The Master Knows Not the Disciple, the Disciple Knows Not the Master (Medium Cup)

Konoha.

Next to the Hokage Building is a small building, which is where the Konoha Jonin Squad is located.

Some Jōnin missions, usually come here to check in.

This ensured that the Jonin Squad Leader could relay the Hokage's orders at any time and then immediately go out to carry out missions, thus guaranteeing efficiency.

Although the Jonin Squad Leader has no real power, his function of conveying the Hokage's orders at any time means that he must be a highly respected ninja among the village 'Jōnin. Otherwise, if he cannot win the respect of the others, it will be difficult for him to manage his relationship with the Jonin Squad Jōnin the squad.

Basically, any ninja who becomes Jonin Squad Leader will either become the Hokage or become the Hokage's confidant, assisting the Hokage.

The current Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, accumulated considerable popularity during the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju's time by serving as the Jonin Squad Leader.

During Second Shinobi World War, Hatake Sakumo also came from humble beginnings and rose to the position of Jonin Squad Leader through his military achievements. Because of his first-rate strength and character, he gained the support of many ninjas, both Civilian Jonin and clan Jōnin. Eventually, he caught the eye of powerful clans like the Hyūga and Uchiha, who wanted to use him to break the Senju lineage's monopoly on the Hokage position.

After Sakumo's death, the position of Jonin Squad Leader was taken over by Shikaku Nara Elite Jonin from the Nara Clan.

The Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi clans have maintained a deep friendship since the Warring States Period, always standing together through thick and thin, and have also had a good relationship with the Sarutobi Clan.

In addition, the Nara Clan controls most of the medicinal herb business in Konoha. They have raised deer for generations, and many precious medicinal herbs related to deer are of higher quality from the Nara Clan.

Shikaku Nara was known as the 'brain trust' among Konoha's Jōnin for his correct strategies in many battles. Therefore, although his strength was much weaker than Sakumo's, he was still able to command respect Jonin Squad Leader.

Currently, Shikaku Nara Chōza Akimichi, and Inoichi Yamanaka, the three contemporary Ino-Shika-Cho, all support Minato Namikaze. Of course, the three cannot fully represent the will of the Ninja Clan behind them.

Among the three clans, a significant number of Jōnin still support Orochimaru, while another group of Jōnin are still observing and waiting for the Third Hokage's decision.

Although Orochimaru is a disciple of the Third Hokage, he has not yet made a public statement.

That day, Shikaku Nara was working in the small building Jonin Squad.

Although the Third Shinobi World War is drawing to a close, Iwagakure and Konoha have reached a complete ceasefire and have begun discussing an alliance, but the details are still under discussion, and Konoha will naturally try its best to gain benefits.

Didn't you see that the Third Hokage resigned because of this? So we can't give up even a single bit of the benefits we can fight for.

Now, Konoha's only concern is Kirigakure on the Eastern Front. After being severely damaged by the Hyūga and Uchiha Allied Force several times, Kirigakure no longer dares to launch large-scale offensives.

The Eastern Front suffered heavy casualties, and Konoha also suffered considerable losses. As the Jonin Squad Leader, Shikaku Nara also needed to help the Third Hokage with matters such as rewarding those who had contributed, comforting the wounded, and distributing pensions. Although he could not make the decisions, he had to draft a specific plan for the Hokage.

At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in casual clothes and smoking a pipe, strolled leisurely into the Jonin Squad's office like an old man taking a walk after dinner.

"Lord Hokage!"

"Lord Hokage! What brings you here?"

The ninjas who were working put down what they were doing and bowed slightly to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Please don't stand on ceremony, everyone. I was just passing by and came up to take a look around." Sarutobi Hiruzen waved his hand, and the wrinkles on his face deepened.

"Lord Hokage, please have a seat."

A Jōnin brought over a chair.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat down and said with a smile, "I'm no longer the Hokage. Now I'm just like everyone else, Jōnin."

