Several days later.
Gengetsu, Yugito Nii, and Orochimaru arrived at Konoha's gate.
Standing on the broad road, Orochimaru raised his head to look at the tall, imposing gate ahead and the enormous, all-too-familiar Konoha emblem above it.
His golden, slit-pupiled eyes trembled slightly, and an expression of deep emotion involuntarily crossed his face.
"I truly never imagined that one day, I would return to Konoha..."
At that moment, Orochimaru's heart was indeed filled with boundless emotion.
After all, Orochimaru had grown up in Konoha.
Here were his childhood, his companions, and his former teacher and disciple.
Only after becoming an S-rank missing-nin hunted by everyone had Orochimaru left Konoha in disgrace.
Originally, Orochimaru had thought he would never set foot in Konoha again for the rest of his life.
Yet he had never imagined that today, under the new Fifth Hokage's lead, he would stroll openly back into Konoha.
Standing beside him with her arms crossed, Yugito Nii glanced at the deeply moved Orochimaru without speaking.
Gengetsu looked at Orochimaru and said bluntly:
"What's so unimaginable about that?"
"I'm the one who calls the shots in Konoha now-Uchiha Gengetsu!"
"Orochimaru, if you like, you can return to Konoha whenever you want. One word from me can erase your missing-nin status."
To Gengetsu, titles like S-rank missing-nin were merely rules established during Hiruzen Sarutobi's time.
Now, as the Fifth Hokage and the supreme ruler of all Konoha, he could instantly clear even a missing-nin's name with a nod, and no one would dare utter a single word of objection!
"Is that so?! Hehe!"
At Gengetsu's words, Orochimaru gave a hoarse chuckle but made no comment.
Gengetsu did not dwell on the subject either. He strode straight toward Konoha's gate.
At that moment, the two stalwart gatekeepers, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki,