Tsunade: "Teacher's Heart Is as Black as Second Granduncle's!"

After hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's account,

the Sannin fell into a long silence, deeply shaken.

Why had their teacher always emphasized a conservative approach in the past?

Why had the current Hokage suddenly changed so drastically, as if he were a different person?

Everything now had an explanation.

Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged a glance, each seeing the complicated emotions in the other's eyes.

They shared something in common when it came to why they did not want to become Hokage.

It was not merely because of the burdensome administrative duties.

On a deeper level, it was also because the brilliance of the previous Hokage had been too overwhelming...

Senju Hashirama was the God of Shinobi; his renown needed no elaboration.

As for the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, while he did not possess Senju Hashirama's overwhelming might, the various ninjutsu he invented and policies he pioneered were all a full era ahead of the Shinobi World.

In a sense, in the eyes of his enemies, his deterrent power was only half a level below Senju Hashirama's.

After all, while the God of Shinobi was powerful, he was too fond of peace.

But Senju Tobirama was the ruthless sort who could revive an enemy's loved ones and turn them into bombs...

Deep down, both Jiraiya and Tsunade had once entertained thoughts similar to Hiruzen Sarutobi's...

If they became Hokage, could they surpass those who came before them?

Even setting Senju Hashirama and Tobirama aside, could either of them match the ability and talent Hiruzen Sarutobi had displayed in his youth?

Orochimaru's gaze softened considerably.

Compared to Jiraiya and Tsunade, he did not feel quite as strong a sense of responsibility toward the village.

What he cared more about were his bonds with Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade.

Especially Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had been both teacher and father to him.

The teacher who had once taught him without holding anything back and valued him so highly had gradually drifted away from him one day. That estrangement had become a great knot in his heart...

And geniuses were always proud.

Orochimaru had never considered apologizing to Hiruzen Sarutobi, nor did he think he was in the wrong...

He wanted to achieve great things and make his teacher see them. Then, right and wrong would speak for themselves...

Yet today, Hiruzen Sarutobi had laid bare his heart with such honesty.

Clearly, he still regarded him as a trusted disciple.

Combined with how lightly he had brushed off the damaging material and how openly he had shown concern for him before everyone...

A trace of bitterness unexpectedly rose in Orochimaru's heart.

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently took in the reactions of his three disciples.

At this point, his sudden shift in personality had received a reasonably appropriate explanation.

If he did anything in the future that did not fit his previous persona, he would not need to worry about it.

It was more or less as he had expected...

With the bond between master and disciples as their foundation, even if there had been misunderstandings and estrangement in the past, so long as nothing irreparable had happened, it was easy enough to clear things up.

It was different from facing the people of the village.

Before the masses, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not show this side of himself. At most, he could appear "forbearing," because what the ninja needed was a dependable leader, not an old man in need of sympathy.

But before his three disciples, this "weakness" of opening his heart could make them empathize with him.

They were master and disciples, not merely superiors and subordinates.

Being too closed-off or too perfect would create distance between them. A flawed self was more complete and real, and would in turn stir their urge to give back.

"Teacher, you've worked hard..."

Tsunade spoke slowly, a faint glimmer of tears in her eyes. "You've already tried so hard. Don't push yourself to the point of breaking down..."

So the Old Man had once been under so much pressure that even "death" had felt like a release?

And she, his disciple, had not even noticed...

Or rather, she had noticed a little, but had not cared for her teacher in time!

That was too much...

Jiraiya's eyes were resolute as he spoke in a deep voice. "Teacher, don't underestimate me! I may be your dumbest disciple, but I can still help shoulder the burden!"

Orochimaru said softly, "Teacher, I'll help you."

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled. "Good... With the three of you saying that, I feel much more at ease."

"Konoha has many problems right now."

"The first major problem is the proliferation of factions. The various ninja clans lack trust and cooperation with the village leadership. The Hyuga Clan is like that, and the Uchiha Clan has even developed a confrontational attitude."

"And even clans such as the Inuzuka Clan, Aburame, and Kurama, while willing to cooperate with the village, are nowhere near closely integrated enough."

"Why?" Hiruzen Sarutobi posed the question.

"Because they don't have the Will of Fire?" Jiraiya pondered hard before offering a tentative answer.

Hearing that, Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed. "Good disciple, who would have thought Mount Myoboku had even taught you an S-rank Forbidden Technique? This is the Labeling Technique that even I, the Hokage, do not use lightly..."

"You figured it out without a teacher!"

Expulsion from Konoha!

"Toad Sage, the toad spirit of Mount Myoboku, truly possesses peerless Kamui. You're already expelling people from Konoha?" Orochimaru raised a brow.

"If you became Hokage, Konoha would probably lose a third of its population..."

Tsunade could not hold it in either. "Jiraiya, I think you're the one with the least Will of Fire. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade and waved his hand sheepishly. "You come from a proper and distinguished line, so whatever you say is right... Stinky Snake, that's not what I meant. I just can't figure it out..."