"Although you have submitted your resignation to the Lord Hokage, you will still be the Hokage until the Fourth Hokage officially takes office, and you will always be our respected Third Hokage!"

No sooner had Sarutobi Hiruzen Jōnin spoke up.

For some Jōnin came from humble backgrounds, there were many people who truly respected him.

If it weren't for the Sakumo incident, even if Sarutobi Hiruzen made some mistakes in commanding the war and abandoned the idea of having Iwagakure pay war reparations in order to end the war as soon as possible, he wouldn't have had to abdicate given his previous Jōnin support among Jonin.

Of course, the Jonin who had always supported Sarutobi Hiruzen still Jōnin on his behalf, because they believed that the Third Hokage's contributions to Konoha far outweighed his faults.

"Thanks to everyone's hard work over the years, the village has become better and better. Now I can finally retire with peace of mind." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a smile, looking to be in a good mood. He looked at Nawaki at the back of the crowd and waved to him, saying, "Nawaki, come and walk with this old man."

Nawaki paused for a moment, then stepped forward and nodded, saying, "Yes, Lord Third Hokage."

Since Nawaki's Limb Regeneration and his strength greatly increased, he has become a prominent figure among Konoha's Jōnin, with a current mission success rate of 100%.

Many people lamented that Nawaki's disability during his early, spirited years might not have been a bad thing for him. It was precisely because of his disability that Nawaki matured and became much more resilient.

Out of a desire to compensate the Senju Clan, Sarutobi Hiruzen transferred Nawaki to the Jonin Squad, where he trained under Shikaku Nara.

Nawaki is currently Orochimaru's disciple, and Orochimaru is currently his most favored successor, so Nawaki's prospects are very high.

In previous years, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade had a very strained relationship because of Sakumo's affair. Furthermore, due to the wrong decision in the Wood Release Experiment, the Senju Clan suffered heavy losses. Therefore, it was necessary to ease the tension, since he had the entire Sarutobi Clan behind him.

Although Sarutobi Hiruzen has arranged for his eldest son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke wife to join the Anbu, serving as the Anbu Captain and Anbu Captain respectively, if the Fourth Hokage is unwilling to give them important positions, the Sarutobi Clan will eventually be squeezed out of the political center and gradually marginalized.

After all, once Orochimaru takes power, he will definitely control the vast majority of the real power.

A new emperor brings a new court; back then, the words spoken by Third Hokage emperors were no longer as effective as they are now.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nawaki left the Jonin Squad and walked on the streets of Konoha.

"Lord Third Hokage."

"Lord Third Hokage, Mr. Nawaki."

Along the way, the villagers would greet the Third Hokage warmly, and people would also greet the Nawaki from time to time.

In earlier years, the villagers called Nawaki "Young Master Nawaki" because of the respect shown to the First and Second Hokage.

As for now, Nawaki has truly earned everyone's recognition through his own abilities.

"Nawaki." Halfway there, Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a smoke ring and suddenly spoke.

"Lord Third Hokage," Nawaki said respectfully.

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and waved his hand, saying, "No need to be so formal. I am the disciple of your grandfather, the Second, and your teacher Orochimaru, as well as your sister Tsunade, are all my disciples. In fact, you are my grand-disciple and a beloved Jōnin in the village. There's no need to be so distant with me."

"Yes." Nawaki nodded, but still maintained basic courtesy, and it was clear that he and the Third Hokage were somewhat distant.

A hint of disappointment flashed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes; it seemed that Nawaki couldn't be as close to him as Minato.

Are you still blaming me for what happened with Shiraha?

"Shiraha's departure was his own choice." Nawaki shook his head.

He had known Shiraha for many years, but it was only in recent years that he truly came to understand that Shiraha, despite his gentle appearance, was actually a person with sharp edges and strong opinions.

Even without the White Fang incident, it seems Konoha still wouldn't have been able to keep Shiraha.

