Orochimaru merely smiled.
He did not answer.
But the meaning was unmistakable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi felt his anger flare. His breathing grew heavier.
At that moment, his dissatisfaction toward Danzo Shimura reached a new peak.
If Orochimaru's increasingly inhuman disposition was one reason Hiruzen had abandoned him as a successor, then his entanglement with Danzo was the other.
Danzo was the darkness of the shinobi world.
The man lived in shadows, dealt in secrets, and built influence through means that could never withstand sunlight. If Orochimaru had aligned himself with Danzo, what could possibly come of it except rot?
The Hokage must stand in the light.
How could the "Leaf that bathes in sunlight" bear such stains?
Worse—Hiruzen understood Danzo too well.
Danzo had coveted the Hokage seat for decades. Circumstances had denied him, but ambition had never faded.
If Orochimaru ascended to the position of Fourth Hokage while bearing compromising secrets in Danzo's hands…
Then Danzo would become the Hokage behind the Hokage.
Power beyond visibility.
Power without accountability.
Konoha required roots buried underground to handle the unsightly necessities of governance.
But if those roots surfaced above the soil—
The great tree would rot from within.
Hiruzen would never allow that.
As for Danzo?
Roots should remember they are roots.
The Hokage's seat was not his to dream of.
A quiet resolve formed in Hiruzen's mind. It was time to remind his old comrade of his place.
Koharu broke the tension.
Koharu Utatane cleared her throat.
"This isn't the time for that. Hiruzen—what about Minato? He still has over a thousand shinobi on standby. That kind of force can't remain hidden forever."
Homura Mitokado added gravely, "If the other clans start asking questions, we'll have no clean explanation."
A thousand ninja was not a small unit.
It was a military formation capable of overwhelming most minor nations outright.
Positioning such strength outside the village without justification was dangerous.
Everyone understood the truth—it was a contingency against the Uchiha.
But understanding something privately and declaring it publicly were two different matters.
The Uchiha had not yet committed any overt crime. On paper, they were victims in this entire affair.
To mobilize forces against them on suspicion alone would damage the village's legitimacy.
And once legitimacy eroded, loyalty followed.
Hiruzen considered.
"If we can't hide it… then we won't."
He exhaled slowly.
"At dawn, release a new notice. We will announce preparations for a grand military review to coincide with the Fourth Hokage's inauguration. A show of strength—to deter opportunists."
"These forces are merely conducting drills."
Koharu immediately shook her head.
"The war has only just ended. Tensions are high. If other villages interpret this as mobilization for renewed conflict…"
Homura nodded.
"They may strike first."
Even with peace accords signed, nerves across the Five Great Nations remained tight as bowstrings.
Konoha assembling a thousand-man force would not go unnoticed.
Hiruzen frowned.
Before he could respond—
Orochimaru chuckled.
"Then don't assemble them."
All eyes turned toward him.
"If a thousand together is too visible, divide them."
"Organize them into squads and companies. Disperse them throughout the village. Quietly. Ready for rapid mobilization."
"If anything happens, they can regroup within minutes."
He sounded almost bored.
In truth, he simply wanted to leave.
Konoha was neither enormous nor small. With ANBU assistance, hiding a thousand shinobi in scattered formations was entirely feasible.
And as long as readiness was maintained, recall would be swift.
Homura's eyes lit up.
"That's workable. We can position them strategically relative to the Uchiha district."
Hiruzen looked at Orochimaru for a long moment.
A faint sigh stirred in his chest.
If this disciple had not strayed…
He truly would have been the most suitable successor.
"…Very well."
Hiruzen raised his hand to approve—
A flicker of movement cut him off.
"Shun!"
An ANBU operative materialized inside the office.
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened instantly.
"Shinnosuke. Has something happened?"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke knelt briefly.
"Yes, Lord Hokage. Three minutes ago, members of the Uchiha clan began dismantling the gathering site under the joint direction of Uchiha Setsuna and Uchiha Yashi. They are returning to their district in orderly formation."
Hiruzen blinked.
"Joint direction?"
"Yes."
Setsuna—the radical.
Yashi—the conservative.
They were working together?
What happened in that clan meeting?
Which faction had prevailed?
Before Hiruzen could untangle the implications—
Shinnosuke continued.
"Additionally… Uchiha Clan Head Fugaku Uchiha and Uchiha Jin are currently en route to the Hokage Tower."
"They request an audience."
"They also ask that the village elders and department heads be summoned to witness… the transfer of authority over the Konoha Military Police Force."
Silence.
Hiruzen: "???"
Koharu: "???"
Homura: "???"
Orochimaru—
yawned.
"Ahhh…"
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