After a considerable effort to soothe the orb of raging wind in his palm, Hatani finally let the gale dissipate.
"Jiraiya-sensei, it's probably best if you don't say things like that in front of me anymore. They don't take kindly to it," Hatani said, letting out a long, weary breath as he shot a slightly reproachful look at Jiraiya.
"..."
Jiraiya remained in a state of shell-shocked silence.
Having studied under the two Great Toad Sages at Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya had been aware of Natural Energy for a long time. Since becoming a Jonin, he had even begun the preliminary training required before one could even hope to attempt Sage Mode.
In his own mind, he believed there wasn't a soul in the shinobi world who understood Natural Energy better than he did. Honestly, he wasn't far off—it wasn't like any of the inhabitants of the Three Great Sage Regions were human.
But now, after witnessing Hatani's effortless control over the wind—energy that was essentially Natural Energy given form—and hearing the boy's casual "reprimand," Jiraiya was starting to lose his grip on reality.
Konoha Main Camp.
Tori, the Root ninja wearing the bird mask, stood before Orochimaru like a lowly subordinate.
He didn't need to make any grand oaths about being noticed; on the contrary, as a creature of the shadows, he would have preferred it if everyone remained blind to his existence. He had come to Orochimaru's tent in the dead of night to follow through with the plan: legally taking Akiren into Root custody for interrogation.
"Akiren?"
At the mention of the name, Orochimaru's serpentine eyes flickered slightly. He played dumb, his voice a smooth, dangerous drawl. "What would you want with an orphan?"
"The boy is a citizen of the Land of Rain," Tori replied, quickly deploying his rehearsed script. "No matter how harmless he appears, we cannot rule out the possibility that he is an Amegakure spy. As the 'Root' that protects the village, we must perform a final screening of his identity."
Tori had expected Orochimaru to agree without much hesitation. To his surprise, Orochimaru didn't give an immediate answer. Instead, the Sannin propped his elbows on the desk, interlacing his fingers to rest his chin on his hands. A mocking sneer curled Orochimaru's lips as he looked at Tori with the blatant disdain one might show a circus clown.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Orochimaru, you are a member of Root yourself," Tori said, staring into those golden pupils. He felt like a mouse being pinned by the gaze of a viper, his heart hammering against his ribs. Still, his years of training allowed him to maintain a facade of annoyance. "Have you forgotten Root's mandate?"
"Heh. I understand Root's mandate perfectly well."
Orochimaru let out a soft chuckle. The disdain on his face morphed into sharp mockery, but deep within his eyes, a flash of icy killing intent flickered.
"But some people have become so blinded by Root that they've forgotten the rules of the village."
The killing intent was no longer hidden; it flooded the tent, cold and suffocating. Orochimaru's voice dropped to a glacial whisper. "My students are not to be touched by just anyone."
Even for someone like Tori, who had seen his fair share of blood, the sheer, visceral weight of Orochimaru's bloodlust made him feel as though he had been plunged into a frozen lake. His very blood felt like it was turning to ice.
"O-Orochimaru... what... what nonsense are you talking about?"
Tori reacted quickly, biting the tip of his tongue. The sharp sting of pain allowed him to reclaim a shred of composure. He feigned indignation, shouting as if he were the victim of a grave misunderstanding.
"Hmph. We both know exactly what you're doing," Orochimaru said, retracting his aura and casting a sidelong glance at the operative. "You should be grateful that you've kept your hands clean while inside this camp. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind helping Danzo prune a few subordinates who don't know their place."
"Orochimaru!"
Tori's face flushed with fury beneath his mask at the blatant disrespect shown toward Lord Danzo.
"Heh. Danzo isn't here," Orochimaru sneered, though his tone took on a hint of dark anticipation. "However, Yamanaka Shin, a Jonin of the Yamanaka clan, is here."
The implication hit Tori like a physical blow, instantly dousing his anger with cold reality. If the Yamanaka—specialists in mind-reading and loyalty—were brought in, Root's "official" excuses would crumble.
"Hmph! I will report this matter to Lord Danzo exactly as it happened!" Tori snarled. He tossed out the threat as a face-saving measure before vanishing from the tent in a puff of smoke.
In his panicked retreat, he didn't see the way Orochimaru's expression darkened the moment he was gone.
"So it really is you, Danzo," Orochimaru murmured to himself.
He thought back to the various clues his own network of spies had gathered recently. Beyond the anger, however, a look of excitement and curiosity began to bloom on his face.
"Research into the First Hokage's cells, is it?"
He let out another low murmur, a glint of smugness in his eyes. "But moving against my students... that's going to cost you, Danzo."
"Orochimaru refused?!"
Inside a tent tucked away in a quiet corner of the camp, the other three Root ninjas were stunned. They had been gearing up, ready to move the moment Tori returned with the official authorization.
"I told you all that was a waste of time," the Monkey Mask grumbled. "We should have just done what I suggested: sneak into the field hospital under the cover of night, grab the kid, and vanish. Who would have dared to stop us?"
Tori, who was still reeling from the fear he'd felt in Orochimaru's presence and feeling humiliated by his own cowardice, found the Monkey Mask's stupidity to be the final straw. His pent-up rage finally snapped. Without a word, he delivered a massive kick that sent the Monkey Mask flying through the tent flap and into the dirt outside.
"You idiot! If you want to die, take a kunai and slit your own throat. Don't drag the rest of us down with you!"
"How... how does Orochimaru have the nerve?" the Dog Mask and the Cat Mask stammered, their voices trembling as they realized the weight of Tori's warning.
"Hmph! Orochimaru's prestige is through the roof right now. He's closing in on Sakumo Hatake's level—the man who crushed the Suna puppet brigade and earned a formal tribute on the Hokage's robes. With Lord Danzo absent, Orochimaru feels he can do as he pleases," Tori spat, his anger cooling slightly after the physical outburst.
"However," he continued, his voice dropping into a hateful hiss, "the more he protects that brat, the more it proves that Akiren is important. Inu, return to the village immediately. Report everything to Lord Danzo."
Tori felt a wave of shame, like a beaten dog running back to its master to howl about its wounds, but he knew they were outmatched as long as Orochimaru was in charge.
"Yes, sir!"
Inu nodded quickly. Seeing the Monkey Mask sprawled in the dirt, he didn't dare question the order and vanished instantly to begin the journey back to Konoha.
"Hmph. Once we interrogate that orphan and prove he's an Amegakure spy, I want to see what Orochimaru has to say for himself then!"
Feeling like he finally had a path to victory, Tori straightened his posture, his confidence returning. Once a person entered the depths of Root, whether they were a spy or not was entirely up to the interrogator's pen.
He couldn't lose.
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