Of course, if it weren't for the White Fang incident, perhaps Shiraha wouldn't have been so resolute in leaving and directly broken ties with the higher-ups.

Nawaki used to be filled with longing and admiration when facing Sarutobi Hiruzen.

But in recent years, he has had his own thoughts.

The Third Hokage is a pure yet complex person.

He dedicated decades of his life to Konoha and deserves the honor of being selected for his hard work and great achievements. However, he also had his own selfish desires and hoped that Konoha would continue to follow the direction he set. Therefore, many outdated and erroneous policies were retained, and he also made many mistakes that should not have been made.

Seeing that Nawaki had fallen silent, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so he changed the subject and said, "Is Tsunade still unwilling to come back? Actually, I think she would be absolutely capable of being the Fourth Hokage."

Still testing the waters!

Nawaki frowned slightly, then said, "My sister still keeps in touch with me while she's away. She said she wants to relax and doesn't want to come back for the time being. She has sacrificed a lot for the village over the years, and now she's tired and wants to rest. I, her younger brother, can also do my part while she's gone."

"Since this is Tsunade's wish, we can only respect her decision." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded and said, "However, I believe that Tsunade, the Second Hokage, and the First Hokage will all be pleased with your current growth."

"By the way, what has Orochimaru been up to lately? It seems like I haven't seen him in a long time."

Sarutobi Hiruzen the subject.

"Orochimaru-sensei seems to be busy developing new techniques lately; I've only seen him once," Nawaki said.

The two continued strolling and chatting on the street.

Suddenly, four Anbu Ninja wearing Animal Mask appeared in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen. One of them quickly came to his side and whispered something in his ear.

"What!?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Lord Third Hokage, what happened?" Nawaki couldn't help but ask.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was uncertain as he said to Nawaki, "Come with us."

As they spoke, the four Anbu disappeared first, while Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nawaki also used the Body Flicker Technique to leave.

The group left Konoha and quickly headed towards Orochimaru's stronghold outside the village.

After the six people broke through the barrier and entered the underground laboratory.

They encountered Orochimaru was constantly moving around in front of the operating table.

Orochimaru only came to his senses when the six people burst out of the door, creating a huge commotion.

He was holding surgical forceps, his hands stained with blood, and even his face was splattered with blood.

In the dimly lit environment, under the illumination of the operating lights, Orochimaru looked incredibly gloomy.

"Orochimaru, you actually used your own villager for human experiments, why?!" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes revealed deep disappointment and regret. He never expected that his most valued disciple would do such a thing, especially when the position of Fourth Hokage was about to be decided.

"Lord Orochimaru, why would a ninja like you do such a thing?" A nearby Anbu Ninja couldn't help but ask. When they received the information, they immediately informed the Third Hokage. In fact, they themselves found it hard to believe.

Orochimaru paused for a moment, glanced back at the ninja lying on the experimental table, and suddenly realized what was happening.

Danzo!

"Orochimaru, you have disappointed me greatly! I noticed the malice and ambition in your eyes long ago, but I never expected you to go to this extent!" Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly Hand Seals and used the Summoning Technique to summon the Enma, the Monkey King.

"Orochimaru-sensei, this can't be real, right?"

Nawaki stared blankly at the ninja on the operating table. At this age, he was still a child who hadn't even reached adulthood.

Meeting the disappointed, shocked, and pained gazes of Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nawaki, Orochimaru's expression turned cold as he walked towards the six of them, saying as he went, "Teacher Sarutobi, are you going to kill me?"

"I... I..." Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes gradually welled up with tears. He seemed unable to bring himself to kill Orochimaru.

Boom--!

Orochimaru gave Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nawaki a deep look, and a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body.

Caught off guard, all four Anbu fell to the ground.

Sarutobi Hiruzen and Nawaki were only slightly affected.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Orochimaru quickly ran towards the base.

' Wood Release: Advent of the World of Trees!'

Nawaki used Wood Release to try and stop Orochimaru.

