Chapter 30: Taking Over Orochimaru's Secret Base

The Maiden of Jade rolled up the scroll with a ribbon, gave it a light shake in mid-air to flick off the disgusting slime, and handed it to Menma.

Taking the scroll, Menma infused it with chakra to sense its contents; indeed, a massive surge of life force, pulsing like the tides, was sealed within the storage scroll.

Although Orochimaru was truly insane when it came to human experimentation, as long as someone possessed comparable strength or the potential for cooperation, Orochimaru’s credibility remained intact.

After watching Orochimaru vanish into the forest, Menma departed the area along with the Death God of the Three and the Maiden of Jade.

If a real fight were to break out, the scythe of the Death God of the Three could do more than just absorb chakra; it could inflict damage directly upon the soul.

Against an Orochimaru with a fragmented soul, it was a perfect hard counter.

As Menma landed, a white tiger wearing a mask leaped from the forest, stopping in front of him and lowering its body.

It bowed to carry Menma on its back, galloping through the forest.

Around Konoha, there were actually many of Orochimaru's secret bases; some were even unknown to Danzo.

Once Orochimaru fled this time, these secret bases would all be abandoned.

Menma had no intention of letting this opportunity pass.

Before long, the white tiger stopped at a hidden entrance located on a cliff.

Standing on the precipice platform outside the entrance, one could overlook the Naka River and the Naka Shrine ten kilometers away.

That was the territory of the Uchiha clan and a secret gathering place for the clan; the basement of the shrine was said to house a stone tablet left by the Sage of the Six Paths, which had later been modified by Zetsu.

"The scenery at this secret base is quite nice." Menma withdrew his gaze and walked down the deep, dark corridor.

The Maiden of Jade and the Death God of the Three floated at the front, clearing the corridor of hidden weapons and traps for Menma.

Though small in scale, this secret base was fully equipped; unfinished experimental subjects floated in culture dishes, and an independent power system hummed steadily.

The white tiger, the Maiden, and the Death God began clearing out the remaining traps and snakes Orochimaru had left in the base.

Meanwhile, Menma walked into a lounge and found some experimental logs.

It seemed this was not Orochimaru's primary laboratory; the logs were only a few scattered pages, but they gave Menma a certain understanding of the facility.

The white tiger possessed high sensory capabilities and had already discovered several of Orochimaru's secret bases one after another; all of these would become Menma's property.

Suddenly, a burning pain erupted from the sealing array on Menma's waist.

"Has it come?" Menma set down the experimental logs and quickly formed hand seals.

He pressed his palm heavily against his lower back.

"Cage Seal!"

A pale curse mark flickered on the surface of his skin for an instant before falling silent.

***

In the forest outside Konoha Village.

Uchiha Obito, wearing the black robe with red clouds of the Akatsuki and a spiral-patterned mask, stood atop a large tree, frowning slightly.

"Obito, something seems to have happened in Konoha. The lurking White Zetsu reported that Konoha is under heavy guard, and they have dispatched many sensory ninjas to investigate everywhere," the Zetsu part of the White Zetsu emerged halfway from a tree trunk, speaking with its white side.

"When we are outside, you must call me 'Lord Madara'!" Obito said coldly.

"Alright, Lord Obito." White Zetsu maintained its incessant, chatterbox demeanor.

Obito was used to this bickering. Ever since being rescued by Uchiha Madara, he had been kept under house arrest underground, with White Zetsu being his only companion. Thus, even when White Zetsu said something incredibly stupid, Obito would, at most, simply stop responding to the topic.

"Has any information come back from the White Zetsu you placed in the orphanage?" Obito's Sharingan peered at Zetsu from beneath his mask.

"Now that you mention it, that White Zetsu indeed hasn't sent news in a long time." Zetsu's body emerged completely from the tree, standing beside Obito with a playful tilt of his head.

"It seems something has occurred within Konoha that we are unaware of." Obito once again used Kamui to sense the mark he had left behind.

However, he was unable to sense the mark he had originally placed on Minato-sensei's child.

This caused Obito's brow to furrow deeply beneath his mask.

He couldn't help but think of the battle three years ago. Minato-sensei had only fought him once, yet he had grasped the information regarding his abilities, using the Flying Raijin Second Stage to heavily wound him, and then used the Contract Seal to sever his control over the Nine-Tails.

'Is there a sealing jutsu capable of sealing space-time ninjutsu marks?' Obito thought of the Uzumaki clan, renowned for their sealing arts.

But the Uzumaki clan had been destroyed; even the ninjas in Konoha proficient in sealing arts shouldn't be able to achieve this level.

'Damn it... what exactly happened to that kid!' Obito grew anxious. That little fellow was a vital part of his revenge plan!

He still wanted to see Minato-sensei's two sons killing each other ten years from now!

"Hey, hey! Obito, are you really going to Konoha?!" Zetsu called out, seeing Obito's body gradually becoming translucent.

"Don't worry, the Fourth is already dead." A low, confident voice drifted from beneath the spiral mask: "No one can threaten me."

***

Deep within Konoha, at the Root base, inside Danzo's room.

A Root ninja landed outside the shoji door, his silhouette cast against the dim light.

"Lord Danzo! Orochimaru has defected!"

Danzo, who was lying on a tatami mat covered by a quilt, suddenly snapped his left eye open.

"Call 'Ko' over," Danzo commanded.

"Yes!" The Root ninja took the order and vanished quickly.

Danzo threw off the quilt and rose slowly.

'Orochimaru, have you finally reached this point?' Danzo had supported much of Orochimaru's experimentation, but he also knew that using Konoha ninjas for live experiments would cross Hiruzen Sarutobi's line.

Therefore, when the number of imprisoned criminals in the jail was insufficient to squander, Danzo had his subordinates kidnap ordinary Konoha ninjas to supply Orochimaru's research.

Of course, on the surface, he was unaware; it was all done by his subordinates.

"Lord Danzo!" Soon, a thirteen-year-old boy codenamed "Ko," wearing a raccoon mask, arrived before Danzo.

Danzo took out a scroll and handed it to Ko: "Go to this location, deliver the scroll to the person there, and then wait for Orochimaru to assist him in his escape."

Although Ko possessed the Wood Style Bloodline Limit, his strength was only at the Jonin level; there was still a vast gap between him and a long-renowned elite Jonin like Orochimaru. Danzo naturally did not believe Ko could deal with Orochimaru.

However, Orochimaru absolutely could not be captured by Hiruzen Sarutobi; otherwise, if Orochimaru implicated him, it would be troublesome.

Since he could not let Orochimaru return, lacked the ability to kill him, and needed Orochimaru's technology, his only option was to assist in Orochimaru's flight.

"Yes!" Ko took the scroll and vanished in a Body Flicker.

Just as Ko left, an Anbu ninja, led by Aburame Ryoma, arrived at the Root base.

"Lord Danzo! The Hokage requests your presence!"

"I understand." Danzo put on his outer robe, deeply concealing the secret of his arm.