Chapter 460: Orochimaru Sneaks Back to Konoha

Konoha's Root and a darkened snake—neither are good people.

The only reason they worked together was mutual benefit.

But mutual benefit didn't mean one could casually sell out the other.

For Orochimaru, the idea of his hard work being destroyed was utterly unacceptable.

It seemed necessary to return to Konoha for a while.

Danzo had his own plans, and Orochimaru had his own calculations.

So what if it was an underground facility?

Danzo had one, and so did Orochimaru.

Taking a brief leave wasn't difficult for Orochimaru. He summoned Jiraiya, placed a report on the table, and said,

"This is some recent intelligence we've received. Due to the ongoing war, the internal situation in Kirigakure is unstable. The Kaguya and Yuki clans have been stirring up trouble."

"I hope you can infiltrate the Land of Water, investigate these two bloodline clans, and if possible—"

"Not happening!!!" Jiraiya interrupted before Orochimaru could finish.

"If you want it done, do it yourself. I'm not interested in this kind of mission."

Investigating and collecting information was one thing, but stirring up trouble within the Kaguya and Yuki clans? Orochimaru was giving Jiraiya far too much credit.

No way was he taking this mission.

Orochimaru glared at him, biting his words, "Fine. Then you manage the camp. I'll personally infiltrate the Land of Water to handle this."

"Are you serious?" Jiraiya's eyes widened, his exasperation palpable.

"Come on! You're in charge of the camp. If you leave, what am I supposed to do?

This kind of mission isn't something you can wrap up in a day or two. If something goes wrong, I'll have no way to explain it to the old man."

Jiraiya didn't doubt Orochimaru's intention to infiltrate the Land of Water. Orochimaru had pulled similar stunts countless times before. Even as the frontline commander, he wasn't above sneaking away for intelligence-gathering missions.

Ignoring Jiraiya's complaints, Orochimaru said, "I'll be back in ten days. With White Fang and Takuya here, no matter what Kirigakure tries, they'll be able to handle it."

Jiraiya sighed, running his hands through his wild hair in frustration.

"Fine, I'll cover for you. Leave a shadow clone behind to handle administrative tasks, and I'll deal with the rest."

Ten days wasn't a long time. Given the current state of the war, Kirigakure wouldn't be able to stir up much trouble in such a short period. Plus, with Sakumo Hatake and Takuya at the camp, Jiraiya reluctantly agreed.

He knew that even if he refused, Orochimaru would sneak off anyway. Better to have a plan in place than to be blindsided.

Orochimaru's departure didn't affect the war effort, but it left Jiraiya buried in work, managing everything in Orochimaru's absence.

"Are we really just letting Orochimaru leave like this?" Minato asked, confused by Takuya's indifference to Orochimaru's actions.

After all, Orochimaru's departure might allow him to relocate or destroy evidence of his and Danzo's shady dealings.

"And what would you suggest? Following him?" Takuya replied.

"If you try to follow him, he'll notice. Don't underestimate Orochimaru; he's not an easy snake to deal with."

Orochimaru's surveillance methods were exceptional. Any disturbance would immediately alert him.

Even Takuya wasn't confident he could shadow Orochimaru without being detected.

"Besides, evidence doesn't matter anymore. From the moment Danzo was imprisoned, everything else became irrelevant."

Orochimaru's experiments and schemes were of little concern to Takuya. His sole focus was Danzo.

As long as Danzo could be permanently dealt with, everything else was secondary.

Orochimaru, unlike Danzo, knew his limits. He wouldn't provoke someone who could crush him. Danzo, on the other hand, constantly courted disaster.

As long as Orochimaru managed his research discreetly, whether he left Konoha or not was inconsequential.

Meanwhile, Yagura had been traveling covertly, taking circuitous routes back to Kirigakure. Upon his return, he reported everything that had happened in Konoha to his master, which set the assassination plan in motion.

A scroll detailing Kirigakure's internal situation was delivered to the frontline by the intelligence division. To avoid arousing suspicion, Yagura personally ensured the scroll reached the Third Mizukage.

When the Third Mizukage opened the scroll and saw its contents, he erupted in anger.

"A bunch of useless fools! They can't even handle such a simple matter!!"

The ongoing war had strained Kirigakure's resources, causing financial and logistical issues. The Third Mizukage was aware of these problems but dismissed them as inconsequential.

As long as Kirigakure and Konoha continued to exhaust each other, his objective was being met.

However, with the worsening resource situation threatening the war effort and internal unrest growing, he could no longer ignore the issues.

The Kaguya clan, in particular, was becoming increasingly troublesome, plotting to seize territories occupied by other clans. If they acted, the Land of Water could spiral into chaos.

Forget continuing the war—Kirigakure might be embroiled in a civil conflict before that.

Even Konoha, with its deep reserves, struggled under the war's strain. Kirigakure, isolated and under-resourced, was in no position to endure such challenges.

After delegating frontline responsibilities, the Third Mizukage hurriedly left for Kirigakure with his guards.

Unbeknownst to him, Yagura's operatives had already contacted Sakumo Hatake upon his departure.

The opportunity was fleeting. To prevent leaks, Takuya, Sakumo, and Minato departed immediately without informing Jiraiya.

Having conducted numerous reconnaissance missions, Minato had left Flying Thunder God markers and specialized kunai on many uninhabited islands near the Land of Water. These served as teleportation points for swift movement.

"Let's go meet with Yagura. This is our only chance. If we fail, it'll be nearly impossible to corner the Third Mizukage again," Takuya said.

A failed attempt would only make the Third Mizukage more vigilant.

Minato placed a hand on Takuya and Sakumo, teleporting them away from the frontline camp. After two swift relocations, they arrived at the rendezvous point with Yagura.

Upon arrival, Sakumo immediately scanned the area for potential threats.

Fortunately, Yagura hadn't set a trap. The island was occupied only by Yagura and a few guards.

After a brief greeting, Yagura unfurled a map, pointing to a route marked with red lines.

"The Mizukage-sama is traveling aboard one of our warships. There are our people among his entourage. This is the route they'll take. By tomorrow noon, the ship will pass near this location."