Orochimaru! You're Hanzo's defeated subordinate-what gives you the right to swagger around here?

Three days later.

Konoha Scientific Research Department.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tsunade, and Hiruko stood beside Orochimaru Sarutobi.

"The efficacy and production volume of ' Sage Land Pill ' have increased by fifty percent..."

"The samples of the Sage Land Beauty Product are ready and production can begin. We've selected a group of ninjas with some Medical Ninjutsu skills and are training them to use Chakra Sustained-Release Technology, with experienced ninjas mentoring new ones."

Orochimaru introduced Hiruzen Sarutobi as follows:

"Regarding Cloning Technology, we've achieved relatively efficient production of Prosthetic Body without rejection reactions, but the Chakra content issue remains unresolved." " Tsunade has also compiled the technique for suturing internal organs using Earth Grudge Fear; it can effectively provide first aid unless there's excessive blood loss or multiple organ damage..."

" The Chimera prepared for Hizashi is also nearing completion; we're just waiting for news from him."

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

Being able to see research progress directly after investing money is incredibly gratifying...

That's a very good return on investment.

"Teacher..."

"Don't you hold a meeting to set the tone for village affairs?"

Orochimaru said tactfully, "I feel that if this drags on any longer, the Nobles will become very dissatisfied, and the ninjas will also have other ideas."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled:

"What tone should we set? Let everyone talk first, see what the other side thinks... Can I cast Genjutsu on all the Konoha Ninja? So they all think I'm right?"

"The village has been embroiled in endless arguments these past few days, and I've roughly figured out what the ninjas are thinking."

This can be summarized in two points.

Firstly, influenced by the Will of Fire, many ninjas believed that saving lives was the right thing to do, and in Konoha, where freedom of speech was gradually opening up, there were quite a few who held this view.

Secondly, there is the old-fashioned view that if ninjas are not required to complete missions, some will inevitably take advantage of loopholes, which will weaken the ninjas' will and affect their combat effectiveness.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that what they said made sense...

A compromise can be reached by including the extreme example of the Uchiha Yashiro.

"How do you know what the ninjas are thinking?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"You'll understand when you Hokage..."

What other options are there?

Using the Crystal Ball, Anbu, and Root set together, the village becomes transparent to him.

"What should we do with the enemy mentioned in Uchiha Yashiro's report?"

Orochimaru continued to ask.

"An enemy? Let's just call him an enemy for now..." Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled.

He had been thinking about how to create a limited conflict between the Ninja Code and the Will of Fire, using the event to push for further reforms to the village's system...

And then it just came to us!

It also came with an opportunity to purge the opposing Nobles...

Two shots fired in one go!

As for who this person was, Hiruzen Sarutobi had no way of knowing.

Even if he had personally orchestrated the whole thing, it wouldn't have turned out this well...

It's practically like his Shadow Clone...

"Old rules have strong inertia, and it is difficult to convince the public to change them rashly using Authority."

"Crisis events are always a window of opportunity for reform. You must remember that 'consensus can only be formed in conflict, not by instilling it out of thin air.' You must learn to leverage external forces against them..."

Orochimaru listened intently.

The teacher has finally shown us something truly special!

Just as Orochimaru was silently reciting the words to himself, he heard a "swish" sound beside him.

Hiruko as he quickly jotted down notes in a notebook.

"Heh heh, that's convenient. I can borrow it to review whenever I want in the future..." Orochimaru thought to himself, but he was slowly Hiruko's actions.

This is not deliberate flattery.

Rather, some of the teacher's words need to be carefully considered...

"I don't think the Yashiro is lying. I've seen his resume. He was a responsible member of the Military Police Force, and after transferring to the ninja ranks, he had a very good reputation in the village."

"Then, I need to analyze what this enemy's purpose is in order to deal with him..."

Orochimaru listened intently.

The same Hiruko and Tsunade.

"The probability of it being a coincidence that they acted at this critical juncture is extremely low."

"We can conclude that this Mysterious Person has been paying close attention to Konoha for a long time, knows about the recent events in the village, and most likely has a deep connection with the village."

"To be able to suppress the Uchiha Yashiro effortlessly, without revealing even a trace of his systematic Ninjutsu throughout, his combat strength far Kakuzu. Even I might not be able to handle him with such ease. He is an unparalleled master..."

