After Orochimaru's escape, the Hidden Leaf Village was abuzz with activity.

Search parties scoured every corner of the Land of Fire, but the Snake Sannin had vanished into thin air, taking his stolen goods with him.

With the immediate danger passed, the village turned its attention to figuring out how the breach had happened in the first place.

The Hokage's advisors worked around the clock, interviewing witnesses and pouring over security logs to reconstruct the events leading up to the theft.

Their top suspect was Danzo, the old war hawk with a known association with Orochimaru.

His knowledge of the Cthulhu statue made him the prime suspect for the leak.

When the Third Hokage summoned him for questioning, even the normally unflappable old man seemed on edge.

----------

The Third Hokage's piercing stare locked onto Danzo as the old warhawk entered his office.

"Danzo," he said, his voice firm but controlled. "I'm sure you know why I called you in."

Danzo met his gaze head-on. "I have a pretty good idea, Hiruzen. This is about Orochimaru, isn't it?"

The Third Hokage leaned forward, his hands clasped together on his desk.

"That's right. We've got evidence that suggests you shared classified information about the statue with him. Information he then used to steal the artifact."

Danzo's expression remained impassive. "I won't deny discussing the statue with Orochimaru. But I had no idea he planned to steal it, and I certainly didn't help him."

The Third Hokage's frown deepened.

"And yet, you didn't think to mention these discussions to me? You know as well as I do how dangerous Orochimaru has become. Any interaction with him is a threat to village security."

Danzo's posture subtly shifted. "I thought I could bring Orochimaru back on track by keeping the lines of communication open. I was wrong."

The Third Hokage shook his head. "Your intentions might have been good, but that doesn't excuse the damage you've done. You put village security at risk and helped a traitor."

Danzo bowed his head, accepting the criticism. "I take full responsibility for my mistake, Hiruzen. It won't happen again."

The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair, his gaze still firm.

"See that it doesn't. I'm giving you a second chance, old friend. But I'll be keeping a close eye on you. One more mistake, and I won't be so forgiving."

Danzo nodded, recognizing the dismissal.

As he turned to leave, the Third Hokage's voice stopped him.

"Danzo, one more thing. If you have any information about Orochimaru, no matter how small, I expect you to bring it to me right away. No more secrets between us."

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He paused at the door. "You have my word, Hiruzen."

With that, he left, the door closing softly behind him. The Third Hokage watched him go, his expression troubled.

He knew Danzo's loyalty to the village was firm. But his methods, his secrets...they were becoming a liability.

----------

Next, the village turned its attention to Orochimaru's associates within the village. Mitarashi Anko, his former student, was at the top of the list.

Kagami overheard his brother discussing Anko's case with some fellow genin.

"I heard the Anbu took her in for questioning as soon as she got back from her mission," Hayate said, his voice low and worried. "They kept her for three days straight."

When Anko finally emerged, her face was pale and her eyes haunted. But if she knew anything about her mentor's plans, she kept it to herself.

As the investigation dragged on, the village's frustration grew.

The focus shifted to Orochimaru's rumored network of hidden laboratories, which had long been suspected but never confirmed.

Teams of shinobi combed through the forests surrounding the village, searching every hidden glen and twisting cavern.

Within days, they uncovered eight secret facilities, each one a disturbing example of his twisted experiments.

But whispers persisted of a ninth lab, one that had somehow evaded detection.

Rumors spread like wildfire about monstrous experiments and forbidden jutsu, about horrors that defied imagination.

Kagami, always on the lookout for information, soaked up every scrap he could find.

He had his own reasons for wanting to find this hidden lab, reasons that had nothing to do with village security.

His constant companion, the spider, was outgrowing its terrarium. It needed a new home, a place where it could continue to grow and evolve.

And what better place than a laboratory built for just such purposes?

But he was patient. He knew the risks of moving too soon. For now, he would bide his time and watch the situation unfold.

Besides, he had other matters to attend to.

----------

The chaos of Orochimaru's defection had created unexpected opportunities, chances to further his own training and growth.

With the Academy closed for a week and the teachers called away to assist in the search, Kagami saw his chance to sneak into the senior offices.

It wasn't hard to find what he was looking for - a single sheet of chakra paper, the special material used to test elemental affinity.

Back in the safety of his room, he held the paper between his fingers, feeling excited.

This was a crucial moment, one that could shape the course of his entire shinobi career.

He took a deep breath, focused his chakra, and let it flow into the paper.

The reaction was instantaneous. The paper turned to dirt and crumbled to dust, falling away like sand through an hourglass.

Earth. His affinity was earth.

For a moment, he just stared at the remnants of the paper, his mind reeling. He had expected water, like his brother.

Or perhaps fire, like so many in the Leaf. But earth... earth was a surprise.

As he contemplated this new information, Kagami felt a bit disappointed.

Earth wasn't a flashy element, not like the roaring flames of the Uchiha or the crackling lightning of Kakashi.

It was solid, dependable, unyielding... but perhaps a bit dull.

But then, a thought struck him. Earth was the element of endurance.

In that moment, Kagami's perspective shifted. He saw his affinity not as a limitation, but as a reflection of his own nature.

He had endured so much, had weathered hardships that would have broken lesser men.

And he had emerged stronger for it, like a diamond forged in the heart of the mountain.

Yes, earth would suit him well. Now he just needed to find a teacher, someone who could help him unlock its full potential.

His first thought was the Third Hokage, the legendary Professor who was said to have mastered all five elements.

But the Hokage's time was valuable, and he was not known for taking on private students.

Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, was another possibility. With his Sharingan, he could use any element with ease.

But Kagami knew that true mastery came from understanding, not just imitation.

No, if he wanted to truly excel, he would need to seek out a specialist. Someone who had dedicated their life to the study and application of earth jutsu.

The problem was, there were no such specialists in Konoha. The village prided itself on its balanced approach, producing well-rounded shinobi rather than narrow experts.

If he wanted to find an earth master, he would have to look beyond the village walls.

He would need to search the other great shinobi nations, where the secrets of the elements were guarded and passed down through generations.

Kagami knew it wouldn't be easy.

He was young, untested, and lacked a great clan name or political connections to open doors. But he had never been one to shy away from a challenge.

He would find a way, even if it meant carving his own path. That was his nature.

With a small smile, he tucked the remnants of the chakra paper away and turned his gaze to the future.