You Need an Ally...

A small snake slithered out from Orochimaru's sleeve, coiled around his arm, and flicked its tongue lightly toward Hyuga Qinglan, who stood opposite him.

Following this, the snake slowly spat out a scroll from its mouth.

"I assume this scroll is what the person behind you wanted to deliver to me?"

"It took quite a bit of effort for me to decipher its contents..."

Orochimaru picked up the scroll and shook it in his hand, eyeing the handsome, black-haired youth before him with keen interest.

He had thought it was just a coincidence... he hadn't expected to actually gain something from this.

"The origins of the Byakugan, and even the end point of its evolution... along with records regarding the Caged Bird..."

"Let me guess, the person behind you..."

"Is it Hizashi Hyuga?"

Orochimaru stared intently into Hyuga Qinglan's eyes, attempting to catch a flicker of a flaw within those deep, dark orbs.

"No, Lord Orochimaru."

Hyuga Qinglan's expression remained calm, his tone unhurried: "I have no one behind me; I am merely responding to Lord Orochimaru's invitation to attend this meeting."

"Hehehe..."

Orochimaru couldn't help but be amused.

He truly hadn't expected that this seemingly composed child would still be playing dumb when standing right before him.

In his assessment, Hyuga Qinglan was at best a pawn sent by the mastermind through Anko to deliver a message, and the core of the transaction was whatever was recorded in this scroll.

As for what the other party actually wanted to trade for, that would depend on how heavy these chips truly were.

Of course, if the boy had dared to come here entirely on his own, it meant that this youth's secrets and bargaining chips were...

Immeasurable.

"The Byakugan evolved to its ultimate state... is the Tenseigan, which stands on par with the legendary Rinnegan."

"I just wonder, what exactly is the method for this evolution?"

The small snakes gradually gathered, forming a tight circle around him, all flicking their tongues in unison toward Hyuga Qinglan.

Hyuga Qinglan did not take the bait, instead shifting the topic: "Lord Orochimaru, with the war on the front lines so intense, why are you still remaining in Konoha?"

"Are you really so confident that you can securely sit in the seat of the Fourth Hokage?"

"Confidence?"

Orochimaru's gaze toward Hyuga Qinglan grew increasingly dangerous, and his tongue involuntarily licked his lips.

"Do you think I need to compete with a mere junior?"

There were four recognized candidates in the village.

The Sannin of Konoha, and the Yellow Flash.

As for his two close friends, one was already hopelessly lost in gambling and debauchery, while the other had no interest in the position of Hokage.

As for Namikaze Minato...

Heh...

Orochimaru admitted that the young man's talent was indeed rare.

But to compete with him for the position of Fourth Hokage...

That was still a long way off.

Seeing Orochimaru's look of certainty that he would become the Fourth, Hyuga Qinglan couldn't help but smile.

Orochimaru had always been a confident man.

That was true in reality, and it was true in the original story as well.

But what he didn't know was that beneath the undercurrents of the Third Shinobi World War, his teacher had already internally decided on the candidate for the Fourth Hokage.

Even his most trusted friend would eventually "backstab" him and choose to support his own student.

Perhaps this was a case of the bystander seeing clearly while the person involved remained lost...

"Little brat, what are you laughing at?"

Orochimaru crossed his arms, his killing intent already beginning to permeate the air.

"Lord Orochimaru, let me tell you a story."

Hyuga Qinglan seemed completely unfazed by the killing intent, speaking on his own accord.

"Go on?"

"A long, long time ago, there was a highly respected sage who founded a sect."

"The sect grew stronger day by day, but the sage's health began to decline. Thus, he decided to choose a successor, and there were two candidates."

"The elder brother was exceptionally talented and possessed outstanding management skills; his only flaw was that he was too cold and ruthless."

"While the younger brother was slightly inferior in strength and lacked the administrative talent of the elder, he possessed a kind heart and excelled at uniting various factions, achieving success by leveraging the strength of others."

"The Sage was advanced in years and remained hesitant regarding the choice of his successor."

"Can you guess who this Sage ultimately chose as his heir?"

Hyuga Qinglan suddenly paused his story and offered Orochimaru a faint smile.

"It would naturally be the elder brother."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. He could clearly hear the metaphor within the story, yet he remained convinced that his own odds of winning were higher.

Managing a village required an iron-willed, ruthless nature; how could one be burdened by sentimentality?

Hyuga Qinglan merely chuckled and continued.

"Later, the Sage set a trial, ordering the two brothers to travel to a distant land to develop a water source for the villagers."

"The elder brother returned quickly after completing the task; the well was successfully dug, and the villagers were able to use the water."

"The younger brother, however, did not return until a full year had passed."

"Why?"

Orochimaru suddenly interjected with a question: "Logically speaking, the younger brother was only slightly weaker than the elder. Digging a well should not have been a difficult task for him, should it?"

"Because the younger brother was born with an approachable nature, he quickly integrated with the locals upon arrival. That well was completed through the collective effort of him and the villagers working in unison."

"Foolish."

Orochimaru seemed to have fully immersed himself in the story, unable to stop a cold sneer from escaping his lips.

"But the Sage did not see it that way."

Hyuga Qinglan gently wagged his finger. "The Sage was old and hoped that his sect would flourish in the future, truly carrying on his will."

"Therefore, he passed the position of successor to the younger brother."

"And the elder brother, despite being the popular choice, suffered a crushing defeat."

Orochimaru's expression gradually darkened.

The elder brother was him, the younger brother was Namikaze Minato, and that Sage...

Was that not the old man?

"However, the story did not end there. Although the elder brother was disheartened, he said nothing, until one day, by chance..."

"He learned the truth behind the selection."

"It turned out that the Sage had already decided on the successor long ago. The trial was merely a ruse to make the elder brother give up and stop obsessing over the position."

"If it had ended there, the elder brother might have only resented the Sage. But when he learned that not only did the Sage plan this, but his best friends and closest companions all shared the same sentiment and had kept it from him all along..."

"He was consumed by rage. And so..."

"He defected."

"And then?"

Orochimaru's face grew increasingly grim as he slowly spat out three words.

"And then? Then he was purged by the younger brother and the Sage working together."

Purged...

Orochimaru's complexion turned uglier by the second.

He was merely blinded by his own perspective, not a dull-witted man.

The elder brother was him, the younger brother was Namikaze Minato, the Sage was Sarutobi Hiruzen, and those best friends... they must have been Jiraiya.

Upon reflection... it did seem to hold some truth.

His missions and command authority had been gradually curtailed; he was pulled from the front lines and reassigned to Wood Release research experiments and various other studies.

The one who shone brilliantly on the battlefield was always Namikaze Minato.

And he, Orochimaru, had long since faded from the public eye.

So, he was the only one who had been kept in the dark, foolishly immersed in the dream of becoming the Fourth Hokage.

"Hehehe..."

The look Orochimaru cast toward Hyuga Qinglan grew increasingly dangerous.

"Qinglan-kun, it seems I really should thank you."

"However, before I offer my thanks, please hand over the person behind you, as well as the method for evolving the Byakugan..."

"Give them all to me!"

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands."

Countless venomous snakes suddenly burst from the ground in all directions, lunging at Hyuga Qinglan from every angle.

"Lord Orochimaru, is this story not enough to demonstrate my sincerity?"

"What I mean is—you are in need of an ally..."

Hyuga Qinglan's Byakugan gradually flared open, the reflection of countless snakes dancing in his pupils as he slowly uttered a few words.

"Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation."