Conspiracy in the night

In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, sat up late at night as usual, poring over documents and approving them with his signature. Suddenly, he halted his pen mid-stroke, raised his head, and fixed his gaze on a shadowy presence in the room.

"Is it Orochimaru?"

"Mr. Sarutobi, your discernment remains as sharp as ever," replied a hoarse voice as Orochimaru emerged from the shadows. Half of his face was cast in dim light, while the other half remained cloaked in darkness, accentuating the cold glint in his golden eyes.

Observing Orochimaru, Sarutobi furrowed his brow. Ever since his return from the battlefield, Orochimaru had become increasingly enigmatic and difficult to understand. The former Orochimaru seemed warmer and more familiar to him, lacking the current cold-bloodedness and detachment.

The icy, life-disregarding eyes reminded Sarutobi of Danzo, a comrade whose path had diverged drastically from then normal, drowning in the darkness, more than any of them. War had left indelible marks on Orochimaru, molding him into a person the Third Hokage no longer recognized.

'Orochimaru, don't you see? One who shows no regard for their camarades life cannot become Hokage,' Sarutobi remarked, silently lamenting the change in his prodigious student.

Even if you hands are bloody, it can't be due to a full of your own camarades.

Geniuses often harbored arrogance, and Orochimaru was no exception. Advising him now would likely be counterproductive.

Certain realizations had to be reached independently.

Sarutobi assumed a stern countenance and asked, "Orochimaru, it's quite late. What brings you here? You're slated to return to the Land of Rain battlefield tomorrow. Shouldn't you rest tonight and bid your farewells tomorrow if need be?"

Orochimaru had been sent back to Konoha for medical treatment after sustaining grave injuries on the battlefield. With his wounds mostly healed, it was time for him to rejoin the conflict.

"I intend to return to the battlefield now and came to bid you farewell," Orochimaru replied, offering a slight smile.

"I see. Very well, I'll help you maintain your departure's secrecy," Sarutobi said.

Aware of the need for discretion, he agreed to keep Orochimaru's departure under wraps. Fewer individuals knowing about it would reduce the risk of betrayal from within.

Orochimaru had suffered severe injuries on the battlefield and had been rendered unfit for combat. At the time, Tsunade had been occupied with other missions, making her unable to accompany Orochimaru. Consequently, he had been covertly sent back to Konoha for treatment.

Now that his wounds had largely healed, it was time for him to rejoin the ongoing battle in the Land of Rain.

"Goodbye, Mr. Sarutobi. I appreciate your understanding," Orochimaru said with a small smile.

Turning to leave, Orochimaru paused and added, "Mr. Sarutobi, I hope you won't indulge Danzo too much."

With that cryptic warning, Orochimaru abruptly vanished in a puff of white smoke.

"Danzo, what are you up to?" Sarutobi muttered to himself, perturbed by Orochimaru's words.

He had been aware of the private meeting between Orochimaru and Danzo but had refrained from probing further, hoping that Orochimaru would eventually confide in him. Orochimaru's warning now heightened his concern, and he wondered if Danzo was involved in activities of dubious nature.

Sarutobi couldn't help but hope that the situation wasn't too dire.

"Very well," Sarutobi said after a moment, a determined look in his eyes.

Soon, an Anbu operative materialized in front of him, kneeling respectfully.

"Find out what Danzo has been up to recently," Sarutobi ordered.

"At once," the Anbu operative replied, and with an instant body technique, vanished from the room.

---------------------

At the Nawaki Clan house, specifically in Mito's room, Kirito's soul quietly phased through the wall. However, as he drew within five meters of Mito, she abruptly opened her eyes, having sensed his presence while sound asleep in her bed.

At the same time he surprised Momoka, at which a handful of kunai flew through the air, piercing through Kirito's spiritual form and stabbing into his essence.

"It's me, Momoka-sama," Kirito said as he revealed his true form. He raised his hands and turned to face Momoka Senju, who had a surprised expression.

"It's so late, what are you doing sneaking into Mito-sama's room using your spirit transformation technique?" She inquired, her voice laced with anger and suspicion.

Although she had withdrawn her weapon, she still regarded Kirito with a cold and cautious gaze.

