Hiruzen Sarutobi had been living quite comfortably these days. After the Wind-Fire Operation, the wars between the nations had temporarily come to an end, and the people had gained a brief "peace." The Hidden Mist Village's "rogue ninja" had also been wiped out. The village was no longer shrouded in an atmosphere of terror, and the state of alert had been lifted. Children could once again run and play freely through the village, while shops reopened for business. The whole village was peaceful.
After finishing the official work at hand, Hiruzen Sarutobi stretched lazily, packed his pipe out of habit, and happily began to smoke.
"Hiruzen-sensei."
"Oh, Orochimaru. What is it?"
"Nothing in particular. I just finished a mission and came by to see you."
"Mm, I happen to be free. Come take a walk with me."
"I'd be honored."
Orochimaru replied politely.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had been grooming Orochimaru as his successor. As Hokage, he naturally had his own circle of supporters. Among the older generation were Kagami Uchiha and Torifu Akimichi; among the middle-aged generation were Hatake Sakumo and Renga Hyuga—Hyuga Hiashi's father. The age calculation had been wrong before, so his father had to be created. The earlier text had already been revised. Among the younger generation were Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya.
After a great war, the situation had changed. Kagami Uchiha had died, Torifu Akimichi had been crippled, and Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were capable of plotting but lacked decisiveness. Shimura Danzō, meanwhile, was wildly ambitious and always building his own little faction.
Hatake Sakumo had lost his edge in the Battle of Lishi. Though he had since regrouped, his reputation in the village had suffered greatly, and he was no longer worth cultivating. Renga Hyuga came from a clan family and valued his clan's interests