"Hmph... A bunch of ants."
Orochimaru glanced at the crystal ball, a faint smile curling his lips.
Ever since he was young, he had always worn that extremely contemptuous smile. That was one reason so many people feared him. Coupled with his gloomy aura, brimming with sinister energy, he might as well have had "Keep Strangers Away" written across his face. It was no wonder people did not like him.
Still, whenever he was with Tsunade and Jiraiya, he at least seemed a little more human!
Tsunade, meanwhile, spotted two familiar faces at once. She looked up at Hiruzen in surprise, a vague suspicion taking shape in her heart.
"Eh, aren't those little rookies?" Jiraiya had sharp eyes too, and Minato and Katsuki's striking hair made them rather easy to recognize. "Say, Teacher Hiruzen, you're not planning to have us babysit these little brats, are you?"
The corner of Hiruzen's mouth twitched. Call Jiraiya stupid, and at critical moments he was as clever as a monkey, often hitting the nail right on the head. Call him smart, and he spent his everyday life acting frivolously without a shred of seriousness. No matter how one looked at it, he was an idiot.
"Hey, hey, no way. I don't want to play around with these little brats." When Hiruzen said nothing, Jiraiya was immediately stunned. Surely he had not actually guessed right?
"Everything I am about to say is among the village's highest secrets. Your mission is indeed much like Jiraiya said: you could call it babysitting. However, you will not be protecting everyone, only these two children of the Uzumaki Clan." Hiruzen took a deep breath and formed a hand seal. The image within the crystal ball rippled like water, and two or three seconds later, Katsuki and Kushina's figures enlarged on its surface.
Tsunade sucked in a sharp breath. So it really was related to those two little ones.
"These two brats... Teacher Hiruzen, so you were watching those two little ones that day!" Jiraiya slapped his forehead.
"The Uzumaki Clan?"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly, and his expression abruptly changed. A glint of interest surfaced in his murky yellow snake eyes.
"I suppose this has something to do with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki?"
Hiruzen gave this most valued disciple an approving look. He was countless times smarter than a certain idiot.
"Mito-sama's health is worsening by the day, and the ninja world is now fraught with hidden currents. To ensure the village's stability, we need the Nine-Tails to deter those plotting against us. These two little ones are candidates for the next generation's Jinchuriki." Hiruzen tapped the crystal ball with his pipe.
"Grandma Mito."
Tsunade felt heavy-hearted. Unlike Jiraiya and Orochimaru, Mito Uzumaki was not merely the village's Jinchuriki to her; she was also one of her few blood relatives. Though Tsunade knew this day would eventually come, discussing such matters for real still left her unable to suppress her sorrow.
"One week from now, a new batch of supplies will be transported to the Land of Rain. You will be responsible for escorting the materials, while also keeping an eye on these two little ones. Observe their every action and provide me with a detailed report. Mito-sama needs to determine the Jinchuriki candidate."
Hiruzen revealed the true purpose of this mission, then began puffing out clouds of smoke as he scrutinized his three disciples.
The final decision regarding the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki did not rest with him, the Hokage. Mito-sama held the greatest say in the matter. As Hokage, he was naturally Konoha's foremost authority, but that did not mean he could do as he pleased. Not to mention Danzo, who occasionally liked to tug at the tiger's whiskers.
Mito-sama, his elder, was still alive. As the First Hokage's wife, she was unquestionably an elder to him, Danzo, and the rest of Konoha's current upper echelon. Before her, all he could do was stand and speak.
At present, Mito-sama was also troubled over which of the sister and brother to choose. If there had only been one child from the Uzumaki Clan, that would have been that—there would have been no choice. But now there were two, bringing this pleasant dilemma. Fortunately, he had ultimately proposed this idea: observe their words and actions through a mission, then determine the next Jinchuriki candidate based on their performance.
Only after gaining Mito-sama's approval did they begin transferring Ninja Academy students to the battlefield.
To be honest, Konoha was currently just beating up the Land of Rain, that upstart that did not know its place. They had more than enough manpower. A tiny Amegakure alone did not warrant Sakumo guarding the front lines at all, if not for the freak Hanzō.
The war had dragged on for five months. Although Konoha's ninja complained about the wretched weather in the Land of Rain, they were holding up reasonably well overall. The Rain Ninja, however, were already suffering miserably. The war had destroyed the Land of Rain's trade routes, drastically reducing the nation's income, and Amegakure was beginning to buckle under the strain. If this continued, Amegakure's finances would collapse. Forget compensation for fallen ninja—even salaries for the living would become impossible to pay.
Naturally, Hiruzen had chosen precisely this moment to temper his three disciples and, at the same time, determine the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki candidate.
It was like raking grass and catching a rabbit while he was at it.
The Ninja Hero was very skilled at this sort of thing.
"I understand. I'll take good care of them." Tsunade was the first to nod.
"The Land of Rain? I wonder whether there are any beautiful women there?" Jiraiya's thoughts had already drifted away again.
Orochimaru smiled faintly as he watched the scene within the crystal ball. "Judging by their posture, these little ones should be preparing to train. Why not simply hand them all over to us, Teacher Hiruzen?"
The Uzumaki Clan was a long-lived clan said to possess Fuinjutsu capable of controlling tailed beasts, as well as the Senju Clan's most steadfast ally. He was greatly interested in these two little ones.
Of course, this interest was nothing more than simple curiosity. The current Orochimaru had not yet developed the research obsession of casually dissecting living people or stuffing children into nutrient solution. He was merely filled with curiosity toward powers he had never encountered before.
Hiruzen, however, misunderstood his intentions somewhat. Pointing at Katsuki in the crystal ball, he said, "There's something I should tell you. This little one is Sakumo's disciple, so don't get any ideas about him. As for the others, if you are interested, taking on a disciple would not be bad. You are all jonin now, and you have the qualifications."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, a small trace of surprise rising in his heart. He was Senior Sakumo's disciple? In other words, this little one had caught Senior Sakumo's attention? That made things feel even more interesting!
"Tch. If I take a disciple, it'll definitely be someone I approve of myself." Jiraiya curled his lip.
Tsunade said nothing. Although she had not known Sakumo had taken Katsuki as his disciple, it had little to do with her. She had no intention of accepting disciples; all her thoughts were devoted to studying Medical Ninjutsu.
"Whether you take disciples is up to you. I will not interfere. But since you are going to train these little ones, handle it as you see fit. Just be careful not to go overboard. They are students in the end." Hiruzen cautioned his three disciples, afraid they might take things too far. In particular, he shot Jiraiya, that idiot, a fierce glare. The man lazed around all day and even liked to peep... Hiruzen truly had no idea where he had picked up such terrible habits.
He did not know that among his three future disciples, Jiraiya would be the best at teaching disciples. Yet for now, the one Hiruzen thought most highly of was still Orochimaru. This was his prized disciple.
Before you continue