However, the thick tree trunk was snapped in two by Orochimaru's Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, allowing it to escape through the gap.

Throughout the entire process, Sarutobi Hiruzen did not make a move, standing there blankly.

"Sarutobi, why don't you stop him!" the Enma, the Monkey King said anxiously.

In the dense forests of the northern part of the Land of Fire.

Orochimaru stumbled through the forest in a disheveled state.

"Damn Jiraiya, he's so persistent," Orochimaru cursed under his breath.

Jiraiya learning of his defection, Jiraiya intercepted him on the way and insisted that he return to Konoha to explain things. Orochimaru naturally did not want Jiraiya's childish behavior.

As a result, Jiraiya took him back, and the two had no choice but to First Shinobi World War.

In fact, both sides had some reservations.

The final result was naturally that Orochimaru won.

Jiraiya using Sage Mode, Orochimaru's Forbidden Technique developed over the years are no joke.

Orochimaru, in particular, while showing mercy, was far more ruthless than Jiraiya.

After injuring Jiraiya, Orochimaru consumed a large amount of Chakra and was also in a difficult situation.

This incident has ruined his reputation. No matter how he tries to explain, it's too late. Most importantly, the Third Hokage's attitude has finally made Orochimaru completely disappointed.

The teacher does not know the student, and the student does not know the teacher.

From then on, they had no choice but to part ways with Konoha.

Orochimaru took one last deep look at the location of Konoha, then continued heading north.

His first stop was the Land of Rice Fields.

Orochimaru continued to move through the forest and soon saw a tight security perimeter at the border.

He took out a scroll from his robes, formed hand Hand Seals, and cast Summoning Technique, preparing to summon the snake responsible for communication and reconnaissance to bypass Konoha's defense line.

He didn't want to indiscriminately kill Konoha ninjas when he left.

Of course, the most important thing is not to attract attention and get surrounded.

Bang!

A yellowish-brown snake emerged from the smoke, coiled around Orochimaru's arm, and opened its mouth wide.

"Um?"

Orochimaru's expression changed. The moment the yellowish-brown snake opened its mouth, several Exploding Tag stacked together inside detonated instantly.

Boom--!

Orochimaru managed to escape immediately, but was still injured by the Exploding Tag.

The tan-colored Communication Snake was shattered into pieces by the explosion, while Orochimaru's right arm hung limply, blood dripping continuously.

"The Third Hokage!" Orochimaru's eyes showed disbelief.

This Communication Snake was one he frequently used during his campaigns, and he often used it to communicate with the Third Hokage. So he had just summoned it out of habit. He hadn't expected that the Third Hokage had set up an Exploding Tag trap in the snake's mouth beforehand, which would explode as soon as he summoned it.

The Third Hokage actually wanted to kill him!

Or rather, the bond between master and disciple was completely severed!

Orochimaru's face quickly darkened.

The commotion caused by the explosion attracted the Konoha Ninja on patrol. Orochimaru's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he quickly retreated, clutching his lowered right arm.

However, he was quickly caught up by Konoha ninjas.

The visitor was none other than Kakashi, who had distinguished himself in the Battle of Kannabi Bridge.

After receiving the Sharingan from Obito before his death, Kakashi's swordsmanship improved even further, and his strength increased significantly in just two months.

"It's you!" Orochimaru looked at Kakashi, who had suddenly appeared and blocked the road, his expression turning cold, and a powerful killing intent was released.

"Orochimaru, come back with me."

Kakashi's expression tightened, and he drew the White Fang Short Sword from his back. As he infused it with Lightning Release Chakra, the blade instantly turned silver-white, with faint arcs of electricity flashing across it. At the same time, Kakashi removed his Forehead Protector, revealing the Double Tomoe Sharingan his left eye.

"With your half-baked Sharingan and swordsmanship, do you think you can defeat me?" Orochimaru said coldly, slowly walking towards Kakashi. If he could, he certainly wouldn't want to lay a hand on Sakumo's child, but that was up to Kakashi's own choice.

