Danzo arrived at Orochimaru's base. He found the Sannin and came straight to the point: he intended to recommend Orochimaru for the position of Fourth Hokage.
Orochimaru's response was indifferent. Become Hokage? Don't become Hokage? He didn't care. His only concern now was his research.
If this had been before he understood what he truly wanted, he might have shown some interest in the title.
Now? It was irrelevant.
A smirk tugged at Danzo's lips. Greed shimmered in his eyes.
This was precisely the state he wanted Orochimaru in. If the Sannin became Hokage, he would undoubtedly neglect his duties.
And those duties would then fall to Danzo, the Hokage's advisor.
His power would reach its zenith. He could replace the entire upper echelon of Konoha with his own people.
All he'd need later is to find an opportunity, force Orochimaru to step down, and he would ascend to the Hokage's seat smoothly, logically.
"Then it's settled," Danzo said to Orochimaru. "You don't need to worry about a thing. I will handle all the arrangements. All you need to do is show your face on the day of your inauguration, spend a few days in the Hokage's office, and then you're free to do whatever you wish.
"From then on, any experimental materials you require, I will procure for you. Even those… forbidden experiments. You may resume them."
Danzo was already certain. The next Hokage would be Orochimaru. He was already planning the aftermath.
Orochimaru cast a faint glance at Danzo. "Fine."
Danzo left the base.
Not long after, Qianyu arrived.
Orochimaru was taking a break. He looked at his student. "Oh? Found time to visit today?"
Qianyu offered an embarrassed smile. He'd been spending every day with Kushina lately. He hadn't visited the base once.
He sat down opposite Orochimaru. "How are the experiments progressing, sensei? Are the materials sufficient?"
"Materials are sufficient. The experiments, however, have hit a bottleneck. No progress. Neither the Impure World Reincarnation nor the path to immortality."
Orochimaru said this with utter calm, as if discussing someone else's work.
Qianyu poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. He recalled that Orochimaru's success with the Edo Tensei seemed to come a few years after Naruto Uzumaki's birth. Some kid who could control the weather, revived as a test subject and unleashed on Konoha.
As for immortality…
Wasn't the forbidden 'Living Corpse Reincarnation' perfected just before Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha?
"There's still plenty of time," Qianyu said. "I believe you will succeed, sensei. If you ever need more… test subjects, just tell me. I'll handle the procurement."
Orochimaru nodded. "Mmm. I'll rely on you then. Many eyes are on me now. If I ran out of specimens and tried to replenish them myself… problems would arise."
Qianyu sighed. "Your reputation in Konoha is at its peak, sensei. Most believe you're the next in line for Hokage. Speaking of which… what are your thoughts on succeeding the Hokage?"
He was genuinely curious. What was Orochimaru thinking now?
Without his interference, Orochimaru would have been deeply interested in the position.
During the selection for the next Hokage, Danzo would push for Orochimaru to strengthen his own power. But the Third Hokage, seeing hidden malice and ambition in Orochimaru's eyes, would refuse to entrust the village to him. The council would then jointly nominate Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya's student.
That rejection would deepen Orochimaru's hatred for the Third.
But now, with his influence, Orochimaru's mind was wholly consumed by research. The title of Hokage should hold no appeal.
Still, even after all these years following Orochimaru, Qianyu couldn't always decipher the man's thoughts.
"Danzo came to see me before you arrived," Orochimaru stated.
Qianyu's eyebrows rose. Danzo was moving fast. Then again, the man's obsession with the Hokage's seat ran deep.
Orochimaru continued. "However, I have no interest in the title. Danzo merely suggested that certain… experiments would be easier to conduct if I were Hokage. I'm letting him proceed as he wishes."
So he truly was indifferent. Qianyu decided to be direct. "Sensei, I hope you won't mind me saying this… but the Hokage title likely won't go to you."
Orochimaru's interest was piqued. "Oh? Explain."
Qianyu leaned forward, analyzing. "Your official records are still under Root's jurisdiction. And, to be blunt, the Third Hokage doesn't fully trust you. You operate in shadows. He knows you collaborate with Danzo in secret, though not the specifics.
"The Third is stepping down now because Konoha won the war but extracted minimal reparations. His resignation is meant to placate the village.
"But he won't relinquish all power. Therefore, he needs a Fourth Hokage from his own faction, with minimal ties to others, whose mindset closely mirrors his own—a proponent of gentle policies, both foreign and domestic.
"You, sensei, are too enigmatic. Your experiments… the Third must have sensed something. The ANBU, his direct force, isn't incompetent.
"So when Danzo nominates you, the Third will almost certainly veto it."
Orochimaru tilted his head slightly, considering. A slow nod. "Your reasoning is sound. My values are fundamentally opposed to the Third's. In their eyes, I am radical. He would never feel secure with me as Hokage. He needs someone like himself. The war just ended… it's highly plausible I am not on his shortlist.
"Then, who do you believe the next Hokage will be? Jiraiya?"
Qianyu shook his head. "Unlikely. Jiraiya is a wanderer at heart. Irresponsible on a good day. I doubt the Third would entrust Konoha to him either. No, I believe the next Hokage will be Minato Namikaze."
Orochimaru stroked his chin, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "Oh? Minato Namikaze. An unexpected candidate. Jiraiya's student. The Third's grand-student. Why do you think the Third would want to pass the title to him?"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (100+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!