Naruto: I, Shikotsumyaku, Byakugan Princess

Chapter 232 He missed another big question!
The winding passageway, resembling a snake, was filled with an indescribable chill.

Damp moss crawled all over the cracks in the rocks, and water mixed with some kind of mineral flowed down the stone wall, leaving behind murky, whitish wet streaks.

Danzo stared menacingly at Orochimaru's Mangekyou Sharingan, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes forming a small fan shape, the Mangekyou Sharingan spinning rapidly and emitting a faint red light.

The power of Kotoamatsukami needs no further explanation.

He could sense that the Yin Release power in Orochimaru's mind was taking root and gradually implanting, invading, and distorting his will in his subconscious. Before long, Orochimaru would be completely turned into his puppet!
The plan worked!
Killing Ashura to avenge himself was one of the reasons for contacting Orochimaru.

Returning to Konoha to take control of Root again is an unrealistic fantasy.

Taking advantage of Kotoamatsukami's stealth capabilities, his ultimate goal in finding Orochimaru was to directly manipulate the opponent's subconscious!

The great grudge of Ashikaga must be avenged, and the Sharingan can be given to Orochimaru, but the price will be Orochimaru himself and the hidden village forces that have been established for many years.

The damp, cold air couldn't dispel the burning desire in Danzo's heart; his eyes were filled with insatiable greed, like a wolf eyeing a piece of succulent meat.

He scanned it roughly with his Sharingan when he arrived.

Orochimaru had several hundred ninjas stationed in Otogakure in the Land of Rice Fields, including more than a dozen Jonin and Special Jonin. Although the quality of his ninjas was not as good as that of his Root, they were still a mid-level ninja organization.

If we include Orochimaru and these two Kage-level figures, aside from the Five Great Ninja Villages and the mysterious Akatsuki organization, Otogakure has become one of the top forces in the ninja world, even stronger than his Root organization.

He can never go back!
He knew better than anyone how terrible the things he had done were.

All the Root ninjas, Iwagakure, Chihaya Toru, and even Ryuma have already betrayed him. Once Hairi reveals his deeds, there will be no place for him in the vast Hidden Leaf Village. Even if he goes back and kills Hairi, what difference will it make?

Can the roots return to his hands?

Why not take over Orochimaru and the Hidden Sound Village from the cuckoo's nest and bring them under our control? If we can't become Hokage, being the Hidden Sound Village for now wouldn't be bad...

But before that, he needed to make sure that Kotoamatsukami would be effective against Orochimaru.

"You go into Konoha and help me kill Hiruzen. After it's done, I'll give you twenty pairs of three-tomoe Sharingan! Don't think I can't afford it; we've mastered the method of cultivating three-tomoe Sharingan over the years!"

With his neck slightly tilted forward, Danzo stared intently at Orochimaru with his single eye, continuing to test whether Orochimaru's will was affected by this empty promise.

If Orochimaru agrees, it means that Kotoamatsukami is very effective, and he can take this opportunity to control Otogakure.

If he were to build this ninja village himself, it would probably take at least ten years to reach this scale, and he simply doesn't have that much time. Having experienced Hui Li's betrayal, he's learned his lesson; building his own power from scratch is far more convenient and faster than simply taking over someone else's.

Danzo's voice echoed in the cave, creating some noise. Orochimaru, oblivious, narrowed his eyes, making the cave even colder.

This old guy seems to be out of touch with the situation?
They've already become Konoha's rogue ninja, and in a couple of days their arrest warrants will probably be issued. Do they still think they're the former leader of Root?
If the Konoha Crush plan didn't actually require manpower, she would have kicked this useless old man out of the Land of Rice Fields long ago.

Thinking about the upcoming Chunin Exams in Konoha, Orochimaru rubbed his forehead, feeling a slight headache coming on.

Now, there's good news and bad news!

The good news is that the Kazekage has been assassinated by him and Kimimaro in a joint operation.

His real body is currently in Sunagakure, mobilizing troops to prepare for the Konoha Crush, and the one receiving Danzo now is just a shadow clone.

The bad news is that, besides the Kazekage, he may also have to face at least four Kage-level monsters.

Do not!
If you include the Sunburst Gray Glass, that makes a total of five!
Thinking of the petite figure he saw at Leigu Mountain, whose purple aura soared into the sky and whose body was bursting with tailed beast chakra, Orochimaru's eyes blazed with fire!

Back when he first contacted Danzo to assassinate Ashura, Danzo had already provided him with all the information about Ashura.

He never expected that the monster named 'Night Crossing' he encountered at Raigūzan was actually the closed-door disciple of both his teacher and Danzo, and also an orphan of the Taketori clan like Kimimaro. It's possible that the other party was also a bloodline ninja who had awakened the Shikotsumyaku!
Back then, the other party was already at the level of an elite Jonin when he was only six years old. He defeated Kisame Hoshigaki with him at Mount Raigu and took away the ninja tool that could absorb chakra.

