You Regret, I Shadow!

"Don't lay a hand on the children in the village!"

"Furthermore, given the mistakes you've made recently, your funding and personnel selection will be restricted accordingly."

Watching Danzo calm down, the Third Hokage directly delivered his final punishment.

"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

Danzo clenched his fists tightly. Even being viciously berated by Hiruzen Sarutobi and humiliated in front of Minato Namikaze would have been less unbearable than this punishment.

For Konoha, he had already given everything, even draining his own clan dry.

This ruthless weakening of the forces in his hands was what he could not accept.

"Hmph, Danzo, I am the Hokage!" The Third's voice was low yet imposing.

"Hmph!" Danzo snorted coldly, then flung open the Hokage's office door with a gust of wind and strode away.

Orochimaru and Hiruko slowly emerged from behind the screen.

"You two have no objections to this punishment, do you, Orochimaru, Hiruko?" Watching Danzo's departing back, the Third rubbed his forehead wearily again.

"I have no objections, Lord Hokage." Hiruko smiled and answered casually.

Danzo was not yet at the point where he needed to die. Hiruko still needed that man alive.

But he had no intention of being driven out of Konoha, so stepping into the open was inevitable.

If he wanted to transform this damned world of shinobi, he naturally needed sufficient authority, starting from Konoha and spreading throughout the shinobi world.

"The funding cut from Root will be placed under the control of you two. Danzo will also have no authority to interfere with members of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans. You may discuss and select suitable personnel." The Third made good on his promise.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was doing everything he could to win over Hiruko, someone capable of improving the village's overall strength.

Orochimaru's narrow, snake-like eyes narrowed as he met his teacher's gaze.

"That isn't what you promised last night." After a moment, Orochimaru licked his lips and spoke with some dissatisfaction.

He had never been satisfied with the funding issue and felt that the funds allocated this time were still far too little.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep drag from his pipe and sighed. "You know how much manpower and money it takes to establish a new department."

"Although the village's economic situation has improved considerably, it has not reached the point where we can spend extravagantly.

After all, the Third Shinobi World War has only just ended.

Besides, even as Hokage, if I want to establish an entirely new department, I must gather everyone and hold a vote."

"Tsunade's Medical Department was not established overnight either. It was only founded after slow compromises." The Third shook his head with a sigh.

"But the facts have proven that establishing the Medical Department was indeed the right choice, and Tsunade's proposal back then was entirely correct.

Frankly, your delays are meaningless and offer no benefit to the village." Orochimaru responded without the slightest courtesy.

Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately took another puff from his pipe, then lightly tapped it against the desk. "At the very least, you need to let me, and everyone else, see the value of this department.

According to the requirements you proposed, the Research Department's expenditures in money and manpower would be much higher than those of the Medical Department.

I truly cannot see what use it would have for the village."

"Besides, Hiruko alone can fully support research."

Hiruko immediately stepped forward to refute him. "Lord Third Hokage, while I can certainly develop things alone, without suitable people to work with me, research progress will be extremely slow.

If we possess sufficient technology, we can completely crush other nations on an entirely different level. That is what matters most."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded. "I understand that as well. It is just that the other clans still need to see tangible benefits."

The Third Hokage was rather speechless before his disciple and Hiruko. The village's finances were truly a complete mess, and as Hokage, he was in quite a difficult position.

The Medical Department had only been established for a few years, and its investment had not yet been recovered. Now they were about to add another money-devouring burden. Those who did not manage a household truly did not know the cost of daily necessities.

"But, Lord Hokage, that does not match our agreement." Orochimaru's eyes had narrowed into vertical slits.

The Third Hokage glanced at Minato Namikaze beside him and asked with a smile, "What do you think?"

"The Research Department is still very necessary!" Minato Namikaze said seriously.

"Mr. Hiruko's contributions during the last war were obvious to all!" he added.

Hiruko smiled at Minato Namikaze as well.

As a young man, Minato Namikaze was clearly quite supportive of innovation through new technology.

The old Third nodded. "How about this? I will authorize the two of you to establish this department and permit you to recruit personnel independently. I can also provide part of the initial start-up funds.

However, if you cannot produce sufficient results afterward, the financial burden will be borne by the two of you yourselves.

Do you two accept this solution?"

After pondering for a moment, the Third offered a compromise.

The few of them exchanged glances, smiled, and nodded. Everyone agreed to this arrangement.

The art of politics was compromise.

Three days after this conversation ended.

Konoha Orphanage.

Yakushi Nonō, the orphanage director, watched Orochimaru, who had come to visit, with some nervousness.

Some time ago, Danzo had informed her that she would be sent to serve Hiruko after a while, while also taking on the duty of monitoring him.

Thus, during this time, she had worked hard to settle the orphanage's affairs, somewhat afraid that Hiruko would not allow her to leave when the time came.

After all, in the shinobi world, women's status was not particularly high, and quite a few gave up their identities as shinobi after marriage to focus on raising children.

These past few days, she had mainly been busy arranging the orphanage's future affairs.

As someone skilled at gathering intelligence, she understood better than anyone how terrifying and troublesome the pale-skinned man before her was.

Yakushi Nonō wore a gentle smile. "Lord Orochimaru, everything here is simple. There is nothing worthy of entertaining you with."

She then handed him a cup of warm water.

Nonō's face was gentle and refreshing, and she possessed a uniquely approachable quality that made it easy for her to gain others' trust.

That was why this woman was also one of Danzo's trump cards. The name of the Wandering Miko was quite famous throughout the shinobi world.

Orochimaru nodded. "I know. I came this time only to invite you to join the Research Department created by Hiruko."

"?"

"When did a new department appear in the village? Orochimaru, what exactly are you trying to do?" Yakushi Nonō looked at Orochimaru with a guarded expression.