With the Sand and Stone shinobi withdrawing from the battlefield, Konoha could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Facing off against three major nations at once had stretched the village to its limits.
The Stone shinobi were a tougher opponent, but Onoki wasn't entirely reckless. After their intense clash with the Third Raikage, they had already suffered heavy losses. Initially, they had only joined the fray to take advantage of Konoha and the Sand's fierce battle.
However, they hadn't expected Konoha's resistance to be so fierce. Despite sending in reinforcements multiple times—nearly two thousand shinobi in total—they still failed to breach the Land of Fire's defenses. In the end, with their supply lines cut by Konoha and no way to break through, they had no choice but to retreat back to the Land of Earth.
The Sand shinobi, having long been at an impasse, found themselves stuck in a dilemma. Upon seeing the Stone shinobi withdraw, Rasa took the opportunity to order his own retreat. Without their One-Tail Jinchuriki, they had no real advantage over Konoha. Continuing the fight would only mean more needless sacrifices for the Sand Village.
With these two villages conceding defeat and pulling back, Konoha's situation improved dramatically. Now, only the persistent Cloud shinobi and the restless Mist shinobi remained. Fortunately, Konoha had already made defensive preparations against both, giving them some reassurance.
After dispatching reinforcements to the battlefield in the Land of Hot Water, Konoha's leadership gathered in the Hokage's office to discuss the situation with the Stone and Sand villages.
"The Stone may have lost this round, but Onoki is not the type to admit defeat so easily," Homura Mitokado said after a moment of contemplation. "Hiruzen, negotiating a peace treaty with them won't be easy."
"If they refuse to surrender, then we keep fighting," Danzo scoffed. "If we can wipe out their forces in the Land of Grass, Onoki won't have the strength to declare war on Konoha, even if he refuses to accept defeat."
He couldn't hold back his frustration any longer. Sarutobi Hiruzen had ordered the troops in the Land of Grass to let the Stone shinobi retreat, claiming that there had already been enough casualties. Danzo found this sentiment absurd. They were the enemy—why show mercy?
To Danzo, Hiruzen's decision was weak and disgraceful, wasting the hard-earned victory they had fought for. Their heated argument over this had nearly escalated into a full-blown conflict, but in the end, Hiruzen's authority as Hokage had silenced Danzo's protests.
Clang!
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the desk, his face emotionless as he looked at Danzo. "The lives of our comrades matter above all else. If we continue fighting, our own shinobi will suffer heavy losses as well. Danzo, it seems you've misunderstood the Will of Fire."
The so-called "Will of Fire"—nothing but empty words.
Danzo had no patience for Hiruzen's speeches. He had already set his sights on the position of Fourth Hokage. Even if he lacked the battlefield achievements to claim the title himself, he would make sure someone with a similar mindset took the position.
"The Sand is significantly weakened," Koharu Utatane remarked. "And according to our intelligence, the Daimyo of the Land of Wind is furious over their defeat. He has decided to cut their funding."
"That means they'll have no choice but to sign the peace treaty," she continued. "Hiruzen, let's send Jiraiya to handle it."
"I agree," Hiruzen nodded. Though, in truth, he had originally wanted to send Namikaze Minato. Securing this peace treaty would be a notable achievement—one that could pave the way for Minato's rise as Hokage.
However, Minato was still engaged in battle at the Land of Grass, and sending him now would appear too deliberate. Besides, Hiruzen had other plans. He wanted Minato to go to the Land of Hot Water instead. If Minato could push back the Cloud shinobi, that victory alone would be enough to solidify his position as the next Hokage.
"As for the peace agreements with the Stone and Sand," Hiruzen continued, "I'll assign someone to handle those negotiations. However, if the situation in the Land of Hot Water remains at a stalemate, we may need to send a new commander to replace Orochimaru—"
"I object!"
Danzo interrupted before Hiruzen could finish.
Hiruzen's intentions were too obvious—he was grooming Namikaze Minato for the role of Hokage.
Danzo, on the other hand, had placed his hopes on Orochimaru. It wasn't just about power and reputation; Orochimaru had the strength and intelligence fit for a Hokage. Moreover, Danzo had studied him for a long time and was convinced that Orochimaru had little interest in Konoha's politics. Unlike Minato, Orochimaru wouldn't be easily controlled by Hiruzen.
If Orochimaru became Hokage, Danzo would have far more influence than he ever did under Hiruzen. And knowing Orochimaru's nature, he doubted the man would hold onto the position for long before seeking greater ambitions—meaning the opportunity to select a Fifth Hokage would come sooner rather than later.
There was no way Danzo would let Hiruzen push Minato into power.
"Hiruzen, are you saying Orochimaru isn't capable enough?" Danzo challenged. "Tell me, how many in Konoha surpass him in skill? Or do you plan on going to the front lines yourself?"
He paused, then added with a sharper edge to his tone, "Or is it that you simply refuse to acknowledge him?"
"Don't repeat what happened on the battlefield in the Land of Grass. Our comrades' lives aren't something to gamble with, Hiruzen."
"Danzo, you—"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened instantly. His decision to recall Danzo and appoint Miyamura as the new frontline commander had indeed been questionable. Though there were no rumors circulating within the village, every shinobi who had experienced the battle in the Land of Grass knew that Miyamura lacked the ability to command the front lines effectively.
