Chapitre 98: Chapter 98: You Knew There Would Be Dancing—Why Not Avoid It?
"Damn that Uzumaki brat!"
In the hospital room, Danzo sat on the bed, his face dark and filled with anger. The very first thing he said upon regaining consciousness was a curse directed at the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
"Hehehehe..."
"Danzo-sama, the experiment this time was a great success," a voice reported. "The compatibility of the First Hokage's cells with your body has increased significantly compared to before. I wonder…"
"When will you deliver what I want?" Danzo interrupted coldly, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Kabuto, standing next to Orochimaru in his nurse's disguise, removed his gloves and spoke casually. No one would have guessed that Orochimaru, after assassinating the Third Hokage, hadn't left the village. Instead, with the help of Danzo's Root division, he was conducting "treatment" on Danzo in the Konoha hospital.
Well, calling it "treatment" might be a bit generous. It was really just another of Orochimaru's twisted experiments.
"Orochimaru," Danzo growled. "Know your place! We are merely collaborators!"
Danzo found Orochimaru's attitude increasingly audacious, to the point of being intolerable. Deciding that a warning was necessary, he issued a stern reminder. However, recognizing the significant contribution Orochimaru had made in the current situation, Danzo reluctantly decided to placate him. He reached into his resources and prepared to present Orochimaru with a pair of Sharingan as a token of goodwill.
After a moment's silence, Danzo finally spoke. "These Sharingan are my last pair," he said gravely.
Hearing this, Yamanaka Fu stepped forward, holding a small box. He walked up to Orochimaru, opened it, and revealed a pair of Sharingan with two tomoe floating in a test tube.
"Pleasure doing business, Danzo-sama," Orochimaru said, his eyes gleaming with greed as he gazed at the prize. He instructed Kabuto to take the box before bidding Danzo farewell.
"By the way," Orochimaru said with a sly smile as he prepared to leave, "I hear the Fifth Hokage has already been chosen. It's Tsunade."
Danzo's expression darkened instantly, his face contorted with fury. His clenched fists trembled as he held back the urge to lash out.
"Well then, I'll take my leave," Orochimaru said casually.
Kabuto supported him, and with a reverse summoning technique, the two disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Damn it!!" Danzo roared. "The position of Hokage should have been mine!"
His frustration was evident, but at least there was one small consolation. Orochimaru's experiments had resolved some of his earlier physical setbacks.
Thanks to the integration of Hashirama's cells, Danzo now possessed the ability to use Wood Release. According to Orochimaru, his Wood Release abilities were twice as potent as Yamato's—a silver lining, indeed. If only he could ignore the three grotesque faces of Hashirama embedded in his chest...
As for the cost of the experiment, it was steep. He had lost the Sharingan-laden arm he had implanted earlier due to a previous mishap. Still, he had managed to save Shisui's eye in the nick of time, a calculated move that ensured his survival.
"Return to Root," Danzo ordered coldly as he climbed out of bed. The next step was to transplant Shisui's eye. With Kotoamatsukami in his arsenal, he would make anyone, even that brat Uzumaki, bow to his will.
"Hmph. Just wait. The title of Fifth Hokage will be mine, Shimura Danzo!"
---
Konoha Village
Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame strolled boldly toward the village gates. As members of the Akatsuki, they made no effort to conceal their identities.
Of course, Itachi had his reasons. This display was meant to provoke Konoha into taking the Akatsuki seriously. His aim was twofold: to show strength and to subtly warn Danzo to stay away from his younger brother, Sasuke.
Put simply, they were here to make a scene.
"Let's enter," Itachi said plainly. Kisame smirked, immediately following his lead. The two infiltrated Konoha without resistance.
Barely minutes after entering the village, a voice suddenly called out from behind them.
"You two up ahead... Stop right there!"
Both Itachi and Kisame immediately became alert, turning to face the speaker. Kisame's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his massive sword, Samehada.
But the speaker's next words caught them completely off guard.
"I say, you two are going the wrong way!" the man shouted impatiently. "The Hokage's funeral is about to start. Follow me, or Jiraiya-sama will dock my pay!"
Itachi: ???
Kisame: ???
What the hell was this?
Under their straw hats, both men exchanged bewildered glances. Did this guy seriously not notice their Akatsuki cloaks?
The man, Kotaro, appeared entirely unfazed. As one of the most prominent event organizers in the shinobi world, he had been tasked with arranging Hiruzen Sarutobi's funeral. While he found it odd that the funeral required singing and dancing performers at the grave site, Jiraiya's overwhelming generosity had silenced his doubts.
As for the Akatsuki's distinct attire? Well, Kotaro assumed they were just part of the eclectic costumes provided by the village's eccentric blonde troublemaker. Nothing surprised him anymore.
"Hehehe," Kisame chuckled, his grip tightening on Samehada. He was about to strike when Itachi stopped him with a subtle gesture.
"Let's see where this leads," Itachi said quietly. Perhaps the funeral would provide a good stage for demonstrating their power. And who knew? He might even catch a glimpse of Sasuke.
"Come on, you two," Kotaro called back. "And don't forget to take off those hats during the funeral. No one can see your faces otherwise."
Itachi's lips curved slightly into a smirk. "Of course," he replied.
Kisame caught on to Itachi's plan and couldn't help but grin. The image of Konoha's shock when two infamous missing-nin revealed themselves at the Hokage's funeral was too amusing to resist.
---
At the Hokage's Grave
The area around Hiruzen's grave had been transformed into a peculiar festival-like setting. Dozens of tables were set up, and blonde-haired servers darted through the crowd, serving dishes to guests.
All eyes, however, were on the stage built over the grave.
"Hehehe... My dear student..." Jiraiya crouched at the edge of the crowd, his eyes gleaming with delight as he ogled the performers on stage. Dressed in short skirts and black stockings, the women looked far from traditional.
"These outfits are fantastic!" Jiraiya chuckled lecherously.
"I agree," Kakashi chimed in, crouching beside him, his visible eye reflecting mild approval.
Nearby, Konohamaru sat with his chin in his hands, clearly unimpressed. "What's so great about them? They're not even as interesting as the wooden planks in my house," he muttered.
Naruto, however, beamed with pride. "Of course! These outfits have been market-tested!" he declared. "Back in my old world—uh, I mean, trust me, these are guaranteed to be a hit with the crowd."
The four of them squatted together, occasionally letting out odd chuckles.
Meanwhile, Sasuke, cloaked in black, avoided looking at the stage entirely. The sight of the outfits brought back some rather traumatic memories.
"How much longer will this last?" Sasuke muttered. "I need to get back to training."
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