Chapter 337 - Root Siege - Conclusion.

Jiraiya had just finished dispatching the last of the Root ninja in his way, his breath coming in controlled but heavy bursts. He stood in the aftermath of the battle and was surrounded by the unconscious and defeated bodies of Danzo's operatives. He turned his head in a certain direction and he began moving cautiously through the dimly lit corridors.

There was something about the way the Root operatives battled that bothered him. 'They hadn't been fighting me to kill. It's as if they had been herding me, guiding me somewhere specific… Maybe a trap? A kill box?'

Jiraiya's instincts told him that whatever awaited him was connected to the strange surge of chakra he had sensed nearby. 'Two people… Strange. I can't identify their chakra signatures… That's being masked.'

The next second, the toad Sannin felt the two chakras disappear in an instant and a moment later in their place was another unfamiliar but strong energy. 'That's a powerful chakra. Who is that?'

As the white haired ninja got closer he identified a particular aspect of that individual. 'That chakra… Strong water nature. Is he the one sensei told me to avoid?'

Jiraiya remembered the strange warning the Hokage had given him prior to the siege.

''If you come across a masked ninja with a powerful water nature chakra then avoid him.''

''Why? Is he an enemy?''

''No, he's an ally. But his identity is special and I want to keep it a secret for as long as possible. You need to trust me on this Jiraiya.''

Regardless of his teacher's words, in his current situation, sensing such unfamiliar, immensely strong chakras only added to his growing unease. As Jiraiya drew closer to that location, the powerful presence disappeared and soon he felt the presence of his old teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi coming from another location in the base.

'Looks like sensei and Danzo have started going at it.'

Without hesitation Jiraiya darted toward the Hokage. He had several questions for the old leader. As Jiraiya rushed through the dark corridors he felt the building shake and the sound of several explosions coming. He also encountered several root ninjas as they blocked his path.

Due to the extreme circumstances and being worried about Tsunade, Jiraiya was in no mood to play around. He fought the enemy ninjas and soon defeated all of them but by that time the commotion had settled down.

'What happened? Did Sensei win?'

Suddenly Jiraiya sensed the same presence appearing near Hiruzen and Danzo. 'It doesn't seem like they're fighting. Sensei even sent his Anbu away… Who is that?'

In a few minutes he approached the area and Jiraiya saw a group of Anbu escorting Danzo away, the elder's expression was as grim as ever.

There was no sign of resistance from Danzo, which struck Jiraiya as odd, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. His focus was on Hiruzen, who stood nearby, watching the Root leader being taken away.

The Third Hokage turned to face his former student with a combination of relief and seriousness. "Jiraiya, you're just in time. There's much to discuss, but first, let me assure you that the situation is under control."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed and his suspicion grew. "Un-Under control? I just fought off a small army of Root ninjas, and it felt like they were trying to lead me somewhere. I sensed multiple unknown strong ninjas but before I could take a closer look they all disappeared. And now Danzo's being taken away like a common criminal? What's really going on, sensei?"

Hiruzen sighed, glancing toward the former Root leader. "Danzo has… surrendered. His actions have finally caught up to him and he will face the consequences."

The Sanin looked around and aside from the Anbu there was no one else present. 'Gone'.

His gaze flicked towards the retreating form of Danzo before returning to his old teacher. Moments later when it was just the two of them Jiraiya asked the question that's been bugging him. "I felt someone with a massive chakra here a minute ago. Who was that with you?"

Hiruzen sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'It seems I have no choice.'

Jiraiya saw his teacher's hesitation to answer but before he could press further, the air in the area shifted slightly and the toad Sannin felt the presence of another person.

His eyes widened as an older man stepped into view from the shadows, his features unmistakable. The sharp eyes, the white hair that's tied back, and a stern, authoritative demeanor.

"No way." This was someone Jiraiya had only seen in history books and heard about in legends.

"To-Tobirama Senju?" Jiraiya's voice was filled with disbelief. "The Second Hokage? How…?"

Tobirama gave a curt nod, his expression as serious as ever. "So you're Jiraiya. As to the question of how, I was brought back through the Reanimation Jutsu by Hiruzen nearly a year ago to assist in matters that required a bit more… experienced hand."

Hearing those words the Sannin looked at his teacher in disbelief for a few moments. "You actually… To think you of all people would use such a forbidden technique. You really have gotten desperate."

"Certain measures needed to be taken, Jiraiya." Hiruzen replied in a clipped tone.

The Sannin's jaw tightened as understanding dawned on him. "So that was the powerful chakra I sensed… But why?" He turned to the former Hokage and asked. "What's going on that requires both you and sensei?"

Hiruzen spoke up with a calm but tired tone. "We've been dealing with a series of threats to the village, both from within and outside. I needed some help and advice on Danzo's actions, the threat of Orochimaru, and… other matters. Tobirama-sensei has also been assisting in investigations that required his unique knowledge and skills."

Jiraiya glanced between Hiruzen and Tobirama as he absorbed that information. "I see. But this is a lot to take in... So you're telling me the Second Hokage has been helping from the shadows for almost a year?"

