February 20, Konoha Year 50.
The third day after the end of the Amegakure civil war.
The news that Konoha's Tennin had driven Hanzo away and supported Akatsuki to seize power in the Land of Rain spread rapidly through the shinobi world. Upon learning of this, Danzo Shimura, far away in Konoha, uncharacteristically burst into a hearty laugh during a high-level meeting—a sound Hiruzen Sarutobi, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane hadn't heard in nearly twenty years. Looking at that wrinkled yet deeply gratified, sinister face, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the two elder advisors looked at each other, ultimately shaking their heads with wry smiles. However, when it came to the subsequent agenda regarding the Fourth Hokage election, the three old companions refused to yield a single inch.
Immediately following that, rumors that the Tennin had secured Konoha's victory, that the Tennin was about to end the Third Shinobi World War, that the Tennin was only 14 years old, and that the Tennin was going to run in the Fourth Hokage election...
Under the operations of Root, such news momentarily overshadowed the fame of the Yellow Flash, scattering across the shinobi world like snowflakes.
The Third Shinobi World War, which had raged for three years since Konoha Year 47, was finally drawing to a close.
There were no winners in this war.
Even Konoha, which seemingly held the upper hand now, suffered a sharp decline in its shinobi population due to deploying forces across four fronts. Its overall casualty rate topped the Five Great Nations, to the point where burial plots in the Konoha Cemetery were once completely sold out.
Although outstanding shinobi capable of inheriting the Will of Fire—such as the Yellow Flash and Konoha's Tennin—had emerged during this war, looking at the bigger picture, calling Konoha's outcome a pyrrhic victory was a bit of a stretch.
Someone needed to take responsibility for the massive casualties and losses.
On this day, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepped forward voluntarily to announce that he would take responsibility for the matter. He officially resigned from his position as Third Hokage, stepping back alongside the elder advisors into the background. Village affairs would be temporarily managed by the Elder Advisor Council until a new Fourth Hokage was elected and power could be gradually transferred.
Konoha would hold the Fourth Hokage election on April 10th and announced the list of nominated Hokage candidates finalized after discussions within the high-level advisory council:
The "Sannin," Orochimaru!
The "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze!
The "Tennin," Hyuga Yu!
For a time, currents of excitement and anxiety rippled through the hearts of everyone in Konoha.
The major Kekkei Genkai and secret-technique clans, along with numerous civilian shinobi factions, focused their attention entirely on this candidate list. They evaluated the power backing each candidate, their chances of winning, and even the share of the massive cake that is Konoha they could claim in the end, even if their chosen candidate lost.
Soon, through information gathered by the various clans and high-ranking executives of Konoha's departments, the forces supporting the three candidates came to light and began circulating throughout the village.
Among them, as one of the Sannin and a direct disciple of the Third Hokage, Orochimaru was, surprisingly, not representing the Third Hokage in this election. Instead, he represented Homura Mitokado, who oversaw the administration of the village's confidential executive departments, and Koharu Utatane, who managed the assets and affairs of major divisions like the Medical Department and the Barrier Corps.
Furthermore, the heads of various major departments, including the current head of the Medical Department, Biwako Sarutobi, as well as the Intelligence Department, the Cipher Department, the Ancient Archives Library, and the Shinobi Tool Management Department—essentially almost every sector in Konoha that relied on village funding—stood squarely on Orochimaru's side.
These individuals were all "high-ranking executives" under Konoha's existing system. With deeply entrenched factions and assets scattered across the village, they did not want a new Hokage to disrupt the current structure or jeopardize their current positions. Consequently, they let their personal interests dictate their judgment and automatically sided with Orochimaru.
Next was the "Yellow Flash," Minato Namikaze, who was nominated by the Third Hokage himself. Supporting him were the majority of Konoha's shinobi clans, and he commanded a massive base of civilian shinobi. He held an overwhelming popularity advantage within the Jonin Council and among independent shinobi groups outside of official administrative departments.
