After returning to the ANBU headquarters, Yako immediately summoned Squad Captain Hippo.
Hippo was puzzled. He had no idea why the deputy commander had called him.
"Hippo, Lord Yellow Dog has discussed this with me. There are some matters for you to handle," Yako said.
"The sacrifice of Adviser Mitokado Homura is certainly tragic.
However, the position of senior adviser has become vacant.
That's an opportunity—a great opportunity.
You understand the higher-ups, Hippo. They're experienced, entrenched advisers. Their seats rarely open up.
Lord Yellow Dog has decided to compete for the position of foreign affairs adviser."
The moment Hippo heard this, his eyes lit up.
He was Yellow Dog's subordinate. If Yellow Dog became an adviser, wouldn't his own authority rise along with him?
Several of Mitokado Homura's assistants had regular contact with daimyō and nobles across the nations. They even had the authority to recommend shinobi for certain major missions.
In Konoha, missions were the greatest form of power.
"Lord Fox, what should we do?"
Seeing how excited Hippo was, Yako said,
"This matter cannot be rushed. First we need to test the reactions of the other factions.
The Sarutobi clan will certainly support Lord Yellow Dog. But the attitudes of the other ninja clans are uncertain."
"Lord Fox! The Ino–Shika–Cho clans will definitely support Lord Yellow Dog!"
Behind his mask, Yako curled his lips slightly.
He had already heard that Akimichi Torifu had rejected the joint invitation from Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo.
The Ino–Shika–Cho clans had little interest in this affair.
Yako didn't contradict Hippo and continued,
"Hippo, your task is to spread rumors.
The content of the rumors should be that during the Second Shinobi World War, the ANBU performed exceptionally—and that Lord Yellow Dog made immense contributions as ANBU commander.
Exaggerate Lord Yellow Dog's achievements a little, and blur the timeline so villagers assume that throughout the entire war, the ANBU's achievements were all due to him.
You and I both know that Lord Yellow Dog only became ANBU commander after the war ended.
But if we don't say anything, how would the villagers know?
I assume Adviser Danzo won't care about such minor rumors.
So go ahead and do it boldly. Lord Yellow Dog and I will handle Adviser Danzo if necessary.
After that, spread another rumor—that Lord Yellow Dog is the Hokage's eldest son.
The Hokage placed his own son into the ANBU, the division with the highest casualty rate, to fight and bleed for Konoha.
Both father and son fear no sacrifice.
Right now the village is uneasy. Adviser Mitokado Homura was killed by a rogue ninja, and it has become dangerous for senior officials to leave the village.
In this moment of crisis, Lord Yellow Dog is willing to undertake dangerous foreign missions for Konoha."
Hippo nodded repeatedly. He now understood the plan of Lord Yellow Dog and Lord Fox.
Yako continued,
"You control the scale of it.
At the beginning, the rumors must not be too intense.
Release only a small amount of information at first. Gather the reactions of the Senju clan, the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan, and the others.
Pay attention to the attitudes of Adviser Danzo and Adviser Utatane Koharu—especially the comments made by their assistants.
Also monitor the reactions of Mitokado Homura's former subordinates.
If the reactions from all sides are not too intense, then increase the pressure gradually and release more rumors."
No—wait.
How could these be rumors?
I've done too much dirty work. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with legitimate matters.
"Anyway, go spread the word."
"I understand."
Hippo thought to himself that Lord Fox was as steady as ever.
It seemed Lord Yellow Dog and Lord Fox truly intended to accomplish this.
Hippo then asked,
"Lord Fox, Orochimaru's subordinates are also making moves. They say Lord Orochimaru intends to compete for the adviser position. What should we do about him?"
Yako replied,
"I'll go meet Orochimaru on behalf of Lord Yellow Dog.
I'm confident I can persuade him to withdraw."
Hearing that, Hippo relaxed immediately. As long as Lord Yellow Dog and Lord Fox had arrangements, everything would be fine.
Yako added,
"Hippo, you and I must both work hard.
Once Lord Yellow Dog becomes adviser, won't we rise along with him?"
Hippo thought to himself, Lord Fox, you've done too much dirty work—you keep using negative expressions.
What do you mean rise along with him?
Isn't this simply soaring to success?
Yako emphasized,
"Hippo, for matters like this, Lord Yellow Dog cannot act personally.
Otherwise it would make him appear overly eager for power.
