If Your Teacher and Minato Fell into the Water, Who Would You Save? The Third Hokage

Orochimaru had not been to the battlefield for some time. Instead, he had "hidden" in the rear, handling documents.

Konoha's people had the Will of Fire. Whether the villagers truly meant it when they claimed they would gladly die for the village or not, they wanted their village to fight outward! Fight! Fight hard! Fight for confidence! Fight for its identity!

It did not matter if people died in war. After all, it was not them dying.

This meant that compared to civil administration, the villagers cared more about military achievements.

You could tell from the fact that Hashirama's prestige in Konoha far surpassed Tobirama's, despite Tobirama having established all kinds of systems.

They did not know Orochimaru's value, nor could they see it. They only knew that Orochimaru sat in an office every day, untouched by wind or rain.

But they understood Minato's contributions all too well. He raced across Konoha's major battlefields, resolving one problem after another for the village.

Supporters of Minato had gradually begun appearing in the village.

Orochimaru did not take it seriously. With his achievements in the Second Shinobi World War, along with part of his contributions in the Third Shinobi World War, Minato defeating him was nothing but a fool's dream.

But his student...

Whether Masaichi had developed some kind of persecution complex or not...

"Teacher!" The moment Masaichi entered the office, Orochimaru tapped the desk and had two ANBU emerge to drag him away by force.

"Teacher! Why won't you listen to your student's loyal advice? How could your student possibly harm you?"

"It is not loyal advice." Orochimaru sighed, then lowered his head and continued processing documents.

Why was Masaichi so suspicious?

Handling documents lately had truly exhausted him. He really wanted to pursue his grand plan for immortality.

It would have been nice if Masaichi could come help him in the office.

But whenever this child came, he spread panic.

Perhaps it was the filter of childhood memories, but Orochimaru simply could not imagine that the teacher who had doted on him most would be as biased toward his "younger son" as Masaichi claimed.

Masaichi was dragged out of the Hokage Office Building. He truly... "Orochimaru! Just keep charging ahead with your eyes closed!"

He had directly called him by name.

Only because Orochimaru was open-minded and not so rigid would Masaichi avoid a beating.

"Come, then. Let these eyes witness how you lose to Minato."

It seemed that whenever a "loyal minister's" advice went unheeded, they would shout something like this. So Masaichi shouted it too.

If he died, he died.

He was going to die someday anyway.

Better to let him die now, while his reputation had not yet been ruined and before everyone cursed and reviled him.

"The Hokage wishes to see you."

The moment Masaichi stepped out of the Hokage Office Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned him again.

How could Hiruzen Sarutobi, who possessed a crystal ball, not know all the things Masaichi told Orochimaru every day?

Once or twice was enough.

But he kept saying it.

What exactly was he trying to do?

Was Masaichi the Hokage of Konoha, or was Hiruzen Sarutobi?

Did this old man not even have the authority to decide who became Hokage?

Indeed, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not intend to give the Hokage position to Orochimaru.

That was his consideration.

To put it in the most straightforward terms.

If one day, Konoha faced an unprecedented crisis.

Both Orochimaru and Minato knew the Uzumaki Clan's secret technique, the Reaper Death Seal, which could forcibly trade their lives one-for-one with an enemy.

Minato would definitely stake everything without a second word.

But Orochimaru... would definitely become the first Hokage in history to run away when danger came.

That was why Hiruzen Sarutobi had been building up Minato's reputation and weakening Orochimaru's faction.

He could promote the people on Orochimaru's side as good children and good students, but he absolutely could not promote them as good shinobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi hoped Orochimaru could take over Koharu and the others' work and become Minato's assistant.

To everyone else, that would have been an honor.

But what Orochimaru expected was the position of Hokage and Hiruzen Sarutobi's favoritism.

He was destined to receive neither from Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Perhaps each had their own advantages, but Hiruzen Sarutobi simply believed Minato was better. There were far too many reasons for that.

Masaichi was brought into the office.

"Young man, it seems you have said quite a lot to Orochimaru." Hiruzen Sarutobi had a headache. Of all people, there had to be a fool who wanted to disrupt his plans.

If Orochimaru confronted him right now and led his subordinates to compete with Minato, even he could only compromise.

That was why he hoped to keep it hidden for a while, at least until Minato's influence was equal to Orochimaru's.

"Third Hokage, do you not love my teacher?" Masaichi did not answer. Instead, he asked first.

"Love?" Hiruzen Sarutobi froze for a moment. Saying love sounded a little embarrassing, but in the end, Orochimaru had grown up under his watch. He replied, "Of course I think very highly of Orochimaru."

"And Minato?"

"I think highly of him as well."

"Then if my teacher and Minato fell into the water, who would you save first?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi could not help imagining it. If those two fell into the water, he might save Mina—

"They are shinobi. They can stand on water. If they fell in, would they even need me to save them? What kind of question is that?" Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Politicians like them had to be responsible for the words they spoke.

There were so many ANBU in the Hokage Office Building. What if even a hint of it got out?

If he said Orochimaru, it would mean he supported Orochimaru becoming Hokage, and a whole group of people would go support Orochimaru.

If he said Minato, Orochimaru was listening right next door.

Logically, after Hiruzen Sarutobi said that, anyone with a little social awareness would not bring it up again.

But for his teacher's sake, Masaichi went all out. "I need an answer from you, Third Hokage. This is very important to my teacher."

"Mm... then ask me again."

So Masaichi asked the question again.

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi answered, "I will summon Enma and have us save them both."

"You can only choose one."

"Choose one? Then Enma and I will each choose one."

Masaichi: "..."

This old Third Hokage really knew how to play dumb.

He knew that no matter how much he asked next, he would not get an answer.

Just then, Sarutobi Biwako came to deliver lunch, resolving Hiruzen Sarutobi's great crisis.

Biwa Lake walked right past Masaichi. It was difficult for her to smile at the person who had killed her cousin's son. Even if her cousin's son had broken the law and violated discipline, the village should have discussed and decided the outcome, rather than letting someone kill him on their own authority.

If a frontline commander could execute a Jonin from the village according to his own will and remain unpunished afterward.

Then she had a question. What if some Konoha frontline commander found an excuse to directly kill his political enemy? Would that commander also go unpunished afterward?

Though she knew it had been an emergency, Masaichi killing Sarutobi Soku had completely set a terrible precedent.

Because Hiruzen Sarutobi had Hashirama's temperament and did not harshly blame Masaichi over this matter, the rule-abiding Sarutobi Biwako disagreed with him, and the two had become somewhat estranged.

"Eat." Biwa Lake liked to keep a sullen face.

Hiruzen Sarutobi happened to be henpecked. But! This was a loving-wife lunchbox! He raised his brows at Masaichi. His wife brought him lunch, so what did Masaichi have? Trying to drive a wedge between him and Orochimaru, huh, boy?

"Third Hokage, I have a question for you." Seeing this, Masaichi suddenly pretended to be puzzled.

"If it is the question from before, then leave. This old man needs to eat the lunchbox my beloved wife made."

Biwa Lake's old face reddened. She jabbed Hiruzen Sarutobi with her elbow. What was he saying?

"It is not. I wanted to ask, if the Third Hokage's wife and Danzo's assistant fell into a river, who would you save?" Facing Biwa Lake's confusion, Masaichi roughly explained the situation.

Come to think of it, Biwa Lake was a little curious too. She looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "..."

This was even harder to answer than saving Orochimaru or Minato.

When he looked over at Masaichi, that little bastard had already run away.

"Monkey, would you save me or Danzo?"