a regular ninja, right?
"Do not underestimate him. Avoid contact with him if possible. He might be even more dangerous than I am," Orochimaru warned, looking at his sensationless hands.
"Of course. For the plan to invite Sasuke, I've made sure to bypass him entirely. I've even prepared special ninja tools to block chakra-sensing abilities. That alone cost us a fortune." As an elite spy, Kabuto wouldn't go head-to-head with an unknown threat. Lord Orochimaru's goal was the priority.
"I trust your abilities, Kabuto."
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