"Then what do you think?"

"Probably because there's no future in it?" Orochimaru said faintly.

"Among those who could be called village leadership, aside from the four of us around Teacher, there's at most Nara Shikayama, the Jonin Squad leader who barely has any presence."

"The First passed it to the Second, the Second passed it to his disciple Teacher, and the other three disciples hold parallel seats."

"The Nara Clan is even Teacher's core base. Where is there room for anyone else?"

"If you were a Jonin and saw this situation, setting aside whether you would resent it, with your path upward blocked, other feelings would inevitably grow in your heart."

Jiraiya opened his mouth.

"You, a Hokage's disciple, may not want to become Hokage. That is your personal freedom, and I won't judge it further."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "But do you know how many ninja clans would smash their pots and sell their iron for the identity you possess?"

Tsunade unconsciously twisted her fingers together.

Her Grandfather, Second Granduncle, and teacher had already done all the work she would ever need to do in her life while serving as Hokage.

But hearing those words still left a bitter taste in her heart...

"Good kid, no wonder you could gather a whole gang to support you!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed as he scolded Orochimaru, then nodded. "Orochimaru is basically right."

"The village's advancement paths are too limited. We need to mobilize the enthusiasm of the major ninja clans and Commoner Ninja, and let them see our sincerity."

Jiraiya nodded. With his relatively simple mind, he immediately liked the sound of such a policy. "Does this mean other ninja clans will be allowed into the leadership too? I support it!"

Tsunade frowned slightly. "Then will we accept the Uchiha Clan? And the Hyuga? What if they gain power but still insist on doing things their own way?"

"It might even fuel their ambitions."

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade in surprise. He had thought this woman only studied medicine, gambled, and drank every day. Who knew she had such a sharp mind?

Orochimaru's pupils narrowed into slits like a snake's. "This is serious. If we wait until they enter the leadership and begin counterrevolutionary activities, then even if we eliminate them afterward, the village will be severely weakened."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru with satisfaction.

He understood research, was powerful, and could keep up with his line of thought...

He truly was a useful deputy.

And what Orochimaru wanted, for now, were the two areas of "research support" and "heir apparent."

That did not conflict with Hiruzen Sarutobi.

At least, not for the moment.

"There must be layers. It will not just be the four decision-makers; a new advancement channel must also be established among the Jonin."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, "Among the slightly more than one hundred Jonin, we will establish a new tier of around twenty people."

"These twenty ninja will receive better treatment than ordinary Jonin. Those with administrative ability should enter the management ranks and be granted the authority to participate in and propose village affairs."

"Those unwilling to participate in administration, such as those skilled at direct combat, will receive subsidies in combat resources."

"This way, we solve the issue of advancement channels for most Jonin."

"As for the purity of the members..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued slowly, "I, the Hokage, will designate the candidate list, and the main body of voters will also be Jonin. I will not allow anything to go wrong in this stage."

Jiraiya blinked. "But surely people from clans like the Hyuga and Uchiha will have to occupy seats, right? After all, if we ignore them, then this..."

Tsunade nodded slightly.

Though Jiraiya had put it bluntly, if the Hyuga and Uchiha were once again excluded from this reform, it might instead deepen the conflict between those two clans and the village.

They could not become decision-makers, and now they could not even become core Jonin?

But Orochimaru seemed to think of something. His eyes suddenly lit up as he looked intently at Hiruzen Sarutobi. "Teacher, had you already considered that?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and nodded.

"Considered what? Don't talk in riddles, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya hurried over to Orochimaru's side, their faces nearly touching. "Just say it!"

"You're too close, idiot Jiraiya."

Orochimaru shoved Jiraiya away in disgust, though a smile lingered at the corners of his mouth. "It's simple. We should put the ninja from powerful clans who favor the village—or can only draw close to the village—on the list."

"You remember, right? Teacher publicly had Hizashi Hyuga join the Anbu... As a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, having accepted the Hokage's protection, he is one of the best possible candidates."

Tsunade realized it too and slammed her fist onto the table.

"No, what did you two understand?" Jiraiya slammed the table as well. "Are you isolating me? Isn't he from the Hyuga Branch Family? He has the Caged Bird on his forehead..."

"Who would dare use the Caged Bird on Anbu directly under the Hokage?"

Orochimaru chuckled, his eyes gradually growing excited. "Are they trying to spy on village secrets, or preparing to plot a rebellion? The Hyuga Main Branch absolutely does not have that courage."

Tsunade picked up the thread. "That's right. So long as Hizashi Hyuga, as a Branch Family member, is not punished for defying the Main Branch, he will naturally become a third force within the Hyuga."

At that moment, Jiraiya finally understood and said in sudden realization,

"An endless stream of Hyuga Branch Family members will stand behind him, and they will also have to support the Old Man, because they need the Hokage's protection."

