Chapter 104: Display of Force
Konoha was not unfamiliar with cursed seals. The Hyuga clan's Caged Bird Seal was a prime example, and Danzo used seals to control his subordinates and prevent leaks. These things were typically deeply tied to the body or soul, making them difficult to remove.
Orochimaru's cursed seal had already demonstrated its formidable power. But whether the side effects were limited to what had been shown remained uncertain. More importantly, this type of seal didn't quite align with Orochimaru's style. Why bother creating a bunch of moderately strong subordinates? If Orochimaru had stayed in the village, he could have easily found countless willing followers. He didn't even care about keeping someone as capable as Anko around—why would he suddenly become interested in raising cannon fodder?
It stood to reason that the cursed seal must have another purpose beyond simply boosting strength. With little intel, all anyone could do was speculate. The most suspicious point, however, remained Orochimaru's method of sustaining youth—especially given that the only remaining Sharingan in the village now resided in Uchiha Sasuke, who just happened to have been branded with a cursed seal. That made the theory even more plausible.
Mizuki's responses didn't contain any shocking revelations, though he did confirm a few useful bits. Still, he refrained from giving away anything too sensitive—especially things he couldn't explain the source of.
Seeing no more revelations were forthcoming, Homura Mitokado spoke up with his usual measured tone. "That's enough for now. Step aside, there's another matter that concerns you later."
"So I'm not being dismissed yet? There's still more trouble ahead?" Mizuki sighed inwardly. Until Tsunade returned to take up the mantle of Fifth Hokage, the best move was to stay under the radar. Being caught up with these high-ranking power players was too risky.
What followed was none of Mizuki's business: matters of patrols, shows of force, preventing opportunistic infiltration, post-war reconstruction, and task assignment management. None of these had anything to do with him yet. As a chunin, Mizuki was too junior to weigh in, though he'd no doubt be expected to do the grunt work.
All of it was painfully tedious. As Mizuki struggled to keep his eyes open, someone apparently mentioned his name. Not fully alert, Mizuki didn't react until Kakashi jabbed him with an elbow.
"Huh?" Mizuki blinked and looked around, only to find all eyes on him.
"What's going on?"
Koharu Utatane frowned. "You disagree with the assignment?"
"Sorry," Mizuki said, embarrassed. "I didn't catch that last part…"
He wasn't about to agree to something without knowing the details—last time that happened, it nearly cost him dearly. In this situation, caution was the only way to survive.
"You'll be part of the delegation to Sunagakure," Homura explained. "You'll assist with negotiations and escort the captives."
"Understood," Mizuki nodded. "No objections."
Escorting a Jinchūriki? It made sense to send someone skilled in sealing techniques. And the trip probably wouldn't be dangerous—Suna had already surrendered. The biggest concern would just be keeping the Tailed Beast under control.
"But leaving tomorrow? That's a bit sudden."
No matter how good the shadow clone jinchūriki was, it couldn't match the real thing in terms of adaptability. Mizuki had too many irons in the fire—he'd need to accelerate plans for a second clone. Without reliable helpers, everything still fell on him.
As Mizuki gloomily considered his to-do list, a member of the ANBU appeared beside Danzo and whispered in his ear before quickly vanishing.
"What's the report?" asked one of the advisors.
"Orochimaru escaped," Danzo answered.
Though it wasn't surprising—someone of Orochimaru's caliber, once given the opportunity, was practically impossible to recapture—it was still deeply disappointing to hear it confirmed.
"This can't be ignored," said Koharu sternly. "If we do nothing, others will see us as weak…"
Letting a traitor like Orochimaru go unchecked would only embolden the world's rogues. That's how wars started. The Third Great Ninja War, after all, had been sparked by the assassination of the Third Kazekage—Suna thought Konoha did it, and all hell broke loose.
"I'll take care of it," Danzo offered, unsurprisingly eager to handle anything that involved flexing Konoha's military muscle. As the head of the militant faction, this suited him perfectly.
"Now," Homura said, "we come to the final item of today's meeting. And perhaps the most important…"
At that moment, the doors opened, and Might Guy walked in, tall, bright-eyed, and brimming with energy.
"Sorry I'm late!" Guy said, striking his usual heroic pose. "I just returned from the frontlines."
"You've done well," Homura said. "Now, as I was saying—the final issue at hand is the selection of the Fifth Hokage."
Everyone fell silent. Though the Hokage was technically elected, this time was different. Both the Third and Fourth Hokage were gone. There was no pre-designated successor. The village was in chaos and needed a strong leader immediately. The elders would make the decision, and everyone else would witness it.
"The village has been challenged," Danzo said, standing. "We must answer that challenge with strength. I propose myself as the next Hokage."
The logic wasn't flawed. But—
"Danzo," Koharu interrupted. "What we need now is a younger, more vital leader. We're too old to shoulder this burden anymore."
Danzo could hardly argue. He couldn't exactly stand up and say, "Well, I've grafted cells from the First Hokage into my body, so I'm practically immortal."
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