Tobirama crossed his arms and addressed Jiraiya. "Danzo has been involved in numerous activities that have endangered the village. His use of forbidden techniques, his secret dealings with Orochimaru, and his experiments with my brother's DNA. Along with his attempted coup, these are matters that required immediate attention..."

The white haired ninja sighed. He crossed his arms and leaned on the nearby wall. "I did my investigations and knew that Danzo and Orochimaru had made contact but I didn't know the specifics.. Wait! If he did all that then why is he still alive?"

"Danzo knows he won't survive his actions today. He has requested to delay his execution until we know the fate of Tsunade and Shizune. I agreed." The third Hokage replied.

Jiraiya was shocked as he looked at his teacher. "You can't be serious? I thought the plan was quick execution. Now you're giving him time?"

"I have my reasons, Jiraiya." Hiruzen replied with a clipped tone.

"Danzo can't be trusted. You understand that, right? You know him better than anyone. If you give him time, he'll just hatch another plot to escape or create more headache for us. Trusting him is a bad idea. Anything can go wrong." Jiraiya knew the crimes Danzo committed and didn't want to take any chances with the old Root leader.

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed as he looked at his former student. "Don't treat me as a fool, Jiraiya. I'm well aware of what he's capable of. And I never said I trust him."

"Then why give him more time?"

"I'm going to have Inoichi and Ibiki go through every piece of memory he has. He will also be under heavy guard with several paralysis and chakra blocking seals placed on him. Right now I've given orders to treat Danzo as a priority-one prisoner and he'll be placed deep beneath the Tower. Only a handful of people who have my permission will go near him. I'm taking all the precautions needed to make sure nothing goes wrong. His Root forces will also be under confinement and heavy guard."

The Toad Sage finally understood why his sensei showed mercy to Danzo. "This is for Tsunade and Shizune isn't it? You think studying Danzo's memories might give us clues to where Orochimaru could be…"

Hiruzen sighed. "Yes. But it's a very low possibility. Orochimaru wouldn't make a mistake like that. I already have some information on his bases but I need to explore every option in front of me to find them. Danzo is one such option. I also need a thorough detail on everything my old comrade has been up to these last several years."

Jiraiya closed his eyes and exhaled as two faces came to his mind. 'Please be alright, you two.'

He opened his eyes and looked at the two kages. "So what do we do about them? Now that a possible coup has been averted, we need to focus on rescuing those two."

"I agree." Hiruzen reassured him. "But there's more at stake here than just Tsunade's life. Tobirama-sensei and I have uncovered troubling information about the Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha Massacre, and a mysterious figure called 'Dragon' who has taken critical assets from right under our noses. This Dragon has used my operation as a cover to infiltrate this location and he has stolen powerful tools, including Sharingan and other forbidden jutsu."

Tobirama also gave his analysis. "He may be a rogue Leaf ninja or even an Uchiha who somehow survived the massacre and is hiding inside the village. We're not certain yet, but it's a possibility we can't ignore. And given his knowledge and power, he poses a significant threat to the village."

Jiraiya was taken aback by the sudden revelations. "Wait. Before I came here I sensed two unknown chakras. But they disappeared and a second later you showed up in their place."

Tobirama nodded. "You sensed me? That's impressive. And yes. One of them was this Dragon and I believe that the other was an Uchiha. Most probably the one responsible for the nine tails attack. Although that's just speculation at this moment ."

"Whoever this Dragon is, I believe he's currently living in the village. He couldn't have known about my plans with Danzo otherwise." Hiruzen spoke after he thought about the matter.

"Could they be on the same side?" Jiraiya asked.

"Unknown. We only know what Danzo told us. He's the only one who's had a confrontation with this individual. And I don't trust his words at face value." Hiruzen replied. 'Not anymore.'

"Yes." Tobirama nodded. "Interrogating Danzo and getting the truth from his mind would be the only credible way to verify everything he said."

Jiraiya processed the information quickly, his mind racing. "So, we've got two rogue ninjas with forbidden knowledge, Orochimaru with Tsunade and Shizune, and Danzo being held until this is resolved… I haven't heard of anyone going by the name of Dragon. Is it possible that he might be an outsider? Someone who just happened to be here right before your attack?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "I don't believe so. He knew too much about the village, the Uchiha's secrets, Danzo's operations and my top secret attack."

Jiraiya groaned as he listened. "Solve one problem and two more pops up. At a time like this…? Such a headache."

"Yes but this isn't the time to complain. You need to get some rest, Jiraiya." Tobirama looked at the man. "We've found one of Orochimaru's hideouts in the Land of Fire. Intelligence reports state the presence of two powerful chakra signatures. We're going to attack the base in the morning. You're going to need your strength."

Hiruzen agreed with his predecessor. He suddenly sensed several Anbu coming. "You should get going sensei. The less people that know about you the better."

Tobirama nodded and disappeared with his teleportation jutsu. The third Hokage then turned to his student. "You too Jiraiya. You need to be in top shape. I have a feeling you're going to be in for a difficult battle. I'll clean up here."

The Toad Sannin looked around and nodded. Anbu started arriving and a moment later Jiraiya vanished in a puff of smoke.