Mito, sensing something amiss, questioned Kirito about the situation.

"Kirito, has something serious occurred?"

Aware that Kirito, a child, wouldn't recklessly invade a woman's room at such a late hour without reason, Mito initiated a chakra release from her body. Chakra began forming an array of sealing techniques, swiftly constructing a perception-blocking sealing barrier within the room.

"Ms. Mito, something major has happened. During my night tour, I discovered that several Root Anbu ninja were secretly dismantling the Senju Clan's protective barrier, and they had a traitor aiding them…"

As the sealing barrier took shape, Kirito relayed the shocking information he had recently uncovered in great detail.

Mito and Momoka had no reason to doubt Kirito's account, but the revelations were truly astonishing.

Mito, as the current most powerful figure in Konoha, exuded an air of confidence. Initially, she didn't find it particularly shocking that Anbu ninja could breach the protective barrier.

However, when she heard about the betrayal of Senju Yun, Leith, and Shimizu, her expression changed subtly. Mito let out a weary sigh, her countenance showing signs of exhaustion.

On the other hand, Momoka face flushed with anger. Her forehead veins bulged, her eyes blazed with murderous intent, her fists clenched tightly, and her visage was twisted with an unmistakable air of fury. It was clear that her rage had reached its peak.

Lady gone full tobirama face mode

If not for Mito's presence and her duty to protect her, She might have already rushed out to confront the Root Anbu ninja and the traitors.

The esteemed Senju Clan, one of Konoha's founding families and a significant contributor to the village's well-being, was now under the oppression of a group of upstarts who had barely lived long enough to grasp the basics of life. The indignity was intolerable.

In addition to her fury, She felt a profound sense of shame. She dropped to her knees before Mito and berated herself, "Mito-sama, this is my fault. I failed to recognize Yunshou's treacherous ambitions and promoted him to vice-captain. I bear responsibility for this."

As the captain of the Senju Guardian Team, Taohua had personally elevated Yunshou's status within the clan. Now that he had become a traitor, she blamed herself for her oversight.

Mito extended her hand to help Momoka to her feet and consoled her, " please rise. You're not solely to blame for this. I share in the responsibility as well. I did notice that Yunshou held some grievances against me, but I didn't anticipate that he would stoop to such depths and join these malevolent conspirators."

Mito was the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and although she couldn't directly communicate with the beast, she possessed the power to control the Nine-Tails' chakra. She had the ability to sense the presence of good and evil, even without entering the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.

When Yunshou had exhibited signs of malice towards her, she hadn't taken it too seriously, as there had been many who questioned her appointment as deputy to the Senju Clan Patriarch after Hashirama death.

For years, Yunshou had displayed loyalty to the senju Clan and had made significant contributions on the battlefield, earning respect and prestige within the clan. Mito had acknowledged his strength and had even approved his promotion to deputy captain of the clan guards, a decision made in part to balance the various factions within the clan.

However, Mito had never anticipated that Yunshou would willingly betray the clan that had nurtured him and align himself with Danzo, a move that struck at the very heart of the Clan.

"So he really did it..." 

Mito, the one who had arranged the seal barrier of the senju Clan, confirmed the veracity of Kirito's revelation with a simple touch to the ground. She could sense that yun had indeed turned against their own clan.

"Master, give your orders ! we can't let those rats go away "

Kirito chimed in, urging Mito to give the order to apprehend the traitors before they could escape. He stressed the importance of swift action, pointing out that if the traitors realized they were compromised, capturing them would become considerably more difficult.

"I agree with kirito. Lady mito, please leave it to me, i will bring you their heads right now ! "

Momoka, echoing Kirito's sentiment, voiced her strong desire for retribution. She believed that those who had betrayed the clan must face severe consequences, or else the traitors would grow bolder. She was particularly incensed at the thought of Danzo escaping justice.

Mito, however, did not respond immediately. She contemplated the situation with a furrowed brow, knowing that her position differed from Kirito and Momoka's. While she was the acting head of theSenju Clan, her primary objective was to fulfill her promise with Hashirama and protect Konoha. She could not act impulsively.

