Konoha Notes.

Chapter 138 Advancement

Chapter 138 Advancement

Nothing happened that night.

Facing Wood Release combined with Sage Mode, it's difficult to gain anything without being prepared. Furthermore, considering that they are in Konoha Village, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Tsunade could arrive at any time once the battle begins.

Orochimaru could guess whether the Third Hokage would use excessive force; he could probably guess whether Tsunade would use excessive force as well.

"If you change your mind, I welcome it anytime, Shuji-kun."

Leaving behind those words, the rogue ninja, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, quietly departed, just as he had arrived. Shuji had no intention of giving chase. Orochimaru was far too difficult to kill; unless he willingly offered himself up, killing him was simply too challenging.

He simply watched the other person disappear in silence before returning to the old house, without telling Hongdou what had happened.

It wasn't until the next morning, when Shuji met Tsunade, who had led the Anbu in a fruitless search throughout the night and looked exhausted, that he casually mentioned what had happened the previous night.

"Orochimaru? He went to the old house in the western suburbs last night?" Tsunade's voice rose instantly, her fists clenching instinctively, but after taking a deep breath, she quickly forced herself to calm down. "Why would he come directly to you?"

On the surface, Shuji is just an ordinary Jonin; when he uses Wood Release, he always appears as an Anbu member. Orochimaru's direct probing of Shuji suggests that he must already know something before making his move.

The most likely reason for this leak is that someone in the higher-ups is secretly colluding with Orochimaru.

As for who it is...

Tsunade gritted her teeth, thinking about Danzo. Although she had been designated as the Fifth Hokage and was in the process of handing over the reins, she had not yet officially taken over. With her current authority, she was truly powerless against Shimura Danzo.

Currently, only Hiruzen Sarutobi can restrain the root.

"His goal is probably still the Uchiha clan," Shuji said.

Tsunade agreed with this view and immediately arranged for someone to inform Uchiha Fugaku of Orochimaru's possible movements, so that he would pay more attention to the internal situation of the Uchiha.

"However, the probability of Danzo choosing to instigate a large-scale incident within the village at this time is actually not high," Shuji suddenly said. "Especially in this sensitive period, with the Daimyo and his forces still here. If a serious incident occurs, the results of this Chunin Exam, which aims to showcase the village's strength and secure more mission slots, will be greatly diminished."

"At that time, even without any direct evidence, just reasonable suspicion and association will be enough to put Danzo in a very passive position."

At their level, sometimes the evidence isn't the only one; who has the ability and the motivation to act is often more telling.

Mission quotas are directly related to the village's future financial revenue and influence. If internal turmoil affects negotiations, Danzo's newly regained authority through the Paradise Box incident will likely be lost again immediately, and his situation may even be worse than before.

"Danzo himself should understand this better than anyone else."

Yes, Danzo understood this especially well.

Therefore, when he learned that Orochimaru had once again acted on his own, he was almost unable to suppress his anger, and even considered ending the cooperation and causing the establishment of the Sound Village to fail.

"Where did you go last night?" Danzo's voice was icy.

"I went to the place deep in your heart that you wanted me to explore." Orochimaru didn't care at all about Danzo's gloomy eyes. "That child is truly a pleasant surprise."

"You killed him?" Danzo blurted out instinctively, then realized it was probably impossible. If Shuji had really been killed, Tsunade, in her rage, would likely have already stormed over, and things wouldn't be as calm as they were now.

He also felt a little regretful. If Orochimaru could really take the opportunity to kill Shuji, then even if he had to endure the subsequent accountability from Hiruzen Sarutobi, it would still be worthwhile.

This might trigger Tsunade's hemophobia again, putting her back in a predicament where she is unable to fight.

If they lose Shuji, a crucial bridge and ally, and with Tsunade unable to properly fulfill her duties as Hokage, the Uchiha clan will once again find themselves isolated and helpless within the Konoha leadership.

He was able to eliminate the Uchiha clan as planned, eradicate Konoha's biggest destabilizing factor, and simultaneously gain control of the Sharingan.

Danzo suppressed his chaotic thoughts: "Your unauthorized actions will disrupt my plans."

