A Hokage Has to Know a Little of Everything

Konoha, a modestly sized private residence.

This was the home of Konoha Jonin Hiruko, much like the life he considered himself to have: neither high nor low.

He, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had been peers. The four had grown up together, but as their lives followed different paths, Hiruko had gradually drifted further and further away from them.

It was not that the Sannin looked down on him. Hiruko simply felt that he could no longer even see their backs, and forcing himself into their company would not put him in the same circle as them...

Why make himself unwelcome?

Sometimes, he wondered why he could not be content. He was a Jonin, after all—one of the village's finest talents, selected from hundreds.

But whenever he thought of the achievements, fame, and reverent looks his childhood friends had earned within the village...

He could not calm down.

All he could do was devote himself to developing ninjutsu, immersing himself in the sea of research to numb himself.

That was why Hiruko had maintained some contact with Orochimaru.

A knock sounded at the door.

Hiruko frowned and closed the Scientific Research Notes in his hand, setting them aside.

He had recently been researching Cell Fusion. He had finally found a spark of inspiration during his leave, only for this unexpected visitor to interrupt him.

How annoying!

Hiruko opened the door. Seeing Orochimaru standing there with a smile on his face, he awkwardly tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"What, did a busy man like you finally find time to visit me?"

Although Hiruko consoled himself by saying that he should focus on research and be content with what he had, he actually paid close attention to every development in the village and analyzed the affairs of all its prominent figures.

To put it dramatically, he spent twenty-four hours a day studying the hottest topics and the Sannin.

So naturally, he had heard the rumors about the "Konoha Committee Members."

In Hiruko's eyes, Orochimaru was certain to be selected. Perhaps he would even rise to a higher position in the future...

He had probably come here to show off, then?

"I'm not here to see you. The Hokage is looking for you."

Orochimaru took in Hiruko's expression and chuckled inwardly.

His old friend really had an unpleasantly awkward personality...

If they were not both research talents who had grown up together, Orochimaru would not have bothered to give him a hand...

"When I was discussing Konoha's current research talents with my teacher, I mentioned your ideas. He said they were very interesting."

"He may be looking for you because of the Konoha Committee Member matter as well?"

Orochimaru waved a hand. "I've delivered the message. What you do now is up to you..."

Hiruko's heart trembled.

Was the formal name for the selection of elite Jonin that had recently been circulating among the village's Jonin really "Konoha Committee Members"?

Orochimaru had actually known about it all along!

Hiruko felt sour inside, but then his pupils suddenly contracted.

Wait a minute!

He had been too busy thinking about Orochimaru...

Did that mean he also had a chance to become a Konoha Committee Member?

Seeing the teasing look in Orochimaru's eyes, Hiruko suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his heart and put on what he believed was an indifferent expression. "I understand."

After closing the door and listening to Orochimaru's footsteps fade away, Hiruko changed into his cleanest, neatest Jonin uniform at top speed. He washed his face, then tidied himself up in front of the Mirror.

"Could this be my chance?"

Hiruko suddenly felt a little timid. Would the Hokage understand research?

Although the Third had been pushing reforms boldly in recent days, giving everyone a refreshing new impression...

As the leader of an entire village, he had so many affairs to handle. Would he really have the energy to understand matters of research? Especially when Hiruko's field of achievement was the niche area of Bioengineering...

Perhaps he had merely had an enjoyable conversation with Orochimaru and called Hiruko over to learn a little about it?

Hiruko kept lowering his expectations, yet the instant he pushed open the door, he became even more nervous.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru hid around a street corner, watching Hiruko in his new uniform with his stiff expression, and smiled mischievously.

"Pretending not to care when he's actually fully prepared? Interesting..."

"I wonder whether he can pass my teacher's test," Orochimaru mused.

If Hiruko became a Konoha Committee Member, then with research as his strength, he would naturally stand in Orochimaru's camp. That would give him another ally.

In other words, he could also lend a hand to his childhood friend. Why not?

"Perhaps I've changed a little too?" Orochimaru shook his head with a laugh, but did not dwell on it.

For someone who believed that change was a good thing, he himself was naturally part of that change.

#

Konoha, Hokage Office Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held Senju Tobirama's research notes in his hands, reading them with tireless interest.

Ever since learning exactly what was inside that mysterious Black Jar in the Secret Archive...

Even these scattered fragments of research notes seemed filled with stories, leaving much to the imagination.

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help but sigh. No wonder some people loved listening to unofficial histories and shipping bizarre enemy pairings...

Unofficial history might be wild, but it was genuinely entertaining!

More importantly, the research notes themselves contained plenty of useful knowledge and involved quite a few research concepts.

As Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not expect himself to become an expert researcher in a short time. That was not something he could accomplish simply by reading Senju Tobirama's research notes; it required extensive hands-on work and accumulated experience.

But he had to understand some general knowledge, basic logic, and operational frameworks!

If he understood nothing, he might end up like Shimura Danzō, getting thoroughly fooled by his subordinates when it came to funding...

Some projects had not even begun the approval process, yet people would shout that they were working on them and demand funding.

Even though Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru were as close as family, that was no excuse to let his guard down.

A Hokage's laxity was equivalent to opening the door for others' inner demons to lead them into making mistakes.

After knocking cautiously and receiving permission, Hiruko took a deep breath outside the door before slowly walking in. "Lord Hokage!"

"Hiruko, you're here? Sit."

Hiruzen Sarutobi casually closed the notes in his hands. "Orochimaru told me you've done some research on cells?"

Hot tea poured from the pot into the cup before Hiruko.

Hiruko hurriedly stood up. "I'll do it, I'll do it... Thank you, Lord Third!"

Holding the steaming cup of tea, the warmth in Hiruko's palms could not compare to the warmth in his heart.

What was this supposed to mean?

He was just an obscure Jonin, yet Lord Third had personally poured tea for him!

Seeing Hiruko's reaction, Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled inwardly.

Orochimaru had spoken to him about this man's personality. In short, he "craved recognition."

He was clearly a talented ninja, yet he had been trapped beneath the radiance of his peers. The standard by which he measured his own worth had been set far too high...

The Konoha Committee Member system was the best solution to his problem.

But being suitable was one thing.

Hiruko still had to show something worthwhile. Otherwise, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never put some useless fool on the committee list just because Orochimaru had recommended him.

"What I study is Cell Fusion. I have a rough idea like this..." Hiruko cautiously explained his thoughts, trying to keep his words as concise as possible to ensure that Lord Hokage could understand.

It was not that he looked down on him. Different fields were separated by mountains, after all.

But Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes lit up.

This might...

Be of tremendous help in perfecting a certain unnamed Hokage's privately stored Great Figurines!

Explanation of the setting:

Xiaofan would like to say a few words about Hiruko. He is not an original character, but a character from one of the films. The technique he developed is called the Chimera Technique, and its ability is Kekkei Genkai fusion.

In the original work, he defected around the time of the Third Shinobi World War, when he discovered that Kakashi could transplant Obito's Sharingan.

The current point in time for the protagonist is still quite far from that.

So the setting is that the current Hiruko only has the foundation needed to develop that technique in the future.

In other words, the so-called Cell Fusion!