16. The Smell Of Conspiracy, The More You Think About It, The More Terrifying It Is

Orochimaru didn't waste any time. With a wave of his hand, the Nara ninja from the Ino-Shika-Chō trio stepped forward, moving swiftly to inspect the large rock. From his vantage point, he quickly discovered traces behind the rock.

Ishigami Hara observed this without surprise and turned his attention to Nawaki with a hint of amusement. His meaning was clear.

"You..."

Nawaki, initially frightened, grew frustrated when he noticed Ishigami Hara's gaze.

"You weren't actually planning on rushing ahead just now, were you?" Ishigami Hara asked bluntly, showing no regard for Nawaki's feelings.

"Shut up!" Nawaki's face flushed with embarrassment.

The Nara ninja soon returned, holding over ten unexploded detonating tags. Orochimaru's face immediately darkened as he turned to Hyūga Toru.

Toru responded, "I didn't detect anyone lying in ambush."

The Nara ninja, Nara Shikashun, frowned at this and addressed Orochimaru. "Lord Orochimaru, our route has been compromised."

The others quickly grasped the gravity of the situation.

Orochimaru's expression grew even more severe. Their travel route was predetermined, as was standard during wartime. Routes to the front lines were always kept confidential, especially given that Orochimaru was leading this mission, with Nawaki—a person of notable status—among the group. This secrecy was crucial.

Ishigami Hara began to piece things together, and Uchiha Izuna, ever quick to sense treachery, sneered inside Ishigami Hara's mind. "Heh, someone high up in Konoha wants to take that kid out."

Without needing further elaboration, Ishigami Hara immediately suspected Shimura Danzō. Danzō's underhanded tactics were well-known, and his obsession with the Hokage title—having missed out on the position during the First Great Ninja War—had only grown stronger over time.

Given Nawaki's standing as the grandson of the First Hokage, he was a natural contender for the Hokage position if he were to mature. Nawaki's heritage alone would easily win the hearts of the villagers, making him a powerful rival for anyone aspiring to the title, especially Danzō. No one else within Konoha's higher ranks had such clear motivation.

Reflecting on Nawaki's fate in the original timeline—where he was killed by an explosive tag—it became clear to Ishigami Hara that Nawaki was almost destined to face danger. Even if Nawaki tended to act rashly, his death had been suspiciously convenient. It was hard to believe there hadn't been foul play.

What's more, Nawaki's death wasn't as simple as a battlefield accident. His body had been desecrated, with his organs hollowed out—clearly the work of someone with a deeper, more sinister agenda.

Who wanted to kill him? And why use such a specific method? The assassin must have known Nawaki well, particularly his potential Senju lineage and the possibility that he inherited the First Hokage's powerful regenerative abilities. Merely using explosive tags wouldn't have guaranteed success unless the enemy was aware of how to neutralize Nawaki's recovery.

It was a chilling thought—something weighing down far more than it initially appeared.

All signs pointed toward Danzō's involvement. His methods were secretive, and his motivations aligned with eliminating Nawaki as a future contender for Hokage. Ishigami Hara had every reason to believe Danzō had played a disgraceful role in this.

Looking deeper, this might have been the very incident that drew Orochimaru's suspicion toward Konoha's leadership. Orochimaru, ever watchful, must have noticed something peculiar during this mission. However, lacking solid proof, he may have harbored growing distrust toward the entire Konoha leadership, including the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Following this line of reasoning, could Nawaki's death have been the catalyst for the eventual rift between Orochimaru and Sarutobi Hiruzen? Given the long-standing relationship between Sarutobi and Danzō, it was likely that Orochimaru, as a close associate, knew some of the deeper, darker secrets.

Thinking along these lines, Ishigami Hara glanced at Nawaki with a hint of pity in his eyes.

"You! That's enough!" Nawaki snapped, clearly agitated. Every time he looked at Ishigami Hara, he saw that cold expression staring back at him. What unsettled him even more was the look in Ishigami Hara's eyes—pity? Mockery? Perhaps a mix of both. Regardless, it was irritating, and Nawaki's pride took over. He was itching for a fight.

Orochimaru interjected, "Toru, locate the individuals responsible."

Hyūga Toru nodded. "Yes, I'll find them."

At this point, Orochimaru's expression had completely darkened. He seemed to have pieced something together, his sharp eyes narrowing as he issued a warning to the group. "Everyone, keep this to yourselves. Speak of it to no one."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" came the unified response.

In reality, Orochimaru didn't even need to say it. Everyone with a sense of caution understood something was deeply amiss. Given that this involved Nawaki, the grandson of the First Hokage, it was clear there were murky political currents swirling behind the scenes.

Hyūga Toru fully activated his Byakugan, veins bulging around his eyes as he meticulously scanned the surroundings for any sign of the enemy.

Ishigami Hara, observing the Hyūga, noted that Toru was likely a member of the branch family, given the forehead protector he wore. Regardless, to have reached the rank of Jōnin was a testament to his talent. The Hyūga clan, after all, was renowned for its wide-area insight, making them perfectly suited for tasks like this.

"Found them again!" Hyūga Toru announced, pointing towards a wooded area. "There are traces of enemy presence in those woods."

Without hesitation, Orochimaru dashed in that direction, with the rest of the group quickly following. Upon reaching the woods, they found some faint signs—blades of grass that had been stepped on. It was subtle, something only a highly skilled tracker could detect.

However, the trail ended there. Clearly, the enemy had taken precautions.

"Damn it!" Nawaki fumed, his frustration boiling over. The thought that he had narrowly escaped danger infuriated him, and now, his mind churned with darker suspicions about the true nature of the attack. He desperately wanted to track down the culprit.

Seeing Nawaki's anger, Ishigami Hara shook his head slightly and stepped forward. "Let me give it a try," he said.

Orochimaru turned to him, curious. Ishigami Hara continued, "I haven't fully mastered this technique yet, so I'm not sure how successful it'll be, but it's worth a shot."

With that, he closed his eyes and brought his hands together, forming a series of hand seals.

What Ishigami Hara was attempting was Mind's Eye of the Kagura, a perception technique passed down through the Uzumaki clan. It wasn't simply a jutsu but more of a secret technique, requiring the unique chakra of the Uzumaki to be performed effectively.

The technique allowed its user to sense chakra over vast distances, but it demanded not only a large quantity of chakra but also exceptional chakra control and quality.

While Ishigami Hara had enough chakra to perform it, he wasn't yet capable of reaching the technique's full potential—sensing over dozens of kilometers. At his current level, he could only sense within a range of four to five kilometers, but even at that distance, he could detect general chakra signatures.

A moment later, Ishigami Hara opened his eyes and smiled faintly, turning toward Orochimaru.

"I've found them. Four kilometers to the northwest, there's a team of ninjas retreating in that direction."