Kakashi and Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki was still an infant, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had found another wet nurse for him.

With two women nursing him now, there was more than enough milk for him.

"Kakashi, is this your first time coming to see Minato's child?"

Orochimaru looked at Naruto with great interest.

To be honest, he was quite interested in the power of a Jinchūriki and the Uzumaki clan.

Kakashi did not answer Orochimaru. He simply stared blankly at the child.

Everything he cared about had already died.

Family, dear friends, his teacher...

Only he remained, barely clinging to life.

It could be said that Kakashi's heart had died long ago.

Ninjas were nothing more than tools...

It was not that he did not want to see Naruto. He simply was unwilling to face him.

"Kakashi, how about entrusting Naruto to your care?"

Kakashi's talent was exceptional, even greater than Orochimaru's.

But the current Kakashi was a man whose heart had died, with no bonds left in this world.

No matter how gifted someone like that was, his strength could no longer advance.

Orochimaru thought highly of Minato Namikaze, so naturally he did not want the orphaned son of a hero to grow up according to the strategy Danzo had devised.

Heroes should receive the treatment heroes deserved.

With Orochimaru and Kakashi looking after him, Naruto's childhood should be much happier, right?

Kakashi hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

After Danzo was brought down, Orochimaru became one of Konoha's few remaining high-ranking officials. Besides, he himself wanted his teacher's child to live a happier life.

The two gave the wet nurses a few instructions before leaving.

"Kakashi, only strength can determine fate. Otherwise, you will only keep losing things again and again."

Orochimaru did not use Hiruzen Sarutobi's Will of Fire to brainwash people, nor did he possess Naruto Uzumaki's gift for talking people into submission.

But he understood one truth: only by possessing enough strength could one choose one's own fate.

Other than strength, the only thing Orochimaru pursued was immortality.

However, he now had one more goal: to make Konoha rise again!

Kakashi was still lost and did not say much. Too much had happened these past few days, and he needed to think it over carefully.

The two arrived at the ANBU.

Other than a handful of Danzo's utterly loyal subordinates who could not be reasoned with, the rest of Root had temporarily been taken over by the ANBU.

Most of them had not truly wanted to obey Danzo. They simply had never had the right to choose.

Ninjas were nothing more than tools.

But this time, they could choose their lives again.

They could choose to join the ANBU, or they could become ordinary ninjas. They only needed to report to the ANBU once a week, and after half a year, they would be completely free.

One person was an exception. His codename was "Kō," and he called himself Tenzō.

He was one of Orochimaru's test subjects. He had successfully fused with the First Hokage's cells and inherited Wood Release.

But his Wood Release was far inferior to that of the First Hokage.

What was truly powerful was not Wood Release, but Asura's chakra.

Still, Wood Release held an especially extraordinary significance for Konoha.

Upon seeing Orochimaru, Tenzō's gaze visibly sharpened.

Kakashi stood beside him, watching Orochimaru warily, afraid that Orochimaru would kill Tenzō to silence him.

After all, Tenzō was the product of Orochimaru's human experiments and might become a stain on Orochimaru's reputation in the future.

Kakashi was still thinking according to old habits. At least for now, Orochimaru did not care about his reputation.

"Join the ANBU. For now, follow my orders."

"What do you mean?"

"I will soon become a Konoha elder and concurrently serve as the head of the ANBU."

Clearly, Tenzō found this somewhat difficult to accept. Orochimaru was actually going to become one of Konoha's high-ranking officials?

"Heh heh."

Orochimaru smiled wickedly. His long tongue slid out and licked the corner of his mouth.

If Hiruzen Sarutobi had been there, he would have been able to tell that Orochimaru had developed many snake-like traits because he had absorbed Ryuchi Cave's senjutsu energy and undergone some bodily modifications.

"Fine, I agree."

Tenzō took a deep breath. Danzo had already been brought down, and regardless of why Orochimaru had become one of Konoha's high-ranking officials...

No matter what schemes Orochimaru had, he would use the Wood Release Orochimaru had given him to prevent tragedy from happening!

Orochimaru saw through his thoughts but did not say anything.

"Since you have agreed, there is no need to keep using the name Kō. Give yourself a new codename and begin a new life."

"All right, Kakashi, take him around the village. I need to head back first."

After saying that, Orochimaru turned and left.

"Kakashi-senpai..."

Compared to Orochimaru, Tenzō clearly trusted Kakashi more.

Kakashi was his senior and had once served in Root as well.

Tenzō had always admired Kakashi. Even now, he regarded Kakashi as his goal and continued striving toward it.

"Come on. I'll treat you to ramen."

Kakashi was cold on the outside but warm inside. He actually cared deeply about Tenzō, just as he cared about Naruto Uzumaki.

It was simply that he did not know how to speak about it. Coupled with the pain in his heart, he chose to avoid things more often than not.

Orochimaru did not return to his laboratory. Instead, he went to the Hokage's office once again.

He wanted to have a talk with his teacher.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was bored out of his mind in the office.

In two days, he could begin Qi Refining and then prepare for Foundation Establishment.

Looking at the crystal ball on the desk, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a little curious.

Ninjutsu might not be all that powerful in itself, but the effects some secret techniques could achieve were still utterly unreasonable.

They could even summon the souls of the dead and bring deceased people back to life.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that it might be because the cycle of reincarnation in this world was incomplete, and even its laws were rather fragile, that chakra could so easily leverage those laws.

For example, the Telescope Technique was quite miraculous.

After pouring chakra into the crystal ball and activating the secret technique, the scene of Konoha's women's bathhouse appeared within it.

It happened very suddenly. Most likely, the previous Hiruzen Sarutobi had last used this technique to peep at the women's bathhouse.

"Teacher, I have something to discuss with you."

At that very moment, Orochimaru pushed the door open and entered. The ANBU at the door did not stop him, since everyone knew that Orochimaru had become one of the village's high-ranking officials. With Hiruzen Sarutobi favoring him, Orochimaru might very well become the next Danzo.

The atmosphere was slightly awkward. Orochimaru had not expected to walk in and see his teacher peeping at the women's bathhouse.

"Ahem. Come over quickly."

As long as I am not embarrassed, the embarrassed one is someone else. Having lived two lives, Hiruzen Sarutobi had long since lost any sense of shame.

Orochimaru was no ordinary person either. Anyone capable of conducting human experiments was not simple, and the two directly ignored the scene in the crystal ball.

"What did you come to see me about?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi canceled the Telescope Technique and looked at Orochimaru.

"Teacher, how do you plan to change Konoha? Simply bringing down Danzo is far from enough."