A Futile Effort

After chatting with the Third Hokage for a while longer, Hyuga Hane glanced at the shadows in the command room, rose, and took his leave.

"Teacher, what are your thoughts?"

Long after Hyuga Hane had departed, a soft, feminine voice echoed from the corner.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru as he emerged from the shadows and smiled with a complex expression: "I didn't expect you to pay attention to such matters."

"After all, it concerns me." Orochimaru licked his lips. "You want me to take over Root, don't you?"

"I hadn't considered it before because you were too close to Danzo. It was my mistake; I shouldn't have let you go to Root in the first place."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was complicated, yet a faint smile hung on his lips: "But when Konoha needed you, you stepped back voluntarily and ceded the position of Hokage to Minato. I am very pleased by that."

"After this, not to mention the two advisors, Koharu and the others, Danzo must step down as Hokage Assistant, and Root can no longer be left in his hands."

"Originally, I had my eye on Shikaku for the position of Hokage Assistant. Every generation of the Nara Clan is brilliant, and aside from those Danzo dragged into Root, they didn't actively participate in this incident."

"However, it is customary for them to serve as Jonin Commanders, and with Minato's recommendation, choosing Hyuga Hane is also a good option. It's just..."

As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone grew heavy.

"Root is out of the question. With the title of Hokage Assistant combined with the command of an independent unit, Danzo has already provided a negative answer."

Isn't that a result of your own indulgence?

Thinking this to himself, Orochimaru smiled: "Then is it appropriate to hand it to me?"

"You spent time in Root, so you are more suitable than him. Besides, while the title of Hokage Assistant carries great weight, only the Hokage holds real power and can make things happen if they are willing to delegate. In other words, that position requires someone the Hokage trusts."

"Hyuga Hane is a member of the Shadow Guard; it is only natural that he is qualified for that position."

Sarutobi Hiruzen murmured: "Konoha needs a new wind. Minato, Hyuga Hane... you Sannin, we old relics should retire."

The impact of that letter was greater than I imagined.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and asked in a raspy voice: "When I sent you that letter mentioning a 'new wind,' who did you think of?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen froze.

Who did he think of?

The contents of that letter flashed through his mind.

A letter recommending Minato for Hokage would naturally describe his virtues.

Gentle and kind, possessing immense individual combat prowess, deeply trusted by civilian ninja...

Who did he think of?

There was once a ninja in Konoha very much like Minato—someone who excelled in assassination just like him, was as gentle as him, and was just as deeply trusted by the civilian ninja.

When Minato and Kakashi stood together, that familiar feeling made him feel suffocated.

That was Konoha's... White Fang!

Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively wanted to push the thought away, but looking into Orochimaru's eyes, he knew he could not hide it.

"I never intended to drive Sakumo to his death! Danzo only wanted to strike at his reputation; we never imagined he would die!"

"He had a five-year-old child; he had Kakashi to look after. Why did he choose such a desperate path?"

The Third Hokage, who had been composed just moments ago, puffed on his pipe, his eyes unfocused. "We didn't want him to die."

Seeing this, a flicker of pity appeared in Orochimaru's eyes.

Guilt is a blade.

The death of White Fang was also a major catalyst for the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War.

As the war dragged on, the teacher had likely wondered more than once what it would have been like if White Fang hadn't died.

And when a ninja as similar to White Fang as Minato appeared in his field of vision, some things fell into place naturally.

"I have been thinking lately: what if I had given the position of Hokage to Sakumo?"

"Like Minato, he lacked experience, and like him, he had prestige but little support from the ninja clans."

"But if I had been determined enough to carve a path for him, would the current situation be better?"

The Third looked toward the door of the command room, as if staring at someone.

"He didn't know politics, but I could have taught him. He had no support, but I could have given it to him. A man as gentle as Sakumo would surely have gotten along well with Minato, and through that, he would have gained even more support."

"The position of Hokage—if one never sits in it, who can truly say they aren't fit for it?"

In the Third's eyes, a vision seemed to appear: Hatake Sakumo wearing the Hokage hat, with Minato, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade, and Hyuga Hane standing behind him. The scene felt so dazzling that he couldn't help but close his eyes.

"If he were alive, Kakashi wouldn't have been lost between his comrades and his mission; he would have grown much faster. I fear the birth of a second White Fang of Konoha would have been only a matter of time."

"If he were alive, many in Konoha wouldn't have died. He was the White Fang of Konoha who kept the Sand Village awake at night!"

"I have already made a mistake once; I truly cannot make a second one!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his eyes and repeated the words, his clouded gaze fixed directly on Orochimaru.

"The death of Sakumo was the fault of myself, Danzo, and the two advisors. But those ninja clans are equally to blame; they fanned the flames and were happy to see it happen."

"For civilian ninja like Sakumo and Minato, the ninja clans are the greatest adversaries. Last time, I lacked the resolve, but this time... I will handle it myself!"

"Do you think I was right this time? I must have been, right?"

Orochimaru gazed into the slightly bewildered eyes of Sarutobi Hiruzen, remaining silent.

Perhaps. As a former Hokage, you did very well this time.

But at the same time, you have also been used by Hane as a blade, clearing away all the obstacles he needed to face on his path to power!

By orchestrating events on the Mist Village Battlefield, he led you to bring back Tsunade to crack the Caged Bird seal, all under the guise of preventing Danzo from abusing it.

He promoted to Jonin, entered the Fourth's line of sight through his status as a Branch Family member, and became a member of the Shadow Guard.

He exacerbated the conflicts within Konoha, bringing the friction between the clans and the Hokage into the open, forcing you to think of a solution.

Those clans are terrified of Minato, because the ones who supported Minato's rise were the Bloodline Clans—the Hyuga and the Uchiha!

Relying on bloodline inheritance, they are harder to replace and more powerful than ordinary Secret Technique Clans. Once Minato rises, the interests of any clan that didn't bet on him early will be damaged, and it will be difficult to suppress the Hyuga and Uchiha in the future.

The circle of Old Clans you led to prominence in the past and the circle of New Clans now standing at the core of Konoha under Minato's leadership are like fire and water, unable to coexist.

This forced you, as you watched Minato and Kakashi being tormented day by day by the shadow of Sakumo, to make up your mind: to prevent internal strife in Konoha, you had to prune the influence of the Old Clans.

And he—Hyuga Hane—used the incident caused by Danzo to gain the possibility of openly lifting the Caged Bird seal.

At this point, a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, who should have been unable to become part of Konoha's high command, is now only a matter of reputation away from sitting in the position of Hokage Assistant.

And the Mist Village has already handed him the opportunity to boost that reputation.

Danzo is your blade, used by you to ignite the dissatisfaction of the clans; you are Hyuga Hane's blade, removing the things detrimental to his rise.

Orochimaru sighed inwardly.

A phrase came to his mind: making wedding clothes for someone else.

Just as you said, Teacher, the Hokage Assistant needs the Hokage to have authority, and also needs the Hokage's sufficient trust.

After you paved the way for Minato and used your contingency plans to gradually prune the influence of the original core clans, what kind of authority will Hane, who deeply enjoys Minato's trust, be able to obtain?

Even without Root, if Hane wants to form his own troops, would Minato stop him?

With Hane's ability... it is hard to say who will control Konoha in the future.

Hane, you said you wanted to stay in Konoha for a while to watch over the peace Minato hopes for... you really have chosen a special position.

However, it is likely that what you want is more than just that, isn't it?

Hyuga Hane walked out of the command room, watching the sky gradually brighten.

Under the one-country, one-village system, the Daimyo has no right to manage Konoha's politics. Although Konoha is the military organization of the Land of Fire, its nature is closer to that of mercenaries; it can even accept missions from other countries without reporting to the Daimyo.

The main source of income for the ninja village is missions from the Land of Fire, not trade.

The Daimyo holds the economic lifeline of the ninja village, yet lacks the strength to oppose it.

A twisted, bizarre symbiotic relationship.

The supreme leader does not hold military power, but instead controls the ninja village through economic and other soft means.

It lacks all the advantages that an excellent political system should possess.

It is even more inefficient.

Chakra, a resource useful in every aspect, is held only in the hands of ninjas, samurai, and monks, and is mostly used for combat, killing enemies, and increasing military might.

How many people are in Konoha? How many in the Fire Temple? And what about the Land of Fire?

If the entire population mastered Chakra, the war potential and foundation of the Land of Fire would grow rapidly.

But the Daimyo will not popularize it, nor does he dare to... because he lacks the ability to control this power, and naturally, neither does the Hokage.

Old things are not necessarily right; the Jinchuriki are like this, and the clans are like this.

The one-country, one-village system is the same!