Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

"Your appetite really is insatiable," Natsuro remarked, looking over the resources listed.

"Heh heh, after all, nothing can be accomplished without resources. Besides, this isn't necessarily a bad thing for you," Orochimaru replied with a smirk.

Natsuro didn't deny it. The more resources listed, the greater the chance of finding a flaw and the easier it would be to investigate.

Still, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret as he thought about the possibility of these resources becoming his after Danzo was brought down.

"Additionally, I have records of other things Danzo has done. Would you like those too?" Orochimaru suddenly offered.

Natsuro paused, then nodded. Orochimaru tossed him another scroll.

Opening it and scanning the contents, Natsuro's expression turned odd. The records pertained to events during Orochimaru's collaboration with Danzo.

"So, you're trying to drag Danzo down with you using these records. This is just your way of seeking revenge for him pulling strings to completely remove you from the line of Hokage succession back then, isn't it?" Natsuro said with a chuckle.

"Heh heh, it seems Natsuro-kun knows quite a lot," Orochimaru replied, mildly surprised.

The scroll didn't specify dates, yet Natsuro had immediately deduced the context.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure your former ally pays the price alongside you," Natsuro replied with a shrug. Wasn't this the shinobi-world version of "If I can't have it, neither can you"?

"Heh heh, I'll leave it to you, then," Orochimaru said with a grin. For once, their interests aligned.

Natsuro, growing curious, asked, "Orochimaru, let me ask you something. If I had died during Danzo's scheme, what would you have done? Would you have handed these records over to the Fifth Hokage?"

"Heh heh, Natsuro-kun~ You overestimate Tsunade. Her personality makes her no match for Danzo," Orochimaru said with a sly smile, his eyes glinting coldly.

"So, if you had died, I would have waited for the moment Danzo was about to ascend to power. Then I'd spread these records across all of Konoha for everyone to see."

As Orochimaru spoke, his expression grew more malevolent, as if he were imagining the chaos that would follow.

Natsuro was momentarily speechless. That approach was far harsher than he had expected. Given his current status and reputation in Konoha, Danzo's downfall would have been a certainty.

And if anyone had the means to disseminate such information, Natsuro had no doubt that Orochimaru was capable of it.

He even found himself curious about how it might have played out. Though, of course, it was an experiment that could never happen, as Natsuro hadn't died.

Danzo cooperating with Orochimaru was undoubtedly a blunder, especially considering their past grievances.

Did Danzo truly believe Orochimaru was the type to only care about mutual benefits and forget personal grudges?

But then again… hadn't Natsuro wronged Orochimaru as well? After all, he had been the one to blast him into a fusion experiment.

Reflecting on this, Natsuro steeled himself. He needed to ensure Orochimaru never had any leverage against him.

"And now, Natsuro-kun~ would you mind telling me how you found me?" Orochimaru asked, his curiosity evident. His safety depended on knowing the answer.

"The Spirit Transformation Technique and the Heavenly Curse Mark," Natsuro replied without hesitation. Orochimaru had fulfilled his end of the exchange, so he didn't see the harm in answering.

Orochimaru froze momentarily before chuckling. "Ah, the technique of the Kato clan? Impressive. I should have known Natsuro-kun would have no trouble mastering even such a forbidden art."

Having encountered Kato Dan before, Orochimaru was familiar with the Spirit Transformation Technique and its unique ability to perceive souls.

And, of course, he knew the Heavenly Curse Mark contained his spiritual imprint. It was clear that Natsuro had extracted the imprint to locate him.

Orochimaru exhaled in relief. This method was unlikely to pose a recurring threat. The Spirit Transformation Technique was exceedingly rare, besides Natsuro and Kato Dan, no one else was known to have mastered it.

Moreover, Orochimaru's remaining spiritual imprints were few, and both were located within Konoha.

This meant that only Natsuro could track him, and after today, there would only be one chance left.

Relaxing at the thought, Orochimaru couldn't help but grin.

"Well then, everything has been settled. Farewell, Natsuro-kun," Orochimaru said, his gaze still fixed intently on him, clearly wary of the possibility that Natsuro might make a move after their business was concluded.

Much to Orochimaru's relief, Natsuro genuinely had no intention of betraying their agreement.

With a smile, Orochimaru's form gradually dissolved into countless small snakes, slithering into the dark corners of the room to escape.

