A Protector

Proud,

extreme,

and stubborn—add talent to those traits, and a person like that would never tolerate being wronged.

After the Nine-Tails Incident, the Uchiha wanted to find the mastermind even more than the village did. Like people with a compulsion for cleanliness, they wanted more than anyone to clear their name.

Unfortunately, the culprit had given them no chance. Not a single trace had been left behind.

Objectively speaking, they were bound to be suspected of causing the disaster, talked about, mistrusted, and pointed at.

How could the Uchiha Clan's pride let them accept that?

This wasn't one person's will. It was the will of the entire clan.

Under these circumstances, Orochimaru was confident they would accept the village's wartime assignment.

It was thankless work, with no tangible benefits—just a way to prove something. That wasn't how a clan survived.

But the Uchiha Clan would really do it. They were out of their minds.

That's right. They were the Uchiha!

Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly taken aback. His tense expression relaxed a little, but he soon thought of another problem. "Who will lead the Uchiha?"

Orochimaru licked his lips and grinned. "You can send Jiraiya. He has the experience and the ability."

Jiraiya had yet to speak when the Third Hokage flatly rejected the idea. "No. Jiraiya can't do something like this."

Though this was an overt scheme, it was vicious—and not particularly subtle. Anyone paying attention would see through it.

If Jiraiya did it, it would tarnish his reputation.

Just then, a figure crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind: someone he would entrust with a major responsibility at a time like this.

"If not Jiraiya, then are you going to send Danzo?"

Orochimaru smiled, looking slightly amused. "Don't forget what just happened in the conference room."

Would the Uchiha Clan listen to someone who had just smeared them?

If they could swallow that kind of insult, they wouldn't have accepted this wartime assignment.

It was a false choice.

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally caught on. Looking at his disciple, he said gravely, "This was your aim from the start—to lead the Uchiha Clan into war. Orochimaru, what exactly are you after?"

Orochimaru smiled at the Third Hokage's question and continued, "Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura are old now. At best, they're elite jonin. They won't be able to keep the Uchiha in line.

"What I want doesn't matter. But, Old Man, if you don't choose me, are you going to take the field yourself?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned.

Personally, he would rather have Danzo go in with the blame hanging over him.

After all these years of working together, he knew what Danzo wanted, and he was confident he could keep him in check.

But as for the disciple before him, the Third Hokage had to admit that the more Orochimaru grew, the harder he was to read.

Not long ago, Orochimaru had seemed like someone who would leave the village and break free of every restraint once the time was right.

But lately, he had suddenly started caring about the village again. It was hard not to worry that he had an ulterior motive...

"Old Man, there's nothing wrong with Orochimaru having his own ideas. There's no need to make a fuss."

Seeing the mood in the conference room stiffen again, Jiraiya tried to smooth things over. "Orochimaru, tell us what you're after. As long as you don't do anything to harm the village, the Old Man and I won't stop you."

Orochimaru smiled. "Old Man, I promise that what I do will only benefit the village."

His sinister smile looked ill-intentioned, but some of the tension in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart eased.

Calling it trust would be going too far, but his instinct as a teacher told him Orochimaru wasn't lying.

"By the way, Jiraiya, you should be looking after Minato's child now."

Orochimaru grinned. "Help me look after a child too. You've met him before."

"Oh, you mean that taciturn kid."

Jiraiya remembered the little fellow who trained with Guy and Kakashi. "No problem. Leave it to me."

"Keep an eye on that child, and make sure he stays safe."

Orochimaru gave a chuckle. "That boy, Yamato, can use Wood Release."

Hearing this, the Third Hokage and Jiraiya were both shaken. "He's..."

Orochimaru cut them off. "He isn't what you're thinking. He's not a descendant of the First. He's the result of the research Danzo and I conducted on the First Hokage Cells."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression changed dramatically. "Orochimaru, you..."

"Don't get so angry. It happened a long time ago. I only just found out about the boy and took him back from Danzo."

Ignoring the Third Hokage's anger, Orochimaru continued, "I've read the early research records on the First Hokage Cells. You knew about the experiments too, Old Man. You only shut them down because so many people were sacrificed.

"Later, Danzo restarted them in secret, which gave me the chance to get involved."

Under Jiraiya's bewildered gaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi's composure finally crumbled. He slowly sank back into his chair.

"That child is important. He could be a contingency in case the Nine-Tails goes out of control in the future. Train him well."

"Oh, and be careful of Danzo."

With that, Orochimaru stood and strode away. As he passed through the doorway, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

Heh... With the Old Man keeping him in check, Danzo no longer stood a chance of leading the shinobi forces.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura might be mediocre, but at least they weren't very self-serving. They wouldn't deliberately cause trouble.

A residence not far from the Hokage Office Building.

"Huff, huff..."

Yamato controlled his breathing as he cleared the weeds from the courtyard.

This was Orochimaru's house in Konoha, and it was now Yamato's place to stay in the village.

No one had lived here for a long time. Orochimaru spent far more time in the laboratory and on the battlefield than here, so weeds had overrun the yard and the walls had fallen into disrepair.

But Yamato was content. Back when he was in Root's laboratory, most of what he saw was a grayish-yellow earthen ceiling. He could hardly ever see the sky, let alone live in a house with a courtyard.

He had to hurry and clean the place up. Then he wouldn't have to squeeze into Guy's little house the next time he trained.

Thinking of his two new friends, Yamato's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Whoosh..."

After a rush of wind, a figure appeared in the courtyard.

Recognizing him, Yamato immediately stood up and bowed. "Lord Orochimaru."

"Heh, good work. You've fixed the place up nicely."

Orochimaru looked around, a trace of nostalgia rising in his eyes. But it soon faded, replaced by his signature smile—cold and dangerous.

His gaze roamed over Yamato, and the scrutiny made the boy tense up instinctively.

"Yamato, you've been pretty happy lately."

Yamato's heart tightened.

Orochimaru licked his lips. "Don't be afraid. I'm not criticizing you."

The change wasn't obvious, but the boy had far more vitality than when he'd first been released from Root.

The reason was easy to guess: a change of environment and a richer social life.

"I have some things to take care of lately, so I'll have the Old Man and Jiraiya look after you for a while."

Orochimaru rested a hand on Yamato's slightly tense shoulder and spoke quietly. "Think carefully about what you can say and what you can't."

"Yes," Yamato replied at once.

"Other than collecting your cells regularly, I have no intention of disrupting your life."

Orochimaru patted the boy's shoulder. "Don't make things difficult for me."

Yamato dropped to one knee. "Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Of course he wouldn't betray Orochimaru, even if the Hokage and another of the Sannin would be around him from now on.

The eleven-year-old knew perfectly well that the people standing in the light couldn't protect him, but Orochimaru could.

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