The deathly silence in the Hokage's Office didn't last long before it was broken by the hesitant announcement from the guards outside the door.
" Lord Hokage, according to the latest intelligence, Lord Chiyo has already become Orochimaru's..."
Temporary accommodations were arranged in a secluded courtyard located on the west side of the Uchiha Compound.
Currently... Orochimaru is heading there alone.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes flickered, and he waved his hand to indicate that he understood.
The guards withdrew, and he was once again alone in the room.
The resolute figure and cold words of Danzo as Danzo left lingered in his mind like a curse.
That kind of gaze that is utterly rejected, or even pitied.
It stung him and left him feeling more empty than any attack from his political enemies.
His initial impulse to immediately summon Orochimaru and get to the bottom of things was abruptly extinguished, as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
Summoned?
In what capacity?
Hokage?
teacher?
A failed Hokage, a disqualified teacher—what right does he have to use his power to summon someone...?
Perhaps one of the disciples has already found his true home?
Moreover, judging from Danzo's reaction and the rumors circulating at the village entrance, Orochimaru followed the Uchiha "voluntarily."
Forcibly summoning him would only result in further setbacks, further humiliation, and further confirmation of Danzo's harsh accusations.
A profound sense of exhaustion and powerlessness overwhelmed Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He leaned back in his chair, looking up at the blurry patterns on the ceiling, his pipe emptying and being refilled, then going out again, without him noticing.
After a long while, as if he had made up his mind, he slowly stood up.
He didn't summon the Anbu, didn't notify his guards, and didn't even put on the Hokage robe, which symbolized power.
He was dressed in ordinary ninja attire and Earth Run of the Hokage Building with a slightly unsteady gait.
The setting sun cast a long shadow over him, and the crowds celebrating in the streets had not yet completely dispersed, their laughter and cheers filling the air.
When people saw the Third Hokage, they all bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with gratitude for the victory and reverence for the hero.
Normally, Hiruzen Sarutobi would feel gratified.
But at this moment, these gazes felt somewhat piercing to him, as if silently reminding him of his dereliction of duty and limitations.
He gave a weak reply, but his feet involuntarily led him toward the Uchiha Compound.
He didn't know what he wanted to do; perhaps he just wanted to take a look from afar.
Look at that child he was once most proud of, who ultimately went astray, and see what he looks like now.
Fate can be so coincidental sometimes.
Just as he was about to approach the outskirts of the Uchiha Compound, at the corner of a relatively quiet street, a figure happened to walk from the other side.
A pale face, long black hair, golden snake-like eyes, and a loose, greyish-white kimono...
Who else could it be but Orochimaru?
He seemed to have just settled in and was strolling alone, familiarizing himself with his surroundings.
His expression was calm, even carrying a sense of relaxation that Hiruzen Sarutobi had never seen in him before.
Gone is the obsession and gloom hidden beneath the calm of the past, and gone is the madness and ferocity that followed the defection.
The two met unexpectedly at the street corner.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped in his tracks, his lips moved slightly, a thousand words stuck in his throat, yet he couldn't utter a single one.
Blame? Inquiry? Concern?
Any opening remarks seem utterly inadequate and out of place at this moment.
Orochimaru also saw him. A very subtle ripple flashed in his golden pupils, as if he were surprised or understanding, but it quickly subsided into a deep calm.
He neither dodged nor spoke first, but simply stood there quietly, as if waiting for the other party to make the first move.
Occasionally, pedestrians would pass by on the street, and upon seeing this strange pair, especially after recognizing Orochimaru, they would quicken their pace to avoid them, yet they couldn't help but steal glances back.
The afterglow of the setting sun fell on the two of them, casting long shadows that intertwined, yet seemed to be separated by an invisible chasm.
In the end, it was Hiruzen Sarutobi the first move.
He gave Orochimaru a deep look, his gaze complex and indescribable, then slightly turned his head and gestured to a bench for people to rest on not far from the side of the street.
He took the first step, walked over, and sat down heavily.
Orochimaru silently followed and sat down a short distance away from him.
This distance is neither too intimate nor too distant.
The teacher and student sat side by side on a bench in the setting sun, watching the gradually thinning crowds on the street, speechless for a long time.
An indescribable awkwardness, heaviness, and... sadness filled the air.
Hiruzen Sarutobi Orochimaru times, looking at his calm, even "peaceful," profile. The stern questions he had prepared as the Hokage ultimately turned into a long, heavy sigh, dissipating in the evening breeze.
He suddenly realized that those official questions were completely meaningless.
"... you."
After a long silence, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally found his voice and spoke in a hoarse voice, breaking the suffocating silence.
Have you really thought this through?
His question seemed cryptic, but Orochimaru understood it.
Orochimaru did not answer immediately. He simply raised his head slightly, looking at the setting sun on the horizon that was about to be swallowed by the night, and a very faint, very cold smile appeared on his lips.
"Teacher."
He spoke, his voice still possessing that unique husky magnetism, but it had lost some of its former seductive charm and gained a clear indifference.
