Fugaku and I Have Always Been Rivals

Orochimaru fell silent.

He hadn't forgotten that he'd wanted to "correct" Ruohuo earlier.

But after Ruohuo had described his grand "dream" in the most "innocent" tone...

Orochimaru found himself at a loss for words.

Becoming Uchiha Clan Head and protecting Konoha's peace.

That sounded fairly normal. Perhaps it was the dream of every Uchiha boy.

But... leading the Konoha Military Police Force to conquer the Ninja World?

Creating laws for the Ninja World? Maintaining peace throughout the Ninja World?

Kid, you might not realize this.

Your dream isn't all that different from ruling the Ninja World.

And every village's Kage probably harbored the same "dream" of ruling the Ninja World.

Besides, taking the Uchiha out of Konoha sounded a lot like defecting from the village.

Put more mildly, perhaps you could call it leaving the ninja village.

But the higher-ups wouldn't see it that way, kid...

What interested Orochimaru most was Ruohuo's interpretation of the Will of Fire.

Those who broke the law should be burned to ashes by the "Will of Fire"...

So that was what you meant when you shouted "Will of Fire" before using a jutsu?

"I have to say, your dream... is truly surprising, Ruohuo."

Orochimaru asked, "I'm curious. Have you told Fugaku about it?"

Conquering the Ninja World... Was this just the child's naive idea, or a reflection of the ambition of the young clan head, Fugaku?

Even without clearly sensing his teacher's gaze,

Orochimaru, who had already decided he would become the Fourth Hokage, really was acting with a Hokage's mindset.

Certainly,

he was more interested in inheriting the office of Hokage and gaining the highest authority in Konoha than in inheriting his teacher's Will of Fire.

But that didn't stop him from becoming a capable Kage...

"No."

Ruohuo looked at Orochimaru with a serious expression. "Fugaku and I have always been rivals. It's just that his Will of Fire is way stronger than mine right now."

"I can't reveal my ambition until I'm sure I can beat him."

"..." Orochimaru was momentarily stumped.

That was the last answer he'd expected.

Well, there were signs. The kid had just tried to insist that he and Fugaku were "on equal terms"...

Orochimaru decided to change the way he thought about things. Otherwise, he felt like he'd never keep up with the child's train of thought.

"Teacher Orochimaru, can you keep this secret for me?"

Ruohuo suddenly asked.

"...Of course." After a brief hesitation, Orochimaru replied, "I'm glad you told your teacher about your dream."

"As your teacher, I'll support your dream, and I'll keep it secret... Ruohuo, I look forward to the day you become Uchiha Clan Head."

The child was still young, after all.

Once he faced reality, he might change his mind about his "dream."

As for the child's misunderstanding of the "Will of Fire"...

Orochimaru thought it might not be so bad, actually.

After all, the Will of Fire needed warmth too, didn't it?

"I'm relieved to hear that you support my dream, Teacher." Ruohuo let out a breath.

Orochimaru smiled back.

"Then, could I trouble you to submit my application for the Chunin exam?"

Orochimaru's smile stiffened slightly...

"The Chunin exam?"

"Right! If I become a Chunin, my Will of Fire will grow stronger."

"Hm?" Orochimaru froze. What had he just heard?

Ruohuo gazed at his fist, his expression solemn.

"I've already learned all of Fugaku's Fire Style jutsu. Once I gain a Chunin's Will of Fire, I'll be able to challenge him!"

"Don't worry, Teacher. I won't disappoint you. If I become a Chunin, I'll have a twenty percent chance of beating Fugaku!"

"..."

After a long silence,

Orochimaru realized that keeping up with the child's train of thought wasn't going to be easy.

Take this strange idea of the Will of Fire, for instance...

Just how had Chunin Oki taught him?

"Ruohuo..." Orochimaru felt that he really needed to correct Ruohuo's misunderstanding. Otherwise, it might be difficult to communicate with him.

"The Will of Fire is a spirit, a legacy. It isn't..."

"I know that, Teacher Orochimaru!"

Ruohuo interrupted him as if it were obvious.

"The Will of Fire is the source of Konoha Ninja's strength. The stronger the Will of Fire, the stronger Konoha Ninja become!"

"That's true." Orochimaru patiently explained, "But the strength of the Will of Fire comes from within. It can't be quantified, and it has nothing to do with whether you become a Chunin."

Orochimaru patiently tried to guide him. "Look, you just graduated from the Ninja Academy and received your ninja Headband. Did you notice any particularly obvious changes?"

"Of course I did!"

Ruohuo raised his voice. "Teacher, I can clearly feel the difference. My Will of Fire really has grown stronger!"

Orochimaru was getting a headache. "But..."

"Look, Teacher!" Ruohuo presented his evidence, revealing his Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

"After becoming a ninja, I could clearly feel that my Will of Fire had grown quite a bit stronger. Even my eyes have gotten stronger!"

"..."

Looking at the Two-Tomoe Sharingan in Ruohuo's eyes, Orochimaru suddenly felt... uncertain!

He remembered that Ruohuo had only had a One-Tomoe Sharingan a moment ago. He'd just awakened it!

How had it... evolved as soon as he put on his Headband?

And then there was the fact that during the exam, he'd turned the Wind Style he'd "learned" into Fire Style—something Orochimaru hadn't yet had a chance to investigate...

Could the child be right? The thought suddenly occurred to Orochimaru.

Could this "quantifiable Will of Fire" Ruohuo believed in actually exist?

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly.

What was this unknown power?

A Kekkei Genkai unrelated to the Uchiha Sharingan?

Or a special ability of the Sharingan itself?

If only he could study it properly...

An inexplicable urge quietly took root in Orochimaru's heart...

"Teacher..."

Ruohuo's voice grew a little weaker, though he hadn't noticed anything.

"If you think I can't beat Fugaku, I don't mind waiting a little longer before challenging him."

"But becoming a Chunin is the fastest way for me to gain the Will of Fire right now, so, Teacher..."

"I'll help you, Ruohuo."

Orochimaru suddenly interrupted him with a smile. "Just as I said, your teacher will support your dream."

"Huh?" It was Ruohuo's turn to be confused. He'd agreed that easily?

Wait...

Teacher, if you're going to talk, could you at least stop sticking your tongue out so far?