"Hokage-sama, Rin is not just my student. She is a ninja of Konoha. Now that we know she has been captured by the Hidden Mist, how can I possibly sit back and do nothing?"
Minato Namikaze's voice was firm, but beneath it lay barely concealed anxiety as he faced Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen met his gaze without wavering, his expression resolute.
"Minato, it is not that I do not wish to save her," the Hokage replied calmly. "But this mission is far too dangerous. You must not act recklessly."
"The Hidden Mist capturing Rin is not a simple matter. I suspect it is part of a much deeper scheme, possibly even a trap. You bear the responsibility of Konoha's safety. You cannot risk yourself so easily."
"But I cannot just watch my student suffer and do nothing," Minato shot back, his urgency causing his voice to rise despite himself.
Hiruzen's tone hardened.
"Minato, correct your attitude. The Village must always come first. At all times, you are required to prioritize the greater good and the safety of Konoha."
"Even if Rin is your student, her importance cannot outweigh the survival of the Village."
Minato clenched his fists, struggling to restrain himself.
"You no longer need to concern yourself with this matter," Hiruzen continued. "I have my own arrangements. As Hokage, I will take responsibility for every ninja of Konoha."
He turned slightly, signaling the end of the discussion.
"You may leave now. Get proper rest. Tomorrow, you will receive an even more critical mission. Do not allow personal emotions to cloud your judgment, or you will jeopardize the Village's larger plans."
"This is an order."
With those words, Minato Namikaze was forcibly halted.
After Minato left the office, Hiruzen did not stop there. He summoned Kakashi Hatake for a private conversation.
He instructed Kakashi not to allow Minato to act on his own and risk entering the Hidden Mist to rescue Rin Nohara. Hiruzen stated clearly that the situation would be handled directly under his authority.
Emotion, logic, and the Will of Fire were pressed upon Kakashi without pause.
"I understand, Hokage-sama," Kakashi replied.
He exited the Hokage Office quietly, but his eyes told a different story. Beneath the calm exterior was iron determination.
Kakashi had already made his decision.
He would go alone and rescue Rin Nohara.
The Hokage was not wrong. The reason Konoha could deter enemy nations during this war was largely because of Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash.
The situation within the Hidden Mist was still unclear. Whether Rin was alive or dead was unknown. Kakashi could not allow such a crucial pillar of the Village to walk into potential disaster.
If Minato fell, Kakashi would become a sinner in the eyes of Konoha.
Still, the night was already deep. Exhausted by the turmoil of the day, Kakashi chose to rest. He needed his strength.
He would act at first light.
That night, Kakashi was not the only one unable to find peace.
Within the Root base, Danzo Shimura paced back and forth, leaning heavily on his cane. On the surface, his expression was composed, but beneath it lurked unease and growing anxiety.
"Still no contact with Orochimaru?" Danzo asked coldly.
Orochimaru had gone out on an operation earlier that afternoon and had yet to return.
Yet Uchiha Ryūjin had already made it back to the Village without a scratch.
This contradiction gnawed at Danzo's mind.
Was it possible that even Orochimaru had failed?
That thought alone felt absurd.
Orochimaru was one of the Sannin.
And yet, there was no news.
Danzo's heart refused to settle.
Training Ground.
After three solid hours of training, Ryūjin wiped the sweat from his brow and turned toward Might Guy.
"Guy, I'm heading back. See you tomorrow."
He left without ceremony.
Back in his room, Ryūjin spent another two hours in meditation. By the time he finished, night had fully fallen, and the Village lay silent.
Only then did he retrieve the glass sphere he had prepared long ago.
Without hesitation, he activated the Telescope Technique.
The image of Danzo Shimura appeared clearly before his eyes.
The reason was simple.
Ryūjin intended to kill him.
That old bastard had survived their previous encounter by sheer luck. Not only had he failed to learn his lesson, he had once again conspired with Orochimaru to deal with Ryūjin from the shadows.
If Ryūjin lacked strength, he would already be lying on Orochimaru's operating table.
The thought alone made his skin crawl. That fate was worse than death.
Ryūjin's expression darkened.
Since Danzo was determined to seek death, Ryūjin saw no reason to refuse.
Through the Telescope Technique, he watched Danzo pacing anxiously within the Root base, clearly waiting for word from Orochimaru.
A cold smile formed on Ryūjin's lips.
"So you think hiding behind the scenes and using Orochimaru as a pawn lets you sleep peacefully?"
Eliminating Danzo was inevitable.
The moment Danzo set his sights on Ryūjin's Sharingan, the path forward had already been decided. As long as Danzo lived, trouble would never end.
Ryūjin would never allow someone who harbored murderous intent toward him to continue breathing.
However, Danzo's position within Konoha made him a delicate target. Ryūjin needed to remove him quietly, without alerting the Village.
A large-scale disturbance was not his goal.
Fortunately, opportunity had presented itself.
Danzo was waiting for Orochimaru.
Ryūjin would give him exactly that.
With a single thought, Ryūjin activated the Flying Thunder God Technique and vanished.
In the next instant, he appeared at the foot of Konoha's back mountain.
"Transformation Jutsu."
A puff of smoke erupted. Ryūjin's appearance vanished, replaced by Orochimaru's form, deliberately weakened and disheveled.
Feigning exhaustion, he staggered forward toward the hidden experimental base.
Through prior surveillance, Ryūjin already knew Danzo had stationed Root members here to monitor Orochimaru's movements.
The moment he appeared, he would be noticed.
As expected, just as he reached the entrance, a masked Root operative materialized before him using the Body Flicker Technique.
"Orochimaru-sama," the man said, immediately dropping to one knee. "Danzo-sama has been waiting for you."
There was no hesitation, no doubt.
After all, this base was a secret known only to Orochimaru and Danzo.
Ryūjin sneered internally.
"That bastard Danzo nearly got me killed," Ryūjin said, perfectly mimicking Orochimaru's voice and tone.
He suddenly seized the Root member by the collar, lifting him slightly off the ground.
"Why didn't he warn me that that brat's genjutsu was this terrifying?"
"Orochimaru-sama," the Root ninja replied calmly, his expression blank. "I am not aware of the details. If you have questions, you should take them up with Danzo-sama."
"Talk?" Ryūjin scoffed, releasing him with force. "I suffered massive losses this time. If Danzo doesn't offer proper compensation, there's nothing to discuss."
While Ryūjin played his role flawlessly, the news of Orochimaru's return was already being relayed to Danzo within Root.
Exactly as planned.