"I was born into a poor family too… just like you," Hiruzen said, a nostalgic smile playing on his face.
He reached out and gently patted Orochimaru's head, acknowledging the sincerity in his words. But Hiruzen understood, what Konoha needed now wasn't just a brilliant leader. It also needed a strong and lasting system.
"Whether it's a village, a business, or a government, true stability depends not on a single person, but on a well-built system," he said calmly. "A wise and capable leader is indeed a blessing… but it is the system that endures. A single leader may burn brightly for a time, but when that light fades, only a strong structure can keep the village from crumbling. That's the true foundation of lasting peace."
He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing.
"A great leader can lift a village to new heights but no one can leads forever. We can't expect every generation to produce a genius. That's why a strong system matters because it is the thing that protects the village when the brilliance fades. It may not take us to the same heights… but it ensures that we would never fall too far. That's where its true value lies."
As he tried to find the right words to continue, Orochimaru leaned forward, curiosity in his voice.
"Sensei… is there something you're not telling us?"
Hiruzen chuckled softly. "No… I'm just trying to find the best way to explain this to you."
He looked at his students. "You all know Konoha's history, don't you?"
The students nodded, prompting him to go on.
"Then I won't bore you with the very beginning, not the Warring States period or the story of the Sage of Six Paths. We've already covered all that. What I want to talk about is Konoha itself which is its unique situation."
"When the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and Uchiha Madara founded this village, they accomplished something truly unprecedented. They succeeded in uniting the powerful clans not just through alliance, but through genuine purpose and managed to transformed them into a single, cohesive force. As a result, Konoha quickly rose to become unmatched in strength and unity.
Other nations soon followed our example, establishing hidden villages of their own. But in truth, many of them were merely loose coalitions of clans that were held together by convenience rather than shared ideals. They lacked the structure and stability that gave Konoha its strength."
"Lord Hashirama, the First Hokage, was a man of noble ideals," Hiruzen began, his voice filled with quiet admiration.
"His vision for the village was one of peace and openness, especially in foreign affairs. Even when some clans harbored resentment or doubts, Konoha thrived largely because of his overwhelming strength and charisma."
He paused briefly, then continued with a more somber tone.
"But everything changed when Lord Hashirama was gravely wounded. The weight of the village fell onto the shoulders of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama."
"Tobirama-sensei was a pragmatist. He saw what others couldn't; the hidden tensions bubbling beneath the surface. To address them, he pushed for deeper integration of the clans. In the eighth year after Konoha was founded, he established the Konoha Academy which what we now call the Ninja School. His hope was simple but wise; educate the next generation of every clan together, so that friendships would blossom in youth rather than rivalry."
A gentle smile came to Hiruzen's lips as he looked back fondly on those days.
"It was around that time that I first enrolled in the Academy. Later, the Second Hokage personally chose six of us to be his direct disciples. We were: myself; Uchiha Kagami of the Uchiha clan; Akimichi Torifu of the Akimichi clan; Shimura Danzō of the Shimura clan; Mitokado Homura; and Utatane Koharu."
"We trained directly under Tobirama-sensei, fought side by side, and formed strong bonds forged in the fires of mission after mission."
Then Hiruzen's voice grew more solemn.
"After the First Hokage passed away, the fragile peace he had secured began to unravel. His sheer power had kept the world in balance but without it, chaos took root. Soon after, the shinobi world was engulfed in a brutal war that dragged on for seven years. It was larger and bloodier than any conflict before it."
"During that war, the Second Hokage gave his life on the battlefield."
He paused before continuing, the weight of memory in his words.
"And that's when I, his student, was appointed as the Third Hokage."
Hiruzen's gaze turned skyward, as if seeking the faces of his predecessors in the clouds above.
"The First and Second Hokage built this village from nothing. They had the legacy, the strength, and the loyalty of the clans behind them. When I became the Hokage, I had no such foundation. The clan leaders didn't trust me. My title meant little without the legacy to back it."
He closed his eyes briefly, then smiled faintly.
"But I was not alone because I had my comrades, those I had trained with and fought alongside. Together, we worked to restore order amid the chaos and to stabilize the world. In time, we even convened the very first Five Kage Summit, which was a miracle in itself. Perhaps the heavens had finally grown weary of endless conflict, for peace did come—slowly, yes, but surely."
"Bit by bit, I earned the trust of the village," Hiruzen said. "I traveled far and wide, negotiating in the interests of Konoha. With time, my voice gained weight. I became more than just a placeholder where I had real influence in shaping the future of our village."
His tone darkened slightly as he continued.
"But even as we progressed, I began to see a deeper, dangerous flaw within our system."
He looked each of them in the eye, his voice steady.
"Konoha still runs under a structure that no longer fits the times. Every major decision whether it's policy, strategy, or reform must pass through the clan leaders. Without their support, nothing gets done."
