Proud,
Extreme,
Stubborn.
When someone like that also has real power, they can't stand even the smallest humiliation.
After the Nine-Tails attack, no one wanted to find the real culprit more than the Uchiha. Like someone with an obsession with cleanliness, they wanted more than anyone else to clear their name.
Sadly, the real culprit left them no chance, not even a trace behind.
Objectively, they would naturally be blamed for the disaster, suspected, gossiped about, and pointed at.
With the pride of the Uchiha clan, how could they accept that?
This wasn't just one person's will, it was the will of the whole clan.
In this situation, Orochimaru was quite confident they would accept the mission to fight for the village.
It was a thankless job, bringing no real benefit, only for the sake of proving themselves. That wasn't a way for a clan to survive.
But the Uchiha really might do it, because they were crazy.
Yes, they were Uchiha after all!
Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly stunned, his tense face relaxed a little, but then he quickly thought of another question. "And who would lead the Uchiha?"
Orochimaru licked his lips and grinned. "You could send Jiraiya. He has the rank and the skill for it."
Before Jiraiya could say anything, the Third Hokage immediately rejected the idea. "No. Jiraiya cannot do such a thing."
The plan might have been an open scheme, but it was still ruthless and obvious. Anyone with a sharp mind could see through it.
If Jiraiya took on this role, it would ruin his reputation.
At that moment, a figure flashed in Hiruzen's mind—someone he would normally entrust with such things.
"If Jiraiya can't do it… then do you mean Danzo should?"
Orochimaru smirked, his expression mocking. "Don't forget what just happened in this very room."
Would the Uchiha ever follow someone who had just humiliated them?
If they could swallow their pride that much, they wouldn't even bother to accept this war mission.
It was a false question.
Hiruzen realized it, and he looked at his student with a deep voice. "So your goal from the very start was this—to lead the Uchiha into war. Orochimaru, what are you really after?"
Faced with the Hokage's question, Orochimaru chuckled and went on, "Koharu and Homura are already old. At best, they're elite jonin. Against the Uchiha, they won't be able to hold things down.
As for my goal, that doesn't matter. But, old man, if you don't choose me… are you planning to step up yourself?"
Hiruzen frowned.
If it were up to him, he would rather let Danzo take the blame.
After working with Danzo for so many years, he knew what Danzo wanted and was confident he could keep him under control.
But this student before him… Hiruzen had to admit, the more Orochimaru grew, the harder he became to read.
Not long ago, Orochimaru still gave off the feeling that he was waiting for the right time to leave the village and break free from all ties.
Yet recently, he suddenly started showing concern for the village, which made people worry if he had hidden motives.
"Old man, Orochimaru having his own thoughts isn't such a big deal. No need to overreact."
Seeing the tension rise in the room again, Jiraiya tried to ease things. "Orochimaru, just tell us your goal. As long as you're not doing anything to harm the village, neither I nor the old man will stop you."
"Bringing you here today turned out to be the right call."
Orochimaru smiled. "Old man, I promise, whatever I do will only benefit the village."
That eerie smile still looked dangerous, but the weight in Hiruzen's heart eased a little.
It was not trust exactly, but his instinct as a teacher told him that Orochimaru wasn't lying at this moment.
"By the way, Jiraiya, you should be the one taking care of Minato's child now, right?"
Orochimaru's grin widened. "While you're at it, help me take care of another child too. You've met him before."
"Oh, you mean that somewhat awkward kid."
Jiraiya recalled the short boy he had seen training with Guy and Kakashi. "No problem, leave it to me."
"Make sure you take him seriously and keep him safe."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "That child, Yamato, can use Wood Release."
Both the Third and Jiraiya were shocked when they heard this. "He is…"
Orochimaru cut them off. "Not what you're thinking. He's not from the First Hokage's bloodline. He's the result of the research Danzo and I did with the First's cells."
The Third Hokage's face suddenly changed. "Orochimaru, you…"
"Don't be so angry. It happened a long time ago. I only just learned about this child and took him back from someone else."
Orochimaru ignored the Third Hokage's anger and continued, "I've read the early research records on the First Hokage's cells. The old man knew about that experiment too, but too many people died, so you shut it down.
Later, Danzo secretly restarted the experiment, and that gave me the chance to step in."
Under Jiraiya's strange gaze, the Third Hokage's expression stiffened. Slowly, he sat back down in his chair.
"This child is very important. He's our backup in case the Nine Tails goes out of control. Make sure he's well-trained."
"Oh, and be careful of Danzo."
After saying that, Orochimaru stood up and walked away quickly. As he stepped out the door, a faint smile curled on his lips.
Heh… with the old man holding him back, Danzo has no chance of leading the ninja forces.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura might be ordinary, but at least they don't have too much selfish ambition. They won't stir up trouble on purpose.
…
Not far from the Hokage building, inside a house.
"Huff… huff…"
Yamato adjusted his breathing while pulling weeds in the yard.
This was Orochimaru's house in the village, and now it was Yamato's place to stay in Konoha.
It hadn't been lived in for a long time. Compared to here, Orochimaru spent most of his time in labs and on the battlefield, so the weeds had grown wild, and the walls were worn down.
But Yamato was satisfied. Back when he was in the Root labs, he mostly saw dull, dusty ceilings. Even seeing the sky was hard, let alone having a house with a yard.
He had to hurry and clean this place up. Next time he trained, he wouldn't have to squeeze into Guy's little house.
Thinking of his two new friends, Yamato's lips curved slightly.
"Swish…"
With a sharp sound of wind, a figure appeared in the yard.
When he saw who it was, Yamato quickly stood up and bowed. "Orochimaru-sama."
"Heh, good work. You've fixed this place up well."
Orochimaru glanced around. A flicker of nostalgia crossed his eyes, but it quickly vanished, replaced by his usual smile—cold and dangerous.
His eyes swept up and down Yamato, and the scrutiny made Yamato tense up without thinking.
"Yamato, you seem to be enjoying yourself lately."
Yamato's heart skipped a beat.
Orochimaru licked his lips. "Don't be afraid. I'm not blaming you for anything."
It wasn't obvious on his face, but the boy looked much livelier than when he had just left Root.
The reason was easy to guess—his environment had changed, and he had more people around him.
"I've got some things to take care of soon, so I'll have the old man and Jiraiya look after you for a while."
Orochimaru put a hand on Yamato's tense shoulder and said softly, "Think carefully about what you can say and what you can't."
"Yes," Yamato answered right away.
"Other than collecting your cells regularly, I don't plan to mess with your life right now."
Orochimaru patted the boy's shoulder. "Don't make things hard for me."
Yamato dropped to one knee. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."
Of course, he would never betray Orochimaru, even if the Hokage and another Sannin were by his side.
At eleven years old, Yamato understood well—the ones standing in the light couldn't protect him. Orochimaru could.