Chapter 206: The Hidden Sand Village Frames Konoha

After this is over, I'll return to the village, seek my sister's forgiveness, and spend time raising Sasori before retiring, Ebizō thought with a sigh as he went to make arrangements.

The Land of Rivers had become a battleground between the Hidden Sand and Hidden Leaf, throwing the entire nation into chaos. However, this chaos did nothing to disturb the officials of the Land of Rivers, who were still enjoying their luxurious lives.

As night fell, the capital of the Land of Rivers was as lively as ever, with feasts and dancing filling the palace of the daimyō.

Unbeknownst to the officials, who were feasting and watching beautiful dancers, death had already come for them.

Shadows dressed in black silently infiltrated the palace and the homes of many officials.

The slaughter began.

One by one, the officials of the Land of Rivers, including the daimyō, died without even knowing what hit them. They were enjoying their lives at home, and disaster suddenly struck from above. Until their dying moments, they couldn't comprehend why such calamity had befallen them.

Though not explicitly stated, it was an unspoken rule that in war or assassination, officials were typically left alone. Targeting them would only bring undesirable consequences.

"Sir, there's been a mass killing at the daimyō's palace in the Land of Rivers. Many officials were assassinated," a voice reported.

"What?!"

Sakumo Hatake, who was discussing strategies with Nara Shikashige to stall the Hidden Sand forces, was stunned. Nara Shikashige also paused, lowering the pen in his hand.

"Was this the work of rogue ninja? That doesn't make sense," Sakumo muttered. The Land of Rivers was home to many rogue ninjas, but none of them would dare assassinate officials. They knew that such actions would make them outcasts, leaving them nowhere to hide. That was a line that couldn't be crossed.

"Based on our investigation, it doesn't seem like the work of rogue ninjas. The attackers were highly organized and had a clear target..." The intelligence officer paused, his tone suddenly uneasy.

Sakumo's eyes widened as he jumped to his feet. "Has the Hidden Sand gone mad?!"

If this wasn't the work of rogue ninjas, then there was only one other possibility: it had to be the Hidden Sand. But had the Third Kazekage lost his mind? What was the point of killing these officials? It was a thankless job that could only backfire. If they weren't careful, the Hidden Sand could find itself despised by every daimyō and official in the land.

"I don't think they're insane. I think they did it on purpose," Nara Shikashige said thoughtfully. At first, he found it hard to believe the Hidden Sand would do something like this, but considering the situation they were in, it made sense.

"They've gone too far! Doesn't the Third Kazekage realize this will make the Hidden Sand a pariah?" Sakumo exclaimed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Shikashige, I'll leave the camp in your hands. I need to personally investigate this," Sakumo said urgently.

"Go ahead. I'll handle things here," Nara Shikashige nodded. This was the kind of situation that required immediate investigation, or else Konoha might end up taking the blame for it.

If the Hidden Sand was desperate enough to kill officials, there was no doubt they'd try to pin the blame on Konoha.

"I'll inform Tsunade and Jiraiya about this," Shikashige added.

"Thanks, I'll leave that to you," Sakumo replied before securing his White Fang short sword and heading out with his Anbu squad.

"This is giving me a headache," Shikashige muttered, rubbing his temples. "Send word to Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tell them I have something important to discuss."

"Yes, sir!"

As Takuya walked along the edge of Konoha's perimeter, his hands behind his head, he couldn't help but comment, "Why do I feel like I just went on a sightseeing tour of the Hidden Cloud Village instead of completing a mission?"

"Didn't you cause enough chaos in the Hidden Cloud?" Orochimaru smirked, raising an eyebrow.

After all, they had released the Eight-Tails, causing a massive rampage that nearly destroyed the entire village. What more chaos could he want?

"Not really," Takuya shrugged. "It just feels like I didn't do much. Like the whole trip was a waste of time."

He had barely done anything! Sneaking in, meeting the spy, and drugging the food had all been handled by Orochimaru. Takuya Yagami had basically gone on a vacation, stolen one of the Eight-Tails' horns, and then left.

Still, he couldn't complain. Even though he hadn't done much, he would still get a share of the credit. The thought of receiving rewards for minimal effort made Takuya's mood considerably better.

"Aren't you going to report to the Hokage's office?" Orochimaru asked, arching a brow. Most shinobi, after completing a mission, would head straight to the Hokage's office to give a report. But here was Takuya, ready to go home instead.

"What for? This was your mission, not mine. Just remember to put in a good word for me when you report it," Takuya waved dismissively, turning to leave. Orochimaru stood there, shaking his head in mild disbelief.

"Lord Orochimaru, the Hokage has requested your presence," a voice called out.

Well, that was fast. Orochimaru had barely set foot back in the village, and already they were calling him in. With a slight grin, Orochimaru nodded at the Anbu and changed direction toward the Hokage's office.

Meanwhile, Takuya headed home, content to let Orochimaru handle the formalities.

"What nerve! The Hidden Sand has completely lost it!" a loud voice echoed from the Hokage's office.

"They caused this mess, and now they're trying to blame it on us!" Koharu Utatane's angry voice could be heard through the walls as Orochimaru approached the office. Clearly, something serious had happened, and it seemed the Hidden Sand Village was involved.

"Knock, knock."

Orochimaru knocked on the door, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Come in," the Third Hokage's voice called out.

The shouting inside stopped as Orochimaru entered the office, his sharp eyes quickly taking in the tense atmosphere. Koharu and Homura Mitokado were there, both looking furious, though there was no sign of Danzō.

Odd. With something this significant, Danzō should've been there too.

"Old man, the mission was a complete success. You'd better keep a close eye on the returning spies and make sure the information is sealed. If word gets out, the Third Raikage might come after you personally," Orochimaru quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"..."

Did he always have to joke around like this? The Third Hokage cleared his throat.

"We've already handled the return of the spies. As for your mission, well done. I'll make sure your contributions are duly recorded," the Hokage assured him.

"Not just mine—Takuya's as well," Orochimaru added.

"Of course, I won't overlook his contribution either. Don't worry, the village won't forget those who serve it well," the Hokage promised, but Orochimaru's grin only grew wider as if he had heard something amusing.

Seeing the sly look on Orochimaru's face, the Hokage suddenly realized what he had just said. He had promised not to overlook those who contributed, but that had always been a point of contention. Orochimaru's expression said it all.

Realizing his slip-up, the Hokage's gaze faltered. Homura Mitokado, sensing the awkwardness, quickly interjected, "Orochimaru, since you're back, we need you to return to the Land of Rivers as soon as possible. Some troubling events have occurred there recently."

As he spoke, Homura handed Orochimaru a scroll containing intelligence.

"I will," Orochimaru said with a nod, taking the scroll before leaving the office.

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