"A person with such power would not lack wealth and resources in the Shinobi World. His goal could not possibly be material things..." "In my opinion, he wanted to test whether the Will of Fire had kept pace with the rapid development of Konoha's material level, but he used underhanded methods."

Orochimaru followed Hiruzen Sarutobi's line of thought and analyzed:

"You're right! If it were an outside force, there would be no need for such secrecy. What they seek is nothing more than intelligence, resources, and Kekkei Genkai. They would act directly and ruthlessly, never hiding their true strength like this."

"At the very least, they should have taken the Yashiro's Sharingan with them..."

Tsunade muttered to herself:

"What kind of mental illness is this? But in the Shinobi World, it seems quite reasonable; there are many people like this..."

Hiruko wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "There are too many obsessive ninjas! Once someone becomes obsessive, they easily go to extremes and do things that others can't understand..."

Tsunade and Orochimaru glanced at him simultaneously.

So, long-term illness makes one a good doctor, right?

Hiruko looked at them with suspicion, then said matter-of-factly, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not prejudiced!"

Tsunade's lips twitched. "Fine... fine, you're not paranoid!"

"So who could he be?"

"The remnants of the Senju when they disbanded? Or the clansmen who left when the Uchiha founded the village? Or perhaps the powerful figures from the Land of Whirlpools who harbored resentment towards Konoha..." Orochimaru frowned as he recalled the history of Konoha; his knowledge of the subject was vast and extensive.

Even before the village was founded, during the peace talks between the Uchiha and Senju, some members chose to leave.

After Uchiha Madara left, a very small number of Uchiha belatedly realized that he should follow him.

He never returned after Madara's death, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

When the Second disbanded the Senju Senju, some members strongly resisted, and a small portion of them fled...

Then there's the matter of the Land of Whirlpools.

To this day, rumors of sightings of the Uzumaki lineage circulate throughout the Shinobi World, but these are all just legends; the Anbu) who search for it have vanished without a trace...

"It might not be one of those Ninja Clan. Perhaps it's a ninja who didn't return to their village after a war and got some rare opportunity..." Tsunade said hesitantly.

Tsunade seems to be projecting herself onto the character.

If her teacher hadn't suddenly become so wise and powerful, she would have actually planned to take her niece, Dan, and wander the Shinobi World in a couple of years, leaving behind the village, this place of sorrow...

If she really did that, she would probably be paying close attention to information about Konoha.

However, it's not worth choosing such an extreme method to test the village.

"Our Konoha's history is practically half a history of desertion..." Orochimaru thought to himself, then couldn't help but mutter, "Where did all these missing-nin from? Isn't Konoha good enough?!"

This time, it was Tsunade and Hiruko's turn to look at him with longing.

You used to be the Hokage's disciple, and you were Danzo. How did you manage to do that?

"Why are you looking at me like that? I was taken in as a disciple by my teacher when I was young, I have impeccable political credentials!"

"I was collecting evidence of the Danzo's illegal activities to ease the burden on you, Master!" Orochimaru coughed lightly, unable to suppress a laugh. "Alright, that's all in the past..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi his hand: "We must objectively acknowledge that the village took a wrong turn before... Konoha has many Ninja Clan, so naturally there are many strong individuals." "Strong individuals naturally have their own temperaments, and they inevitably have their own principles in doing things..."

"Ultimately, it's because we haven't been thorough enough in the past; this needs to be viewed dialectically."

Hiruko unconsciously took a deep breath.

The Lord Hokage has a great character!

"Although this Mysterious Person is very powerful, he also has his concerns."

"The fact that he doesn't dare reveal his own combat system means that his techniques and methods are distinctive, and that there are people and things in Konoha that he fears." "His motives are also subtle: he won't kill, injure, destroy the village, or declare war. He's here to see Konoha make a fool of itself, test the Will of Fire, and stir up internal conflict..."

"There is actually room for us to win over people like this."

Hiruzen Sarutobi the subject:

"Moreover, expending considerable effort to investigate such a lone wolf would yield very little result..."

"Once things have calmed down, I will ask Lady Mito and the Intelligence Division to retrieve Yashiro's memories and analyze the information frame by frame..."

