Glorious and Noble Orochimaru

"There is no foolproof method..."

Katsuki calmly met the gazes of the village's high-ranking officials present.

"To be honest, there's no such thing as a foolproof method. My method is to subdue the Mist Ninja with my fists, break their bones, and beat them until they don't dare to start a war. I'll make them pay back all the debts they owed me back then." Katsuki clenched his fists, his killing intent palpable.

Images of Uzushio Village engulfed in flames flashed through his mind: the ferocious faces of the Kushina, Mist Ninja's panicked expression. More than ten years had passed, yet he could never forget those events, or rather, he dared not forget them. Before, he could only hate the Mist Ninja, but he couldn't actually harm them, because back then he was weak...

"It's time to settle the score."

His low murmurs were like the buzzing of mosquitoes. The hatred in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by an unprecedented surge of killing intent.

Hatred is the prerogative of the weak. In the Shinobi World, the strong are respected. Katsuki slowly closed his eyes. He was now qualified to consider himself strong. Confidence burned like a raging fire in his chest. There was no need for hatred anymore. He only needed to use the blood of the Mist Ninja to wash away the grudges of the past.

"······"

The Third Hokage took two deep drags on his cigarette. He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. If he said Katsuki was too arrogant, Mizuki had destroyed half of Sunagakure seven years ago and had fought the Third Kazekage and the Third Raikage and escaped unscathed, let alone now. But if he didn't say anything, wouldn't that be tacitly admitting it? He was caught in a dilemma.

"Katsuki, that's too risky."

Kushina spoke, her initial excitement subsiding as her emotions calmed and reason prevailed, causing her to feel worried about Katsuki's decision.

"Let's think of a safer approach..."

"Sister, there's no need to say anything more. I'm going no matter what," Katsuki said resolutely.

The hasty meeting ended quickly. Even though the Third Hokage tried his best to Katsuki, he couldn't change her mind, and even Kushina was helpless against him.

Orochimaru and Danzo, on the other hand, were more open-minded. Seeing that Katsuki was unmoved, they immediately turned to persuade the Third Hokage, Mitokado Homura, and others that instead of arguing with Katsuki any further, they should think about how to clean up the mess.

Katsuki and Kushina left the Hokage Building together.

"Orochimaru, do you really think sending Katsuki to Kirigakure is a good idea?"

Standing by the window, the Third Hokage watched the departing figures of the brother and sister walking down the street.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but teacher, what do you think of Katsuki -kun's current strength?" Orochimaru asked in return.

"What? Is there something I don't know?"

"Haha." Orochimaru chuckled. "That kid has seemed quite well-behaved these past few years, not as dazzling as Minato or Nawaki, but... I'm no match for him now!"

"Is it really that exaggerated?" The Third narrowed slightly.

There are rarely absolute differences between ninjas, especially among top-tier masters. Apart from freaks like the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha, it's hard to say who will win in a battle between masters. The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, with endless variations in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, Secret Technique, and Kekkei Genkai. No one dares to claim invincibility; they could stumble anywhere. After all, even the First Hokage had Madara Uchiha as a mortal enemy!

"It's even more outrageous than that. I sparred with him twice..." Orochimaru's smile remained, but his voice was three decibels lower. "I lost miserably, and that guy wasn't even using his full strength. I couldn't even handle him with just Taijutsu..."

The Third Hokage stared wide-eyed in astonishment; he had never heard of such a thing before.

Even though he was the Hokage, he couldn't possibly know about such private sparring. In addition, Katsuki had been behaving himself for the past two years and hadn't fought much, unlike Minato and Nawaki who had been more conspicuous in recent years. So he really didn't know just how strong Katsuki was.

"Really?"

"Orochimaru, is Katsuki- kun really as powerful as you say?"

"It will only be stronger than you imagine, teacher," Orochimaru laughed.

While Orochimaru's personality remains rather gloomy and rife with egoism, he is not insane. Nawaki is alive and well, Dan has not perished in the war, and those he knows have not died before his eyes. He has not fallen into the pursuit of immortality. The Sannin remains as solid and unbreakable as a rock.

"Although I have never witnessed the power of the First Hokage, I feel that one day Katsuki- kun may also be able to reach that level."

"Comparable to the teacher? That's not a gap that can be crossed so easily..." The Third Hokage closed his eyes slightly, revealing a nostalgic expression.

"Orochimaru, the eastern coastal border needs stronger defenses. I'd like to send a few top fighters there. Who do you think would be the best choice? If this incident isn't handled properly, it could escalate into war—no, to be precise, there's a 90% chance of war. Those cold-blooded lunatics from the Mist Ninja won't care about anything when they go berserk. We must prepare for the worst."

The Third Hokage opened the window, tapped cigarette ash on the windowsill, and a gust of wind blew it away, leaving no trace.

"As for experts... Senior Sakumo just returned from a mission a couple of days ago, Tsunade is currently conducting research at the Ninja Hospital. These two are the only ones who can spare the time. It would be best to have one of them as the lead, and then assign a few Jonin assist him. I think this combination would be more suitable," Orochimaru offered his opinion.

"Sakumo and Tsunade?" The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Speaking of Jiraiya, what has Jiraiya been up to lately? I haven't seen him in ages. Where has that bastard been fooling around again?"

"I met him in the Land of Rice last month. That idiot said he was traveling around the world gathering materials! As for where he is now, I have no idea." Orochimaru clicked his tongue lightly. Speaking of this reckless guy, he was also full of trouble. Having such a silly friend was really a headache.

The Third Hokage disciple exhaled a smoke ring, a hint of envy in his eyes. His clumsy apprentice was running around freely, while he had to stay in this tiny room Tenten, with little free time of his own. Even spying could only be done through a crystal ball, instead of going to the hot spring bathhouse in person.

This is absolutely outrageous!

"That idiot." The Third Hokage cursed resentfully, glancing at Orochimaru out of the corner of his eye. He began to consider whether passing on the Hokage Position sooner would be a good idea. In a few years, he would be able to retire and enjoy his old age. It would be better to leave the fighting and killing to the younger generation.

"Let's call Sakumo and Tsunade over separately and talk to them. It's better to ask for their opinions." The Third Hokage closed the window, and the figures of the Uzumaki siblings had already disappeared at the end of the long street.