"Old man, call Jiraiya back. Someone's got their eyes on Konoha… and on the Jinchuriki."
Orochimaru said with a sly smile, "If you won't let me raise him, then hand him to someone who can protect him."
For Orochimaru, as long as the Otsutsuki power that Naruto represented could be developed faster and better, it didn't matter who raised him.
Innovating? The lamp spirit made it sound so easy. But right now, Orochimaru hadn't even figured out exactly what the "old" was, let alone how to create the "new."
In this situation, a precious material like Naruto—rich in so many elements—couldn't be allowed to go to waste.
Because of this, Orochimaru didn't mind making things sound more alarming.
"Someone has their eyes on Konohagakure?" The Third Hokage's gaze sharpened. "Orochimaru, what do you know?"
"I don't know much more than you."
Orochimaru put away his smile and said seriously, "Other than a Jinchuriki, there's only one other way to control the Nine-Tails."
Hearing this, the Third Hokage fell silent.
Even someone as inexperienced as Minato could guess it. As someone who had witnessed the battle at the Valley of the End, how could the Third Hokage not understand?
Or rather, in the ninja world, it wasn't even much of a secret.
Uchiha Madara.
Mangekyo Sharingan.
The current situation, where every village controls its own Tailed Beast, all started because Madara once controlled the Nine-Tails to attack Konohagakure. Afterward, the First Hokage worried that the remaining Tailed Beasts would become a danger, so he gathered them and distributed them to the other villages.
Tonight, when the Nine-Tails went berserk, the tomoe in its eyes could be seen clearly.
Was this simply a trap Madara had left behind? Or… did some of the Uchiha in the village take part?
Countless thoughts ran through the Third Hokage's mind, making it hard for him to stay calm.
If it was the first case, then fine—he just needed to protect the new Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. But if it was the second…
The village had already suffered heavy losses tonight, including the deaths of the Hokage and the Jinchuriki—two Kage-level fighters. They definitely needed Jiraiya to return and keep those with bad intentions in check.
"I'll send someone to contact Jiraiya right away."
The Third Hokage said this while looking at Orochimaru again.
Orochimaru was also his student, and had the power to protect the village like a Kage. But at some point, the two of them had grown distant.
By now, even a normal conversation between them felt difficult.
Facing the Third Hokage's complicated gaze, Orochimaru let out a quiet laugh in his mind. "The old man is still so sentimental."
Orochimaru had once thought about one day destroying the village the old man treasured. But now, he no longer cared about that. The only thing he sought was eternal life.
"Genie Lamp, if there's nothing else here, let's hurry back to the Root. I can't wait to restart the First Hokage cell research."
"No need to rush that."
The Genie Lamp's voice carried a smile. "In the last First Hokage cell experiment, one subject actually survived—and even awakened Wood Release."
"What?"
Orochimaru's expression turned into a mix of shock and anger, with a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"So, our first small goal is to take that Wood Release boy from Danzo, and squeeze a good price out of him while we're at it."
…
Meanwhile, deep in the village.
Amid the ruins, Uchiha Police Force Captain Uchiha Fugaku was leading his clan members to safely guide non-combatants to the shelters.
But in shadows darker than the night, a squad of ninja was watching the busy Uchiha.
One of the Root ninjas couldn't help but speak. "Sir, aren't we going to join the rescue?"
Even though the Nine-Tails had rampaged for less than ten minutes, the destruction was huge. Among the ruins, many injured people who couldn't move were crying out, and rescue workers were in short supply everywhere.
"Keep your eyes on the Uchiha first." Danzo glanced sideways at the Root ninja. "Don't forget—they can't wash their hands of what happened tonight."
The Root ninja froze inside. The Nine-Tails had appeared out of nowhere, and its eyes had the tomoe pattern unique to the Sharingan. The Uchiha clan was indeed suspicious.
Swoosh!
After a sharp sound of wind, a Root ninja dropped to one knee. "Danzo-sama, the intel team reports that the Nine-Tails has been sealed, and the Fourth Hokage and his wife died because of it."
"What?"
The shadows around them stirred. Even Danzo, who always had an expressionless face and deep scheming, couldn't help but change color. He stepped forward and grabbed the Root ninja by the shoulder. "Say that again. What happened exactly?"
The Root ninja spoke with disbelief in his voice. "The Nine-Tails has been sealed, but the Fourth Hokage and his wife died because of it."
Danzo clenched his fist hard, as if it took all his strength to hold back the storm of emotions inside him.
For a moment, there was only one thought in his mind: The young Fourth is gone. The Hokage's seat is open again.
…
Night grew darker as dawn neared. Danzo dragged his tired body back to the Root base.
The Hokage's seat—once he calmed down, Danzo knew this time it couldn't be his.
Konoha had just gone through a huge disaster. Many mid- and high-ranking ninjas were dead, even the Hokage himself. In this situation, the village would want stability above all else. Most likely, they wouldn't rush to pick a new Hokage. The one most likely to return was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After all, the Third Hokage wasn't too old yet. His staff still swung with power, and he was strong enough to drive the rampaging Nine-Tails out of Konoha. He could easily serve as Hokage for a few more years.
And besides, the Fourth hadn't been Hokage for long. The power the Third Hokage had given away wasn't fully passed down yet. Taking it back now wouldn't be hard.
Knowing the former winner was about to win again, Danzo's mood tonight was anything but good.
And soon, it got even worse.
In the Root meeting room, on a chair just like the Hokage's, sat a thin figure. The man even had his feet propped up on the table in an arrogant way.
Danzo was shocked at first. When he saw the man's face, his expression turned dark. He snapped, "Orochimaru, what are you doing here?"
"Danzo-sama, you look like you had quite an eventful night."
Orochimaru let out a long sigh, speaking in his hoarse voice, "But not me. My long-time partner playing two-faced games—acting one way in front of me and another behind my back. It makes me shake with anger. I'm sweating cold in the middle of summer, my hands and feet freezing, and I can't even sleep."
What nonsense is this? Danzo frowned, not understanding this kind of cryptic talk. "What are you trying to say, Orochimaru? I don't have time for riddles."
"The First Hokage cell experiments—you told me all the test subjects died without exception."
Orochimaru dropped his casual tone and stared straight at Danzo. "But today, I found that's not true. That boy with Wood Release, code name A—how much longer were you planning to hide him from me, Danzo-sama?"
Danzo's heart skipped a beat, then he burst out in rage, shouting, "Orochimaru, how dare you meddle in my Root?"