Orochimaru's Ambition

Uchiha Sou explained everything in great detail, telling Orochimaru exactly what he had done since arriving behind enemy lines.

Although he kept a few things to himself, most of what he said was true. Back at the Konoha camp, Orochimaru listened intently.

As he listened, he also wondered what he would have done if he'd been in the part of the Land of Whirlpools controlled by Kirigakure.

After turning it over in his mind, he figured he would probably have followed the mission protocol to the letter. A mission was a mission—that was one thing he would never change.

Yet Orochimaru frowned at the conclusion he'd reached. Clearly, he wasn't satisfied with his own answer.

Orochimaru was a proud man. He believed that following the mission protocol and procedures would have caused no major problems and would have allowed him to complete the mission.

But when he considered Uchiha Sou's age and the results of the boy's decision to change the mission without authorization, he couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Train civilians, use their hatred to harass Kirigakure and squeeze its territory, and deliberately instill the idea that 'Konoha helped them and saved them' while training them.

"That would make them feel favorably toward Konoha and its ninja. Even if we left and wanted to return someday, we'd face far fewer problems.

"This kid really is..."

Orochimaru let out a quiet sigh. Uchiha Sou's actions had truly astonished him.

If he'd been in Sou's place, he probably wouldn't have been able to think of so much in such a short time. The boy had started figuring out how to make up for everything as soon as he'd rescued Orochimaru's disciple.

That kind of quick thinking was incredible. Orochimaru might have come up with a way to make amends, but he couldn't have made the decision so quickly.

Of course, Orochimaru also wondered if the boy had planned this from the beginning, and if saving his disciple had been a way to use Orochimaru's name more effectively.

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. Who could have known whom they'd run into in a place like that? And they hadn't even known who had been sent behind enemy lines.

"And the boy's strength is far beyond what I imagined, too. No wonder one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist on the front lines had to withdraw from combat."

Orochimaru lightly tapped his fingers on the desk. When he heard that Uchiha Sou had taken on Juzo Biwa and Raiga Kurosuki alone, leaving one dead and the other badly wounded, he was genuinely taken aback.

He knew who Raiga Kurosuki and Juzo Biwa were. They weren't much of a threat to him, but that didn't mean the same was true for everyone else.

And even he could have made a mistake if he'd been careless while fighting those two.

"Strength, intelligence, judgment... This boy has given me far more than just a pleasant surprise!"

Orochimaru slowly licked his lips. An inscrutable glint flickered in his eyes, and his fingers tapped the desk faster and faster.

"Lord Orochimaru..."

As Orochimaru pondered, a snake coiled on his desk suddenly spoke in Uchiha Sou's voice.

"That's what happened. We've also filed the appropriate reports. Once we return, I think we can submit all of them to you, Lord Orochimaru."

"You did well. Very well."

Orochimaru's fingers slowed. After a moment's thought, a smile appeared on his face.

"Better than I expected—so good that even I'm impressed. Do you remember what I told you when you set out?

"Now I see that you really should be proud. You turned your disadvantage into an unprecedented advantage, one that even I have to admire. You've exceeded everyone's expectations."

"Lord Orochimaru?"

Uchiha Sou was a little surprised by those words. The somewhat cryptic conversation they'd had half a year ago came back to him.

Before, he hadn't been in a position to ask, nor had he had the means. But now, he thought he could at least try.

Especially since he had the Mangekyo now. At the very least, he had the confidence to ask.

"Could you tell me what this is about? I feel like there's more to what you're trying to tell me.

"Of course, if you don't want to say, Lord Orochimaru, I won't press you."

"There's no harm in telling you. I already gave you a hint, didn't I?"

Orochimaru licked his lips. His fingers continued to tap slowly against the desk, and a smile played on his face.

"This mission wasn't as simple as you thought. At first, I hadn't planned to assign it to you.

"But later, I decided to let you take it on because I wanted to test you."

"You hadn't planned to assign it to me, but later agreed because you wanted to test me?"

Uchiha Sou frowned at that. He didn't understand what Orochimaru meant.

The mention of a test especially caught him off guard. What had he done to deserve being tested by Orochimaru? After all, Orochimaru was a staunch supporter of the Third Hokage.

"Wait, the Hokage?"

Uchiha Sou suddenly realized something, and his thoughts began to fall into place.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked curiously, "Lord Orochimaru, are you building up your own people and influence to secure the Hokage Position?"

"No wonder you came up with such a plan behind enemy lines." Orochimaru's smile grew even brighter. "Sou, your mind is sharper than I expected."

He paused briefly, then continued.

"That's right. I intend to make a little effort toward becoming Hokage. I don't believe anyone else in all of Konoha is more qualified.

"To be honest, I don't think I'm as attached to the idea of becoming Hokage as people might assume. Still, I have to be prepared.

"I have no ill will toward the Uchiha, but the rest of the clan may not feel the same about me. So naturally, I need to make some preparations.

"What do you think, Sou?"

Hearing Orochimaru, Uchiha Sou pursed his lips. Lord Orochimaru really was as proud as ever.

But Orochimaru probably never dreamed that the thing he thought was within his grasp would ultimately never belong to him.

Of course, Orochimaru's temperament seemed unchanged. He was still interested in the Hokage Position, but not all that deeply.

That was only natural. Uchiha Sou knew what Orochimaru truly desired most of all!

Still, Orochimaru would make the necessary preparations. Sou just hadn't expected him to choose him.

"Lord Orochimaru thinks very highly of me," Uchiha Sou said with a bitter smile. "And aren't you a little too confident?"

"As a ninja, caution is essential, but so is confidence." Orochimaru's deep, resonant voice rang out again. "And don't you want to know the other reason I agreed to let you take part in the mission?"

"Please tell me, Lord Orochimaru." Uchiha Sou hesitated before asking.

"We'll talk about that in person."

To Uchiha Sou's surprise, Orochimaru refused outright—and then shared a piece of news that left him stunned.

"Sou, you may not know Konoha well enough, but I can tell you that Konoha doesn't treat the Uchiha as well as you might think.

"As I said, I have no ill will toward the Uchiha, but that doesn't mean the Uchiha feel the same about me. The Uchiha must change, and they will change under my hand!

"So I need to see what you're capable of. You've more or less passed the test, but there's still one thing you need to take care of. Once you do, I'll make sure you get everything the Uchiha have.

"Or, to put it another way, I'll do everything in my power to make everything the Uchiha have yours!"