Hiruzen turned his gaze to his masked ninjas and internally sighed. 'This is going to be a long night.'

—-

Few hours later the Third Hokage was back in his office going through several reports. His jaws clenched in anger as he read the details.

'Dragon stole sensitive intelligence and several hidden jutsu exclusive to the village. This isn't good. Even if he is a member of this village, how exactly am I going to find him… What he took from the Root archives could seriously jeopardize the safety of the village. But it looks like I'll have to put this matter aside till I find Tsunade and her student.'

The door to the office creaked open, and a team of three medic-ninjas, led by the head medical officer, entered the room. They were visibly weary and their expressions were somber. As they approached the desk, the Hokage nodded, signaling them to begin their report.

The head medical officer, a seasoned ninja with countless hours of experience in the medical field, cleared her throat before speaking. Her voice was steady despite the grim news she was about to deliver.

"Lord Hokage, after conducting thorough autopsies on the bodies of Guren and Rinji, we have come to several conclusions," she began, her tone respectful yet filled with a hint of underlying sorrow for the fate of the two ninjas.

"Wait? Did Rinji die as well?" Hiruzen thought Rinji was cooperating with Ibiki.

"Master Ibiki wanted to make sure the information Rinji gave them was true so he ordered a mind walk. But the defense in Rinji's mind was more brutal and the moment the Yamanaka entered his mind, the triggers activated and he died."

Hiruzen closed his eyes and sighed. He then motioned for them to continue.

"Firstly, it's evident that both Guren and Rinji were subjected to highly advanced and forbidden jutsu, presumably by Orochimaru, as a means of safeguarding secrets. This jutsu was designed to trigger upon any attempt to access their memories or extract information. The result was the complete disintegration of their cognitive functions, leading to an irreversible destruction of their minds."

She paused for a moment, allowing the gravity of her words to sink in before continuing.

"Secondly, our examination revealed remnants of this unknown jutsu embedded within their neural pathways. It's unlike anything we've encountered before. It's a sinister combination of Genjutsu and medical ninjutsu, twisted into a safeguard mechanism. This finding suggests Orochimaru has advanced his experimental techniques to a level that poses a significant threat to anyone attempting to infiltrate his operatives' minds."

The room became silent. The Hokage's expression was grave as he considered the implications of this discovery.

The medics handed several documents and the old leader began to quickly go through them. "Tell me about her Kekkei Genkai. What have you found?"

"Regarding Guren's Kekkei Genkai, the Crystal Release, our examination revealed that Orochimaru had conducted several modifications aimed at enhancing her natural abilities," the head medical officer began, her face showing a complicated expression.

"These modifications appear to have been experimental, aiming to increase the versatility and strength of her crystal manipulation. We found unnatural chakra pathways forged within her body, likely intended to amplify her crystal release techniques. He also experimented on her mind extensively, integrating her abilities with his own forbidden techniques to create a failsafe that would activate under duress. The result being catastrophic, leading to the complete disintegration of her cognitive functions."

Turning the topic to Rinji, she continued. "Rinji's body showed signs of similar experimental modifications. Though not a wielder of a Kekkei Genkai like Guren, Orochimaru seemed to have attempted to enhance his sensory abilities, likely to exploit his already notable skills in Genjutsu and manipulation. These enhancements, while less invasive, were equally as experimental and dangerous."

The conversation then shifted to the autopsy of a lesser-known follower, marked by Orochimaru's curse seal. "In addition to Guren and Rinji, we also examined the body of another follower, one who bore a curse seal but it's unlike the familiar one on Jonin Anko. This seal transformed the subject's body, granting them partial animalistic traits. Our findings suggest that while this seal offered increased physical capabilities, it was considerably less stable, leading to severe physical and mental degradation over time."

"What happens to the ones who transform using this curse seal?" Hiruzen asked them.

"The transformation it induced was not fully controllable. It suggests that Orochimaru most likely abandoned this approach in favor of the more sophisticated seals."

"And the others?"

The third medic, a specialist in chakra pathology, answered, "The others bore similar simple curse seals, likely intended to bolster their physical abilities without granting them significant autonomy or power. These seals are rudimentary compared to what we've seen with the other seals but nonetheless pose a significant risk. One, in particular, exhibited partial animalistic transformation, indicative of an experimental phase in Orochimaru's research..."

"As for strategic implications," the lead medic concluded, "We've concluded that Orochimaru has not only perfected his methods of control over his subordinates but has also devised mechanisms to ensure that no useful intelligence can be gleaned from them should they be captured. This will present a significant challenge for interrogation and intelligence-gathering efforts moving forward."

Hiruzen nodded. "Make sure a copy of the report is sent to the Analysis wing and Shikaku Nara."

"Yes Lord Hokage."

"Dismissed…"

The three medics left and the kage turned to look at the sunrise. 'In another hour or two Ox should reach that location. At that time Tobirama will use his teleportation jutsu and will reach that base with Jiraiya. This way, they'll be able to take Orochimaru by surprise. Please hold on, Tsunade, Shizune. We're coming.'

—---------------

Author's Note.

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