43

An immense roar can be heard in the Kumogakure administrative building, specifically in the Raikage's office, a deafening sound, followed by a vibration that shakes the very foundations of the building.

Inside the office, the Raikage, A, can't stop emitting electricity throughout his body, while everything around him suffers the consequences of his anger, especially the desk, or what's left of it.

"Damn it! What the hell is going on? How could we have lost two entire teams?" The Raikage screams to himself, trying to make sense of the terrible news he has received.

"The information is still preliminary, but it indicates that the bodies of seven of our ninjas were found, and based on the descriptions, Taiki is missing, who was supposedly seen fleeing in an easterly direction," says Mabui, the Raikage's personal assistant, completely serious and ignoring her boss's violent outburst.

"Seven jounins, two of them elite! This is a catastrophe! On top of that, the 6 kilograms of chakra metal, do you know how long it took me to gather that amount?" the Raikage continues, gritting his teeth.

"I know very well. I was the one in charge of gathering it," Mabui says, her face almost emotionless.

The Raikage simply ignores his assistant's last comment and continues, "This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen in the Land of Iron. Everyone knows that's a neutral place… Who would be so bold as to do this?"

"The city authorities are trying to gather clues, but nothing seems to indicate the involvement of another large village. Evidence points to widespread use of swords by the attackers and traces of natural energy… The loss of the blacksmith has also been a severe blow to Mifune and his government, and they are desperate to find the culprits, so they have requested our help as soon as possible," Mabui adds.

"Just what we needed, another unknown group to add to the list. But mark my words, I'm going to find those responsible and I'm going to tear them apart member by member" The Raikage threatens.

It's at that moment that three ninjas enter the office, two middle-aged men and a young man named Darui. They are initially surprised by the state of the room and the anger emanating from the Raikage, but they soon compose themselves and greet their leader.

After informing them of the tragic news and preliminary information, the Raikage proceeds to order the three, "You will lead a group of three hundred ninja, find the best trackers and comb the entire city and its surrounding areas if necessary. I want answers, I want clues, I want culprits!"

"Try not to start unnecessary conflicts with the samurai authorities, look for Taiki's whereabouts, and be on the lookout for the presence of ninjas from other villages. This news will inevitably reach the other Kages, but let's try not to reveal too many details. We're putting our reputation on the line," Mabui says.

"What if we find the culprits?" Darui asks, seriously but with little energy.

The Raikage clenches his fists tightly. "As much as I would like you to attack them immediately, don't risk it unless you have overwhelming force. They were able to eliminate seven of our most experienced ninja and dozens of samurai, in the heart of a city that could do nothing about it, and without leaving a trace. Don't think for a minute that you can fight them alone or outnumbered."

The three ninjas nod and quickly disappear from the office, leaving a thoughtful Raikage, who can do nothing but look out the window, as if searching for answers in the sky and clouds.

…

In the land of rice, in a place unknown to most, specifically underground, a very famous ninja is working tirelessly on his endless experiments. His completely pale face and snake-like eyes make him look like a madman whenever he smiles or laughs to himself.

Orochimaru, one of the three sannin and Konoha's traitor, is observing his scientific instruments and writing notes, when one of his subordinates enters the room. The individual in question is a strange man with multiple deformities on his body, with countless black marks all over his skin, his walk is strange and he looks at Orochimaru with some fear.

"What do you need, Number 25? Did you get a message?" Orochimaru asks, still working.

"That's right, Orochimaru-sama. A message came from one of Konoha's agents. Apparently, a certain Danzo wanted to share information with you."

"What a generous man, I suppose he wants something in return. What does the message say?" Orochimaru says, still observing his experiments and taking notes.

"Apparently, he doesn't want anything in return. He used a fairly old communication channel, so the agent didn't dare respond at first, but given the compelling preliminary information Danzo provided, he risked speaking in secret. The message says there's a new organization establishing itself in the Land of Fire, a fairly powerful one that poses a danger to Konoha."

"Ku ku ku, how terrible," the sannin comments sarcastically, "but what does that have to do with me?"

"The message also says that within the organization's leadership is a woman from the Uchiha clan, and she apparently possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan."

It was then that Orochimaru stopped his work, showing a genuine look of surprise. "Oh my, that's some interesting information. Does it say anything else?"

"He says Danzo wants to make a deal. In exchange for the information he has on the woman, he wants you to eliminate her, for the good of Konoha."

"Ku ku ku, that man is still the same, thinking he can fool anyone. He still thinks I'm stupid enough to attack someone with Mangekyo Sharingan, Itachi-kun already showed me how difficult and dangerous it can be. Danzo is by no means weak, and if he doesn't want to or can't eliminate that woman, then the situation is more serious than it seems," Orochimaru comments, with a very thoughtful look.

"What do I tell the agent? Orochimaru-sama."

"Tell him to keep the conversation as long as possible and not give clear answers. That old man is still useful to me, so I don't want to anger him. Let's first see how the situation develops and try to find out where this organization is. If it's so big and powerful, it shouldn't be difficult to find."

"As you command," the man replies, preparing to leave.

"When you leave, find Guren immediately, as I have a mission for her and her team," the sannin says, before the man leaves.

Once Orochimaru is alone, he can't help but say to himself, 'Ku ku ku ku, what an unexpected and interesting thing. I wonder, what's going through Sensei's mind when dealing with such a problem? How's Jiraiya doing?'

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