This year is Orochimaru's Zodiac Year

By the time of Boruto, Sakura's house was still rented, and even as the esteemed director of Leaf Hospital, she still had a mortgage to pay off. She had basically ended up living like Kiki.

Tsunade could not comment on the sky-high cost of services aimed specifically at ninja or the drawbacks of Leaf Pharmaceuticals' monopoly, because she was one of the beneficiaries.

The reason she could look so glamorous and carefree drinking in an izakaya was that completing a few surgeries in a single day was enough to keep her fed and clothed for an entire year.

On top of that, there were the subsidies from the Senju Clan's businesses in the village.

A life of wealth from childhood had left Tsunade uninterested in money. The amount she lost in a single high-stakes gamble was enough for an ordinary person to earn over ten lifetimes.

Forgive someone like her for being unable to empathize with ninja at the bottom. It was just like her response to Pain in the original work—"You small nations suffered pain, but does that mean the great nations had no pain?"

Nagato had originally been about to leave, but Tsunade's arrogance made him decide to leave behind a parting gift when he departed Leaf.

"Let's go, Kushina, Mikoto. Ryobu is dead. Right or wrong, there's no heart left to explain it."

"Okay!"

Kushina also felt rather heavyhearted. If Minato could become Hokage, would he be able to reform Leaf's medical monopoly?

But if he touched the interests of the village's powerful clans, wouldn't he become everyone's target? Could someone as kind as Minato really outmaneuver those old foxes?

Someone stopped Tsunade. "Lord Tsunade, did Lord Liao Wu defect because the matter of him selling counterfeit medicine was exposed?"

"Lord Liao Wu's medicine worked pretty well for me. That day, I even saw my great-grandmother waving at me. Please, you mustn't arrest Lord Liao Wu."

Tsunade took out that person's medicine and examined it, then shook her head. "This kind of medicine can only relieve your symptoms. If you want a complete cure, you can only buy proper medicine."

"..."

Everyone fell silent. If they could afford proper medicine, would they have come to take Ryobu's fake medicine?

In the end, Tsunade still could not bear it. "Everyone, don't lose heart. At the next ninja meeting, I will suggest to Hokage-sama that the pricing of special medicines be lowered."

Tsunade found it a little strange. Ryobu's selling fake medicine in Leaf Hospital should have been exposed with the slightest investigation, so why had it not come out after so long?

Could someone have been acting as his protective umbrella?

Tsunade did not think too much about it. The group left Leaf Hospital in a somewhat heavy mood.

Tsunade suddenly stopped and looked at Mikoto. "Mikoto, did you just say that Ryobu's home received a pile of Imitation Explosive Tags and counterfeit medicine he made?"

Mikoto nodded, a little unsure why Tsunade had suddenly focused on it. "Lord Tsunade, is something wrong? The Uchiha did not secretly withhold Older Brother's illicit funds. His home really was completely destitute."

Tsunade grew somewhat anxious. "Quick, take me to see his Imitation Explosive Tags."

Tsunade recalled the explosive tag Ryobu had swallowed that day. Could that one have been drawn by him too?

But Ryobu had already exploded into pieces! The Sannin had witnessed it with their own eyes.

In the entire Ninja World, who could deceive the eyes of the Sannin?

Deep down, Tsunade still held on to a sliver of hope. How could a scourge like Ryobu possibly go offline so easily?

Leaf Root Base.

Danzo entered Orochimaru's secret laboratory with his cane. A stench of rotting corpses drifted out from within, making even a ninja like Danzo, who believed in the darkness, frown slightly.

Orochimaru was becoming less and less human! Human experiments like those of Uchiha Ryobu and Hiruko were nothing but child's play compared to what was in front of him.

"Orochimaru, what the hell are you doing? You even injured the Anbu personnel monitoring you. Do you really think Hiruzen is a pushover?"

In the dim laboratory, Orochimaru busied himself with his own work while giving a cold laugh. "So what? Mist Village still hasn't been driven off, and Stone Village, Cloud Village, and Sand Village all look ready to bite at any moment. What can Teacher do to me?"

Danzo frowned. "And I'm still supposed to expect you to be elected Fourth Hokage in this state?"

Orochimaru stopped and turned back to look at Danzo. "What? The village is going to choose the Fourth Hokage?"

Danzo walked closer and looked at Orochimaru making a person on the experiment table, unsure what to say.

If you're not going to eat, don't keep picking at it!

Danzo nodded. "This time, the daimyo specifically ordered Hiruzen to personally go to the capital to explain. Judging by the way he looked, I'd say he'll petition to resign once he returns."

"When that time comes, the matter of electing the Fourth Hokage will be placed openly before Leaf."

Orochimaru gave a cold laugh. "The Immortality Technique is something even a useless wine sack like the daimyo dares to covet?"

Danzo steered the topic back. "Let's not talk about the daimyo. As for the Fourth Hokage, if the Senju Clan wants to get involved, neither you nor Jiraiya can beat Tsunade."

