Orochimaru had gone completely mad. Uchiha Sou was getting a taste of just how mad.
The man was certainly planning ahead, but the extent of it was enough to make even someone as "quiet" and "cautious" as Uchiha Sou gape in disbelief.
He was so certain he would become Hokage that he had already started laying the groundwork with the major clans. There was only one word for that: terrifying.
"You probably never imagined that the teacher you respected most would end up giving you such a brutal setback!"
Uchiha Sou rubbed his brow. He remembered Orochimaru's story quite clearly. Just when Orochimaru had thought his position was secure, his teacher had slapped him hard in the face.
Then he had solemnly told him, "What I give you is yours. If I don't give it to you, you can't take it."
The Third Hokage had then turned around and put Namikaze Minato in the Hokage's seat.
Even after Uchiha Obito staged a little "master, friend, and younger brother all in one" surprise for Namikaze Minato on Konoha's soil, sending the Namikaze couple to their deaths together, the Fifth Hokage's hat still didn't fall to Orochimaru.
The Third Hokage had simply said he wasn't old yet and could keep going!
Honestly, if Orochimaru had been facing anyone other than his own teacher, the Third Hokage, he would've sent them on their way with one of his poisonous snakes.
But since it was his teacher, he'd hesitated a little. Of course, that also had something to do with his teacher still being fairly strong at the time.
It didn't take him long to realize he'd been too slow to act. His teacher had struck first and driven him out of Konoha.
Orochimaru was a tragic figure. At least during his time in Konoha, he'd been nothing but a walking tragedy.
Now the man was approaching him full of confidence. Under normal circumstances, the best thing Uchiha Sou could do was ignore him. After all, Orochimaru was destined to fail!
"But there's a problem. If the Third Hokage really does stay in power, then the Uchiha Clan's fate is already sealed. Am I really supposed to run?"
The thought came unbidden to Uchiha Sou. Awakening the Mangekyo did give him the strength to fight.
But the problem was, he wouldn't just be facing the Third Hokage and Shimura Danzō. He'd be fighting the Konoha they ruled, as well as the Uchiha Clan's own traitors!
Even if the odds weren't hopeless, they were still slim.
Besides, there wasn't anywhere good for him to go if he left Konoha. Uchiha Sou knew that well enough.
Honestly, if he hadn't been assigned to Orochimaru's command, he might've considered backing Namikaze Minato.
But he'd ended up on the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools, and for now, he had nothing to do with Namikaze Minato.
There was a saying in his previous life: "It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but hard to give charcoal in a snowstorm." The reverse was true, too: "It's easy to offer charcoal in a snowstorm, but hard to add flowers to brocade."
"Besides, what Orochimaru is offering is just too tempting, isn't it?"
Recalling what Orochimaru had said, Uchiha Sou admitted he was tempted.
Orochimaru wasn't exactly a good person, but he did have one notable trait.
He adjusted his attitude based on the value others could offer and the strength they possessed.
If you had no value and no strength, he probably wouldn't show you much kindness. But if you were useful, he'd treat you quite well.
And if you were strong, he'd adjust his mindset and speak to you as an equal. He might even cooperate with you.
Honestly, a clever person like that made the ideal partner. The problem was that this man was all about "you can take advantage of me in the future."
"Lord Sou, you seem a little distracted." Nara Rukawa asked curiously as Uchiha Sou mulled things over.
After speaking with Orochimaru, Orochimaru had officially ordered the members of the special squads to appoint Uchiha Sou as commander of the armed forces operating behind enemy lines.
He'd sent the appointment letter over using the Summoning Technique, ordered the special squad members to obey Uchiha Sou completely, and passed the news on to all the shinobi behind enemy lines.
Honestly, Anko Squad, Shiranui Genma, and Nara Rukawa had all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard.
Anko Squad was glad that their efforts had been recognized, and that this also made up for their previous mission's failure.
Nara Rukawa and Shiranui Genma were delighted for a different reason: they knew what had really happened.
Now that the appointment was official, their actions had been recognized. They no longer had to worry about what would happen when they returned to Konoha.
The others didn't think much of it. They'd assumed from the start that Lord Orochimaru had ordered this, and that the appointment had merely made it public.
But since Uchiha Sou had been formally appointed, Nara Rukawa had started addressing him as "Lord."
"You don't have to call me that." Uchiha Sou shook his head, though he couldn't be bothered to say anything more. "By the way, someone from the Nara Clan should be with Lord Orochimaru, right?"
"Yes. Luren, my cousin. He's currently in contact with Lord Orochimaru." Nara Rukawa nodded, then gave Uchiha Sou a thoughtful look. "Is Lord Orochimaru..."
"Mm. He wants me to do something to plan ahead." Uchiha Sou smiled. "Your Nara Clan is certainly proactive."
"A small clan naturally can't compare to a great one." Nara Rukawa modestly brushed off the remark. "To survive in a place like Konoha, we have to make preparations in advance. And isn't Lord Orochimaru the people's choice?"
Uchiha Sou didn't know whether Orochimaru was the people's choice. But he knew that once the war in the Land of Whirlpools ended, rumors about Lord Orochimaru would surely spread through Konoha.
That was a matter for the future, though, and Uchiha Sou didn't want to dwell on it. If he decided to act, he'd make sure to stop certain things from happening!
"Enough about that. Lord Orochimaru gave me some intelligence."
Uchiha Sou shook his head, his expression turning serious.
"He told me the other members of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have withdrawn from the fighting. If nothing unexpected happens..."
"They're coming to hunt us down." Nara Rukawa's expression grew serious, too. This was certainly bad news. "Lord Sou, what are you planning to do?"
"What am I planning?" Uchiha Sou thought for a moment, then raised his head slightly. "This time, I'm going to take the initiative and strike first."
"Strike first?" Nara Rukawa froze for a moment before asking cautiously, "Isn't that too risky?"
"It is a little risky, so I'm taking some people with me." Uchiha Sou spoke calmly. "If we deal with them, Kirigakure will have a much harder time carrying out its next moves. So we have to resolve this now. Besides, I'm doing this to secure some leverage for myself."
He hadn't fully worked out what he would do yet, but the safest option was to keep the leverage in his own hands.
Besides, Uchiha Sou wanted to see how well he could handle the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist in his Mangekyo state!
Every time he leveled up, he gained the corresponding knowledge and skills. But it was like having a book: you could take the book, but that didn't mean you knew how to use what was written in it.
To make good use of that "knowledge," Uchiha Sou would have to keep grinding and learning as he went...
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