Inside the quiet room, the atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment. However, it was only for a moment before Minato asked with a frown, "He likes Kushina?"
"Hehehe... Minato-kun, there is no one else here. Given our relationship, there is no need to be so secretive." Orochimaru laughed low and meaningfully, "And besides, you really have no talent for acting."
"..."
His furrowed brow slowly relaxed, and Minato's expression returned to calm once more. "So, how did Senior notice?"
"It is the attitude." With a smile playing on his lips, Orochimaru leaned back casually in his chair, crossed his arms, and explained calmly, "A person's attitude differs when facing different people—respect for elders, equality for friends, care for Juniors. These differences in attitude can be detected."
"For example, I have always treated Minato-kun as an equal because, in my eyes, Minato-kun is a confidant, a fellow traveler on the path of ideals. So even if Minato-kun is just a child, I would still see you as an equal."
"But I am not the only one around Minato-kun with such an attitude; Tsunade is the same."
"So here is the question: no matter how strong Minato-kun is, in most people's eyes, he is just a child, a Junior who needs care. I treat Minato-kun as an equal because I see him as a confidant, but what is Tsunade's reason?"
"At first, I thought it was just Minato-kun's precociousness that made Tsunade subconsciously see you as a peer, but some later events changed my mind."
"What events?" Minato asked curiously.
"She quit gambling. That in itself is an incredible miracle." Orochimaru chuckled. "Jiraiya noticed it too. We once thought she was in love, so out of curiosity, I had my subordinates look into Tsunade's social interactions during that period."
"Do not misunderstand, I have no intention of prying into your privacy; it was purely for gossip."
Minato: "..."
"According to the investigation results, Tsunade did not have close contact with any male, but I still discovered some interesting things." Orochimaru listed them off: "For instance, outside of work, she spends the most time with you. Occasionally, she goes out to buy clothes and cosmetics, and she even uses the Transformation Technique to buy Romance Novels—specifically favoring those with younger male leads."
"To be honest, I was a bit incredulous at first—the idea that a teammate I have known for years could be a pervert or something. But this subjective behavioral tendency makes it impossible for me to even make excuses for her by saying she does not recognize her own feelings."
"But that is my teacher's behavior, not mine. Why say Kato Dan is my love rival?" Minato pressed.
"If you were truly oblivious to this, you would not be worthy of my high regard. But since you know and have not taken any action, it shows that this is exactly what you want." Orochimaru said playfully, "How greedy~ Minato-kun."
A rare flash of embarrassment crossed Minato's face. "Please keep this a secret."
"Of course. I am just a gossip, not a blabbermouth." Noticing Minato's reaction, Orochimaru found it quite amusing. "Let us get back to your love rival. Kato Dan, $25$ years old, a member of the Konoha Jonin Corps."
"Personality-wise, he is a bit like Minato-kun—both of you are guys who like to use your looks to trick people into liking you. However, his sense of purpose is too strong, and his methods seem a bit clumsy, not as sophisticated as your vibe."
"..."
Minato's mouth twitched, unable to tell for a moment whether the other was praising or insulting him.
Orochimaru continued, "As for strength, Kato Dan specializes in the Spirit Transformation Technique. His talent for Ninjutsu is excellent, and he possesses some research capability. I dealt with him for a while back when I was researching the Spirit Transformation Technique."
"This man's strength is that he knows how to present himself and is good at maneuvering through social circles. At least in my view, that counts as a merit."
"His weakness is a lack of Heart-Nature. He is too immersed in the pursuit of the opposite sex and the flattery of others. He is a bit self-righteous, only saying pretty words and refusing to put in the hard work to Cultivate. This has led to him having nothing much to show for himself besides Ninjutsu."
"Of course, that is relative to his talent. In reality, Dan's strength is decent among Jonin, but only decent. The Old Man originally intended to groom him, but unfortunately, he failed to seize the opportunity." Orochimaru said, giving a seemingly mocking smile.
Hearing this, Minato's eyebrows quirked slightly. "Just now, he tried to approach me through Nawaki."
"I am not surprised. While I was researching the Spirit Transformation Technique, he also flattered me intentionally or unintentionally, taking the opportunity to express his admiration for Tsunade. I just ignored him." Orochimaru chuckled softly. "As for his intentions in approaching Tsunade, that is open to interpretation. So, Minato-kun, do you want me to help you get rid of him?"
"That won't be necessary..." Minato sighed helplessly. "But he really is a guy who is hard to like."
"He is a love rival, after all," Orochimaru said with a shrug and a teasing tone.
Minato ignored Orochimaru's teasing. "Can you help me find out how he became Nawaki's Squad-Leading Jonin?"
"No need to look into that; I was there at the Jonin meeting." Orochimaru propped his chin on one hand and crossed his legs. "Kato Dan applied to be Akimichi Choza's Squad-Leading Jonin on the grounds that he had a good relationship with that little fatty and had even bought him snacks."
"However, the Ino-Shika-Cho have always been led by members of the Sarutobi clan. So, he had to settle for the next best thing and applied to be Nawaki's teacher, using the same excuse."
"Settle for the next best thing?" Minato's tone was odd. "Among the Konoha Jonin, he is probably the only one who does not know that every generation of Ino-Shika-Cho is led by the Sarutobi clan, right?"
"That is why I said his sense of purpose is too strong and his methods are too clumsy." Orochimaru said playfully, "Chasing women has turned his brain to mush, thinking the Old Man is some little fangirl by his side. Minato-kun, you must not be like him~"
"..."
Minato sighed. "Thank you for this time, Senior."
"Between us, saying 'thank you' is too formal." Orochimaru said indifferently, "But since Minato-kun came to me first, I will take care of that guy."
"You are not going to kill him, are you?" Minato hesitated.
"Of course not." Orochimaru said meaningfully, "This kind of thing has not reached the point where someone needs to die."
Minato was thoughtful but did not press further. He received an information sync from his Wood Clone; Nawaki's test was over, and Kato Dan was treating them to Dango. After thanking Orochimaru, Minato left Root.
Watching Minato's departing figure, Orochimaru's gaze was inscrutable. He then pulled out a notebook and wrote down three lines:
Wood Release + Senju
Wood Release + Uzumaki
Wood Release + Uchiha
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