Orochimaru's Questions, and His Change of Heart

After being away for several months, he had returned to Konoha.

Zhengyi stood at the village gate, taking a deep breath. Sure enough, the air in Konoha smelled sweeter.

Though the newspapers hadn't made a big deal of his existence,

Zhengyi had quite an impressive record. His file documented every one of his many deeds, without missing a single thing. Orochimaru had used his authority to make sure they were all recorded.

The defense of Kikyo Pass had filled out his record in no time.

On [date and time], Zhengyi joined his team in retaking [position]...

On [date and time], Zhengyi joined his team in seizing [position]...

On [date and time], Zhengyi joined his team in holding [position]...

Kikyo Pass kept falling and being retaken, over and over. That was how he'd ended up with such a glorious record!

"Killua, Yuji, go to the gym and ask Master Dai to get you memberships. Start training for a few days, then we'll see."

"Yes, Sensei." What was their teacher playing at? They'd only just graduated from the Ninja Academy, and that little bit of hard-earned money was all they had!

"Remember to shrug your shoulders."

"Yes!!"

Their teacher really was something. He cared so much about them.

"Sensei!"

"Impossible."

By now, all it took was one look between Zhengyi and Orochimaru, followed by a single sentence, for them to understand each other.

It was always the same: Zhengyi urged Orochimaru to make a bid for the position.

Orochimaru remained stubbornly convinced that Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't show such favoritism.

The two of them were in Zhengyi's dormitory. Orochimaru had come to visit him in person, but mostly because he was tired and wanted to get back to his research. He'd hoped Zhengyi could fill in for him for a few days, so he'd come by.

He'd thought that after not seeing each other for so long, Zhengyi would have something to say to him.

Orochimaru was exhausted. That was his Teacher Sarutobi, after all. Never mind. Zhengyi wasn't him; he would never understand the weight of the words "Teacher Sarutobi," or what his teacher meant to him.

The good news, though, was that after a few months, Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions couldn't withstand close scrutiny. Anyone who looked closely could spot the inconsistencies. Surely, when taken together, all those things would be enough to convince his teacher?

"He asked Jiraiya to support Minato!"

"Jiraiya is Minato's teacher, Zhengyi. That point doesn't really hold up."

"..."

"..."

"He gave Minato command of the troops! He sent Minato as Konoha's representative to accept Sunagakure's surrender!!"

"He might as well move Minato into the Hokage Office and have him take your place, Sensei!"

"Sensei! Don't you think the Third is grooming you to be his Double Flower Staff?"

"What does Double Flower Staff mean?"

"A top-tier enforcer."

"Where are you going, Sensei?!"

"Sensei! You had Jiraiya support Minato, gave Minato command of the troops, and even sent him to the surrender ceremony with Sunagakure!"

"Sensei! Are you planning to bring Minato into the Hokage Office?"

For the first time, Orochimaru questioned Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He was deeply hurt.

Looking back over the years, how much hadn't he done for his teacher?

Teacher: "Orochimaru, you take care of this."

Teacher: "Orochimaru, Jiraiya is useless. I knew I'd have to rely on you. I'm counting on you for this."

Teacher: "Orochimaru, Tsunade just proposed a Medical Ninja system and then ran off to date someone. Honestly, First and I spoiled her. I'll leave you to finish the rest of the work."

Zhengyi had been right. In the end, he was nothing but an enforcer.

The moment Zhengyi stepped through the Konoha Gate, Hiruzen Sarutobi knew Orochimaru would come to question him.

Looking at Orochimaru before him, complaining like a child throwing a tantrum over his teacher's favoritism,

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a hint of guilt.

But...

You just had to cross paths with Minato, Orochimaru.

The one his teacher considered the better choice.

"Jiraiya is Minato's teacher, Orochimaru. That point doesn't really hold up." Hiruzen Sarutobi took a puff of his pipe before explaining.

Orochimaru couldn't help wondering if he'd heard that line somewhere before.

"Giving Minato command of the troops was for your sake, too." At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked like a kindly old man.

Orochimaru watched Hiruzen Sarutobi in silence, as if waiting to see what he'd come up with.

"Once you become Hokage, you won't be able to go to the battlefield yourself anymore. Jiraiya, meanwhile, is far too carefree. So Konoha needs someone at the front who can keep things under control and share the burden with you."

"I could give command to Zhengyi. He's my student, so I'd feel comfortable relying on him. He's also someone I know how to work with."

Hiruzen Sarutobi had been hoping Orochimaru would bring up Zhengyi. It was all the better that he had.

He suddenly leaned back in his chair, looking weary. "Zhengyi killed a number of local nobles in the Land of Lightning. For our shinobi's conflict to implicate nobles... You should understand the effect that would have on public opinion. The people in the Land of Fire have been pressuring me over it."

"Making too much of Zhengyi's actions would be bad for him."

Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, who seemed to grow older by the year,

Orochimaru softened. "Is that really the case?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi answered patiently. "Of course."

"In your heart, am I more important than Minato, too?" Orochimaru didn't know how he'd managed to ask such a sentimental question, but he desperately needed Hiruzen Sarutobi to answer him.

"Of course. In my heart, you're more important than Minato. We've been teacher and student for over thirty years." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

I'm sorry, Orochimaru. This is the last time.

I truly can't give you the Hokage position.

You're not suited for it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed he favored Orochimaru more. But Minato was simply a better fit for the Hokage position. He was only thinking of Konoha.

"Is that so?" Orochimaru's expression didn't change, but judging from the half-degree rise in his body temperature, he was happy.

Seeing that Orochimaru was about to ask something else, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly laughed. "Thirty years pass in the blink of an eye. I can hardly believe you're middle-aged already. Actually, I'd like to see you get married and have children."

"When are you going to find a girlfriend?"

"Heh, maybe later, Teacher Sarutobi."

A classic older-relative move: pressuring someone to get married. Even Orochimaru couldn't counter it.

"Should I ask Jiraiya to find someone for you?"

"Would he find me a woman from the pleasure district?"

Orochimaru left in a fairly good mood.

To him, becoming Hokage wasn't important.

What mattered was the bond between him and Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Ever since Nawaki died, he'd treated everyone as a means to an end. Only those who were useful deserved his care.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the one exception. Orochimaru cared for him from the bottom of his heart.