Natsuro watched the scene unfold but made no move to stop him. His purpose for coming here had already been fulfilled.

Of course, Natsuro wasn't strictly adhering to the "rules" either. After all, it wasn't as if he'd promised not to strike after the exchange.

The real issue was that Natsuro wasn't confident he could kill Orochimaru completely. As he had stated earlier, if Orochimaru managed to reappear from some obscure corner, everything he had done would be meaningless.

Additionally, such an act might make Orochimaru more cautious in the future, which wouldn't be beneficial.

Thus, he decided to let Orochimaru leave. Besides, he suspected that Orochimaru would likely split up his presence, making it difficult for anyone, including Natsuro, to track him down.

Truly, Orochimaru was one of the most difficult beings to permanently eliminate in the world of Naruto.

Natsuro glanced at the scroll in his hand. Although he hadn't killed Orochimaru, that hadn't been part of his original plan.

He hadn't expected everything to go so smoothly, but that was partly because Orochimaru also had his own grudges against Danzo, which aligned with his interests.

After putting away the scroll, Natsuro surveyed the hall. He knew that this base would likely be abandoned now. Even if he left, Orochimaru wouldn't use this exposed hideout again.

Slightly regretful, he had no further thoughts about it. If Orochimaru couldn't use it, neither could he. With that, his figure vanished from the spot.

Shortly after Natsuro left, Orochimaru's figure reappeared in the hideout. He wasn't planning to use this base anymore but had returned to retrieve a few items he needed.

"Orochimaru-sama, you've met Natsuro as planned. What shall we do next?" Kabuto finally broke the silence.

"Well, well, what should we do?" Orochimaru chuckled softly before replying.

"The winds of the ninja world have already begun to stir. If the Akatsuki are intent on fanning the flames, then let them. We'll watch and wait. If an opportunity arises to intervene and escalate the storm, it might be worth considering."

"The focus, however, is on Natsuro, isn't it? Since Naruto is in Konoha, the Akatsuki can't avoid dealing with the village. Sooner or later, they'll clash with Konoha and, by extension, Natsuro," Kabuto remarked.

"Heh heh, exactly. That's what makes it so intriguing. Who will the Akatsuki send to Konoha next? Or will it be a group effort?" Orochimaru mused, his expression gleaming with amusement.

"And what kind of surprises will Natsuro-kun bring me this time? Truly exciting~"

....

Konoha, Hokage's Office.

At this moment, Natsuro was leisurely sipping tea while Tsunade carefully reviewed the scroll he had brought back.

He could clearly see the "井" veins bulging on Tsunade's forehead.

"That bastard Danzo! How dare he squander so many resources!" Tsunade roared, slamming her desk as she read through the transaction details. In her eyes, these weren't Danzo's resources. They belonged to Konoha!

Natsuro remained unaffected, continuing to enjoy his tea while listening to Tsunade's incessant shouting.

She ranted about where Danzo could have obtained the personnel data for the ANBU, and about how he had even been involved in human experimentation using Konoha's citizens in the past!

"Finished reading?" Natsuro finally set down his teacup and asked when Tsunade seemed to calm down.

"Yes, I've finished," Tsunade replied, rubbing her temples. She was overwhelmed with the urge to storm into Danzo's office, slam the evidence in his face, and demand an explanation.

However, Tsunade knew this wasn't a feasible course of action. The evidence's origin was questionable, and much of it still needed verification. Confronting Danzo now might not only fail to yield results but could also alert him.

"That said, you actually managed to find Orochimaru. He's not someone easily tracked down," Tsunade remarked, her tone tinged with genuine surprise. She hadn't held out much hope for Natsuro's mission, given how even Jiraiya had spent years failing to locate Orochimaru.

Natsuro thought for a moment before explaining how he had tracked down Orochimaru.

"So, there's one more chance to locate Orochimaru? And even then, it's highly likely we still wouldn't be able to permanently eliminate him?" Tsunade was shocked at just how elusive Orochimaru was.

"Yes," Natsuro nodded.

"Orochimaru…" Tsunade clenched her fists, then sighed deeply and released them.

"Let's focus on Danzo for now. What's the next step? Do you have any suggestions?" she asked, shifting the conversation back to the matter at hand.

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Currently on Chapter 272 - Accepting Relationships