Book Artist: "Hey, don't get me wrong. I was just kidding!"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "Is it because every time Konan-san chats with us, it feels like she's having a secret tryst behind her abusive husband's back?"
Shark Face: "I see; so that's how it is. I truly thought Konan-san and Lord Aizen had that sort of relationship. It seems I was overthinking things."
Book Artist: "Of course not. How could Konan-neesan have feelings for a scoundrel like Aizen? Personally, I think she likes An Ran-san."
Shark Face: "..."
Hoshigaki Kisame didn't even know how to begin complaining. They are the same person!
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "Eh? Is that true?"
Scarlet Snake Fairy: "According to our analysis, there's an 80% chance. Didn't Ruiko-chan notice? Every time Young Master An appears, Konan-san seems delighted."
Book Artist: "Exactly! Her attitude toward An Ran-san is completely different from how she treats other men! Though, to be fair, Gintoki was the only other man in our group for a long time."
Skirt-Lifting Maniac: "That's true. If I had to choose, any fool would pick An Ran-san."
Curly-Haired Boy: "?"
Aizen remained silent as he watched the gossip and speculation of the other members. He cast a brief, sidelong glance at Konan before returning his attention to the monitor. The scene displayed on the screen was the Hokage's office.
"Is this what Sosuke wanted to entrust to you?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with a frown, staring at the wooden box on his desk.
"Indeed." Shisui's gaze was fixed on the box, his voice tinged with a complex emotion. "The pattern on it is the Chariot Seal that Aizen and I developed together. We are the only two who know the sequence to unlock it. Furthermore, it was found beneath the stone monument in the southern suburbs."
The southern suburbs monument was the clue Aizen had left for Shisui just before he was taken away by Konan and Itachi. Shisui hadn't thought much of it at the time, planning to wait for Aizen's return from the Root to ask for details. He never expected it would become a final farewell.
"In that case, open it," Hiruzen nodded.
"Release!"
Shisui extended his index and middle fingers, tracing the seal as he remembered. With a soft click, the black wooden box slid open. Inside lay a letter dense with handwriting and several sheets of white paper covered in strange, esoteric symbols.
Hiruzen picked up the letter. He scanned it briefly before suddenly bolting upright, his expression shifting drastically. "Danzo... you monster..."
In a secluded valley within the borders of the Land of Grass.
"Is this the place?" Shimura Danzo's aged face emerged from the shadows.
"Yes, sir," the Root ninja in a fox mask replied respectfully. "It was here that we detected the anomalous spiritual fluctuations."
Danzo nodded and closed his eyes. Soon, dozens of clusters of specialized energy, flickering like pale flames, appeared in his sensory field. His mouth twisted into a grin of excitement. "Yes... that is indeed the source."
The "source" referred to the origins of the creatures Danzo called Hollows. In his eyes, they were a unique and terrifying species—beasts with bone-like masks and astonishing strength. It had previously taken six elite Root ninjas to kill just one and bring its corpse back for study.
From these creatures, a special substance could be extracted. When injected into a human, it granted unimaginable power. Danzo had dubbed this process "Hollowification."
The discovery had supercharged Danzo's ambitions. He believed that with enough subjects, he could create an invincible army and rule the shinobi world with ease. However, these creatures were rare and vanished as mysteriously as they appeared. Despite sending waves of Root agents across the continent, there had been almost no leads—until today. Finding such a large concentration in this remote valley was a dream come true.
"Capture them as quickly as possible. Do not let a single one escape!" Danzo ordered with a cold wave of his hand.
He now commanded a unit of "Hollow Ninjas" whose combat prowess far exceeded that of ordinary shinobi. Where they once relied on attrition and siege tactics to capture a subject, they could now strike with overwhelming force.
"Understood!" The Root ninjas moved to engage.
Swish-swish-swish!
Suddenly, a hail of kunai erupted from the surrounding thicket.
Thud. Thud.
Two Root agents were struck instantly and collapsed.
"Who goes there?" Danzo barked. He began unwrapping the bandages on his arm while forming hand signs. "Wind Style: Vacuum Wave!"
Transparent blades of wind sliced through the air toward the bushes. Towering trees were sheared in half, stripping the lush jungle bare in an instant. The silhouettes hiding in the brush were forced into the moonlight.
"You?!" Danzo's eyes narrowed as he recognized the figure. "Orochimaru!"
"Hehe... I hope you've been well, Danzo." Orochimaru, clad in the black-and-red clouds of the Akatsuki, stepped forward with a frigid smile. "I've come to collect a debt!"
"Protect Lord Danzo!"
The remaining Root ninjas took their stances, weapons raised. However, Orochimaru moved with predatory grace. Before the lead agent could even raise a guard, the Kusanagi sword had already transfixed his chest.
"What's happening?"
"Where did he go?!"
"Damn it, I can't track his movements!"
Squelch. Squelch.
The Root ninjas fell one after another. Against Orochimaru, they were like lambs led to the slaughter.
Impossible! Danzo realized something was horribly wrong. His subordinates were all Hollow-enhanced ninjas. Even if they were individually weaker than a Sannin, they shouldn't be this utterly helpless!
What is going on?
Orochimaru finally ceased the slaughter when only Danzo and a trembling fox-masked ninja remained. He stared intently at the elder, his voice a low, raspy hiss. "Look at that expression. Do you truly know nothing?"