Are you asking me this as the Hokage, or... as my teacher?
Hiruzen Sarutobi on his words, and after a long pause, he finally spoke.
"Yes, we have them."
"Hehe..."
Orochimaru chuckled, his laughter carrying undisguised sarcasm, but this sarcasm wasn't directed at any specific person; it was more like a mockery of everything that had happened in the past.
" The Hokage's identity? Then you can rest assured."
I am doing well now, better than ever. I will abide by the rules of Konoha and, within the permitted scope, do some... truly meaningful research.
As for Chiyo-kun ..."
He paused, his tone becoming somewhat subtle, conveying a heartfelt, even fanatical, sense of agreement.
"He possesses the greatest strength and the clearest mind I have ever seen."
He understands my value and is willing to point me in the right direction.
To follow him and be loyal to Konoha —that's my current 'thought'.
Is this answer satisfactory, Lord Hokage?
These words, though spoken in a grand and impeccable manner, were like a cold file, relentlessly grinding against Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart.
He would rather Orochimaru refute and mock him as he always has than hear him say these words so "obediently".
"And... what about as a teacher?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.
"You... you really have nothing to say about the past, about me, your failed teacher?"
As he asked the question, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have used up all his strength, and his back appeared to have become even more hunched.
Orochimaru finally turned his head slowly, and for the first time, his golden snake eyes truly met Hiruzen Sarutobi's cloudy eyes.
His gaze was sharp as a snake, as if trying to dissect all his pretense and weakness.
"Teacher..."
Orochimaru's voice lowered, the sarcasm fading, replaced by a settled, cold disappointment.
Do you remember what I originally wanted?
Without waiting for Hiruzen Sarutobi's reply, he continued speaking to himself, as if these words had been bottled up in his heart for far too long.
"Is it wrong for me to want to know the mysteries of life, to understand the truths that constitute this world, and to escape that disgusting, inevitable death and decay?"
"What have I gained in Konoha, under your command?"
It's labeled ' Forbidden Technique,' rated as 'dangerous,' and warned that 'strict control is required'!
You admire my talent, yet you also fear my ambition!
You tacitly allowed Danzo to make deals with me, yet when I crossed the line, you didn't hesitate to abandon me, all to maintain your seemingly glamorous but actually precarious balance!
He didn't speak fast, but every word struck Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart like a hammer blow.
"You ask me what I want to say? I want to say, my respected teacher, you have disappointed me greatly."
"You are obsessed with power struggles and checks and balances, and you are satisfied with walking a tightrope between various forces, but you have forgotten that as a shadow, what you need most is the courage to forge ahead and the tolerance for 'possibilities'!"
You enjoyed strangling Konoha's sharpest spear, yet you expect it to withstand Mirai storms?
"It's... ridiculously naive."
Orochimaru turned his gaze back to the distance, his tone returning to calm, yet even more resolute.
"Now, someone has seen my value and given me the platform and direction I wanted."
He didn't care about worldly opinions, nor did he fear forbidden power. All he wanted was the result: Konoha's true, overwhelming strength!
This is the kind of leader I'm willing to follow.
As for the past...
Orochimaru gave a soft hum.
"It's all in the past. Now, I've found a new path and seen many things more clearly."
Take care, teacher.
After saying that, he stood up and straightened his sleeves.
"Teacher, you're getting old. Why don't you step down and pass the position to Chiyo-kun sooner rather than later?"
After Orochimaru finished speaking, he stopped looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi Sarutobi's face, which had instantly aged and turned ashen, and walked straight towards the Uchiha Compound.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sat alone on the bench, the last rays of the setting sun enveloping him, yet bringing no warmth whatsoever.
Orochimaru's words were sharper and more precise than Danzo's accusations, because they were the final judgment from the disciple he once knew best and on whom he had placed the most hope.
He originally thought Orochimaru's defection stemmed from his obsession with Forbidden Technique and his moral decay.
Now he understood that the deeper reason behind it was disappointment in him as a teacher and despair over Konoha's rigid system.
Was I really wrong?
In the name of village stability, for the sake of that fragile balance, did he truly stifle too many possibilities and chill the hearts of too many people?
Should I really step down and hand over the reins to a more capable person?
Memories flood back like a tide.
An unprecedented sense of regret and bewilderment arose and completely overwhelmed the old man who had ruled Konoha for many years.
He watched Orochimaru disappear at the end of the street, then looked at the Uchiha Compound in the distance, which was already lit up and looked increasingly prosperous and vibrant. For the first time, he realized this so clearly.
An era may have truly come to an end.
He himself, however, was forever left in the past.
Night fell silently, swallowing his figure into the cold darkness.
"No!"
"I am the Hokage!"
"I also have students Tsunade, Jiraiya, and his student Minato Namikaze!"
The image of Hiruzen Sarutobi's solemn face flashed into Tobirama Senju's mind, and his resolve hardened instantly.
"Even if it's a succession, it shouldn't be given to the Uchiha!"