Later, she threw the Bamboo Treasure to the other party to divert trouble, and used Reverse Summoning to escape. She thought that the other party had been killed by that mysterious space ninja and that the treasure had fallen into that person's hands.

Unexpectedly, the other party was still alive, and five years later, she had already been able to infiltrate the Root and drive away Danzo, undoubtedly possessing Kage-level combat power.

Just outrageous!
Orochimaru suddenly thought of himself.

She was a renowned genius in Konoha from a young age, and had the strength of a Chunin right after graduating from the Ninja Academy.

Later, he accidentally teleported to Ryuchi Cave using Reverse Summoning. After going through countless trials and tribulations, he finally gained the approval of the White Snake Sage and signed a contract to become a Special Jonin.

After that, they continued to rise to prominence, and their strength improved by leaps and bounds.

At the age of fifteen, he studied the Five Elements Escape Techniques under Hiruzen Sarutobi and became a Jonin.

He joined Root at the age of twenty and mastered the secret and forbidden techniques of Konoha.

At the age of twenty-five, he developed his own combat system and used the power of human modification to make up for his own chakra deficiency, thus crossing the threshold of Kage level.

After countless life-and-death battles and day and night research into ninjutsu, he abandoned emotions, bonds, morality, bottom lines, and even gender and his human form, which is how he gained his current strength!

But what about the other side?

At the age of twelve, which is normally still the age of a genin, he already stood at the pinnacle of ninja, commanding countless Root masters and overlooking the ninja world. This made him, who was called a genius, feel ashamed of himself.

If the other party were not a member of Kimimaro's clan, and his body were not likely to develop a bloodline disease in the future, making him unsuitable for the Reanimation Jutsu, she would have abandoned the Konoha Crush Plan and instead devised the 'Seize Hai Ri' Plan.

That's right!

Even knowing he was about to face five Kage-level opponents, he still didn't intend to give up attacking Konoha. Danzo was undoubtedly the best helper to carry out the plan!
"Do you agree or not?"

Danzo remained outwardly cold as he watched Orochimaru, who was deep in thought with his forehead covered, but inwardly his toes were curled up in tension.

When a normal Kotoamatsukami enters the brain, the recipient's eyes will initially appear in a kaleidoscope shape, but it will quickly disappear into the brain.

However, Orochimaru's eyes remained in the shape of a four-cornered windmill, and coupled with his troubled expression, it was clear that he was using his willpower to fight against Kotoamatsukami.

I never expected Orochimaru to have such a strong will, even able to withstand the power of the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Danzo's body tensed up quietly. If he realized what was happening, not only would the deal fall through, but he and Orochimaru would likely have to fight a fierce battle!
"Fine!"

Just as Danzo was about to lose control and was about to make a move, Orochimaru said with a troubled expression.

You agreed to such outrageous conditions?
Danzo was secretly delighted. Orochimaru had indeed been controlled by Kotoamatsukami, and his plan to seize Otogakure could finally be implemented...

"The Five Great Nations Joint Exams are in a month. While the Five Kage gather, I'll lead the Sound Village to attack Konoha first. You'll blend in with the group and wait for the right opportunity. Then we'll kill Kairi first, and then Sarutobi..."

Staring at those scarlet kaleidoscope eyes, Orochimaru spread his arms and slowly revealed his plan, a sinister smile on his pale, handsome face, as if he had already crushed Konoha.

Only Danzo remained silent.

His face trembled as he looked at Orochimaru, who was still talking non-stop, his narrow eyes filled with terror.

When he used Kotoamatsukami, did he use too much ocular power? Why is Orochimaru starting to talk nonsense?

Are they using Sound Concealment to attack Konoha?
Without my help, you three weaklings wouldn't even have been able to breach the Root base! You want to take advantage of the Five Kage gathering to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi? You might as well just become the God of Shinobi!

"How about we think about it some more?"

As the instigator of everything, Danzo, his cheeks twitching, began to persuade Orochimaru.

If Orochimaru were to carry out his plan, he didn't know if Konoha would collapse, but the Hidden Sound Village he wanted would definitely be gone.

"What, you want to go back on your word again? You can't miss a single one of the twenty pairs of Sharingan you just promised!" Orochimaru glared, his eyes widening in a terrifying display of malevolent Mangekyou Sharingan.

Whether or not he can get the Sharingan is irrelevant. He finally found a Kage-level expert, so how could he let Danzo back down now?

Kidnapping Sasuke and killing their teacher!

This was a plan he had devised many years ago, and even the Hidden Sound Village was established for this purpose. Even though things have changed slightly now, he is not without a backup plan.

"No, the Sharingan is fine... it's just..."

Danzo's lips moved as if he wanted to persuade Orochimaru, but looking at Orochimaru's bloodshot eyes, he knew that his persuasion would probably be useless.

The red in his left eye faded rapidly, and the power of his eye in Orochimaru's mind also weakened and disintegrated. Silently, he had already released Kotoamatsukami.

