Chapter 372: Deputy Director
Orochimaru's vertical pupils stared intently at Urashiki Otsutsuki. "Interesting. But I still want to know—why do you trust me so much? You know I was once a rogue ninja, and I conducted experiments on many of our village comrades."
This perplexed him. It couldn't just be that Tonbo was strong enough to feel secure; there had to be more. Furthermore, Urashiki Otsutsuki should be a secret known only to Tobitake Tonbo and his son. Why share it with him? If Orochimaru possessed such research material, he would hide it away forever. It was far too precious.
"Because the world is at a crossroads of life and death. It doesn't matter if I die, but I don't want my descendants to lose their lives before they've even had a good look at this world," Tonbo replied.
To be honest, Tonbo himself wasn't afraid of death. Having lived in this world for nearly twenty years, his perspective shifted every day. He was no longer the youth he once was. Every age brings a different way of thinking, and Tonbo didn't feel any grand sentimentality about it.
"What a noble philosophy... for the sake of the next generation!"
Orochimaru understood. Looking at Keigo, every sign pointed to the fact that Tonbo truly meant what he said. Family... it made Orochimaru reflect on his own past. He was young when his parents died on the battlefield, which caused his worldview to mature and eventually twist. It was the kind of thought one should have at this age. However, it was unexpected that Tonbo could maintain such a mindset after witnessing so many wars.
"But what do you mean by 'life and death'?" This was the core of Tonbo's statement. In the current Shinobi world, did such a threat still exist? Kaguya Otsutsuki was sealed, the Ten-Tails had lost the nine Tailed Beasts and was also sealed, and the God Tree that drained natural energy was gone. Where was this world-destroying threat coming from?
"Have you forgotten? The great calamity of the Shinobi world that Jiraiya-sama spoke of, where the Child of Prophecy would save and reform the world."
"So you believe in that too? Isn't that affair already over? Is there something I don't know?" Orochimaru knew the enemies of the Fourth War. He considered himself the person who knew the most secrets in the Shinobi world. This wasn't arrogance; it was a fact. There was very little he didn't know.
Tonbo continued, "There have always been children of prophecy. Naruto is just one of them. I think you understand that, Orochimaru."
"Of course." Orochimaru's mind began to race. He just didn't know how Tonbo had confirmed such things. Was it from this Otsutsuki in front of them? He remembered that Tonbo's Mind Reading Jutsu was his signature skill.
"I have seen the future Sasuke and Naruto's son. In the future, more of Kaguya's clansmen will appear, meaning it's highly likely they will plant the God Tree again to drain the world's natural energy. This Otsutsuki came from the future, intending to intercept the Nine-Tails and the other beasts before Naruto grew up. I don't know if the future Otsutsuki will be stronger than Kaguya, but I don't want to gamble on probability. I need you to help me find the weaknesses of the Otsutsuki clan—as many as possible."
Tonbo laid everything out on the table.
"...I see. So that's the reason for your trust. You've found the right person." Orochimaru's eyes flickered. This didn't exceed his sphere of knowledge. The ability to travel through time wasn't non-existent in this world. Chakra is omnipotent; that was the knowledge he had accumulated through years of research. Different users simply had different ways of using it. The concept of time travel was within his understanding. It was just an accident that Tonbo encountered them. Perhaps Tonbo had even obtained information about him from the future Sasuke.
Keigo Tobitake listened to their conversation, feeling it was all very high-level. With his current knowledge, it was difficult to grasp. He poked his head around, trying to force himself to understand. But unfortunately, even though Tonbo had taught him a lot, a three-year-old—no matter how brilliant—has limits to what they can comprehend.
"Kid, you're lucky. Only three years old and already researching such high-end subjects with me," Orochimaru said with a laugh, sensing the boy's restless curiosity. He thought of Jiraiya and the prophecy of the Great Toad Sage; it seemed it was incomplete.
"I'm leaving this to you. I'll come by to help when I have time. You must figure out their nature and their weaknesses," Tonbo said.
Orochimaru replied, "No problem. With such a well-equipped lab and this perfect specimen, I'll research every detail until it's crystal clear." He was already itching to start on a clansman of the source of chakra.
Tonbo nodded, handing over his own research data on Urashiki and other materials to Orochimaru. He was counting on Orochimaru to be even more thorough, allowing Tonbo to focus his energy on increasing his own strength. Later, he could take the research on Kaguya a step further once the progress on Urashiki was established.
"Kaguya, the Kara organization, researching ninjutsu to increase strength... there's still so much to do." Tonbo left the R&D Department, leaving Urashiki to Orochimaru and his son.
The Hokage's Office.
"What? I'm the Deputy Director?" Tonbo was stunned.
He had come here because the construction of the R&D Department was complete and he wanted the official title. In his vision, he was the one in charge of the department, with Orochimaru acting as his assistant. He never expected that now that it was founded, he would be the deputy.
What the hell? Given his current status in the world, his power, his intellect, and his iron will, how could he be a Deputy? For the first time, he felt the world wasn't following his script. The future Sasuke and Boruto had always called him Director!
Kakashi sighed. "While your strength is great and you are a savior of the world, in terms of pure research, you aren't the most ideal person to lead. After all, the R&D Department was founded for research, and Orochimaru is the professional in that field."
"...Just let him work under me, why all the talk," Tonbo grumbled. What a load of crap.
"You are responsible for keeping an eye on Orochimaru so he doesn't conduct any forbidden experiments. Besides, weren't you planning to retire? This position suits you better—just make sure he doesn't go overboard."
The corner of Kakashi's mouth quirked up. You always tease me; finally, it's my turn to give you a hard time. Before, Kakashi could never find leverage against Tonbo, which had been incredibly frustrating. Seeing the look on Tonbo's face now, Kakashi felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
Of course, that was secondary. As Hokage, performing his duties was what mattered most. Giving him a hard time didn't exist—definitely not. Tonbo really was the most suitable for this position. A Deputy Director is still a Director, and making Orochimaru the Director was simply a way to keep him focused. Kakashi knew Orochimaru's only passion was research; he had made this decision after careful deliberation.
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