I Want to Be Hokage, Teacher! White Fang!

Orochimaru stood still for a moment, then suddenly began to laugh in a low voice.

It started as a faint chuckle, gradually grew louder, and finally erupted into a belly-shaking laugh.

He looked like a madman.

Ignoring Shuten-doji and Hatake Kakashi, he headed straight for the secret base Shimura Danzō had built for him.

The skirmish just now.

That Shuten-doji had shown him his true caliber.

Very good.

That child was extremely cunning and would never trust anyone else's promises.

His strength was outstanding; he had mastered Senju Tobirama's Water Release: Water Formation Wall, and if his eyes hadn't deceived him, the ninjutsu he used at the very end was the S-rank Flying Thunder God Technique.

No wonder Shimura Danzō had never placed a cursed seal on him; he truly possessed incredible potential.

It was just a pity he didn't know who this child was in the village. Why had he never heard of such a child before?!

Shuten-doji must have understood the subtext of his words; many things could not be spoken aloud. Once uttered, one became a slave to their own "words."

Having reached his level, continuing to seek greater power would inevitably involve things that ordinary people could not tolerate, and the rules of the village would become shackles.

Only by leaving the village and shaking off the bonds tied to one's body could one be like a fish entering the vast ocean, swimming freely.

But there was another path.

To become the Hokage who controlled the power of those bonds.

"I know that Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura all treat me as a useful tool. Heh, if I perform an undeniable, monumental service in this war, could I become the next Hokage?"

From Orochimaru's perspective, he was indeed a strong contender for the next Hokage.

The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was his teacher!

This matter was critical.

Because the Second Hokage was also Sarutobi Hiruzen's teacher; in his eyes, the position of Hokage was a succession between master and apprentice!

Jiraiya's personality was simply unsuited to be Hokage, and Tsunade suffered from hemophobia. Only he, Orochimaru, was still giving his all for the village!

As for the recently famous Namikaze Minato, he was simply too young, lacked the necessary caliber, and had no experience in governance. If he were to take power, wouldn't the village still be under the control of those old fossils? That would never do.

If he had the support of Shimura Danzō and Root, the seat of the Hokage could truly become his for the taking.

Establishing a power base in the Land of Fields was, for the current Orochimaru, merely a backup plan; his primary goal remained the Hokage.

"We live in a world of lies. Human interaction is nothing more than you deceiving me and me deceiving you. Only by learning all ninjutsu, discerning the truths of the world, becoming the ultimate individual, and transcending the limits of the flesh can one find eternity."

"I will personally become the endless wind that turns the windmill!"

Senkaku Byakuya, who had been targeted by Orochimaru, woke up on Hatake Kakashi's back.

He had still underestimated the values of his vitality, stamina, and other Fate Grid attributes after their recent improvements.

Even after overdrawing his chakra, his remarkably tenacious body allowed him to regain clear consciousness in a short amount of time.

"Kakashi, put me down."

"Senior! You're awake."

Hatake Kakashi was overjoyed and stopped his frantic sprint.

Byakuya stretched his body.

The Storm Release chakra stimulated his exhausted muscle tissue, feeling like a massage that also helped circulate blood and remove stasis.

His mental energy had returned above the danger threshold.

He was even more "durable" than he had imagined.

Byakuya stood under the moonlight, watching the still-childish Hatake Kakashi. The special chakra short blade, White Fang, in his hand was still emitting a faint white chakra glow, and it hadn't been broken by the enemy either.

"The one who wanted to kill you was Orochimaru."

He hadn't intended to tell him, but after a moment's thought, he realized it was meaningless; it was better to be direct and honest.

"Orochimaru?" A look of confusion appeared on Hatake Kakashi's young face.

Byakuya said, "One of the Sannin of Konoha."

"He... why would he want to kill me?"

"Who knows with a dangerous person like Orochimaru? Perhaps it was just a whim."

Kakashi bowed respectfully to him, "Regardless, thank you, Senior, for saving me. I, Hatake Kakashi, will always remember your life-saving grace!"

Under the moonlight, Byakuya seemed to transform into a true Demon King, "My favor is not so easily repaid."

"I don't know what you need me to do, Senior?"

"Nothing for now. Just focus on your training. In the ninja world, weakness is the original sin."

"Yes, I understand."

Byakuya took out the bag containing Military Ration Pills and tossed one into his mouth; the bag was still the one he had seized from a Sunagakure Ninja, but the pills were newly purchased.

The shop that sold these Military Ration Pills had developed a new technique, adding ground rose petal powder to the mix.

The taste was strange; it was truly awful.

"Here, this is for you. Take care of yourself."

Casually tossing the bag of Military Ration Pills to the caught-off-guard Hatake Kakashi, Byakuya gathered his chakra and executed the Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique, leaving behind only a few wisps of floating blue-white lightning as he vanished from sight.

Hatake Kakashi held the bag of Military Ration Pills, lost in thought.

That technique used to take me away was... Namikaze Minato-sensei's Flying Thunder God Technique.

He pinched a Military Ration Pill and placed it in his mouth.

"Hm? What is this new flavor? It's actually quite delicious."

Ever since his father's suicide, the melancholic Hatake Kakashi felt as if he had finally found a direction to pursue.

"Oh, right, Kakashi."

"Ah? Senior, why have you returned?"

Byakuya was as elusive as a ghost.

He smiled, feigning a hoarse voice: "Drowning in the past is the behavior of a coward. It is better to look forward; even if you cannot find the answer you seek for a time, as long as you never stop moving forward, sooner or later, you will write the true answer with your own hands."

Kakashi was instantly dazed, his mouth hanging open unconsciously. The Senior's words struck straight at his heart, deeply moving the genius who was seen by others as cold and indifferent.

"Senior, do you know about my situation?"

"White Fang of Konoha, Hatake Sakumo, right? I have heard of him."

Hatake Kakashi asked with extreme agitation: "Senior! Senior! Do you believe the mission is more important, or are the comrades more important?!"

Byakuya, a head taller than him, patted his shoulder: "If you preserve the land but lose the people, you lose both the people and the land. If you preserve the people but lose the land, you preserve both the people and the land."

"Senior..." Kakashi listened to his words, dumbfounded, repeating them softly over and over again, as if these brief words from the Senior contained the ultimate truth.

Even his respected teacher, Namikaze Minato, had never taught him such a principle.

"Is this the Senior's Nindo?"

"Nindo, shmindo. Alright, I've said my piece. Kakashi, live on. Don't die so easily."

This time, Byakuya made no other extra movements; he returned home silently, took off his Black Trench Coat, and removed his mask.

The undergarments he wore had been soaked in cold sweat during his encounter with Orochimaru, so he washed them clean and hung them out to dry.

He took a hot bath and rested for a while.

With his stamina restored by another notch, he perked up and sliced the live fish he had bought yesterday.

He possessed the Fate Grid reward: Sword Mastery Talent Boost.

The fish slices were cut so exquisitely and translucently that they resembled works of art.

He prepared the dipping sauce.

He boiled a pot of hot water.

Using chopsticks, he picked up a slice of raw fish and dipped it into the boiling water.

"Slowly poach it, slowly savor it."

He quickly scooped it out and dipped it in the sauce.

He popped it into his mouth.

"Good, this is worth eating."