If not for Namikaze Minato destroying the Stone shinobi's supply lines, the war in the Land of Grass might still be ongoing. That mistake had left a blemish on Hiruzen's leadership, and now Danzo had brought it up so bluntly, using his usual rhetoric to drive the point home.
"That's right, Hiruzen. There's no one in the village more capable than Orochimaru."
"Agreed. Let's place our trust in him for now."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, for once, sided with Danzo.
"Fine, I understand," Hiruzen sighed. With both of them backing Danzo, he couldn't oppose all three at once. He had no choice but to agree.
Still, his choice for the next Hokage remained unchanged. Even if Minato lost this opportunity to prove himself as a commander, with his and Jiraiya's support, very few could rival Minato for the position.
As for Danzo's intentions, Hiruzen had a good idea of what they were. But he stood firm in his belief—Orochimaru, with his darker tendencies, was only suited to inherit Konoha's foundation, not lead it as Hokage.
Most Cloud shinobi on the battlefield inherited the temperament of the Raikage. Perhaps it was a case of leadership setting the example, but the majority of them were hot-blooded and aggressive.
However, in the chaos of war, this was an advantage for Orochimaru.
Of course, there were always brilliant minds among the Cloud shinobi—every Raikage had chosen an exceptionally intelligent advisor to curb their more impulsive decisions. But against Orochimaru's cunning, even their sharpest minds struggled.
Orochimaru crafted countless insidious strategies, preying on the volatile nature of Cloud shinobi. If not for the Fourth Raikage's formidable taijutsu, the battle would have already been won.
One key factor in Orochimaru's success was Hyuga Mirai.
During the conflict in the Land of Rivers, Hyuga Mirai had successfully reverse-engineered several of the Sand's poisons. Among them was a mist-based toxin that restricted movement—a discovery that Orochimaru immediately put to use.
Had the Fourth Raikage not retreated in time, the Cloud shinobi would have lost at least a hundred men in that battle.
"Mirai-kun, it's been a while," Orochimaru greeted with a sly smile. No matter the enemy, having a powerful medical-nin nearby was always reassuring.
And in Konoha, few names were as well-known as Hyuga Mirai's. Even shinobi stationed in the Land of Hot Water had heard of the prodigy. When Konoha's forces saw Mirai and his team arriving, many visibly brightened.
After completing his handover, Mirai entered Orochimaru's tent.
"Orochimaru-sama, how is the battle progressing?"
Orochimaru chuckled lightly. "Mirai-kun, it's been so long, and yet you sound so formal. If you have something to say, just say it. We both know neither of us enjoys beating around the bush."
"As expected of you, Orochimaru-sama," Mirai replied with a meaningless compliment before getting straight to the point.
"Orochimaru-sama, please take this. It's a communication tool."
Mirai handed Orochimaru a small violet snake scale, inscribed with sealing runes and infused with his chakra. If someone were to crush the scale, a portion of the chakra within would immediately return to Mirai's body, while the remaining energy would allow him to sense the exact location.
"If you ever need my help, just crush the scale."
Mirai had considered inviting Orochimaru to join his faction, but it was still too early.
At this point, Orochimaru was still one of the Sannin, a disciple of the Hokage, and had Danzo's backing for his research. He still had ties to Konoha, however thin they might be.
If Mirai made the offer now, Orochimaru would undoubtedly refuse.
But once he defected… Mirai was eighty percent certain he could win him over.
Orochimaru was a man who sought knowledge above all else. He had already expanded his horizons far beyond what Konoha could offer. Even the Uchiha's Sharingan was no longer an insurmountable goal, and eternal life was well within his reach.
The only thing that could truly intrigue him now was the lure of the unknown.
"This snake scale… Interesting," Orochimaru mused. "Hehe, every time I see you, Mirai-kun, you bring me something new."
He studied the scale closely, quickly deciphering parts of the sealing script. If not for the current circumstances, he would have started experimenting with it immediately.
Tucking the scale away, Orochimaru's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Mirai.
"Mirai-kun, have you heard of the Shinobi Game?"
"I know a little about it. I heard it's quite popular in Konoha. Why do you ask?" Mirai feigned confusion.
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Oh, nothing much. I was bored and happened to try it on a recommendation from Shin. He told me I was in the game… so I decided to play it myself. And as I played, I noticed something strangely familiar."
Mirai's heart skipped a beat. This was bad. He really shouldn't have gotten carried away and personally designed some of the in-game animations.
Orochimaru continued, his tone laced with intrigue.
"The version of me in the game… The way my jutsu are sequenced, my combat patterns—it's all eerily accurate. For instance, using Earth Clone immediately after Hidden Shadow Snake Hands… That's not something anyone but someone who knows me intimately would be able to replicate."
"Jiraiya is too much of an idiot to have ties to the Uzumaki Trade Association, and Tsunade has no interest in shinobi affairs. So that leaves only one possible suspect…"
His golden eyes gleamed with amusement as he fixed Mirai with a knowing smile.
"Mirai-kun, you never fail to surprise me."
(End of Chapter)
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