Information Gap

The mastermind behind the Nine-Tails Incident?

A suspected Uchiha had gravely wounded Orochimaru?

Mangekyō Sharingan?

Orochimaru's few short sentences contained an enormous amount of information.

If the village's residents learned all this...

At the thought of the consequences, Fugaku Uchiha felt a chill run down his spine.

He couldn't let this news spread.

Fugaku Uchiha's gaze sharpened as he looked at Orochimaru, his eyes turning sinister.

As long as he killed him—as long as he killed the only person who knew...

"Orochimaru" met Fugaku's murderous gaze without changing expression, a smile still on his face.

His unruffled composure startled Fugaku, and a bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Killing one of the Sannin would have consequences no less disastrous than last night's Nine-Tails Incident. How could he have entertained such an idea?

There was no telling whether what Orochimaru had said was true, but if he killed Orochimaru, he really would be pushing his clan into a pit of fire.

After a long silence, Fugaku finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

"Lord Orochimaru, is what you said true?"

"Orochimaru" rubbed his chin, his eyes tinged with amusement.

"That question is beneath the dignity of a clan head."

"Does it matter whether it's true?

"As long as I want to say it, it can be true at any moment. The Third Hokage has already stirred up public opinion. He can't deny my words now without making himself look foolish. Changing one's orders from day to day is a grave taboo for a leader."

"You should be asking why I'm helping the Uchiha keep this secret. What do I want? What would you have to offer to keep me quiet?"

Fugaku opened his mouth, but had no idea how to respond to Orochimaru's taunts and questions.

He had come believing that the Nine-Tails Incident had not been the Uchiha Clan's doing.

He had come to visit Orochimaru to learn more about the mastermind, hoping to clear up the rumors and wipe away the suspicion surrounding the Uchiha Clan.

He had never imagined that lifting the lid would reveal a whole jar of shit.

The information Orochimaru had revealed was so shocking that Fugaku was entirely unprepared. For a moment, he was caught between a rock and a hard place, unsure what to do.

"Orochimaru" shook his head. As expected, Fugaku Uchiha wasn't cut out to be a clan head.

He had the serious, resolute face down, but a few words were all it took to lead him by the nose.

He was better suited to being led than to leading others.

"Why aren't you saying anything, Clan Head Fugaku?"

"Could it be that you're so overjoyed to hear there's another member of your clan in the Shinobi World who awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

"Orochimaru" spoke with a pointed lilt. "To have a clan member capable of facing me and gravely wounding me is certainly something to be excited about."

"Isn't that right, Clan Head Fugaku?"

Fugaku's heart jolted. He came to his senses and hurriedly denied it. "Lord Orochimaru, don't say such things. The Uchiha have no such clan member."

A clan member with the Mangekyō Sharingan would indeed be a tremendous fighting force, and could raise the clan's standing in the village.

But the person had controlled the Nine-Tails and attacked the village, causing heavy casualties and the death of the Fourth Hokage. They had already set themselves against the village.

There was nothing to gain from being associated with such a vicious rogue ninja.

"I ask that you not tell the village about this, Lord Orochimaru."

Fugaku Uchiha bowed deeply. "This is for the village as well as the Uchiha."

Whatever Orochimaru's reasons, the most urgent thing now was to put the lid back on.

"Orochimaru" nodded. "All right, no problem. I'll agree to that."

Fugaku remained bent over, waiting for Orochimaru to name his demands.

But the words he heard next startled him, and he straightened up in surprise.

Meeting Fugaku's astonished gaze, "Orochimaru" remained unperturbed.

"You heard me correctly. I don't want anything. Even if you hadn't come tonight, I would have kept this information hidden."

"But does that really solve anything?"

"What will you say about the Tomoe in the Nine-Tails' eyes?"

"What will you do if a rogue ninja from your Uchiha Clan attacks again?"

"You can't keep the lid on just because you want to."

"Go back and think it over."

"..."

Fugaku Uchiha clenched his fists. His expression was even darker than when he had arrived as he trudged out of the hospital room.

"I thought you were going to ask for the moon."

Orochimaru was rather surprised. By now, how could he not see that the Uchiha Clan was the new patron Genie had found?

"Think further ahead. We've only just begun," Genie said with a smile. "Taking advantage of someone when they're in trouble might get us what we want, but it would inevitably sour the relationship. We're not short on money right now, so there's no need to resort to such extreme measures.

"Besides, the Uchiha rogue ninja wasn't really the reason you were injured."

Orochimaru shook his head. "But the way you talk makes me think you could convince people something was true even if it were false."

Genie smiled faintly. "I can't make my words come true. I just made use of an information gap."

Kakashi and Guy, the Third Hokage and Danzo, and Fugaku Uchiha.

The Third Hokage might learn the truth from Kakashi and Guy and believe it, but Fugaku Uchiha wouldn't. Even if he learned it, he wouldn't believe it.

After all, in this deception, Fugaku had gained little more than a bit of goodwill and had made no tangible contribution.

From his perspective, if Orochimaru had deceived him, he should have expected to be taken for a ride.

Once he understood the key to the deception's success, Orochimaru licked his lips, feeling somewhat impressed.

Even though Genie hadn't hidden anything from him and he had watched everything unfold from beginning to end, he still wouldn't have figured out what Genie was planning by now if Genie hadn't explained it.

The human heart was more complicated than forbidden techniques.

Orochimaru put away his curiosity and stopped asking Genie to explain further.

Genie's plan would undoubtedly bring him the greatest possible benefits, but Orochimaru didn't like it.

The next day, around noon.

Orochimaru left Konoha Central Hospital in broad daylight.

When villagers and shinobi alike—whether they had admired or feared Orochimaru before—heard the news, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

Compared with the danger of losing their lives, his dark, cold demeanor was nothing.

If anything, Orochimaru's formidable, imposing strength made them feel much safer.

Well, it was rather like Stockholm syndrome.

At this point, if Orochimaru had truly wanted to compete for the Hokage Position, he would have had a decent chance of succeeding.

The change in the village's atmosphere naturally didn't escape Danzo. He knew things were going badly.

So, as soon as Orochimaru returned to his residence in the village, several Root shinobi delivered the terms they had previously agreed upon.

Orochimaru sat at his desk, leafing through the research records on First Hokage Cells, one page at a time.

The records were clearly incomplete. They didn't show, for instance, the techniques used on Danzo. But with these data, Orochimaru could save a great deal of time and effort.

So he studied them intently.

Standing in front of the desk was a short, teenage boy, at the age when he should have been full of youthful energy. His eyes, however, were vacant.