You Need an Ally...

A little snake slithered out of Orochimaru's sleeve, coiling around his arm as it faced Hyuga Qinglan and flicked its tongue at him.

Then it slowly spat out a scroll.

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

"Deciphering its contents took me quite a bit of effort..."

Orochimaru picked up the scroll and waved it in his hand, regarding the handsome, black-haired boy before him with interest.

He had thought it was just a coincidence... He hadn't expected to find something worthwhile.

"The origin of the Byakugan, even the endpoint of its evolution... And records concerning the Caged Bird..."

"Let me guess who's behind you..."

"Is it Hizashi Hyuga?"

Orochimaru stared intently into Hyuga Qinglan's eyes, trying to catch a flaw in their depths.

"No, Lord Orochimaru."

Hyuga Qinglan remained composed and unhurried. "There's no one behind me. I'm simply here to attend the banquet at Lord Orochimaru's invitation."

"Heh heh heh..."

Orochimaru couldn't help laughing.

He truly hadn't expected this seemingly composed boy to keep playing dumb in front of him.

In his estimation, Hyuga Qinglan was, at most, a pawn sent by whoever was pulling the strings to deliver a message through Anko. The core of the deal was the information recorded in the scroll.

As for what the other party wanted in exchange, that depended on how valuable this bargaining chip was.

Of course, if the boy had really come here alone, then that meant his secrets and bargaining chips...

Were beyond measure.

"The Byakugan's ultimate evolution... is the Tenseigan, said to rival the legendary Rinnegan."

"I wonder what the method of evolution is."

The little snakes gradually gathered around him, forming a small circle and flicking their tongues at Hyuga Qinglan.

Hyuga Qinglan didn't take the bait. Instead, he changed the subject. "Lord Orochimaru, the fighting on the village's front lines is so fierce right now. Why are you still in the village?"

"Are you really so confident that you'll claim the Fourth Hokage's position?"

"Confident?"

Orochimaru's gaze turned dangerous as he looked at Hyuga Qinglan, and his tongue unconsciously licked his lips.

"Do you think I still need to compete with some junior?"

There were four widely recognized candidates in the village.

The Konoha Sannin, and the Yellow Flash.

One of his two close friends had long since sunk into gambling, drinking, and debauchery. The other had no interest in the Hokage Position at all.

As for Namikaze Minato...

Heh...

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

But if he thought he could compete with him for the Fourth Hokage's position...

He still had a long way to go.

Seeing how certain Orochimaru was that he would become the Fourth Hokage, Hyuga Qinglan couldn't help smiling.

Orochimaru had always been a confident man.

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

But he didn't know that, beneath the undercurrents of the Third Shinobi World War, his teacher had already chosen the next Fourth Hokage.

Even the friend he trusted most would eventually "stab him in the back" and choose to support his own student.

Perhaps that was the difference between being caught up in the moment and seeing things clearly from the outside...

"Brat, what are you laughing at?"

Orochimaru folded his arms across his chest, the killing intent around him beginning to spread.

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

Hyuga Qinglan seemed completely unaffected by the killing intent and began speaking as though nothing had happened.

"Go on."

"Long, long ago, there was a revered sage who founded a sect."

"The sect grew stronger and stronger, but the sage's health kept declining. So he decided to choose an heir. There were two candidates."

"The elder brother was exceptionally talented and had outstanding management skills. His only flaw was that he was too cold and merciless."

"The younger brother was slightly less capable than his elder brother, both in strength and management. But he was kind by nature and good at bringing different people together, accomplishing things through the strength of the group."

"The sage was old, and he couldn't decide which one should inherit his position."

"Who do you think the sage would choose?"

Hyuga Qinglan suddenly paused and smiled faintly at Orochimaru.

"Of course he'd choose the elder brother."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. He could naturally hear the allegory in the story, but he still believed his chances were better.

Running the village required a cold, firm hand. Sentiment had no place in it.

Hyuga Qinglan merely smiled and continued.

"Later, the sage set a test for the brothers, sending them to a distant place to develop a water source for the villagers."

"The elder brother completed the task quickly and returned. The well was dug, and the villagers had water."

"But the younger brother didn't return until a full year later."

"Why?"

Orochimaru suddenly cut in. "The younger brother was only a little weaker than his elder brother. Surely digging a well shouldn't have been difficult for him?"

"The younger brother was naturally easygoing and approachable. He quickly became friends with the villagers after arriving. He dug the well together with them, and they completed it through their combined efforts."

"Foolish."

Orochimaru seemed to have immersed himself in the story. He let out a cold laugh.

"But the sage didn't see it that way."

Hyuga Qinglan gently wagged a finger. "The sage was old. He wanted the sect to prosper and truly carry on his will."

"So he passed the position of heir to the younger brother."

"And the elder brother, despite having everyone's hopes behind him, suffered a bitter defeat."

Orochimaru's expression gradually darkened.

The elder brother was him, and the younger brother was Namikaze Minato. Then the sage...

Wasn't that old man Sarutobi Hiruzen?

"But the story didn't end there. The elder brother was disheartened, but he said nothing. Then, by chance..."

"He learned the truth about the selection."

"The sage had already chosen his heir. The test had only been set to make the elder brother give up and stop clinging to the position."

"If that had been all, the elder brother might have done no more than resent the sage. But when he learned that not only had the sage planned this, but his closest friend and most trusted companion thought the same way—and had kept it from him all along..."

"He was utterly enraged. And so..."

"He defected."

"And what happened after that?"

Orochimaru's expression grew darker still as he slowly uttered three words.

"After that? The younger brother and the sage joined forces to purge him from the sect, of course."

Purge him from the sect...

Orochimaru's expression grew grimmer by the moment.

He might have been caught up in the moment, but he wasn't a fool.

The elder brother was him, the younger brother was Namikaze Minato, the sage was Sarutobi Hiruzen, and the closest friend... had to be Jiraiya.

Thinking it over... it did make some sense.

His missions and authority had been gradually reduced. He'd been pulled away from the front lines and reassigned to Wood Release research and various other experiments.

On the battlefield, Namikaze Minato was always the one who shone.

And Orochimaru had gradually faded from the public eye.

So he was the only one who'd been kept in the dark, foolishly indulging in his dream of becoming the Fourth Hokage.

"Heh heh heh..."

Orochimaru looked at Hyuga Qinglan with a more dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Lord Qinglan, it seems I really should thank you."

"But before I do, tell me who's behind you—and give me the method for evolving the Byakugan..."

"Hand them both over!"

Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!

Countless venomous snakes suddenly burst out of the ground from every direction, lunging at Hyuga Qinglan from all sides.

"Lord Orochimaru, doesn't this story make my intentions clear?"

"What I mean is—you need an ally..."

Hyuga Qinglan's Byakugan gradually opened. Countless snake shadows were reflected in his pupils as he slowly uttered a few words.

Eight Trigrams Palms: Rotation.