The Adventurous Gamer Ninja - Daichi Hekima [Vol. 02]

Chapter 375 - Battle: Orochimaru & Danzo

With Orochimaru.

A chill wind swept over the rocky plateau, whipping dust and tiny pebbles around the two shinobi locked in a tense standoff.

Danzo stood with a stoic expression as he gazed at the enemy.

"You..." The revelation had thrown the Snake Sannin off balance. Danzo was one of the last people he expected to encounter. 'Why is he here? I thought he'd be busy trying to take advantage of this situation in the village.'

"Did you really think you could hide your schemes forever?" Danzo's words were dripping with contempt. 'I've shaken him but only for a moment. He's already planning his next move.'

As the former Root leader expected, Orochimaru quickly regained his composure and a sly smile formed on his face. "So," he murmured, letting a small, crooked smile form across his lips, "it really is you, Danzo. This is quite a twist. I have to admit. I didn't see this coming."

"You seem surprised."

Orochimaru chuckled, his golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Surprised, yes. But not unprepared. How curious to see you here. I never would have guessed you had the nerve to venture out of your hole... Or the cunning to disguise yourself as that Genin." He chuckled softly. "How did you do it? And more importantly, why?"

Danzo folded his real arm behind his back, letting the synthetic one rest easily at his side. "I came for Tsunade... but also to end the threat you pose to the village. Nothing more needs to be said." His single visible eye slid over Orochimaru's face and read the subtle tension in his posture.

The Sannin snorted in disdain. "You, of all people, playing the selfless rescuer? Please. Don't make me laugh."

He put on a calm face but his mind was running a mile a minute. He had already deduced the identity of the people inside his base.

'It seems I was wrong in my judgement. There are already intruders near Tsunade. If Kakashi is here then that means the village already knows this location. So then aside from Danzo and Kakashi, there is also Daichi, Jiraiya and possibly the Second Hokage. Maybe even more. But at the very least those three would be here. But I need to be sure. There could be more waiting but I don't sense anyone else near here.'

'If it really is Jiraiya and Lord Tobirama near Tsunade then I need to be careful.' The smile on Orochimaru's face vanished and a dangerous intent began to form around him. 'How did they even get to this location? I need to know what they know. After that I can summon Tsunade and escape from here.'

Orochimaru exhaled a theatrical sigh. "After all the trouble I went through to keep this base a secret. And you still got here. I'm curious Danzo, are you here with Sarutobi sensei's blessing? Or did you sneak off like the old snake you are, hoping to seize some advantage while your dear village is in disarray?"

'Him of all people, calling me a snake.' Danzo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the enemy. "Your poor attempt at gaining information is pathetic, Orochimaru. I thought Hiruzen taught you better." 'I need to buy time for them to save Tsunade and take her away... Hmm... It seems I'll have to indulge him to keep his attention on me for a bit longer.'

"Does that mean you're not going to tell me?"

Danzo's face showed no emotion. But after a few moments of silence, he replied. "We found you because we discovered your connection to the Finance Minister. Unusual cargo imports from around the world. Disappearing shipments. You might have thought you were clever, but there were people who knew where they were going. I know far more about your plans than you think."