"I've even started to consider whether it's still necessary to continue supporting the establishment of Otogakure."

Orochimaru responded to Danzo's threat with only a low chuckle.

Danzo doesn't seem to have fully grasped the situation—the initiative in the cooperation has never truly been in his hands, but has always been on Orochimaru's side.

Even regarding the subsequent handling of the Uchiha Anbu squad, Orochimaru ultimately decided who would acquire the Sharingan. If the value of those eyes exceeded that of Otogakure itself, he could naturally keep them for further research; even if he only gave a portion to Danzo, what could Danzo do about it?

Right now, the one who most desires to change the status quo and most urgently needs to rely on unconventional external forces is Danzo Shimura, not Orochimaru.

"As compensation for this little mishap," Orochimaru said hoarsely, breaking the heavy atmosphere, "I'll take care of the Uchiha squad."

Danzo paused for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, then said, "The relevant intelligence has been prepared for you. However, Orochimaru, remember—without my clear instructions for the next step, you are absolutely not allowed to act on your own!"

"Leave the village now. I will arrange for a reliable person to contact you."

"Given the current situation, if Danzo really contacted Orochimaru with the intention of stirring up trouble, then the most likely entry point is that Uchiha ANBU squad that is on a mission outside," Shuji analyzed to Tsunade.

"At this critical juncture, if they were to die easily, and with someone secretly stirring things up, it would greatly agitate the already sensitive nerves of the Uchiha clan. Even Fugaku himself would have doubts about cooperating."

Tsunade immediately realized the seriousness of the situation: "Should we order them to return to the village immediately?"

Shuji shook his head: "It's not appropriate. If we let them come back, the reform process of the Uchiha Police Force will inevitably be interrupted, and the previous efforts may be in vain."

"And now that they've been recalled, what's next?"

"Should we just leave them in the village forever? If so, the reforms will be difficult to advance."

Moreover, if these individuals, despite the trials and observations of the secret service, still cannot have their extreme ideologies reversed and remain stubborn and inflexible, then their ultimate fate has already been sealed—they will not be purged as rebels, but remembered as martyrs. The only difference is the timing.

"The most urgent thing right now is to immediately inform Shisui and tell him to be on high alert against Orochimaru's attack."

As long as he is vigilant enough, Orochimaru cannot accomplish much given Shisui Uchiha's strength.

"What we should really do is accelerate the pace of reform," Shuji continued. "As soon as possible, transfer new Uchiha clan members into the Anbu, and assign them practical and significant tasks within the village, so that the Uchiha clan can see the benefits of joining the Anbu."

"In this way, even if the previous group of people encounter misfortune, the impact and shock will be controlled within a limited scope."

"Lady Tsunade, if I remember correctly, the Ninja Academy is currently recruiting new teachers, is that right?"

Tsunade looked at Shuuji, seemingly understanding his intention: "What do you mean?"

"The village could consider selecting a few Uchiha Chunin who originally held low positions within the clan and were unable to join the police force, but who were reasonably qualified and had relatively mild personalities, and have them serve at the Ninja Academy."

"The core interests of the police force were never really their concern, but the teaching or administrative positions at the Ninja Academy were tangible..."

The tangible benefits will reach more ordinary Uchiha families, allowing them to experience the real advantages of change.

"Then, transfer Shisui back to the village," Shuji finally suggested. "He can work with Fugaku to suppress the strongest opposition within the clan and fully promote the reform plan to integrate the Hyuga clan into the police force."

"We must make the reforms effective as soon as possible, so that some Uchiha members who previously had no way to advance can obtain new and decent opportunities for development, and ordinary Uchiha clan members who have been unable to benefit from the monopoly of the police force can see hope for change and thus voluntarily break free from the shackles of the old clan power structure."

"As a result, the voice of the radical faction within the Uchiha clan will only grow weaker and weaker, and their extreme claims will gradually lose the soil and support they depend on for survival."

"By then, even if there are still a few stubborn individuals who are not clear-headed, they can be dealt with by sending a small number of secret agents, and will not cause any major turmoil."

"At that time, no matter what tricks Shimura Danzo tries, it will be meaningless."