Hiruzen Sarutobi sincerely felt that having a talented disciple like Orochimaru was the greatest fortune of his life.
"Uh..."
Orochimaru had a vague idea of what his teacher was thinking.
Hiruzen patted Orochimaru's shoulder encouragingly, as if to say, Keep going—I have high hopes for you.
Orochimaru let out a dry chuckle and, feeling a bit embarrassed, admitted, "To be honest, this jutsu wasn't developed by me."
Hiruzen froze.
His hand, which had been resting on Orochimaru's shoulder, stiffened slightly.
"Huh? You didn't develop this jutsu? Then who did?"
Hiruzen was puzzled.
Who in the village would teach Orochimaru a jutsu of this caliber? And even if someone did, Orochimaru's cold and distant personality made it unlikely that he would accept such instruction.
Orochimaru gave a short and direct answer: "Tōshirō."
Hiruzen was taken aback. "Tōshirō?"
Orochimaru nodded and elaborated, "Uchiha Tōshirō."
Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly, and he took a deep breath. "Him?"
Orochimaru confirmed, "Yes."
For a moment, Hiruzen suspected he had misheard. "Wait, my mind is a bit jumbled. You're saying that Tōshirō developed the Rasengan?"
Orochimaru nodded without saying a word, leaving Hiruzen in silence to process the revelation.
After taking a moment to collect himself, Hiruzen frowned in confusion. "Why would Tōshirō teach you this jutsu?"
Orochimaru found the question reasonable and repeated the explanation Tōshirō had given him in advance:
"How should I put it... Tōshirō owes me a lot of money."
Hiruzen's face went blank. He clearly hadn't expected that answer. "He owes you... money?"
"Yes. Over the past six months, Tōshirō has been traveling constantly. His expenses are enormous, and since he has no income, he quickly ran out of funds. To continue his travels, he came to me for a loan. But when he couldn't pay off his debt, he decided to teach me the jutsu as repayment."
Hiruzen didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Ordinarily, a ninja's jutsu was as valuable as their life. Most would rather starve to death in the streets than sell their personal techniques.
But considering Tōshirō's usual behavior, it wasn't all that surprising.
"Tōshirō... that kid is always full of surprises."
With that, Hiruzen took the opportunity to ask about Tōshirō's current situation. "Is he still traveling? Does he not want to return to the village?"
After hearing Orochimaru's explanation, Hiruzen even started to wonder if the only reason Tōshirō ever came back was because he ran out of money and needed to borrow more.
Orochimaru nodded.
Hiruzen: "..."
Seeing his teacher fall into silence, Orochimaru was confused. "What's wrong, Lord Hiruzen?"
"It's nothing," Hiruzen replied, shaking his head and brushing off the question.
But deep down, he felt uneasy.
For someone so young to develop a jutsu as advanced as the Rasengan—this level of genius was simply too extraordinary.
Originally, he had believed that Orochimaru had the potential to rival the First Hokage. But after learning the truth, that evaluation now fell upon Tōshirō instead.
If it had been any ordinary ninja, it wouldn't have mattered. But the fact remained—Tōshirō was an Uchiha.
The only slight relief was that he did not have the Sharingan.
But the mention of Hashirama's potential made Hiruzen recall something unsettling, sending a chill down his spine.
A spy embedded in the Uchiha clan had once sent him this message:
"Tōshirō possesses a talent comparable to Uchiha Madara in his prime."
To be compared to the Uchiha in their youth by Elder Itachi was no simple matter of mere talent.
Even though Tōshirō was exceptionally gifted and even possessed a Kekkei Genkai, he did not have the Sharingan. Within the Uchiha clan, it was impossible for someone without the Sharingan to receive such high praise.
Of course, to the outside world, Tōshirō had always appeared not to have the Sharingan. But who could say for sure that he wasn't just hiding it?
Given Tōshirō's age, it was unlikely that he would be so deeply calculating, but that didn't mean the elders in his clan wouldn't instruct him to keep it a secret.
So, the question of whether Tōshirō truly lacked the Sharingan or not was still up for debate.
With that thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi casually asked, "By the way, Orochimaru, I have a question for you."
"What is it?"
"Tōshirō…" Hiruzen paused for a moment, his gaze turning deep and meaningful. His voice even dropped a few tones. "Has he ever shown the Sharingan in front of you?"
"Why ask this all of a sudden?"
Orochimaru was briefly taken aback by the unexpected question, but Hiruzen found this reaction normal and continued, "Well~ if Tōshirō does have the Sharingan, I was considering assigning him to more important missions. Perhaps even bringing him into the Anbu for training."
"The Anbu?"
Orochimaru was no stranger to the name. The Anbu was a unit directly commanded by the Hokage. After some thought, he replied, "With Tōshirō's personality, I don't think he's suited for the Anbu."
Hiruzen spoke gently, "The reasoning behind it is rather complicated. At your age, I'm afraid I can't explain everything. But what I can tell you is that I'm doing this for his own good."
Orochimaru didn't press further and simply nodded, appearing understanding. "Alright, I get it."
Hiruzen looked satisfied. "Then, can you answer me now?"
"Sorry, Lord Hiruzen, but Tōshirō has never displayed the Sharingan in front of me."
Orochimaru's expression was perfectly composed, and Hiruzen detected nothing unusual.
Even though he felt a little guilty about deceiving his teacher, he ultimately chose to respect Tōshirō's decision and did not reveal the truth.
Perhaps because of his deep trust in his student, Hiruzen didn't suspect anything when he heard this answer. Instead, he secretly let out a sigh of relief.
If Tōshirō had the Sharingan, that would be truly terrifying. With his level of talent, he would undoubtedly have the potential to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, just because he didn't have it now didn't mean he wouldn't in the future.
Hiruzen knew he couldn't let his guard down. Given Tōshirō's young age, the possibility of him awakening the Sharingan in the coming years was very real.
Should he assign people to monitor him?
The thought had barely surfaced when Hiruzen dismissed it. Not because of sentimentality, but because Tōshirō was becoming too powerful. Monitoring him might alert him and cause unintended consequences.
His suggestion to Orochimaru about bringing Tōshirō into the Anbu wasn't just idle talk—it was a serious plan.
According to intelligence reports, Tōshirō had a close relationship with Elder Itachi. If one day he learned the truth, he could very well become a ticking time bomb. To maintain stability in the village, this situation had to be prevented before it ever happened.
Although Tōshirō's personality didn't seem like that of someone who would betray the village…
The real issue wasn't whether he wanted to, but whether he could.
And Tōshirō was precisely the kind of person who had the talent and ability to do so.
Recruiting him into the Anbu would outwardly appear as a gesture of goodwill toward the Uchiha, making him a bridge between the clan and the village. But in reality, it would allow the Anbu to keep a close watch on him and ensure that he remained under control.
Rather than leaving this potential threat unchecked, it was better to keep him within reach. While he was still young and inexperienced, he could be guided down the right path.
(End of Chapter)
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