Orochimaru's Laboratory Base
"Uncle Dave, what brings you here?" Orochimaru asked slowly as he worked on an experiment, hearing the door open behind him.
"Hey, kid, don't spend every waking moment holed up in this laboratory. You'll grow mold, turn into something neither male nor female, and become a rogue ninja," Dave joked, sitting on a nearby table.
"Uncle Dave, could you please watch fewer TV dramas?" Orochimaru said helplessly, wearing a black cloak with his back to Dave.
"Yeah, yeah, Uncle Dave! The TV drama you made was ridiculous. You even killed me off! Now every time I go out, a bunch of little brats hug me and tell me I'm not dead," Jiraiya grumbled from beside him.
"Hahaha! But it looked pretty entertaining, didn't it?" Dave laughed heartily.
"All right, all right, enough messing around with you two. Orochimaru." Dave dropped his playful grin and looked at Orochimaru more seriously.
"What is it?" Orochimaru paused, but still didn't turn around.
"Interested in becoming the Fourth Hokage?" Dave asked.
"Holy shit!" Jiraiya was instantly dumbstruck.
"No."
"You bastard, Orochimaru! That's the Hokage we're talking about!" Hearing Orochimaru's answer, Jiraiya hurriedly roared at him.
"It would waste my time," Orochimaru said indifferently.
"Ah, I'm just asking whether you're interested. Anyway, there are currently three candidates for Fourth Hokage: you, Daiyue, and Hatake Sakumo," Dave said with a smile.
"Sakumo has already withdrawn. He'd rather pursue his career in the ANBU. As for Daiyue, he has a child now, and he's made it clear that he wants to spend more time with his kid and doesn't have time to be Hokage. In other words, you're the Fourth Hokage," Dave said with a smile.
"...Can't I refuse?" Orochimaru asked helplessly.
"Nope. Your mother also asked me to pass along a message: either