These people were all shinobi who had fought their way through the Third Shinobi World War. They yearned to elevate their status after the war using the military merits they had accumulated. To be precise, this was an exceptionally massive "military merit faction" that had formed spontaneously during the war. Faced with this group, even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, could only choose to protect himself by stepping down.
If their demands were not met, a terrifying storm of unpredictable proportions would likely erupt within Konoha.
Finally, there was the "Tennin," Hyuga Yu.
The Tennin had virtually no approval rating within the village. Whether it was the ordinary shinobi population, the clan factions, or even Konoha's Medical Department—which had originally nurtured him—the number of shinobi supporting the Tennin to become the Fourth Hokage was practically negligible.
But, the peculiar thing was—
Standing behind the Tennin were the landlords, nobles, transnational corporate tycoons, and even... the Daimyo of the Land of Fire himself.
These people held Konoha's largest purse strings; the funds to run the village and the rewards for shinobi taking on missions relied almost entirely on their provisions. That being said, this group possessed very little combat power themselves. Historically, they never directly intervened in Hokage elections. Instead, they would wait for the election to conclude, then inject capital into Konoha and provide political donations to the incoming Hokage's faction to protect their own business interests.
However, through Danzo Shimura's maneuvering, this group had spontaneously gathered under a massive "protective umbrella" to suppress up-and-coming competitors, forming a force that no one could afford to ignore.
And this "protective umbrella" was none other than the Tennin—a 14-year-old boy who had been undefeated since his debut, who possessed enough power single-handedly to collapse a great nation, who could suppress a civil war in an allied country just by standing there, and who was virtually unrivaled under heaven!
This was also the most bizarre anomaly in this Hokage election.
Under Danzo's brilliant political maneuvering, the massive financial bloc—which in the past had always unconditionally deferred to any new Hokage—was forcibly severed from the existing and future political structures. The wealth and investment privileges that would normally default to the previous generation of Hokage and their nominated candidate were cut away and brought under a "protective umbrella" that no one could ignore, let alone touch.
As a result, Konoha's military, political, and financial powers were split into three separate entities. Against this backdrop, even though everyone understood that it was virtually impossible for the Tennin to be elected as the Fourth Hokage due to his lack of a shinobi support base, they absolutely could not ignore his presence.
Minato Namikaze, who originally held an overwhelming advantage in the Fourth Hokage race, found his path to leadership suddenly fraught with complications after losing this immense bargaining chip, which was vital for stabilizing the military's morale.
Orochimaru, who had basically lost all chance of becoming Hokage, suddenly found himself with a real shot at competing against Minato Namikaze for the seat.
A certain authority that no one could afford to ignore was firmly grasped by Danzo Shimura under the banner of the "Tennin"—
[The Post-War Mission System Management Rights].
This matter directly affected the future livelihoods of every single shinobi in Konoha. To put it simply, it was like a key, or a knife used to slice the cake. Only by obtaining this would there be enough money to appease the massive military merit faction backing Minato Namikaze, which in turn would boost the odds of success for either Minato or Orochimaru in their respective bids for Hokage.
For a time, undercurrents surged as countless greedy eyes fell upon the Tennin and the massive wealth bloc behind him.
Yet, not a single person dared to make an open move.
This was not just due to Danzo's Root, but more importantly because... their "protective umbrella," the Tennin, truly possessed the power to crush an entire nation single-handedly. Furthermore, just a short while ago, this very person had completely suppressed an actual war in the Land of Rain.
But soon, these greedy gazes hiding in the shadows turned in a strange, calculating direction—
The Hyūga clan.
At a time when the "Tennin," Hyuga Yu, was running for Hokage, his own clan, the Hyūga, did not support him. This caused many people to harbor certain improper thoughts.