"I can still manage for now since my experience and position give me the strength to navigate this burden. But what happens to the next Hokage? Will they have to fight the same battles? Will they be forced to drag the weight of clan politics while trying to lead the village forward?"
He exhaled slowly, the concern clear on his face.
"As time passes, the gap between social classes will grow. Opportunities for advancement will shrink. Shinobi born from lesser families will be left behind, unable to rise no matter how talented they are."
Hiruzen straightened his back.
"That's why, as your sensei, I must think beyond today. I need to lay the foundation for a better future, a system that doesn't depend solely on bloodline or privilege. A structure that the next Hokage can stand upon, strong and unshaken."
The students sat silently, taking in every word. Hiruzen's conviction was like a flame; quiet, but deeply stirring.
Then Orochimaru spoke, his voice sharp with suppressed anger.
"Sensei… why is it that brilliant people are always bound by the short-sightedness of others? Why must those who see the bigger picture always be held back?"
Hiruzen gave a small, understanding smile, though his reply was firm.
"That's not the way to look at it. They're not fools, they're the elders of the village. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. They simply stand on different ground, and from there, they see the world differently."
"As the Hokage, my duty is to look beyond the present and to weigh not only the fate of this village, but the stability of the shinobi world as a whole. Yet for the clan leaders who sit at the table beside me, their gaze is narrower, and understandably so. Their thoughts dwell on the welfare of their own: their clans, their children, and the legacies they hope to preserve."
"This is not a malice neither do it a selfishness but it's human nature. And in that very truth lies the heart of many conflicts. When personal loyalties and broader obligations pull in opposite directions, even the most well-meaning intentions can find themselves at odds."
"Peace is not simply the absence of war but it is the constant balancing of interests, the quiet struggle to hold together what so easily fragments. That is the burden of leadership and why a village must be led not only with strength, but with understanding."
He let that sink in before adding,
"Right now, most people still think in terms of their family or their clan. Very few see the village as a whole. That's where our mission lies—not just mine, but yours as well."
"We must guide this shift slowly and steadily. Until the loyalty to the village surpasses the loyalty to blood."
"You asked why I allow myself to be 'constrained' by them," Hiruzen said quietly, his gaze steady.
"But I am not constrained by anyone. It is not their grip that holds me back but it is my own restraint."
He paused, letting the silence carry weight before continuing. "Even a Hokage must live by principle, not merely by the laws we enforce, but by a deeper moral boundary. Without it, we are nothing more than tyrants wielding unchecked power."
His voice lowered, growing solemn.
"A person who casts aside that boundary... is no longer worthy of being called human."
He looked to each of his students where eyes filled with expectation, but also a quiet sadness.
"Restraint is not a weakness. It is a conscious choice the strong must make. It is the rope that we tie around our own strength to make sure that it not to limit ourselves, but to keep our feet on the ground. Because without that restraint, power drifts into arrogance… and leadership would becomes even more dominant."
"True strength," he finished, "is not in how high we rise, but in how firmly we stand when it would be easy to fall."
Hiruzen turned to Orochimaru, his eyes narrowing but not in anger, but with quiet, deliberate intent.
"Think of a kite," he said, his voice low and even. "When it breaks free from its string, it may feel as though it's been liberated but that freedom is an illusion. Without its anchor, it spins without purpose, tossed by every gust and in time… it tears itself apart and falls."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"Orochimaru… I pray you never sever the rope that keeps you steady. Because no matter how high you soar, it's your tether to the ground that keeps you from being lost."
In his heart, Hiruzen still carried the ache of the original timeline. He had watched this very student whom full of brilliance, unravel after the deaths of Nawaki and Dan. Sent to the Root division, exposed to cruelty and darkness, Orochimaru had slowly abandoned everything he once stood for. He had cut the very string that held him in the light until he became the man who murdered his own sensei.
That thought haunted Hiruzen. Among all his students, Orochimaru was the one he had to watch most closely. But this time… things were different.
He had been there for him not just as a teacher, but as something closer to a father. The cold defiance in Orochimaru's words earlier wasn't a rebellion. It was the frustrated voice of a son who couldn't understand why his father bowed to politics he didn't respect.
Would history repeat itself? Hiruzen didn't think so. Not this time.
Orochimaru, startled by the weight of Hiruzen's words, gave a small, uncertain nod. He didn't fully grasp what mistake he had made, but the seriousness in his sensei's tone left him uneasy.
Seeing the confusion in his student's bowed head, Hiruzen felt a twinge of guilt. He reached forward, gently lifting Orochimaru's face to meet his gaze.
"This isn't a scolding," he said gently.
"I am worrying about you and I always will."
Then he ruffled Orochimaru's hair with a soft smile.
"Now, let's head back. I imagine your mistress has prepared a grand feast to welcome us home."
"…Actually… let's just go get some ramen," Orochimaru muttered, slightly embarrassed.