Amemiya Kenichi felt sympathy for the Uchiha Clan's plight, but he had no intention of helping them. In fact, he was considering getting involved to skim off some extra cash. After all, running experiments was incredibly expensive.
As a Genin, Amemiya Kenichi could only take on a limited number of missions. He could scrape by, but setting up a proper laboratory was beyond his means.
Yesterday's elective mission was to establish his own lab, a task that wouldn't be easy to complete.
His teacher had a lab thanks to his reputation and skill, but also because Root provided financial backing.
"Gotta make money... Didn't expect I'd have to hustle even in this world," Amemiya Kenichi muttered, rubbing his face. He needed to figure out how to get his hands on some serious cash.
He'd calculated yesterday that his savings were enough to build the basic structure of a lab, but he couldn't afford any equipment. What kind of lab was it without equipment?
There was no way he could complete the mission like this.
"The only major events in Konoha that could make me some money right now seem to be the Nine-Tailed Beast Uprising and Teacher's defection," Amemiya Kenichi muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice.
The best way to get rich, of course, was to take money directly from others. The Uchiha Clan's annihilation would have been the perfect opportunity, but unfortunately, that was still a long way off.
As for Teacher's defection, his best chance would be to inherit Teacher's lab. But then he'd have to face the consequences. Even if he avoided them, without enough power, he'd just become Danzo's puppet.
That wouldn't do at all.
Lost in thought, Amemiya Kenichi walked into a ramen shop—not Ichiraku Ramen, but another place he preferred for its cheaper prices.
He planned to grab a bite, then head back to refine his chakra and practice the ninjutsu Teacher had taught him.
But before he could even sit down, he spotted someone vaguely familiar.
"Senior Brother Amemiya!" A girl excitedly ran up to him. Looking at the little girl, Amemiya Kenichi took a deep breath.
He regretted letting Xiao Hongdou call him "Senior Brother." It had just been a joke, but she'd taken it seriously.
"Anko, what brings you here?" Amemiya Kenichi greeted her with a gentle smile.
The girl before him was Anko Mitarashi, another of Orochimaru's disciples, though she knew nothing of his experiments.
Kenichi alone understood the darkness of his teacher, a fact that worried him. What would become of him when Orochimaru inevitably defected?
But Anko hadn't died in the future, she'd even reappeared later. So Orochimaru probably wouldn't go too far, right?
Still, Kenichi refused to entrust his life to others. This was something he needed to keep firmly in his own hands.
"I just finished a Genin mission, Senior Brother! I'm going to become a Chūnin!" Anko exclaimed, her eyes squinting as she stood up.
Kenichi's lips twitched. His little junior sister had real talent, unlike him, who had none whatsoever for being a ninja.
Fortunately, all of that was in the past.
"That's good. You need to train hard," Amemiya Kenichi said with a smile. He casually ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen. Noticing Anko's eager gaze, he also ordered her some mochi balls and red bean soup.
"Senior Brother, you're the best!" Anko Mitarashi exclaimed happily. Amemiya Kenichi shook his head in amusement. This little girl was perfect in every way, except for her insatiable sweet tooth—especially for mochi balls and red bean soup, a combination that made it even sweeter.
Meanwhile, the Hokage Building wasn't so peaceful. Danzo glared at his old friend Sarutobi Hiruzen, his tone blunt: "Hiruzen, you're old. It's time to step down."
Though Konoha had emerged victorious from the Third Shinobi World War, the cost had been too high. To stabilize the situation, Konoha needed the Third Hokage, who had signed the peace treaty, to resign.
"I will step down. Prepare for the Fourth Hokage election," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, taking a puff of his pipe and glancing at the agitated Danzo.
Had his longtime friend finally succumbed to his ambition?
"I think Orochimaru would be a good choice," Shimura Danzo unexpectedly suggested, prompting Sarutobi Hiruzen to glance at him again.
"Orochimaru, huh? He's not a bad option," Sarutobi Hiruzen said calmly, taking another puff of his pipe.
Seeing the hint of smugness on his old friend's face, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt nothing.
As the teacher of the Three Great Sages, Sarutobi Hiruzen knew his former disciple Orochimaru well, especially how Orochimaru had become dangerously obsessed. Such a man could never become Hokage.
Otherwise, Konoha would be plunged into even greater danger. Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to support another ninja who had distinguished himself in the recent war.
Moreover, Orochimaru had recently grown too close to Danzo. While Danzo controlled Root, Konoha's Anbu weren't just sitting around doing nothing.
*Come to think of it, according to Anbu reports, Orochimaru's apprentice, Amemiya Kenichi, has been frequently leaving the village.*
Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered this.
Wherever a person goes, they leave traces.
Though Orochimaru and Amemiya Kenichi were meticulous and cautious, the Anbu had still managed to uncover a few clues.
Unaware that the Third Hokage had already set his sights on him, Amemiya Kenichi had returned home.
He couldn't go to the lab alone. According to his teacher, Orochimaru, if Kenichi went by himself, the Anbu would easily discover him, and that would be a real problem.
"It might come to me having to clean house, Kenichi," Orochimaru had said, his voice gentle but his eyes dangerous. Kenichi believed his teacher was serious.
So, unless Orochimaru took him there, Kenichi pretended he knew nothing about the lab.
"I really want to go to the lab," Kenichi muttered, lying on his bed, restless.
He wanted to test his idea, see if it was feasible. If it worked, he might be able to create a dangerous Forbidden Technique.
But he couldn't go alone.
Suddenly, he sat up. Even if he couldn't go to the lab, he could still go to the hospital. And those kinds of patients were probably more likely to be found there anyway.