Reforging Konoha's Glory Is Our Unshirkable Duty!

"The Hokage wants you to come over immediately!"

The corners of Orochimaru's lips curled slightly, his golden vertical pupils devoid of emotion.

The ANBU immediately felt a chill run through his entire body. The sensation of being watched by a predator made him tremble slightly.

Fortunately, Orochimaru merely glanced at him.

"I understand. I'll be there shortly."

He did not dare say anything else. Turning around, he hurried away, though resentment toward Orochimaru had already taken root in his heart.

Had the old man discovered something? Orochimaru pondered inwardly.

Still, everything had already been moved. He could leave at any time.

Thinking of everything Hiruzen Sarutobi had done, Orochimaru's feelings were complicated.

Konoha had long since rotted away!

The best ending for a Konoha like this was destruction!

Orochimaru still went to the Hokage Building rather than defecting outright.

Because he knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi was no longer the Shinobi Hero he had once been.

As he aged, Hiruzen Sarutobi had become increasingly suspicious and increasingly cowardly.

He cared only about playing power games with Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu. His heart had grown ever weaker; even if he knew what Orochimaru had done, he could not possibly move against him directly.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

Orochimaru entered the Hokage's office and looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi behind the desk.

For some reason, Orochimaru suddenly felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi was not quite right today.

The usual gloomy air around him had vanished completely. There was even a faint sense of renewed vitality in his increasingly aged body, like dead wood sprouting again in spring.

Looking at his beloved disciple, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head.

Orochimaru's soul was like a flickering candle flame. Human experimentation and bodily modification had greatly affected his soul, and even his body had begun to be eroded by spiritual energy.

But this spiritual energy was impure. It likely came from the abnormal natural energy of the Holy Land, Ryūchi Cave, and bore the imprint of the White Snake Sage.

Orochimaru liked biting people everywhere and leaving behind Curse Marks, never realizing that every gift came with a price. Ryūchi Cave had long since left its mark on him.

"Teacher Sarutobi, what is it?"

Orochimaru looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, but inwardly he thought,

Perhaps this is the last time. The last time I'll call you "teacher."

"Stop your experiments. I need you to conduct research in other areas."

So Teacher really did discover something?

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew about the human experiments, but with Danzo's support, Orochimaru had gone further, doing things that were even unforgivable.

For instance, experimenting with the First Hokage's cells, or conducting live experiments.

It would have been one thing if he had only used criminals or shinobi from other villages.

After entertaining thoughts of defecting, Orochimaru had also begun targeting shinobi and civilians from his own village.

However, Orochimaru had not done that. All the materials Orochimaru needed for his experiments had been provided by Danzo.

Perhaps believing Orochimaru to be a threat, Danzo spread rumors throughout the village.

He claimed that many shinobi had gone missing, including even Chunin and Special Jonin, and that all signs pointed to Orochimaru.

In truth, every shinobi village conducted plenty of human experiments in secret. Many villages did not refrain from such experiments because they did not want to, but because they lacked the capability.

"Wasn't this permitted by the village? You did not object at the time either, did you?"

Though Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat strange today, Orochimaru's thoughts had not changed.

The Third Hokage was weak now, especially indecisive.

The village had become so rotten because several of the Third Hokage's old comrades had become the ones calling the shots.

After Konoha Village passed through several generations of Hokage, by Hiruzen Sarutobi's time, its class structure had already solidified.

Outstanding shinobi would be suppressed. Whenever they had the opportunity to approach the center of Konoha's power, they would even be attacked through rumors and public opinion.

How laughable. A village founded on the dream of peace had ultimately become this.

He was the Third Hokage's disciple. So long as they did not completely fall out, the Third Hokage would not do anything to him.

Orochimaru was even certain that if he defected, the Third Hokage would not feel heartbroken at all. He would probably be relieved instead.

"I intend to train you as the next Hokage. Do you want to become the Hokage's aide?"

After saying that, Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze sharpened.

"I am already old, like a rotten root that only wastes Konoha's nutrients."

"Are you willing to assist me in cutting away the rotten roots, burning away the dead branches and fallen leaves, and making Konoha's great tree grow even stronger?"

After speaking, Hiruzen Sarutobi set down his pipe and looked at Orochimaru.

At that moment, the aura of the Shinobi Hero surged like raging waves. Orochimaru seemed to see the teacher he had admired in his youth.

The Third Hokage's words were like a sharp sword, stabbing straight into the deepest part of Orochimaru's heart.

Hokage's aide? Was it too late now?

Orochimaru's heart trembled, and even his eyes stung slightly.

"Teacher Sarutobi, don't joke around."

Orochimaru did not believe that the increasingly rigid Third Hokage could say such things. Cut away the rotten roots?

Had he not been telling Danzo just days ago that Konoha could not grow lush branches without a developed root system?

The Third Hokage must still be testing him, or perhaps he had seen through Orochimaru's intention to defect and wanted to warn him.

Orochimaru forced himself to calm down, but there was still the faintest trace of hope and wishful thinking in his heart.

Perhaps his teacher's words were true. Perhaps he had truly changed his mind and realized that Konoha had become rotten.

Root stole nutrients in the shadows, while the Elders' Council and most of the upper ranks were like worms, using every kind of authority and village resource to strengthen their own clans.

If that was the case, what meaning was there in the Senju choosing to abandon the Senju name, merge into Konoha, and strive for the rise of commoners?

No matter how lofty an ideal was, it could not withstand personal selfish desire!

Hearing Orochimaru's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed.

He truly had been too much of a failure as Hokage...

"Orochimaru, you're afraid."

"You're afraid that I'm deceiving you, testing you. You think I don't truly mean this, that I only want to bring you under control."

Indeed, Orochimaru was afraid. If he had been the Orochimaru who had once competed with Minato Namikaze for the position of Hokage, he would not have hesitated for even a moment.

But after experiencing so much and realizing that the Third Hokage had never intended to make him Hokage from the very beginning, Orochimaru had long ceased trusting his teacher.

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head and stared directly at the disciple in whom he had once placed great hopes.

"Danzo and the two elders have rotted away. Their influence over Konoha is too great. Are you willing to join me in taking them down, then changing this Konoha?"

Orochimaru realized that this might be the only opportunity he would ever have. Reforging Konoha's glory is our unshirkable duty!