However, while the gaze of the entire shinobi world was drawn to the monumental event of Konoha's impending Fourth Hokage election, in an unnoticed corner, a wave of transformation that would affect the entire shinobi world, every ninja, and indeed all of humanity, slowly began to surge!
February 20, Friday, 2:00 PM.
Konoha Village, Appliance Street, located just one street away from Konoha Tea Street.
Dressed in a plain white kimono and stepping in his wooden clogs, Orochimaru carried a large briefcase. He ignored the stares of the crowds of villagers along the way, their low whispers, and the greetings that ranged from warm to anxious, or purely routine. Just like any ordinary Friday afternoon, he arrived before a spacious, grand building designed in the architectural style of the Land of Lightning: [The Land of Lightning Muqi Precision Bio-Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. - Sales Department].
To be honest, Orochimaru felt very little attachment to the Hokage election. Right now, his Living Corpse Reincarnation jutsu had reached a critical phase of development. Having already obtained the partial scroll on body activation from Shinnō of the Sky Village, he was combining it with the Eight Branches Technique and a vast number of forbidden jutsus from the Scroll of Seals left behind by the Second Hokage. He was on the verge of perfecting this true "jutsu of immortality"!
Compared to the position of Hokage, which always seemed like a fleeting flash in the pan, Orochimaru cared far more about the Living Corpse Reincarnation.
However, because Danzo Shimura had misappropriated a vast amount of funds originally allocated for researching the integration of Jinchuriki-controlling curse marks with Hashirama cells to finance his political activities, Orochimaru could no longer draw funds from the project to complete his own research.
Some of the bio-medical equipment in his dozens of laboratory bases across the Land of Fire had aged severely, making it impossible to support his research and development in cutting-edge biogenetic technology. To this end, Orochimaru resorted to a silent method of borrowing—the "I won't say it, you guess it" approach—to secure a huge sum of money from Jiraiya. He then used the Transformation Jutsu to pose as Tsunade, taking out a massive bank loan to upgrade some essential equipment.
Of course, even so, this money was just a drop in the bucket compared to his enormous research budget. Without the village's backing, independent research was severely restricted.
Orochimaru had come to this store established by the Land of Lightning today with the intention of purchasing a batch of equipment.
Cutting-edge biological equipment from the Land of Earth was out of the question; the tens of millions of ryo in his hands were only enough to buy some second-generation imitations manufactured by the Land of Lightning. Fortunately, as far as Orochimaru knew, their functions were roughly the same, and crucially, they weren't second-hand.
As a high-ranking, second-generation village elite, Orochimaru still maintained a baseline of dignity regarding his research equipment—at the very least, he wouldn't use second-hand gear.
After all, who knew what idiotic research those fools had used that cutting-edge equipment for, what hidden defects they had left behind, or whether it would indirectly skew his own findings?
Orochimaru loathed fools.
"Oh! Lord Orochimaru! Please, come right in! We just received a fresh shipment of newly developed equipment from the Land of Lightning! Once you take a look, you will definitely find it to be an incredible value!"
At that moment, not far from the display booths in the main hall, the sales department manager—a dark-skinned merchant from the Land of Lightning—brightened up upon seeing Orochimaru step through the door. Hurriedly walking over, he eagerly guided Orochimaru forward, immediately catering to the Sannin's preferences by delivering the most critical information in the most direct manner possible.
Orochimaru frequently purchased equipment, and his personal scientific research capabilities were second to none in Konoha. The Land of Lightning merchant knew very well that trying to mislead Orochimaru with professional jargon was absolutely impossible. In fact, Orochimaru understood where the equipment's flaws lay, what the market price was, and exactly how much of a discount the shop could offer far better than the salesman did...
"New equipment?"
Hearing this, Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and scoffed internally. What kind of new equipment could the Land of Lightning possibly have? Aren't they just picking up the scraps left behind by the Land of Earth?