"If he continues his sabotage, he will inevitably expose more of his tracks. With more points of focus, the investigation will be much more efficient."

As the Director of the largest mental hospital in the Shinobi World...

Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed the patient's presence in the Mysterious Person's movements...

And it was an extremely serious case!

Orochimaru nodded in agreement and said, "I understand, Master!"

"What about the Nobles? Their protests are very loud now..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "Loud? That's just because a minority of people made the majority of the noise!"

" The Daimyo sent me an urgent letter immediately, specifying that those who condemned Konoha were not his faction, and that at least 80% of the Nobles in the Land of Fire had closely aligned themselves with him because of the Sage Land Pill, in other words, they were also loyal to Konoha."

"That Yuan Masamune was his greatest political enemy in terms of clan law."

"The reason it hasn't been suppressed yet is because I instructed him to do so."

Tsunade asked in confusion, "Why, teacher? Shouldn't it be better to resolve this sooner rather than later?"

"Is the teacher trying to get the Daimyo to further clarify the situation regarding the Nobles who oppose Konoha? To let them step forward and clean things up once and for all, thus strengthening the cohesion of the Land of Fire..."

Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Those Nobles always hide themselves, they're not easy to find."

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Orochimaru on the shoulder. "As expected of my student, I've seen your potential as Hokage since you were a child, and now it seems it is indeed true..." Orochimaru's lips curled up slightly.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi made a surprising move.

He took off the Hokage Hat from his head and placed it on Orochimaru's head, squinting as he said:

"Not bad... it suits her quite well, don't you guys think? Tsunade, Hiruko..."

Even the usually Orochimaru was stunned at this moment.

Teacher, didn't we agree to work for another fifty years?

I'm not ready to be Hokage yet!

"It suits me, but it doesn't suit me as well as it does on you..." Hiruko replied fluently and without hesitation.

"Teacher, is it too early to pass on the position now? I think you should serve for at least another ten years before I'm fit to take it!"

Tsunade casually took the Hokage Hat and placed it on her head.

Strangely enough, Orochimaru didn't feel the slightest bit of anger after Tsunade took away the Hokage Hat's Tsunade.

Instead, I breathed a sigh of relief!

He wants to become Hokage, but not now...

"It looks alright on you!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, taking the Hokage Hat from him.

"I'm not asking you to become Hokage right now, but you'll need to manage the village temporarily for a few days."

"Since we can't solve the problem of this mysterious enemy, let's deal with the problems we can first..."

"I'm going to the Capital of the Land of Fire. As the eldest brother, I still need to support my Worthy Brother..." Hiruzen Sarutobi joked, then continued, "On the other hand, I also need to talk to the Nobles about the future development of the Land of Fire, further binding the bureaucratic system with Konoha, and taking this opportunity to promote the latest products from the Scientific Research Department."

"These next few days, take my straw hat and practice holding a few meetings of the Konoha Committee Member, gather their opinions, and then summarize them."

Hiruzen Sarutobi patted Orochimaru on the shoulder and squeezed it slightly to encourage him.

"Kid, be bold and don't be afraid of making mistakes! But remember, you must chair the meeting with the mindset of Hokage, not like you're standing in the audience Danzo challenging Danzo..."

"Besides being Hokage's duties include coordinating and organizing the resources and ideas of various forces, and uniting them into a force that can be used by the village." "This is not easy. It's a good opportunity for you to grow. You're still young, so don't be too arrogant..." Hiruzen Sarutobi carefully instructed. Orochimaru felt a long-lost surge of excitement.

He looked at the straw hat in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand and slowly raised his hand.

It's not a long distance, yet even taking a small step forward feels heavy...

The obsession hidden in his heart, like a mist, clouded Orochimaru's vision.

Even the Hokage Hat, which fell into the snake's eyes, became strangely blurry, as if it were dazzled...

"Alright, it's not like I'm making you the Hokage forever. I still have a few more years to go!" Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and chuckled as he saw Orochimaru in Orochimaru's arms.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's view, in the Shinobi World, obsession is the strongest Genjutsu...

Even powerful ninjas like Hashirama and Madara would find it difficult to break free from the influence of obsession.

" Hiruko, detailed reports and test results for the production of Sage Land Pill..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi and gave the order.

