Minato Namikaze was speechless, his expression caught between embarrassment and guilt.
That "rat" Ryuyun mentioned… it had to be him, right?
Surveillance was one thing, but being found out—that was mortifying.
Tsunade, who had overheard, instantly became serious.
"There's a monitor near our house? Why didn't I notice anything?"
"Your sensory skills are still lacking," Aoyama Ryuyun said bluntly.
Minato couldn't deny it—Ryuyun was right. His own sensory abilities far exceeded Tsunade's, so it wasn't surprising she hadn't detected him.
"…"
Tsunade's brow twitched.
Damn it. Are you looking down on me?
If he weren't my man, I'd send him flying through the roof right now.
"We're being monitored, huh? Damn it!" she spat, clenching her fists.
She wasn't stupid—there was only one man in Konoha who would spy on them.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Then why didn't you deal with that rat?" she demanded sharply, turning toward Aoyama Ryuyun without hesitation.
She didn't for a second believe that Ryuyun was some merciful saint.
"Well, I was planning to eliminate him tonight," Ryuyun said casually, waving his hand as if it were trivial. "But then this little gathering came up."
Minato stiffened.
Was it just his imagination, or did Ryuyun's gaze linger on him—calm, sharp, and deliberate?
"Minato? What's wrong?" Kushina asked softly, noticing his unease.
"Ah—nothing, nothing at all!" he replied quickly.
What am I supposed to say? That I was the rat about to be eliminated?
Honestly, Minato felt an odd wave of gratitude toward his teacher, Jiraiya, for calling this meeting when he did.
Jiraiya, however, was oblivious to Minato's discomfort.
His mind was on the bigger picture—Aoyama Ryuyun and Tsunade being under surveillance.
Don't let Jiraiya's easygoing nature fool you; he saw things clearly.
He simply used his carefree attitude to hide how much he truly understood.
He knew how dark Konoha had become.
That was part of the reason he would later choose to wander the world—not just to find the Child of Prophecy foretold by the Great Toad Sage, but because he couldn't stand the politics consuming his village.
Teacher…
He sighed silently and said no more.
Instead, he raised his cup. "Drink, drink! It's not every day we all get together like this—come on!"
The tension eased, and laughter returned to the table.
Seeing that Ryuyun seemed unconcerned about the surveillance, Minato finally relaxed a little and drank with his teacher.
Kushina started chatting with Tsunade, reminiscing about old times and gossiping about how life had changed since finding their respective partners.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya, flushed from sake, was focused entirely on his prized student.
He was genuinely proud of Minato—gentle, brilliant, and full of potential.
"Come on, Minato! You're a ninja! Not drinking is against the way of men!"
Minato sighed. "Master, you're breaking your own three taboos again."
But of course, Jiraiya ignored him. Minato could only give in and drink, face tight with helpless amusement.
At the far end of the table, Aoyama Ryuyun and Orochimaru were far quieter.
Orochimaru's golden eyes glinted as he studied Ryuyun's calm profile.
The memory of that Haoshoku Haki-like aura still haunted him.
That overwhelming pressure—the sense that his life could be snuffed out in an instant—was something Orochimaru could never forget.
"I never thought the mighty Golden Lion would show such a benevolent side," he murmured, lips curling into a faint, eerie smile.
Ryuyun didn't reply, but his silence told Orochimaru everything.
He'd noticed Minato's reaction earlier too—it wasn't hard to piece together who the spy was.
"Minato Namikaze is impressive in every way," Orochimaru said softly, his tone dripping with disdain, "except that he's too naive. So naive it's almost idiotic."
He meant every word.
Genius? Certainly. But history was full of geniuses who died young because they lacked guile.
In the Ninja World—and especially in Konoha—strength alone wasn't enough.
Ryuyun smiled faintly. He agreed completely.
White Fang had been strong too.
And yet, he'd been driven to suicide.
Even if Minato someday became the Fourth Hokage, what of it?
All real power would still lie with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Minato would simply be another puppet.
"If Jiraiya heard that," Ryuyun remarked lightly, "he'd probably fight you to the death."
Jiraiya treasured Minato above all. If anyone dared call his disciple an idiot—especially Orochimaru—he'd explode.
"Such jokes are not interesting," Orochimaru replied with a laugh that didn't reach his eyes.
He respected Jiraiya as a comrade, but he did not fear him.
Then his voice dropped to a whisper.
"Lord Ryuyun… do you desire eternal life?"
Ah, there it was. The real reason behind all his small talk.
With Danzo gone, Orochimaru was clearly looking for a new partner—and Ryuyun was the one he'd set his sights on.
Ryuyun's eyes narrowed slightly. Finally, we're getting to the point.
"Continue," he said.
Orochimaru's smile widened.
It's working, he thought. Ryuyun hadn't refused outright—that meant he was interested.
In truth, Ryuyun cared little for Orochimaru's Living Corpse Reincarnation technique; the flaws were too great.
But collaboration? That was another matter.
"I intend to help Tsunade become Hokage," Ryuyun said evenly. "When that happens, I'll require your support for my research."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Why not take the Hokage's seat yourself?"
Ryuyun raised an eyebrow. "You could do the same. Why don't you become Hokage?"
"Impossible."
Orochimaru's smile turned self-deprecating. Once, long ago, he too had dreamed of that title. But that time had long passed.
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