Orochimaru continued making a person. "Hmph! In all of Leaf, who can surpass Tsunade in popularity?"

Danzo suggested, "Orochimaru, Jiraiya probably has no interest in the position of Hokage. You only have two opponents. One is Tsunade, and the other is Minato."

"Minato?"

Orochimaru was somewhat surprised.

Danzo frowned, feeling that Orochimaru had rather lost the plot. "Orochimaru, have you gone stupid from hiding in the gutter?"

"Whether it was driving back Cloud Village's AB Combo or severing Stone Village's logistics route at Shen Wubi Bridge, Minato displayed the qualities of a Hokage-level ninja."

"Hiruzen seems very fond of Jiraiya's disciple and has built momentum for him many times."

Orochimaru remained disdainful. "He's nothing but a wet-behind-the-ears junior."

First, Minato had no clan. Second, Minato had only risen like a dark horse in recent years. In terms of prestige and inner circle, he simply could not compare to him or Tsunade.

Most importantly, Minato was too young, only in his early twenties. A Ninja that young simply was not enough to stand on his own, nor could he put the old men at ease.

If it were the next term, Minato might still have a chance, but this term... he, Orochimaru, was going to become the one who called the shots in the Leaf Village.

Danzo frowned, not knowing where Orochimaru's confidence came from. Throughout the entire Third Shinobi War, Orochimaru had taken part in very few battles; most of the time, he had been busy with his own forbidden techniques.

Did he still think this was the Second Shinobi War, and that everyone was still talking about his contributions?

Danzo felt that Orochimaru had less and less sense of how the world worked.

"Orochimaru, you are very dangerous—"

Orochimaru cut Danzo down. "No need to say it. Minato is not my Opponent. Tsunade is. Find a way to smear Tsunade a little. Use the same trick you used against White Fang."

Danzo slammed his cane hard. "Orochimaru, behind Tsunade is the Senju Clan. She is not Sakumo."

"And Tsunade is not This Guy like you. Aside from her love of gambling, there is basically no dirt on her in the village."

Orochimaru gave a Cold Laugh. "If there is none, can't you make something up? Liao Wu's Forbidden Technique was developed based on Tsunade's Ninjutsu Data. Can't you make an issue out of that?"

Danzo was Startled. Right! Ryobu and Tsunade had had rumors about them. If he drew the fire burning around Ryobu onto Tsunade, it would at least smear her somewhat.

Danzo shook his head again. "Orochimaru, Tsunade's prestige in the Leaf Village is extremely high. The people she has saved over the years can be found at every level of the Leaf Village. I estimate even the Uchiha, the Senju's sworn enemies, would support her becoming Hokage."

"She is not as fragile as Sakumo, not so easy to..."

Danzo did not continue. Back then, he had only expanded the rumors a little to strike at Hatake Sakumo's prestige. He had not expected such a sharp blade to be so fragile.

It snapped at a touch, fell over, and went to sleep.

Orochimaru put down the forceps in his hand and smiled. "Danzo, do you think Tsunade is strong?"

"..."

Danzo did not understand. Was Tsunade not strong enough?

Even if Tsunade was not a mission machine like the Anbu or Root Member, she was still a qualified Ninja.

A trace of reminiscence appeared in Orochimaru's eyes, as if he were looking back on the past. "Tsunade is actually not as strong as she appears. When Nawaki died, I saw her weakness."

"She Cares About feelings more than anyone. Such Person is not suited to be a Ninja, and even less suited to become a despicable politician like the Hokage."

Nawaki had been blown up and killed while in Orochimaru's squad. From Nawaki's tragedy, Orochimaru had seen the fragility of life, and become even more convinced in the path of immortality.

Danzo frowned slightly. "Orochimaru, are you really going to make a move against Tsunade? You are comrades, aren't you?"

Orochimaru turned his head and simply looked at Danzo calmly like that.

Danzo felt embarrassed under his stare. From Orochimaru's eyes, he sensed a wave of contempt.

What the hell are you pretending for?

Orochimaru had already given him the idea. Now, even if Orochimaru wanted to call it off, Danzo would not agree.

Danzo had dirt on Orochimaru in his hand. Supporting him to become Hokage was clearly more in Root's interest than supporting Tsunade or Minato.

Danzo changed the subject. "Orochimaru, let's not talk about the Hokage matter. Have you found Uchiha Ryobu's forbidden technique?"

Orochimaru asked Danzo in return, "What? Root Member turned Ryobu's house upside down and still couldn't find a single trace?"

Danzo shook his head. "No. That kid was very crafty. The writing in his house was all self-created. Root could not find a single clue related to his forbidden technique."

Orochimaru shook his head. "Do not count on it. This time, I was about to get it, but Jiraiya and Tsunade's sudden appearance ruined my plan."

"Minato also killed Ryobu on Teacher's orders. In the end, that kid Ryobu self-destructed to keep me from getting his forbidden technique."

"This year is the Year of the Snake, my zodiac year. My luck really is terrible!"