If we handle things, there is far more room to maneuver.
If the situation turns unfavorable, Lord Yellow Dog can simply scold us and say we acted without authorization.
You understand?"
"I understand!"
Hippo immediately grasped Fox's meaning.
If the opposition within the village became too strong, they could simply claim that the subordinates had acted on their own.
Lord Yellow Dog must remain spotless.
Hippo left excitedly to probe the reactions of the various factions.
Within a few days, rumors spread throughout Konoha.
—
Deep within the Akimichi clan grounds.
Nara Shikakaku arrived by the small lake and saw Akimichi Torifu sleeping in the recliner.
"Uncle Torifu, I know you're awake."
Torifu opened his eyes and laughed.
"What a nuisance. Before, I could fool you and enjoy some peace. Now I can't even fool you anymore. What brings you here this time?"
"Uncle Torifu, since you refused the position of foreign affairs adviser, many rumors have begun circulating in the village," Shikakaku said.
"Some say Orochimaru will become the next foreign affairs adviser.
Others say Yellow Dog will take the position."
"Yellow Dog?" Torifu shook his head.
"To be honest, Yellow Dog is already barely qualified as ANBU commander.
The only reason he holds that position is because Danzo has refrained from dealing with him out of respect for Hiruzen.
If Danzo made a move, even three Yellow Dogs wouldn't survive him.
Another reason is that Yellow Dog has good fortune.
A certain Fox appeared within the ANBU.
For ordinary missions, Fox completes them with extremely high success rates.
When encountering rogue shinobi like Uchiha Madara, Fox can still survive.
He's extremely reliable.
Without either of those two factors, Yellow Dog couldn't hold the position of ANBU commander.
And now he wants to become an adviser?
I don't believe it.
This feels more like some method to suppress Orochimaru—raising a competitor to challenge him.
But..."
Torifu thought for a moment before continuing.
"But it doesn't quite make sense.
Aside from Orochimaru, does Sarutobi Hiruzen even have another candidate?
Why would he raise Yellow Dog to compete with Orochimaru?
I can't understand it.
Perhaps there's intelligence I'm missing.
Shikakaku, if you don't have additional information, then stay out of this matter.
Who becomes foreign affairs adviser doesn't matter to us.
The Ino–Shika–Cho clans are responsible for serving as guardian ninja for the daimyō of the Land of Whirlpools.
That nation lies east of the Land of Fire.
The greatest threat in that direction is the Hidden Mist Village.
Uchiha Madara's rogue organization is active in the west—in the Lands of Grass, Rain, and Rivers.
For now, the fire hasn't reached the Land of Whirlpools.
I believe we can wait."
The attitude of the Ino–Shika–Cho clans reflected that of many other ninja clans.
The Senju, the Uchiha, the Hyuga—all of them were indifferent to who became the new adviser.
After all, it wouldn't be one of them.
Seeing that opposition was minimal, Hippo increased the intensity of the rumors, testing how ordinary villagers would react.
The younger brother of the First Hokage had become the Second Hokage.
So why couldn't the son of the Third Hokage become the Fourth Hokage?
Wasn't two Hokage from one family already Konoha tradition?
—
In the southern forests of Konoha, deep within a secluded woodland, a hidden underground passage opened beneath the roots of ancient trees.
Yako arrived at the entrance and walked slowly down the slanted tunnel.
After several turns, he entered a laboratory.
Two experimental subjects lay on the operating tables.
At first glance something felt wrong.
Then Yako's pupils shrank.
A man's head had been stitched onto a woman's body.
A woman's head had been stitched onto a man's body.
Yako had killed many people before, but even he felt a visceral wave of revulsion at the sight.
Orochimaru had already begun researching soul transfer—the foundation of the forbidden immortality technique Living Corpse Reincarnation.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Orochimaru said.
"The soul is stored in the brain.
After switching the heads of two people, with the stimulation of my drugs, they can remain conscious for several minutes.
Unfortunately, although they are alive, they cannot control their bodies."
The woman stitched onto the man's body wept silently.
When she heard someone enter the laboratory, she believed salvation had arrived.
She tried to turn her head—but could not control her neck.
She tried to speak—but her mouth would not move.
"You see? How beautiful. Such powerful will to survive."
Yako had no interest in discussing Orochimaru's grotesque experiments.
"Orochimaru-sama, I'm here to negotiate with you on behalf of Lord Yellow Dog."