"Whoo~"

Seeing Orochimaru's pupils return to their golden snake-like form, Danzo quietly exhaled a breath of stale air. This should dispel the other party's outrageous idea!
"I'm going to execute the Konoha Crush Plan!"

The magnetic male voice still echoed in the cave. Orochimaru pointed at Danzo, whose eyes were filled with terror, and said with murderous intent:

"If you don't come, I'll have no choice but to kill you first to prevent the plan from being exposed!"
Choose now!

"I……"

Sensing the undisguised killing intent emanating from his opponent, Danzo stared blankly, bewildered as to how things had come to this.

You're so desperate for the Sharingan, aren't you?

Having finally escaped, he really didn't want to go back to Konoha, especially since he was appearing as a rogue ninja who was about to attack Konoha!
If he really agrees, all his persistence in this life will be meaningless... But if he fights Orochimaru now, no matter the outcome, he will probably have no hope of revenge!

Danzo, his wooden clogs crunching on the smooth moss in the cave, stared at Orochimaru, who had already assumed the starting stance for a summoning jutsu, caught in a dilemma!

……

the other side.

Time flies, and seven days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Team 7, who had been resting after returning from the Land of Waves, finally reunited at Kakashi's call.

In the circular third training field, old wooden stakes covered in scars stand silently in the center of the field.

Bilibili!

With a chakra dagger on his back, Sasuke, his body crackling with lightning, sat cross-legged, practicing his chakra control.

Wearing a black tight-fitting short-sleeved shirt, Naruto was covered in sweat. His muscles were congested from the long training session, and his thick biceps stretched the shirt tight. Even so, he continued to sway and pound the wooden stake.

"Hiss..."

The hissing sound of a cobra was constant, and the crackling of thunder continued.

The trees rustled in the breeze, and a gentle wind, carrying sunlight, dried the area.

Delegating all the training tasks to her clone, Hui Li, holding the three-colored dumplings she bought by the roadside, leaned against the creaking, bent tree trunk, enjoying the food while watching her companions train hard.

"Suck it!"

As she sucked the dumpling into her mouth, Hui Li squinted her eyes, which were hidden under the blindfold, and smiled like a kitten.

This is the meaning of her spiritual practice!

so cute!
hateful!

Naruto and Sasuke, who were training, keenly heard the faint sound and observed Hairi out of the corner of their eyes, but their feelings were completely different.

Naruto's cheeks were slightly flushed. After spending so many years together, he had basically given up his former fantasies.

The weight of that heavy cargo ship and the body temperature hotter than boiling water in a steamer had shattered his inner feelings.

But the power of his white moonlight was still extraordinary; whenever he saw her, his heart would still flutter.

Sasuke, on the other hand, simply hated it.

It wasn't that he hated Hui Li, but rather he hated his own weakness and incompetence!

Hui Li is so relaxed because he has terrifying strength that surpasses ordinary people. However, he slacked off during the mission in the Land of Waves, and his legs were ripped open by his own lightning. Even Naruto benefited from the misfortune and mastered the Gate of Life, but he did not become stronger at all!
If he had half of Hui Li's fighting power, he would probably be on the path to revenge against Itachi right now.

The more Sasuke realized his weakness, the more violent the electric current emanating from his body became, leaving black scorch marks on his body with crackling sounds.

It doesn't matter!
As long as he can become stronger, the so-called pain is nothing. Sasuke's eyes turned bloodshot as he trained his control over Lightning Release while using the pain to stimulate the evolution of his Sharingan!
He had already made up his mind. He was just waiting for his Sharingan to evolve to the three-tomoe stage before he would go to Hai Li and sell himself to obtain the right to use the Raiden Kiba!
"It seems everyone is working very hard!"

Just then, Kakashi leisurely emerged from the woods, holding a small comic book with a yellow cover, his deadpan eyes selectively glancing at Gray Glass.

"You're late again, huff huff... Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto roared, panting heavily, as he put away his fist stance!

"Sorry, I have a reason for being late today!"

Kakashi narrowed his eyes into crescent moons, pointing at the three members of the Ash Blossom Tribe with his Icha Icha Paradise:

"Just now, the Hokage personally issued a notice that Konoha will be holding a joint Chunin Exam involving the five great nations. As the village's most outstanding genin, the three of you must participate!"
Therefore, our Class 7 will not have any more missions for the next two months!

"What!?"

Naruto and Sasuke stood up straight at the same time.

After sucking the last dumpling into his mouth, the examiner, Hui Li, puffed out his cheeks and stuck the bamboo skewer in his hand into the giant tree beneath him.

This joint exam is extraordinary. Things from the original story seem to be happening ahead of time, and even promising genin in the village are being asked to give up their missions and focus on preparing for the exam.

It seems that Sarutobi-sensei not only wants to be number one, but he also wants to take all three of the top spots!

(End of this chapter)