"Stop!" Kakashi took a small half-step back, gripped the White Fang Short Sword tightly, took a deep breath, and felt a stream of energy rise from his lower abdomen. After merging with his Chakra, it flowed to his limbs, and a powerful force appeared throughout his body.

Noticing the change in Kakashi's aura, Orochimaru's golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly, and he paused for a moment, but continued walking towards Kakashi.

Just as the battle was about to break out, a gentle voice suddenly rang out from beside the two. "Kakashi, drawing your sword against your elders, that's not Sakumo- senpai taught you, is it?"

"Um?"

"Who goes there?!"

Kakashi and Orochimaru were both startled and looked eastward. They saw a black-haired man dressed in white standing on a treetop not far away. It was none other than Shiraha, whom they had not seen for a long time.

"Shiraha?"

"Senior Shiraha!"

The tense atmosphere vanished instantly, and Shiraha flashed to Orochimaru's side.

He raised his hand and reached towards Orochimaru's injured right arm.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists instantly, but then relaxed them again.

Feeling the gentle Chakra gradually emanating from the wound on his right arm, Orochimaru asked in a deep voice, "How did you end up here?"

"When I heard that Orochimaru-sensei had left Konoha, I was so excited I wanted to celebrate, so I came to find you right away. How about it? If you haven't decided where to go yet, why don't you come and stay with our Uzumaki Clan for a while?"

While treating Orochimaru, Shiraha asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes flickered, and the corners of his downturned mouth turned up slightly, but in the end he shook his head and refused Shiraha.

"Never mind then, but you're always welcome to visit me." Shiraha wasn't particularly disappointed, since he had always thought that Orochimaru was unlikely to agree immediately, especially in this situation where he could be considered down on his luck.

Orochimaru fell silent, then nodded. "Mm."

"Yes, the wound has been treated for now. Don't move around too much for a while. You should be able to fully recover in about a week."

After Shiraha used his Mystical Palm Technique to heal Orochimaru's external injuries, he applied ointment and then bandaged him up.

"Hmm," Orochimaru said calmly.

At this moment, Shiraha turned to look at Kakashi and saw him holding the White Fang Short Sword, standing there in a daze. He then asked, "Kakashi, what are you doing? Aren't you tired of holding that sword?"

"Huh?" Kakashi was taken aback, and quickly stopped his Chakra output, sheathing the White Fang Short Sword.

Shiraha smiled and said, "Kakashi, give me some face and just pretend we never met today, okay?"

Kakashi fell silent.

Seeing this, Shiraha continued, "Otherwise, you don't think you can beat Orochimaru-sensei just because he's injured, do you?"

"I really have no chance of winning," Kakashi said.

Shiraha: "Or are you going to fight the two of us now?"

Kakashi looked embarrassed. "Senior Shiraha, you're joking. I just wanted to spar with Orochimaru at first to see the difference between me and a top-tier ninja."

"You've made quite a bit of progress; you should have mastered the Breathing Technique I taught you by now. However, there's a significant problem with your current state. The Sharingan can't be shut down, which will continuously drain your energy and Chakra, making it unsuitable for you. You should be able to feel the increasing burden on your body at all times, which is not good for your future development."

Shiraha, having obtained information about Kakashi's condition through the Wood Spirit Avatar Uchiha Issei, immediately recognized his problem.

"This is a gift from a friend," Kakashi nodded. He also sensed something was amiss, but he valued Obito's sentiment.

"Alright, Orochimaru-sensei and I will head out first. I'll come back to you in a while and see if I can help you solve this problem," Shiraha said.

Kakashi: "Thank you, Senior Shiraha."

"Then we're off!" Shiraha waved his hand and turned to look at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru glanced at Kakashi with a cold expression, then left with Shiraha.

Kakashi remained where he was, looking somewhat embarrassed.