"A negotiation?" Orochimaru asked.
"What does Yellow Dog want?"
Yako answered directly.
"Lord Yellow Dog wants you to withdraw from the competition for the foreign affairs adviser position.
In exchange, he is willing to provide compensation."
"Compensation?" Orochimaru chuckled softly.
"I seek the adviser position for greater authority.
For greater access.
To support my increasingly complex forbidden experiments.
What could Yellow Dog offer me that compares to the power of being an adviser?"
Yako replied,
"Orochimaru-sama, the foreign affairs adviser is extremely busy.
You would need to travel between daimyō castles across the nations.
From the Land of Hot Water to the Land of Whirlpools alone takes nearly twenty days.
Are you certain you want that position?
Just the time spent traveling would drive you mad.
It would be a waste of your limited life."
Orochimaru frowned.
"I would send subordinates to negotiate with the daimyō."
"Impossible," Yako said.
"The nobles do not trust shinobi.
If an adviser speaks, it carries weight.
If an ordinary jonin says the same words, the difference is enormous.
When Mitokado Homura promised to protect one of a daimyō's heirs, the daimyō believed Konoha valued the matter greatly.
If an ordinary jonin made that promise—even if the exact same team carried out the mission—the daimyō would feel uneasy.
Without trust, your work would become impossible.
Orochimaru-sama, the adviser position that suits you is the one held by Danzo—handling the village's darker missions.
Even Utatane Koharu's internal affairs adviser role suits you better than foreign affairs.
Village administration can easily be delegated to subordinates.
Meanwhile you could remain in Konoha and continue your experiments comfortably.
And besides—
Lord Yellow Dog doesn't absolutely need the foreign affairs adviser seat.
The authority of ANBU commander is already great.
So the conditions you request cannot be excessive.
Otherwise Lord Yellow Dog will simply remain ANBU commander."
"Hearing you explain it this way, foreign affairs adviser does seem unsuitable for me," Orochimaru said.
"But..."
He stared at Yako.
"When did you become so loyal to Yellow Dog?
Did someone trap you in a genjutsu?
Since we cooperated on the Wood Release research and you showed me the Scroll of Seals, I've been busy with experiments and haven't paid much attention to you.
What have you been doing recently?
Is serving Yellow Dog just another performance of yours?"
"A performance?" Yako laughed softly.
"Orochimaru-sama, if I can perform for an entire lifetime, then what difference is there between that and genuine loyalty?
To be honest, I simply want to advance.
I know my limits.
I cannot become ANBU commander anytime soon.
If Lord Yellow Dog rises to adviser, he will not relinquish the ANBU.
And as the only deputy commander, I would hold enormous influence.
Not quite absolute authority—
but close enough."
"I see," Orochimaru said thoughtfully.
"Your true aim is for Yellow Dog to retain control of the ANBU while serving as your public shield."
After thinking for a moment, he continued,
"The foreign affairs adviser position truly doesn't suit me.
My time is extremely valuable.
To waste time is to waste life.
The Scroll of Seals contains many forbidden techniques—
but none of Hiruzen-sensei's own.
My teacher collected countless forbidden techniques, yet refused to record the one he invented himself.
That technique…
It is my obsession.
My obsession."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If Sarutobi Shinnosuke gives me the Five Release: Great Bullet Technique, then I will withdraw from the competition for the adviser position."
Yako was momentarily stunned.
He had not expected that technique.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru had launched the Konoha Crush not purely to kill the Third Hokage.
It had felt more like a demonstration of forbidden techniques—almost as if he wanted to prove something to his teacher.
But the Third Hokage had chosen a resolute path and attempted to die alongside him.
The truth was—
Hiruzen had never been completely satisfied with Orochimaru.
Failing to learn the Five Release: Great Bullet Technique had become Orochimaru's lingering regret.
Yako said,
"I'll discuss this with Lord Yellow Dog.
I'll return tomorrow night with an answer."
After leaving Orochimaru's laboratory, Yako went straight home.
Discuss it?
What was there to discuss?
It was only the Five Release: Great Bullet Technique.
He could simply give it to Orochimaru.
If Orochimaru mastered the Five Release technique and still continued researching Wood Release…
Sarutobi Kanosuke wouldn't secretly be your alternate identity, would he?
Konoha has treated you well.
You're the Third Hokage's own student.
How could you secretly harm Konoha's people?