Inside Konoha's most iconic building, the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen sat at his desk, pipe in hand, reviewing a report handed to him by an ANBU.
"A member of the Inuzuka clan discovered a corpse buried underground," the masked ninja said. "It appears to be a Root operative."
Hiruzen exhaled sharply through his nose. "Was the body sent to the Yamanaka clan for memory extraction?"
"Yes, Lord Third. They attempted their jutsu, but the brain was too damaged—completely unsalvageable. However, we recovered this scroll from the corpse's possessions."
The ANBU handed over the scroll. Hiruzen unsealed it and scanned the contents.
"These are names of Academy students… civilian-born, but listed as talented."
A frown settled across his face. He didn't need to think twice.
'Danzo is still gathering test subjects for the Wood Release experiments—even after I ordered him to stop.'
Another thought followed.
'And he can't continue without a skilled researcher. Someone who understands the power of the First Hokage's cells.'
A pale face flashed through his mind—yellow, reptilian eyes filled with ambition.
Orochimaru.
He sighed deeply and took a drag from his pipe. "Assign the investigation to Shikaku Nara. And summon 'Dog'."
The ANBU nodded and vanished.
Hiruzen stood, gazing out the window toward the stony visage of Hashirama Senju. His eyes swept over the other faces carved into the mountain—his predecessors, and those yet to come. Another sigh escaped him.
A few minutes later, a silver-haired ninja in a dog-shaped mask appeared silently before him. Without a word, he accepted an A-rank mission from the Third Hokage.
Elsewhere in the village, Shinra reclined against the wall of his home, fresh from a lecture by his grandmother.
She had scolded him about overexerting himself, reminded him that he was still just a child, and warned him to take breaks.
To her surprise, Shinra had agreed.
'I'll take a few days off from chakra training.'
He stared at the ceiling, arms folded behind his head.
'I left the scroll on the corpse intentionally. By now, they've definitely found it. The only gamble was whether Root or ANBU got there first.'
The scroll contained over forty names. Most weren't crossed out.
'Which means I won't be the only one they'll investigate. I can't afford to act suspicious.'
He stood and stretched, rolling his shoulders before donning his newly purchased weighted gear. His sleeves covered the shallow cuts he had sustained in the fight.
For the next several days, Shinra focused purely on physical training. No chakra, no ninjutsu—just endurance, strength, and repetition. He pushed his usual routine five times harder.
By the third day, anyone near the Academy's grounds would've noticed a green-eyed boy in a full-sleeved white hoodie with a red stripe, red pants, and white shoes, pushing himself to the brink.
Back at the ANBU dormitory, Kakashi stood before three masked figures.
"Mission briefing," he said. "Discreet investigation into the disappearance of civilian-born Academy students. Dragonfly, Moose—you'll cover the eastern district. Moose, take Pakkun with you for tracking. Turtle, you're with me. Disperse."
All four vanished in a blur.
Kakashi hadn't shared the full truth: the prime suspect wasn't just a rogue agent—it was Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Their objective wasn't combat or direct confrontation. It was confirmation. Kakashi needed to verify whether the missing children had been taken to one of Orochimaru's hidden laboratories.
"Wait," he said, halting Turtle mid-step. Behind the dog mask, his Sharingan spun restlessly.
"There are detection seals scattered everywhere. Follow me."
Navigating the perimeter took hours. The two ANBU weaved through traps, dodged patrols, and avoided every sensor seal with precision.
Eventually, Kakashi formed a long series of hand signs and placed his palms against a seemingly solid wall. A circular opening appeared in the stone.
"Turtle, go first."
Inside, the stench of chemicals hit them immediately. Scrolls and syringes cluttered the corners of the lab.
"No chakra signatures nearby," Turtle whispered. "But we shouldn't linger."
Kakashi nodded. "Split up. Five minutes. I'll take the far side."
He approached a cluttered desk, his Sharingan sweeping over stacks of diagrams and fragmented notes—mostly illegible without context. Then something caught his eye.
A sealed scroll, marked with a stylized snake emblem.
He broke the seal with practiced ease and scanned the contents.
Another list—names, ages, assessments. Notes like "high chakra potential," "responsive to injections," "awaiting subject relocation."
Many matched the names from Hiruzen's scroll.
At the bottom, a smudged entry—someone had attempted to erase it:
Te~
The rest was smeared and unreadable, but the first letters were visible.
Kakashi resealed the scroll and made his way back. Turtle was already waiting.
Something felt wrong. Too easy.
"This is a trap," Kakashi muttered.
An instant later, the lab shook.
"Move!"
They darted down a new hallway just as a series of explosions tore through the complex. The entrance, and most of the lab behind them, was engulfed in fire.
…
Back in the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen received the emergency report.
"The lab was rigged with explosive tags?"
"Yes," the ANBU said. "Dog suspects Orochimaru allowed access on purpose—then blew up the evidence, and nearly the team."
Hiruzen dropped back into his chair, thoughts racing.
'He waited until we found the scroll… then destroyed everything. He isn't just erasing the trail—it's a message. He's showing me Danzo was involved, and pushing him into the light.'
The implications twisted in his chest.
'If I move against Orochimaru directly, Danzo might strike me afterward and try to take the Hokage seat for himself.'
Although Hiruzen was confident in handling Orochimaru—and Danzo as well—such a confrontation would leave Konoha in its most vulnerable state. And with the Uchiha clan watching for the slightest weakness, the other villages would smell blood.
A new war would begin—and Konoha would not survive it.
His fingers tightened around his pipe.
'The most efficient solution… is for Orochimaru to defect—and for Danzo to take the blame. I lose an eye, but I kill two birds with one stone. Others will think it's a trap to lure them in.'
He exhaled slowly, a grim smirk forming.
'Orochimaru… you really are a good schemer.'
He stood.
"Prepare three ANBU squads. I will lead them personally. Orochimaru is to be captured alive—if possible."
….
Meanwhile, Shikaku Nara sat deep in thought, going over the mission assigned to him.
'This wasn't a foreign spy. Too sloppy. Leaving the scroll behind was practically a statement—like saying "I had no choice, he came after me." Among the 40 names, only ten lack a solid alibi.'
He leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing.
'For a seven-year-old to kill a Chunin is absurd… unless we're talking about a prodigy like Itachi or Kakashi.'
On the rooftop of his home, Shinra sat in silence, a half-eaten rice ball in hand, his hoodie drenched in sweat.
'They'll be watching those names soon enough.'
But he wasn't worried.
Soon, the village's attention would shift—from a mystery killer to shock over the revelation that a Sannin had been kidnapping and experimenting on children.
The Hokage would be forced to reassure the families, direct the outrage toward Orochimaru and in the shadow to blackmail Danzo.
And if Shinra was ever exposed?
He wouldn't be branded a murderer. He'd be seen as a prodigy—a child who killed a Chunin.
But for now, he had no interest in missions, glory, or reputation.
Only in getting stronger.