Mito surmised that this incident was likely orchestrated by Danzo, with the aim of using them—Kirito, herself, and Kushina—as bait to expose the hidden spies within Konoha. Given Danzo's ruthless and unscrupulous nature, such a tactic was well within his character.

As for the involvement of the Third Hokage, Mito remained unsure. She did not believe the Sandaime would intentionally endanger the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. This operation was likely initiated by Danzo and Orochimaru on their own accord.

Mito recognized that exposing the truth could protect the interests of the Qianshou Clan and lead to severe punishment for Danzo, Orochimaru, and the Third Hokage. However, it would also plunge Konoha into turmoil, given its precarious position surrounded by enemies.

Despite her frustration, Mito concluded that, for the greater good, she must handle the situation discreetly.

The question remained: how could she execute this plan quietly?

"Mito-sama, if you wish to handle this discreetly, why not gather the evidence first? You could apprehend all the culprits, recover the stolen goods, and then proceed with a quiet resolution in your preferred manner. With your strength, you should be able to capture these individuals without alerting most of the village," Kirito suggested.

Mito's eyes lit up at Kirito's idea, and she smiled as she spoke to him, "Well said, my dear student."

With that, the dark seal between her eyebrows glimmered, and the kind-hearted elderly woman transformed back into a mature, curvaceous beauty before Kirito's eyes.

While Mito underwent her transformation with the Yin Seal, a group of Root ninjas on the periphery of the senju Clan continued their efforts to dismantle the sealing barrier that protected the clan.

Yunshou grew increasingly uneasy with each passing moment, feeling a sense of impending catastrophe. He glanced at the sensory ninja responsible for releasing the wind, but the ninja gave him an indifferent look.

"Are you done yet ? im having a bad feeling.."

"If you're scared, go back. There's nothing to worry about. Uzumaki Mito might be powerful, but right now, she's just an old woman about to fade into obscurity," a Root ninja in a monkey mask taunted Senju Yunshou.

Senju Yunshou was infuriated by the mockery and began to emit chakra as his anger surged. He was here to assist in their operation, not to be belittled.

However, the Root ninja in the monkey mask was unafraid. He was also a Jōnin and faced Yunshou's rage with calmness, even reaching for the weapon at his waist. Other Root ninjas nearby followed suit, grasping their weapons and directing their attention towards Senju Yunshou.

Leith and Shimizu quickly moved to supportSenju Yunshou.

Tensions escalated rapidly.

"That's enough! Do you intend to jeopardize this covert operation? If Master Danzo learns of your behavior, he won't spare you," a new figure intervened.

This Anbu ninja wore a dog mask and unleashed a swarm of parasites that formed a menacing cloud of insects above his head.

Tatsuma, one of Danzo's trusted subordinates, had been assigned to oversee this critical mission.

Seeing Tatsuma's intervention, both Yunshou and the Root ninja in the monkey mask took several steps back, their fear apparent in their eyes.

Conflict was averted.

Tatsuma recalled the parasites into his body, and the situation calmed down. Meanwhile, the sensory Root ninja responsible for monitoring the wind was initially bored but soon became stunned for a brief moment, then returned to normal. He remarked to himself, "The sensory abilities of a Jinchuriki are truly formidable."

He cast a furtive glance at Tatsuma, a slight fear lingering in his eyes. Unbeknownst to the other, Kirito had now temporarily possessed him through the spiritualization technique, gaining control of his body.

Kirito originally intended to cooperate with Mito by secretly using chakra to seal the barrier around the Root ninjas and trapping them, as well as the group of mice. However, the ninja in the monkey mask,Tatsuma, with his insect manipulation abilities, was too sensitive to chakra, and intevened.

His plan to seal the barrier discreetly with the Root ninjas was foiled.

"But it doesn't matter. I've gained control over the senses of these mice. I'll watch Mito display her power, and then I'll be ready to launch a sneak attack or exploit any openings," Kirito thought with a slight smile before releasing control of the sensory ninja.

"huh ? did something happen ? "

Instead, Kirito decided to bide his time, awaiting Mito's intervention before launching a surprise attack and capitalizing on any vulnerabilities.

As for the sensory ninja, he had no memory of the brief possession by Kirito and went about his duties, although a trace of fear lingered in his eyes when he looked at the dog-masked Anbu ninja.