Team Leader Jōnin

A year later.

Konoha, Hokage Building.

Lord Orochimaru arrived at the Hokage Building with Panda Eyes and a yawn.

Last night, he had made a new breakthrough in the training methods recorded in Garp's diary.

Knock, knock.

"Is that Orochimaru? Come in."

Creak—this was the sound of the door being pushed open.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru, who appeared utterly drained, set down his pipe, and spoke in the tone of someone with experience: "Orochimaru, you may be young, but you still need to exercise restraint! Otherwise, when you reach my age, you'll..."

"Old Man, just say what you want. The ninjutsu I'm researching is almost complete. I don't have time to waste."

Orochimaru replied irritably.

Didn't you know that snakes could last more than ten hours?

Ever since his body underwent Soft Body Modification, Orochimaru had never gone to those sorts of places.

Who could possibly handle that?!

"Ahem, it's nothing much. I just wanted to ask whether you had any intention of taking on subordinates."

Hiruzen Sarutobi voiced the words he had prepared long ago, while privately considering whether there were any women in the Sarutobi Clan suitable for Orochimaru's age.

Unfortunately, he had no daughter.

Orochimaru became somewhat wary upon hearing this. Was the Third Hokage dissatisfied with him building up his own forces?

That shouldn't be the case. Over the past year, he had made no major moves on the surface.

The ones making real moves were Snake Shadow outside Konoha.

He had recruited a number of orphans with ninja talent and trained them. They were currently at the Secret Base in the Land of Rice.

"What I mean is, do you have any interest in becoming a Team Leader Jōnin?"

Rather than keeping such a high-level combatant at home all day, it would be better to have him train some newcomers.

At the very least, he could be put to use, and besides...

"Asuma will graduate this year. I hope you can serve as his Team Leader Jōnin."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had his own little calculations.

Orochimaru's current strength was already no weaker than his own, and in a few more years, Hiruzen would more or less begin to decline.

When that time came, the position of Fourth Hokage would most likely go to Orochimaru.

With a disciple from the Sarutobi Clan, even if Hiruzen was gone one day, Asuma would still have Orochimaru looking after him. The Sarutobi Clan's wealth and status would not be lacking.

Besides, whether it was Minato Namikaze, who had already grown into a Kage-level expert, or Mito Uzumaki, their current strength owed much to Orochimaru's guidance.

Even Kakashi, the Adopted Son Orochimaru had taken in just a year ago—even though he was White Fang's son and had inherited White Fang's talent—had strength that was a little absurd by now.

Who had ever seen a child graduate from the Ninja Academy at five, then be trained into a Chunin by Orochimaru at six?

Kakashi was only eight now, yet he already had experience with a whole pile of B-rank missions.

Over the past year, Orochimaru had been busy training and developing new techniques.

In order not to delay Kakashi's growth, he had entrusted Kakashi's training to Minato.

Thus, Minato sometimes took Kakashi on missions.

Mito Uzumaki also occasionally took him along.

By now, all of Orochimaru's subordinates knew that Lord Orochimaru had such an extraordinarily gifted Adopted Son.

If Asuma could be entrusted to Orochimaru's training, even if he was not as monstrous as Kakashi...

As long as his disappointing son could reach even a fraction of Kakashi's level, Hiruzen Sarutobi would laugh in his dreams.

It couldn't be helped. The main account was a failure, so he had to hurry and train the alt account. If he raised this one into another failure, he would not even have the strength to make another.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning was obvious: don't rush over the position of Fourth Hokage. He would give it to Orochimaru.

But the prerequisite was that Orochimaru had to train his son well—preferably well enough that he could compete for the position of Fifth Hokage in the future.

"So, Old Man, you want me to babysit?"

"Ahem, I can introduce you to a few Sarutobi Clan Girls. They're all about the right age..."

"No, no, no. You should keep them for yourself, sir. I'll take the job."

"Mm, since that's the case, here is the detailed information on the members of your team. Go to the Ninja Academy to pick them up tomorrow."

"Fine, then I'll be leaving."

"Remember to exercise restraint!"

Bang!

The door slammed shut behind Orochimaru.

Nothing good ever came out of that old bastard's mouth.

And that old bastard really did have an Ivory Pipe clenched between his teeth.

Biwako Sarutobi stepped out from behind Hiruzen Sarutobi's folding screen.

"At least Asuma has been assigned a good teacher now. That puts my mind at ease."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

"Orochimaru is quite skilled at training Disciples. I hope Asuma will grow even more under his guidance."

Asuma Sarutobi was rather rebellious and rarely listened to this old man.

Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that, with his experience training the Three Ninja, he could have taught Asuma himself.

"Oh, right, Sarutobi. There's something I want to ask you."

Seemingly casually, Biwako ran a hand through her hair and spoke to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"What is it? Go ahead."

"Orochimaru just said... he was leaving it for you to enjoy. Could it be that you two used to..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi froze. He had taken Jiraiya out for drinks and women in his younger days, but he had never taken Orochimaru along.

Where had he heard that from?

Jiraiya has wronged me!

"Biwako! Listen to my sophistry—ah, no, my explanation!"

The Ivory Pipe Hiruzen Sarutobi had just bought fell to the floor.

"I told you not to go wandering around!"

Smack!

"Biwako, don't hit my face!"

"I told you not to go looking for vixens!"

Smack!

"Ah! Don't pull my ears!"

Smack!

"I told you not to go drinking with women!"

Smack!

"Please, Biwako, this is the Hokage's Office! Someone will be coming to report on missions later! If I'm all bruised and battered, where am I supposed to put the Hokage's dignity?"

"When we get home tonight, kneel on the washboard! Do you hear me?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Biwako, stop hitting me first!"

"No using Earth Release ninjutsu to cheat! I specifically learned sensory ninjutsu for this!"

"Seriously, Biwako? Do you have to be this ruthless?"

Outside the door, Orochimaru, who had been pressed against it eavesdropping, nearly laughed out loud at the commotion within.

Sensing someone approaching the Hokage's Office, he switched off the recorder in his hand, straightened his appearance, and quietly slipped away.

He had not expected to run into someone he knew on the way.

"Minato?"

"Orochimaru-sensei?"

"You're here to become a Team Leader Jōnin as well."

"Could it be that Orochimaru-sensei is here to become a Team Leader Jōnin too? Then shall we compete to see whose team members become Chunin first?"

"Heh heh, Minato, I think you've already won."

"Huh?"

Minato Namikaze was somewhat baffled.

But he did not dwell on it and knocked on the door to the Hokage's Office.

"Lord Hokage, what happened to you...?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Minato Namikaze with a pair of Panda Eyes identical to Orochimaru's.

Orochimaru had gotten his from staying up for several nights in a row, while Hiruzen had gotten his from a few blows from Biwako.

"This old man just took a fall."

Why does it look more like he got beaten up?

Could it be...

Minato Namikaze thought of the Orochimaru he had just met. His eyes had looked exactly like Hiruzen Sarutobi's now.

Could it be that Lord Hokage and Lord Orochimaru had just gone off to spar?

And now, having lost, they found it hard to admit it?

So this was the unwillingness to concede after being surpassed by a genius disciple?

Minato Namikaze felt that he had seen through everything.

"Setting that aside, Minato, this is information on your subordinate."

Minato now understood why Orochimaru had said he had already won in response to his proposal for a match.

So it was Kakashi!

Could it be that Lord Orochimaru had fought with the Third Hokage because he was dissatisfied that his adopted son was not his subordinate?

Minato Namikaze felt that he had guessed the truth.