"As for the other neutral ninja clans, all they lack is an advancement path. They will not oppose Teacher, who has opened that path for them..."

Jiraiya bared his teeth and sighed repeatedly. "Man, I really can't be Hokage... Old Man, how did you even think of all this?"

Tsunade took a large swig of wine and laughed. "Yeah, it feels like your heart is as black as the Second Granduncle in Grandfather's stories!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help laughing too.

When the First was still alive, he had loved rejecting the Second's proposals whenever he had the chance, saying the Second's intentions were never straightforward...

"As for the Uchiha Clan, I have not found a suitable candidate yet. We will first look among the open Dove Faction."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said,

"Before we find a suitable candidate, they will not be allowed into the highest level. Besides, among the seven seats I currently envision for the top leadership, there is no hurry to fill them all."

"Me, Danzo, Orochimaru, one selected from the neutral ninja clans, plus Sakumo to represent the Commoner Ninja."

"For the remaining two seats, this leverage of interests will give rise to Dove Faction forces among the Hyuga and Uchiha..."

Jiraiya shuddered for no reason.

Luckily, he had not been born into any ninja clan and had been fortunate enough to be accepted as Teacher's disciple, so he did not need to get involved in any of this.

"Wait a second, Teacher, why is Stinky Snake entering the leadership too?" Jiraiya shouted belatedly. "Hey, don't assign me to work under him!"

"Teacher, it is a very good design."

Orochimaru tried hard to suppress the upward curl of his lips.

Teacher had casually given him a seat. That meant he had always held a place in Teacher's heart.

"Shouldn't Orochimaru join?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked Jiraiya with a cheerful smile.

"He should..."

Jiraiya had originally wanted to argue, but remembering how closely Orochimaru's thinking aligned with Teacher's, he stubbornly said, "Hmph, it's only because I can't be bothered handling all that."

"The system is a good one."

Orochimaru said, "But how will it be implemented, Teacher? Whether it is subsidies for Jonin or support for the elderly, all of it requires resources and money..."

"Is the village treasury well-funded? Or is the Daimyo Mansion willing to increase its allocation?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Orochimaru an approving look.

Though it sounded like he was pouring cold water on the idea, it was a practical point.

Castles in the air did not count. Everything had to begin from a realistic and pragmatic stance.

"That's right. Without money and resources, no matter how good the system is, it cannot be implemented."

"So we must first generate revenue, then reform..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "Who is the richest in the Land of Fire?"

"That would naturally be the Daimyo," Jiraiya answered without hesitation.

"That's right, but the Daimyo is only the richest individual. In terms of social class, it is the nobles, great and small, who are the richest in the Land of Fire..." Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

Jiraiya pondered for a moment, his expression gradually turning suspicious. "Teacher, you're not planning to kill all those nobles, are you?"

This time, Tsunade could not hold it in either. "Jiraiya, are you trying to kill my family? Are you going to pin a label on them first, saying they lack the Will of Fire?"

"My Grandfather's and father's descendants are among them too!"

Jiraiya waved his hands repeatedly. "Hey, I didn't mean that. I'm just afraid Teacher might go too extreme..."

Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi burst into laughter.

"Our population is not large enough to take over the Land of Fire's entire system. Declaring all-out war on the nobles would not be worth the cost."

"It would also drive the nobles into enemy countries. The Daimyo of those countries would then fully support other Hidden Villages because of this attitude, which would instead be aiding the enemy."

"Besides, as Tsunade said, the Daimyo Mansion contains relatives of the Hokage."

The subtle relationship between the Daimyo Mansion and the Hidden Village was not merely due to the volatile state of the Shinobi World affecting the populations of Hidden Villages, making it necessary for them to maintain relative unity.

It was also because the Daimyo Mansion had taken in some relatives of the "Kage" of each village.

A single hair moved, and the whole body followed.

"So, we have to make these nobles willingly hand over their money..."

"And for this step, we'll have to rely on you!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said slowly, producing a clod of earth from his palm and placing it on the table.

"Do you know what this is?"

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at each other. This time, even Orochimaru showed a puzzled expression.

"It's dirt, right, Sensei?" Jiraiya said uncertainly.

"This is Konoha's carefully developed product, created through the discovery of Lord Hashirama's Self-Healing Gene, the refinement of the scrolls left behind by Lord Tobirama, and the work of Tsunade, the number one medical ninja in the Shinobi World, and Orochimaru, a research expert..."

"Tested for safety by Lady Mito Uzumaki, enthusiastically recommended by the three great Holy Lands of Ryūchi Cave, Mount Myoboku, and Shikkotsu Forest, this Specialized Healthcare Pill gently nourishes the body, prolongs life, dispels hidden ailments, and even replenishes vitality and warms the yang!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said it with utter seriousness.