Nevertheless, Orochimaru did not refuse. He followed the Land of Lightning merchant straight to a display booth and stated his requirements: "I need to purchase two sets of high-resolution neural imaging and recording systems. Do you have... any equipment here with functions similar to the Land of Earth's latest high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging models?"
Orochimaru's gaze quickly swept over the older equipment on display as he frowned slightly. "The main magnetic field strength must be at least 4T."
Hearing this, the Land of Lightning merchant gave a mysterious smile and led Orochimaru to a brand-new display booth on the other side. "Lord Orochimaru, you underestimate us a bit. Please, take a look at this—"
"Our Land of Lightning's latest ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging model reaches a main magnetic field strength of 8T, directly doubling the precision of the previous generation. The UHF-MRI also boasts a much higher signal-to-noise ratio and contrast..."
"Most importantly, the price of this new equipment has only increased by 5% compared to the past!"
Hearing this, Orochimaru's pupils contracted slightly. "8T?"
Performance reaching the level of the Land of Earth's most cutting-edge equipment, yet the price is less than a quarter of theirs???
Orochimaru turned his head suspiciously to look at the merchant, a cold trace of killing intent flickering in his eyes. Is this guy trying to fool me with refurbished, second-hand goods from the Land of Earth?
Then again, even if it were refurbished second-hand gear, at this price...
No, absolutely not. Second-hand goods are never reliable.
Orochimaru immediately steadied his resolve and shook his head internally. When it comes to my research, I am completely serious!
At that moment, the Land of Lightning merchant, who was well-aware of Orochimaru's habits, immediately offered his assurances: "I swear it is absolutely not second-hand or third-hand refurbished equipment. It is completely brand new. Furthermore, at this price, you couldn't even buy fourth-hand scrap metal in the Land of Earth."
"Lord Orochimaru, the main reason is that our Land of Lightning recently broke through the Land of Earth's technological blockade..."
"Oh?" Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, turning his gaze back to the array of devices on the new display booth. When he saw the specific data and prices labeled on them, he froze for a moment. Then, his eyes widened in astonishment, and the expression on his face instantly solidified, turning incredibly grave. His gaze swept rapidly back and forth between the descriptive placards and the brand-new machinery. Finally, Orochimaru turned his head to the merchant and said solemnly, "May I inspect them?"
The Land of Lightning merchant chuckled and immediately agreed, "Please, be my guest."
Orochimaru immediately went to work, ordering the sales staff to power up the machines as he meticulously verified each data point. The more he looked and the more he operated these inexpensive, brand-new devices from the Land of Lightning, the more astonished he became. An ultra-high-throughput multi-omics sequencing and analysis platform, a high-resolution neural imaging and recording system, organoids and microphysiological systems, an ultra-high-throughput DNA/RNA synthesis and editing platform...
Every single one of these technologies has been upgraded?
Since when did the Land of Lightning possess this kind of technology?! Could it be that the Land of Earth's biotechnology made another breakthrough? Wait, no, this isn't right. Something is off...
By analyzing the direction of the upgrades across the various pieces of equipment, Orochimaru quickly deduced the scope of the Land of Lightning's technological breakthrough. It wasn't a breakthrough solely within the biological and genetic fields; rather, information technology has undergone nearly three generational leaps in iteration!
And the direction of all these technical breakthroughs is universally unified toward—
The compression, storage, and rebooting of life information, as well as the epigenetics of biological genes?
Orochimaru knitted his brows tightly, completely unable to fathom what the cutting-edge researchers of the Land of Lightning were trying to achieve. Are they... planning to integrate today's most advanced biotechnology, information technology, and neuroscience to break through conscious encoding theory? To accomplish some ultimate compression, storage, and rebooting technology for biological information and consciousness?
Do they want to create a "vessel" capable of full holographic backup?
But what kind of living organism would have a biological information density so exaggerated that it requires a "vessel" of this caliber?
And who exactly is this "vessel" intended for?
Orochimaru was completely left in the dark.
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