The sudden appearance of the Anbu squad had been abrupt, and Orochimaru had appeared not long after they departed—meaning, they hadn't been present for long. If they had, they wouldn't have let Orochimaru leave so easily—they would've engaged him on the spot.
While the Sannin name was renowned, not every ninja had seen Orochimaru's face in person. Even with pictures, distinguishing him in that dim environment would've been difficult. And even if they had recognized him, it's not guaranteed they'd have been deterred by his reputation. After all, this was their home turf.
First to be ruled out were the Kaguya clan's berserker fighters. The dozens of ninjas who came afterward were more likely the Anbu who wiped them out.
But where had that first group of Anbu come from?
That location was quite a distance from Kirigakure. It wouldn't have been a routine Anbu patrol. More importantly, patrols wouldn't consist of five jōnin and five chūnin—too extravagant for recon missions.
Jōnin were elite assets. Dispatching them casually for a patrol made no sense. Most Anbu on patrol duty were specialists with unique reconnaissance jutsu.
Could it have been an assassination team?
Unlikely. Zabuza Momochi, for all his brutality, didn't warrant a squad of five jōnin and five chūnin. At that point in the timeline, Zabuza was just a particularly strong jōnin—not yet an elite jōnin.
So this lineup… it was clearly deployed for Kakashi.
Kakashi opened his eyes, a glint flashing within the single Sharingan, murmuring: "Obito… was it you?"
With White Zetsu's ability to gather intel, locating him wouldn't have been difficult. If Zetsu found him, it was highly likely he'd inform Obito.
But what would Obito think?
Would he assume Kakashi had come to Kirigakure for a mission? Or… for Rin?
That question might've been lingering in Obito's heart.
And maybe—just maybe—those Anbu were sent on a whim. Not by Kirigakure, but by Obito.
Kakashi gave a faint, bitter smile. "Obito… if you're still hiding in the shadows, what do you want me to do?"
He shook his head, unable to come to any conclusion. He simply didn't have the strength yet. He wasn't qualified to confront Obito—only to keep his head low and prepare.
With that thought, fatigue dragged him back to sleep. His body and spirit had both been pushed to the limit. Sleep was the only thing that could restore him now.
Thankfully, Yugao's medical ninjutsu had worked well. Most of his external injuries were already healed. What kept him bedridden now were the internal strain from the Sharingan and the corrosive effect of Orochimaru's cursed seal.
With a few more days at sea, he would probably recover.
The boat rocked gently on the ocean, carrying them steadily toward the Land of Fire.
"Senior Kakashi, how's your condition?"
Tenzo, walking into the room, looked relieved to see Kakashi up.
"Almost healed," Kakashi said with a faint nod. "We've reached the Land of Fire?"
"Yes, the port's just ahead."
"…Good. It's time to return and report."
"Yes, sir."
Fire Country – Konohagakure. Hokage's Office.
"Oh? So the Mist Village has fallen to such a state? What a tragedy," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he read the mission report.
"Yes, Lord Third. There's another matter I must report," Kakashi added.
"Hm? What is it?"
"I encountered Orochimaru during the mission."
"What?" The Third's expression darkened. Since Orochimaru's defection, he had become Hiruzen's personal nightmare. "Orochimaru? I thought he was holed up in the Land of Rice Fields—how did he end up in the Land of Water?"
"I was wounded mid-mission and ran into him. He placed a cursed seal on me."
Hiruzen's eyes widened as he stepped closer to examine Kakashi's neck. Sure enough, three black tomoe formed the cursed seal—similar to Anko's, but with a dark ring surrounding it.
As the Professor of Ninjutsu, Hiruzen immediately recognized the mark.
"The Evil Sealing Method might suppress it temporarily," Hiruzen muttered, "but it won't remove it."
"Lord Third, do you know any way to eliminate the seal?"
Hiruzen shook his head with a solemn face. "No. This cursed seal is infused with senjutsu chakra. I know nothing of senjutsu—I can't remove it."
Kakashi's expression fell. He had anticipated the answer, but hearing it still disappointed him.
Seeing his expression, Hiruzen sighed with a trace of guilt. To think that even Kakashi had become a target of Orochimaru…
"Kakashi, don't lose hope. I may not know how to undo it, but Jiraiya might. He's trained in senjutsu."
"I'd considered that too, but Jiraiya-sama's whereabouts are… elusive."
"Don't worry," Hiruzen smiled. "He's written to me recently. He'll return soon. When he does, we'll consult him together."
A smile appeared on Kakashi's face. "That's great news."
"Until then, take some time off. Don't take on any missions that might delay the meeting."
"Yes, Lord Third!"
After Kakashi departed, Hiruzen gazed out the window with a wistful expression and muttered, "I never imagined Kakashi would grow this strong…"
Although the mission report didn't delve into all the battle details in Kirigakure, the overall situation was clear enough through the scroll.
This time, the report had been penned not by Kakashi, but by Shisui—since Kakashi had been too injured to write.
Shisui had detailed their encounter in full—except, of course, for anything concerning Orochimaru. That was Kakashi's burden to report personally, as it had been outside mission parameters.
"Terrifying lightning, exquisite swordsmanship, blinding speed… Sakumo, your son is starting to resemble you more and more."
Looking toward the distant skyline, Hiruzen's eyes held a nostalgic glint.
There was a time when Konoha stood atop the world: the Sannin, the Yellow Flash, White Fang, and a still-vigorous Third Hokage.
Six Kage-level shinobi in one village—unmatched even by the other great nations.
Now? Only Hiruzen remained—over sixty and weary.
The slow decay of the next generation weighed heavily on him.
He couldn't fall. Too many villagers still depended on him.
"If only Tsunade and Jiraiya could settle down and return home… maybe I wouldn't have to carry this burden alone anymore."
With that sigh, the Third Hokage turned back to the towering pile of paperwork on his desk.
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