Brought Down by Women

"Very good. I think Minato is perfectly suited for the position of Hokage!" Hiruko said with a smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded in satisfaction.

Hiruko had made outstanding contributions during the Third Shinobi World War, even stealing much of Minato's spotlight. Having his support for Minato could not have been better.

After the meeting ended, Tsunade followed her usual habit and pulled a thick wad of cash from Hiruko's arms before heading excitedly for the casino.

"Put it on my tab!" Tsunade waved her hand with flair and turned to leave.

"Well, Hiruko, you've got quite the temper," Jiraiya said, his eyes flickering as he could not help commenting.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like I'm short on money."

Seeming to realize that Hiruko had noticed his little scheme, the somewhat embarrassed Jiraiya rubbed his nose, laughed heartily, and quickly left.

Afterward, Hiruko and Orochimaru headed toward the laboratory together.

However, Orochimaru followed beside Hiruko with a gloomy expression.

"What's wrong? Feeling upset?" Hiruko noticed Orochimaru's dark expression and asked bluntly.

"Hmph. The position of Hokage means nothing to me." Orochimaru's voice was hoarse and exceptionally grating.

A strange smile appeared on Hiruko's face. "Is that so?"

Hiruko did not believe that Orochimaru truly felt no stirrings in his heart.

After all, Orochimaru had also aspired to become Hokage since childhood. He was surely displeased by the Third Hokage's decision.

Whether Orochimaru wanted to become Hokage was one matter; whether it would be given to him was another.

"To those of us who pursue immortality, the fame, wealth, and status that ordinary people spend their entire lives chasing are meaningless and worthless in our eyes."

Orochimaru spoke in a hoarse, sinister voice.

He was indeed somewhat displeased, but only somewhat.

He was not as obsessed with the position of Hokage as Danzo was.

After arriving at the laboratory, Hiruko handed Orochimaru the data he had prepared long ago.

Orochimaru smiled, then prepared to leave.

Hiruko called out to stop him and asked, "When do you plan to leave?"

The thought of leaving Konoha had lingered in Orochimaru's heart for a long time.

Because of the various entanglements between Danzo and the Third Hokage, Orochimaru had already collected nearly all of Konoha's valuable resources.

There was little benefit left in staying in Konoha. It would be better to go out and search for suitable materials.

Orochimaru shifted his gaze to Hiruko, then slowly said, "There are still a few experiments. Once I've gathered the data, I'll leave in a few days."

Orochimaru did not think much of Hiruko seeing through his desire to leave.

He knew Hiruko well. Hiruko was not completely loyal to Konoha; like himself, he was someone loyal only to his own pursuits.

People had always drawn clear lines between those close to them and those distant from them.

Although he and Hiruko, a fellow scientist much like himself, had worked together on many projects and gotten along quite well as experimental partners.

They could even be said to appreciate each other's talents and were good friends.

Yet compared to the close friends he had grown up with—Tsunade, Jiraiya, and the Third Hokage—they clearly carried more weight in Orochimaru's heart.

When Orochimaru later assassinated the Third Hokage, he merely wanted to give his old teacher a dignified exit.

Rather than let him continue clinging shamelessly to the position of Hokage and living on in a cowardly state.

"Will you leave with me?" Orochimaru extended a probing invitation. His long, slender tongue slipped out and slowly licked through the air, as though savoring the temptation of the unknown.

"Konoha's little world is ultimately too small, and the Third Hokage is far too conservative. He simply cannot accommodate our lofty ambitions.

Why not come with me and venture into a broader world?"

To realize the dreams in one's heart, one needed not only great strength, but also many talented companions.

And Hiruko was undoubtedly an exceptionally outstanding research partner to Orochimaru.

Besides, the two shared the same ideals and both longed to uncover the secrets of immortality.

At that moment, Orochimaru had already cast aside those so-called former companions.

His mind was wholly occupied with figuring out how to recruit Hiruko, this valuable talent, and set off together on an unknown journey.

Yet Hiruko shook his head, a smile curling across his lips. "I can't bear to leave Konoha's beauties behind. That fellow Danzo is even planning to give that wandering shrine maiden to me!"

"Heh heh, Danzo certainly knows how to cater to your tastes." Orochimaru glanced at Hiruko and said no more.

His good partner in the research world was excellent in every respect. His only flaw was probably that he was far too lustful.

He kept Pakura, the Scorch Release user, imprisoned at home, pursued Tsunade madly outside, and now had his eye on that wandering shrine maiden. At this rate, he would sooner or later be brought down by a woman.

"I have already mastered ninety-nine percent of Konoha's forbidden techniques. Don't you want to take a look?

I can share the forbidden techniques in the Scroll of Seals with you. I can even give you a share of every technique I possess."

Orochimaru stared intently at Hiruko, trying to move him with these tempting terms.

As a disciple of the Third Hokage, Orochimaru had always been exceptionally eloquent and silver-tongued. At this moment, he was thinking only of talking Hiruko into coming first.

As for whether he would actually give those promised benefits, or when he would give them, that was something to worry about later.

Though Hiruko was exceptionally talented, he was not a direct disciple of the Third Hokage, so he had rarely had the chance to come into contact with the forbidden techniques recorded in the Scroll of Seals.

Most of the techniques he currently possessed had been given to him by that old fellow Danzo in an attempt to win him over.

As far as Orochimaru knew, despite Hiruko's tremendous contributions to Konoha, the Third Hokage had only taught him the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique he had created himself, along with the rather useless Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from the Scroll of Seals.

Although the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique was fairly effective for training, the burden it placed on the body was simply too great.

And Hiruko's talent was not particularly outstanding. Such a burden was even heavier for him, making the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique practically useless to him.

Hiruko still shook his head. "No, I have no plans to leave Konoha for now. After all, I've lived here for decades."

The forbidden techniques Orochimaru mentioned were indeed enticing. Hiruko also wanted a chance to see every forbidden technique in the Scroll of Seals, as he might gain new inspiration from them.

But Hiruko's desire for the Scroll of Seals was not especially strong.

Techniques were ultimately just techniques, not the Great Way.

What Hiruko pursued was becoming the master of techniques, rather than merely obsessing over the techniques themselves.

In the future, obtaining those techniques from Danzo through trade would not be difficult.

"Heh heh, what you've done isn't flawless." Orochimaru looked at him with an ambiguous smile. Pakura, the Scorch Release user Hiruko had imprisoned, was not the only one.