A moment later, at the front-line camp in the Land of Grass, Orochimaru received instructions from Hiruzen Sarutobi. He turned to Kaede and smiled.
"Looks like Hokage-sama has come to believe it," he said with a chuckle.
Kaede shrugged nonchalantly. "Having such power at not yet eleven years old will certainly raise suspicions about where it comes from. I should thank you, Orochimaru-sensei, for helping explain and cover it up."
The information Orochimaru passed on to Sarutobi pointed to a Kekkei Genkai that enhanced speed, rather than mentioning the power of time.
Kaede wasn't particularly concerned about exposing the time acceleration ability. The ability he needed to keep hidden was time reversal, since with that, he could handle almost any unexpected situation.
Orochimaru's cover-up was his own personal decision.
Kaede could guess why Orochimaru hid it. Perhaps Orochimaru didn't mind being open with Sarutobi, but he certainly didn't want Danzo to know about the ability.
Because Orochimaru and Danzo had always been involved in secretive dealings, Orochimaru likely understood the consequences if Danzo discovered his power and had taken precautions.
"Heh heh, unless one has studied the body to a certain degree, it's hard to link your performance to time manipulation. The speed-enhancing Kekkei Genkai covers it well. But even if your ability is exposed, enemies won't find a way to counter it. The real problem is if certain people find out, it might cause unnecessary trouble."
Orochimaru chuckled.
After spending so much time with Kaede, he knew that Kaede's thinking wasn't that of a mere child under eleven years old, but rather a cautious, mature, and rational ninja. So, he subtly pointed out the key issue, confident Kaede would understand.
Hearing Orochimaru's words, Kaede couldn't help but sigh. If Orochimaru were truly just protecting his student without any ulterior motives regarding his Kekkei Genkai, it would indeed be quite touching.
But the message couldn't be clearer.
Time acceleration and a speed-enhancing Kekkei Genkai essentially offer the same type of benefit: increased speed. This means that if enemies can counter speed-based ninja, they could also handle Kaede. Therefore, exposing this power wouldn't have much impact on how his abilities are countered.
The key issue lies in the unnecessary trouble that could arise from revealing this ability, and that trouble, clearly, refers to Danzo.
"Danzo's always been quite interested in me," Kaede said with a slight laugh. "When I first showed some of my talents, he tried to recruit me into Root."
Given his current strength and status, Kaede felt no need to hide anything from Orochimaru. After all, he now had enough power to reach the highest levels of the village, and Orochimaru was aligned with him.
Orochimaru gave a brief "Heh," and said, "Danzo has always been interested in young, talented ninjas in the village. But he cares most about his own interests, and he disregards all rules. If you had revealed your talent earlier, you might have been another one of his targets, like Kakashi."
"I think that's true."
Kaede shrugged. "He's probably still eyeing me now, but he probably won't make a move during wartime."
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "Don't worry too much. Hokage-sama won't let him act recklessly, especially against someone like you. But the current system of the village is rather decayed. If I become the Fourth Hokage, some reforms will be necessary."
After this incident, Orochimaru was certain that Kaede was aligned with him. At least for now, before the power structure of Konoha changes, Kaede was on his side. Therefore, he didn't mind discussing his views on the village.
"I will support you, Orochimaru-sensei."
Kaede nodded lightly.
He had no connections with Minato Namikaze, and when it came time for the two to vie for the Fourth Hokage position, he would stand with Orochimaru.
From every angle, Orochimaru had the capabilities to become the Fourth Hokage. Even during the Chūnin Exams period, Orochimaru still cared about Konoha. otherwise, he wouldn't have been moved when attacking Sarutobi, shedding tears when looking at the village.
However, when Minato became the Fourth Hokage, it was largely due to his soft-handed approach.
In the original story, Minato's rise to Hokage had little to do with his military accomplishments, as Orochimaru's contributions from the Second and Third Great Ninja Wars were comparable to Minato's. Orochimaru had far more experience and seniority than Minato.
Minato's appointment was simple: he was easier to control and posed no threat to the elder council's power.
If Orochimaru had become the Fourth Hokage, he certainly wouldn't have allowed Danzo, Tsunade, or other council members to retain so much power. He would've cleaned the house.
This was the reason the Konoha high-ups collectively supported Minato.
The reality was that Konoha's system had rotted. This could be clearly seen in later events, like the Uchiha massacre.
Kaede didn't want to leave Konoha because of the many people he was familiar with. But since he didn't want to leave, his existence would inevitably threaten the high-ranking officials of the village. He would either be ostracized or become Hokage and clean house.
Becoming Orochimaru's student was an unexpected turn.
Kaede originally planned to become Hokage, clean up the village, and then retire, leaving the position to Kakashi.
"I wonder what would happen if Orochimaru became the Fourth Hokage," Kaede murmured to himself, unable to stop himself from chuckling.
He imagined Orochimaru would be too busy handling the decaying elders like Tsunade and Danzo while managing the village's affairs and coordinating the relationships between various clans.
With all that on his plate, Orochimaru might never have time to study forbidden jutsus like Edo Tensei, and would probably remain Hokage until he retired.
"Heh, with your support, I feel more confident now."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a slight smile.
He knew how difficult it would be to become Hokage. Konoha's higher-ups would likely oppose him. The only thing in his favor was that Jiraiya and Tsunade had no interest in the position, but Jiraiya's student, Minato, was being groomed as the heir.
Without enough influence and power, Orochimaru's hope of becoming Hokage rested on Sarutobi's support. He needed Sarutobi's full backing to have a chance, and even remaining neutral wouldn't work.
Now, with Kaede's support, he had a powerful ally.
For the first time, Orochimaru felt there might actually be a chance.
After all, Kaede, in terms of both power and accomplishments, had already established himself as someone with a certain level of authority in Konoha.
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