Chapter 22: Leaving

"Freedom. Freedom."

Baishi watched Yamato standing there, muttering to himself. He didn't stop and walked straight toward him. As he moved forward, he was prepared to take action at any moment.

However, when he got closer, the other party still did not react.

Seeing this, Baishi continued walking, and the two passed each other without incident.

At that moment, Baishi suddenly made his move. He struck Yamato's neck with a precise hand chop, causing him to faint on the spot.

Looking down at the unconscious Yamato, Baishi murmured to himself, "For safety's sake, I'd better let you get some sleep."

The reason he didn't kill Yamato was not due to any softness of heart, but because it was unnecessary. Killing him would likely cause more harm than good, while keeping him alive would not only place a bomb next to Danzo but would also potentially lessen the intensity of Danzo's pursuit of him later on.

After all, it was clear which scenario would provoke Danzo more: losing both Wood Release ninjas or only allowing one to escape. In that case, why not keep him alive?

Shaking his head, Baishi pushed thoughts aside. After ensuring everything was taken care of, he left the area and headed toward the exit of the base.

Upon reaching the exit, Baishi reported his code name and, using the mission as an excuse, easily departed from the Root headquarters.

Just then, thunder cracked in the dark clouds above, and a dazzling flash of lightning illuminated the scene, sending a jolt of fear through anyone watching.

After a moment, a light drizzle fell, quickly turning heavier until it became a torrential downpour.

Perched atop a wall in Konoha, Baishi removed his mask, lay back, and let the rain drench his face. Though biting cold, it felt remarkably real.

At that moment, he felt as if some shackles had been removed; his entire body relaxed.

Glancing back at Konoha Village through the falling rain, Baishi murmured, "It's time to go!"

With that, he quickly formed a secret hand sign, jumped off the wall, and silently bypassed the detection of the perception barrier.

More than two hours later, Danzo finally returned to the Root headquarters. However, before he could even sit down, he heard the news of Baishi's disappearance.

Glaring at the half-kneeling Root Ninja before him, Danzo asked grimly, "You said that A left the base under the pretense of a mission?"

"Yes."

"Nobody forced him?"

"No."

Bang!

Danzo slammed his fist on the table, his anger erupting. "Waste!"

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door. Danzo suppressed his fury and commanded in a deep voice, "Come in."

Creak!

The door swung open, and Aburame Ryoma entered the room.

Before he could speak, Danzo interjected urgently, "Have you located Yamato?"

"Yes," Aburame Ryoma replied. "He was found at the entrance to the archive room and the secret room. We also discovered two bodies. Judging by the wounds, they were likely killed by A."

"What is he trying to do? What the hell is he planning?" Danzo shouted.

Danzo, a man who typically masked his emotions, was now visibly agitated – a clear sign of his rage over Baishi's apparent betrayal.

After calming himself somewhat, Aburame Ryoma continued, "Based on our investigation and B's confession, we conclude that A's actions were premeditated, not impulsive."

"Premeditated?" Danzo echoed, as a thought struck him. He retrieved a file folder from the drawer beneath the table.

If Baishi were there, he would recognize it as the action record and experimental report he had submitted to Danzo a week prior, now supplemented with Yamato's action record. Perusing the two records, Danzo suddenly declared, "Go, inform Orochimaru to come see me."

A nearby Root ninja swiftly acknowledged and exited the room.

Once they were alone, Aburame Ryoma hesitated before speaking, "Danzo-sama, do you believe this matter involves Orochimaru?"

"It's unlikely. Before Kabuto left, he took some ninjutsu scrolls from the secret room, and Orochimaru has no need for them."

Danzo shook his head. "Whether it involves him or not, we must wait for him to arrive and see. As for those scrolls, they could very well be a smokescreen intended to mislead us."

After saying this, he fell silent, closing his eyes to wait patiently.

Even at this moment, he held a sliver of hope regarding Baishi.

It was simple; Baishi had been trained by him since childhood, and he found it hard to believe the young man would betray him without reason.

...

The rain fell heavily.

Before long, over an hour had passed. As Danzo grew increasingly impatient, the signature laughter of Orochimaru broke through the tension in the room.

"Hehehe~"

Orochimaru entered with his trademark smile and a hoarse voice, saying, "I heard something transpired here. What was so urgent that you summoned me?"

"Oh, you're here too?" Danzo replied, casting a glance at Aburame Ryoma.

Danzo sized up Orochimaru for a long moment before stating, "A is missing."

Orochimaru paused, momentarily stunned. "A? Number 36? He's missing?"

Noticing that Orochimaru's expression seemed genuine, Danzo's heart sank further as he refrained from answering.

Glancing at the reports on the table, Orochimaru chuckled and looked at Danzo, "You don't think I was involved, do you? As much as I desire that child, he doesn't seem inclined to join me."

After hearing Orochimaru's initial words, Danzo's face remained stoic. However, upon hearing the latter half of the statement, he immediately inquired, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, didn't you notice?" Orochimaru replied, a teasing smile on his face.

"What did you discover?"

"Haha~, that child hasn't been fully brainwashed by you," Orochimaru responded with a laugh.

"What?!"

Danzo stood up in shock, instinctively rejecting the notion. "That's impossible!"

He scrutinized Orochimaru, attempting to detect even a hint of guilt in his eyes.

Yet Orochimaru merely said nonchalantly, "I discovered this during the last experiment. I invited him to participate, but unfortunately, he declined."

"The last experiment? Why did you not report this?" Danzo demanded.

Orochimaru dramatically slapped his forehead. "Oh! I assumed it would be documented in his action record!"

Danzo snorted coldly at Orochimaru's feigned innocence.

Now, he understood that Orochimaru had likely intended to conceal this information from him. The other man probably aimed to recruit A for himself, only for A to flee first.

"No. We must locate A before Orochimaru does."

With that directive in mind, Danzo instructed, "Orochimaru, you may leave now."

Orochimaru chuckled to himself and exited the room.

Once he was gone, Danzo instructed Aburame Ryoma, "Gather the men immediately and search for Baishi's whereabouts."

"Yes."

After Aburame Ryoma left, he transformed into a swarm of insects and quickly moved out of the room.

In the corridor outside, Orochimaru watched the insects fly by and murmured to himself, "he actually escaped ahead of time; this is quite interesting!"

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