"Everything is prepared for you, Lord Hokage! There are also the production capacity and instructions for the Sage Land Series beauty products, Prosthetic Body repair kits, Earth Grudge Fear, and more..." Hiruko casually produced a document and handed it to Hiruzen Sarutobi with both hands.

"I thought you might ask, so I prepared a copy in advance!"

"You're going to demonstrate this to the Nobles, right? I'll go prepare a few samples for you right away."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was taken aback. What a thoughtful person!

Seeing the Lord Hokage's gaze, Hiruko ran over to prepare, using the Body Flicker Technique he had learned throughout his life, and returned in the blink of an eye.

"You really understand me..."

" Hiruko!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said earnestly.

"It's no trouble at all, Lord Hokage, it's all what I should do!"

Hiruko lightly. "However, there is something I would like to ask you. How should I teach Asuma?"

"You've already contacted Asuma? I was thinking of having a formal apprenticeship ceremony with him after he graduates..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with some surprise:

"However, it's possible to make up for it... How exactly you teach is up to you, I trust you."

Hiruko's eyes.

The Lord Hokage said he didn't need to worry about him!

Recently, Hiruko has reached a new conclusion regarding the situation in Konoha...

If you want to prosper and live a comfortable life, associating with the current Hokage is not a safe bet!

The most reliable one was the one who stood firmly beside Hiruzen Sarutobi!

Given Konoha's current trajectory, by the time Hiruzen Sarutobi down, his prestige will undoubtedly be unimaginably astounding.

Gaining the approval of the Lord Third would be like having a protective charm; as long as she didn't make any major mistakes, no one could touch her... Mitokado Homura Hiruko herself as someone who would strive to be Utatane Koharu of the Scientific Research Department...

"I will certainly pass on all my knowledge to Asuma!" Hiruko solemnly promised.

After Hiruzen Sarutobi left.

Orochimaru slowly placed the Hokage Hat hat on his head.

It's essentially just an ordinary decoration, but it evokes extremely complex feelings...

"Do a good job, Orochimaru."

Tsunade stretched. "I have a feeling this won't be very relaxing."

Orochimaru shook his head noncommittally.

What could be so difficult?

#

The next day.

Orochimaru convened a meeting of the Konoha Committee Member as requested by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

However, the various Konoha Committee Member who arrived didn't seem to be as obedient as they were when Hiruzen Sarutobi...

"Assistance? What does Orochimaru mean by holding this meeting?"

Outside the Hokage Office Building, Tenzo sidled up to Danzo and whispered, "Could he have been talking to the Lord Third? There's no way he had the right to speak..."

"You've been through Lord Hokage with the Hokage!"

Uchiha Isshin also walked over, adding fuel to the fire:

"Yes, Assistant, you said Orochimaru did a good job, but he's still a junior... Sigh, although Aosui was a bit rude to you, I personally support old-school ninjas like you..."

"You'd better cheer up!"

The other Committee Member also shared their opinions, including staunch supporters of Hiruzen Sarutobi such as Sakumo, Hizashi, and Ino-Shika-Cho.

They weren't against Orochimaru, but rather Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed taken into account the interests of all parties.

Even if one is to abdicate, it shouldn't be now!

Besides, this is a delicate matter; supporting Orochimaru now just feels a bit strange...

A new Hokage brings a new confidant; if the Hokage were replaced, it would disrupt the current favorable situation.

After all, if it were a different Hokage, with such a huge public opinion in the village, how could they possibly maintain a situation of fighting without breaking apart if it weren't for Hiruzen Sarutobi sitting there?

No one else has that kind of prestige!

Danzo listened to the Committee Member ' words, his heart gradually stirring...

He seemed to be mistaking the support everyone was giving to Hiruzen Sarutobi for his own.

Danzo immediately puffed out his chest and strode into the Hokage Office Building, becoming the first to push open the conference room door!

Upon entering, Danzo's expression immediately changed.

He discovered that Orochimaru was in the highest position.

The usual assistant seat to the left of the main seat has been removed; there is no chair for him there.

Danzo glanced around to make sure Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed not there, and immediately got into position.

Pointing at Orochimaru's nose, he angrily cursed:

" Orochimaru, you Hanzo defeated Hanzo's subordinate, a useless coward who has spent ten years researching the First Hokage Cells without any results, what gives you the right to swagger around here!"