My Family Has a Snake That Can Do Backflips, Want to See?

Hua Yue's expression was one of surprise, and her casual, rhetorical question instantly plunged the atmosphere into a deep freeze.

A moment later, Orochimaru's voice turned slightly raspy, a flicker of astonishment appearing in his eyes.

"Do you believe Minato will be the next Hokage?"

Anko was drenched in a cold sweat, constantly signaling with her eyes for Hua Yue to stop. Although Hua Yue was strong, there was absolutely no benefit to be gained from provoking Orochimaru when he was in a state of fury.

"Isn't that common knowledge, Orochimaru-sensei?"

Hua Yue closed her book, her hand supporting her cheek remaining motionless, her gaze deep as if she could see through everything.

"Ever since the Third Shinobi World War began, he has turned the tide and saved Konoha's battlefronts multiple times, achieving feats that even the combined efforts of the Sannin could not. Isn't he a strong candidate for Hokage?"

"Or perhaps, Orochimaru-sensei, you also wish to become the Hokage?"

At this moment, Orochimaru, who never stopped his work, set aside his research and turned his head, his gaze profound.

"My dearest, most prized student, do not forget that the merits you earned on the battlefield can also be attributed to me."

"That is precisely why you cannot become Hokage, Orochimaru-sensei."

Anko, standing to the side, was already frantic with sweat and hurriedly spoke up to intervene, her usually cheerful and spirited tone turning urgent.

"Stop it, Hua Yue! How have you become like Rin? Sensei, please, you must not..."

The autumn breeze was slightly chilly, blowing into the room through the gaps; it diluted the scent of disinfectant, but it could not calm Anko's mind.

"When the birds in the sky have all vanished, even the finest hunting bow will be hidden away by the hunter. Once the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog at the center will also be cooked by its master."

"For an accessory that has lost its value, the only outcome is to be either treasured or executed, after squeezing out the very last bit of utility."

"If that is the fate of loyal dogs and weapons, what more of a venomous snake that the master cannot fathom and which harbors the danger of biting back?"

Having said this, Hua Yue paused slightly. Anko was left confused by these cryptic words; she had never been good at guessing riddles.

Orochimaru's eyes flickered, but the smile at the corners of his mouth grew wider, dismissing the statement with disdain.

"Wait, what exactly are you talking about? Can't you just be more concise? I hate riddle-mongers!"

Seeing Anko's bewildered face, Hua Yue continued with a smile.

"In that case, let me put it another way: what do you think is the true meaning behind Konoha cultivating geniuses?"

Without waiting for Orochimaru to answer, Hua Yue answered her own question.

"To reduce losses in war, to protect the village and other ninja, and to end wars as quickly as possible—that is the definition of a genius to the village."

"For you, who were born in a time of war, ending the conflict promptly is the primary mission. Even if your ideology is somewhat dangerous, it will be overlooked by your teacher, the Third Hokage."

"However, once the war ends and a new one begins, when a genius more excellent than you—one who better aligns with the Third Hokage's wishes—appears, your utility becomes dispensable."

"Once the war is over, your existence becomes a source of instability for the village. In other words, you become a person who poses a threat to the village."

"Whether it is your thoughts or your actions, isn't that the case?"

Smiling without a word, Orochimaru looked at the experiments before him—the ones in the open, the ones in the shadows, and the forbidden arts that ordinary people could never touch...

"For a ninja, jutsu is everything. The moment one possesses all the jutsu in the world is when the truth will finally be understood."

"If one wants to become Hokage, jutsu and power are secondary. What is truly needed is the trust of Konoha's many jonin and the various prestigious clans, isn't that right?"

The atmosphere grew heavy. Orochimaru's eyes flickered, his inner thoughts surfacing like bubbles, only to burst one after another.

"Can your eyes see into the distant future? Can you see through my thoughts?"

"Your goal is clear at a glance! So, if you want to continue your research in this village, you have no choice but to bow your head, lower the snake's crown, and retract your fangs. Other than that..."

"Let this war continue forever without an end, right? Hehehehe..."

Orochimaru's cold, sinister laugh made Anko shudder. The teacher who was usually kind and occasionally let out strange laughs, the friend she was most familiar with and who would skip class to go shopping every few days...

At this moment, the two of them felt both within arm's reach and yet impossibly far away, like flowers blooming on the edge of a cliff—one might wish to touch them, but could never take that step.

"That is a problem for you to face; it has nothing to do with us. Besides, I don't want to go back to the border to chew on Military Ration Pills and deal with those troublesome old men. Let's go, Anko! Target: the dango shop! Let's move, let's move!"

Before Anko could object, she and Hua Yue vanished in an instant. Orochimaru's expression remained flat, and the smile at the corners of his mouth gradually faded.

"Can power not solve everything? You are still just a child, holding a certain degree of fantasy about the world. Hehehe."

"The symbol of the snake is regeneration and immortality. Once this forbidden art is completed, what is Konoha? What is the Hokage? What are ninja?"

Immersed in the forbidden art, dreaming of unraveling the truth, Orochimaru lowered his eyelids, a dangerous light flickering in his eyes.

"Before that, should I let this war drag on endlessly? Is that what you desire?"

"What exactly are you hiding behind those eyes? An unfathomable student... is this how Sarutobi-sensei views me as well?"

Rarely experiencing the feelings of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Orochimaru stopped his movements. The anticipated reactions played out one by one, everything going exactly as expected.

In the bustling streets of Konoha Village, at the exceptionally popular three-color dango shop.

"As expected, dango must be paired with red bean soup. Aren't you going to eat?"

Anko, who had been immersed in her dango, slowly looked up, her face flushed with inexplicable shyness as if she had noticed her own eating habits, but she quickly cast the thought aside.

She had already been seen by this person so many times that even if she wanted to change, she couldn't. Her strategy was simply to give up and stop caring.

"If you eat too much, you'll have to exercise properly later. Come to think of it, I have a jutsu I'm conceptualizing—want to come help?"

Faced with that long-absent, radiant smile, Anko hesitated for a moment before leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"Actually, Master Orochimaru gave me a snake that can do backflips. Do you want to come over to my place and see it?"

A faint ripple stirred in his pitch-black eyes as he watched the girl before him, her heart filled with nervous anticipation and a hidden trace of impatience, as she feigned nonchalance by lifting her teacup to wait for his answer.

"Forget it. How about we go to my place instead?"

"Eh? Wait, are we in such a rush? I still..."

"What's wrong? It's just to test a new ninjutsu; there's no need to go all the way to your house for that."

Under that inscrutable, half-smiling expression, Anko completely admitted defeat and huffed indignantly.

"Damn it, I get it, I get it!"