"Karot, if I wanted to become Hokage, would you support me?"
Orochimaru finally brought up the subject that night.
"Lord Hokage already supports you. Surely you don't need me as well, Lord Orochimaru?"
Karot said evasively.
"My teacher? He's too hungry for power. He's afraid I'll challenge him for it, so he's put Minato forward to compete with me."
Orochimaru's assessment of Hiruzen Sarutobi was spot-on. Hiruzen was an old man who clung to power as if his life depended on it. Even after Minato took office, Hiruzen had kept a tight grip on power, indirectly leading to Minato's death on the night of the Nine-Tails attack.
"As for becoming Hokage, I think you'd be a better fit than Senior Minato, Lord Orochimaru."
Karot stated his opinion. Minato's foundation was still too weak. Without power in his hands, it would be extremely difficult for him to put his policies into practice. Although Minato had inherited Jiraiya's political connections, he wasn't Jiraiya himself. As one of the Sannin, Orochimaru had the advantage over Minato in connections, resources, and status. If Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo hadn't schemed against him and exposed his Human Experimentation, Orochimaru would have been a shoo-in for Hokage.
"Oh? Then what would I have to offer for you to side with me, Karot?"
It was better if the other party named a price than outright refused. There could be no partnership without room to negotiate. Given the strength Karot had displayed, Orochimaru was willing to pay dearly to win him over.
"A Gravity Chamber. If you build one, I'll be completely on your side."
Karot stated his bottom line. There was nothing else he needed, and he wanted to see whether Orochimaru becoming Hokage would change the course of the Hokage world. Another reason was that of the Sannin, Orochimaru was the one Karot admired most. He had risen from an ordinary civilian to a powerful ninja who commanded fear and respect throughout the Ninja World. The hardship he'd endured was beyond what most people could bear. He had studied diligently, mastered ninjutsu, and brought all kinds of forbidden techniques together. His boundless thirst for knowledge had carried him through to the end. Jiraiya, meanwhile, had spent his days searching the Ninja World for the Child of Destiny in hopes of bringing peace, abandoning his beloved and his students along the way. He hadn't even taken in Naruto when he was a child. Had he really been unaware of Konoha's darkness? Had he not known what Naruto was going through? It was just that, in his eyes, none of it mattered as much as the Child of Destiny. Why hand your ideals over to someone else? Couldn't you bring peace to the Ninja World yourself? Karot thought even less of Tsunade. Her lover and younger brother had been killed, yet she never sought revenge. Instead, she ran away in fear, hiding behind the excuse that she'd developed a blood phobia.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Karot."
Orochimaru extended his right hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Lord Orochimaru."
Karot clasped Orochimaru's right hand.
Their alliance was formed that night. Whether it would have any effect on the Ninja World remained to be seen.
The war continued, but the Cloud Ninja front was unusually quiet. Not even a minor clash had taken place. The main reason was that Karot was guarding the Cloud Ninja border.
Half a year passed peacefully. Then, one day, Karot was unusually excited. After Orochimaru's tireless experimentation, the Gravity Chamber had been completed. Karot's request to return to the village and recuperate had also been approved.
When Karot got back to the village, he checked in with the Hokage and had a huge dinner with his father before heading straight to Orochimaru's laboratory. Nothing could stand in the way of Karot's pursuit of strength.
"What do you think? Not bad, right, Karot?"
Orochimaru's Shadow Clone explained how to use the Gravity Chamber.
"Not bad, not bad."
Karot nodded, barely able to contain his eagerness. He handed Orochimaru his passbook and told him to charge the cost of his daily meals to it. Karot was a decent fellow, after all; he didn't expect Orochimaru to pay for his food. Then he immediately started training under gravity.
Another six months passed peacefully. During that time, Karot never left Orochimaru's laboratory. When he got bored during his breaks, he even helped Orochimaru with his experiments. Even his father, Hatake Sakumo, never came to see him. All in all, Karot had enjoyed a peaceful and comfortable six months. He felt that he had reached the pinnacle of strength in this world. There was nowhere higher to go.
A sudden order shattered the peace.
"Karot, the Anbu just brought an order from my teacher. You're being sent to the front line."
"Oh, am I going back to the Cloud Ninja front?"
Karot wiped the sweat from his body with a towel.
"No. The Cloud Ninja front is quiet. Sending you there would be a waste of your strength. The village wouldn't issue such a foolish order."
"Oh? Then where am I going?"
Karot perked up. He'd been stuck in the laboratory for a long time and was getting restless. A chance to get out and clear his head would be nice. Yes, clear his head. Other people went to the battlefield with their hearts in their throats, but Lord Karot was just going for a change of scenery. That was the confidence that came with overwhelming strength.
"Mist."
Orochimaru spoke as briefly as possible.
"The Mist are making trouble again? The Uchiha and Hyuga can't even hold them off? Are they that useless?"
You're impressive, so noble. My Sharingan is suppressed here, you know. Easy for you to say when you're not the one standing there. If there had been any Uchiha clan members around, they would surely have cursed Karot out.
"The Uchiha on the Mist front have suffered heavy losses and have been asking for reinforcements. It's been delayed for a while, and since you're rested up, they're sending you there."
Karot immediately understood the emphasis on "delayed."
"I see!"
"So they really won't miss a chance to weaken the Uchiha," Karot thought to himself.
"When do I leave?"
"Now."
"What's my position?"
"Supreme Commander."
"Appointment order?"
Orochimaru spat the appointment order out of his mouth and tossed it to Karot. Karot pinched it between two fingers and flicked the saliva off.
"Has no one ever told you that's unsanitary?"
Karot asked in confusion.
"They don't dare. You're the first."
That was a compelling reason. Karot gave Orochimaru a thumbs-up.
A stretch of sea lay between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Karot took three days to reach the coast, stopping here and there along the way. Why had he gone so slowly? The village elders had already held him up for so long; a few more days wouldn't matter. Besides, wasn't it better to enjoy the local food along the way?
Now Kakashi stood facing the sea, wanting to recite a poem, but the words that came out were:
"Ah, the sea! How big you are!"
He furtively glanced around. No one was there.
"Phew, that was close. I almost ruined my image."
Karot took out a signal flare and fired it into the sky. A few minutes later, three figures appeared before him.
"Are you Hatake Jonin?" the leading ninja asked. He wasn't very old, yet he was leading the group. He must have been quite capable.
"Mm."
Karot answered with a grunt.
"We've finally been able to meet you, Hatake Jonin. Please, follow us."
Following the lead ninja, Karot arrived at Konoha's camp.
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