Konoha had, by now, largely recovered from the devastation caused by the Nine-Tails' attack. Though sorrow still lingered in the hearts of its people, life had moved forward all the same.
Grief could not remain forever. Under the blazing heat of early summer, that winter-like chill in their hearts had slowly begun to melt away.
And yet, just as the village seemed to regain its footing, a new shadow crept in—one centered around a man who had once been a candidate for Hokage: Orochimaru.
More than a year ago—nearly two, in fact—during the selection of the Fourth Hokage, a rumor had surfaced.
It claimed that one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, had been secretly conducting human experiments.
At the time, the rumor had sparked widespread debate. Countless arguments had broken out, with people red-faced and heated in their convictions. But even then, there had been limits. Gradually, the discussions died down, and with Minato Namikaze ascending as the Fourth Hokage, the matter seemed to fade into obscurity.
Yet recently, those same rumors had begun circulating once more.
And this time, they were even more intense than before.
Orochimaru was, after all, no ordinary figure.
His status and achievements within Konoha were beyond what most could ever hope to reach. He had once been considered the most likely candidate for Hokage. He was one of the last remaining Sannin still in the village. During the Third Great Ninja War, he had served as a high-ranking commander, leading Konoha forces to victory time and time again.
He possessed a unique charisma—yet at the same time, he was a deeply controversial figure.
Still, there was no denying it: Orochimaru was a symbol. A symbol of Konoha's strength.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that any rumor about him drew such intense interest. Whether true or false, people were eager to discuss it, to speculate, to let their imaginations run wild.
Seated quietly, Natsuhiko watched it all unfold with a faint smile.
His reaction did not go unnoticed.
Uchiha Shin followed his gaze and turned to look. Not far away, a group of shinobi—clearly drunk—were arguing loudly, their voices rising above the usual hum of the restaurant.
And at the center of their argument… was Orochimaru.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
One of the Konoha shinobi, his face flushed red, looked both furious and agitated.
"Yongan Haruto, I'm warning you—watch your words, or we're going to have a problem!"
"How am I talking nonsense, Yuma-senpai?"
The younger shinobi frowned, clearly displeased, but he still managed to restrain himself.
"Is there anything wrong with what I said? Besides, it's not just me—this is something the entire village has been talking about. Orochimaru-sama is worthy of respect, of course, but with rumors spreading this widely… it can't all be baseless, can it?"
This time, the matter surrounding Orochimaru had indeed grown into something massive.
Through the ANBU's long-term, subtle, and carefully controlled dissemination, the rumor had quietly spread across the entire village. Even without the pressure of an impending Hokage election, the situation had been primed perfectly.
With the Fourth Hokage temporarily stepping back to recover and the Third Hokage resuming authority, it took only the faintest nudge in public opinion to guide people's thoughts in a particular direction.
And combined with Orochimaru's already immense notoriety, it didn't take long for discussions to erupt once again.
Even so, the shinobi arguing now were being relatively cautious. None of them dared to steer the conversation toward the matter of the Hokage position itself.
There was no need.
Even if such thoughts crossed their minds, they would never voice them aloud.
Instead, their debate remained centered on one question: had Orochimaru truly conducted human experiments?
The argument had grown increasingly heated.
Those who supported Orochimaru refused to believe the rumors from the very beginning. Regardless of whether it touched upon the Hokage issue, they would never accept such accusations.
Others, however, were less concerned with loyalty and more interested in the truth itself.
"I'm warning you—don't say things like that in front of me again!"
The shinobi named Yuma slammed his hand onto the table and stood up, anger boiling over.
"Orochimaru-sama is not someone you have the right to judge! Do you even understand how terrifying the war in the Land of Whirlpools was?
"We were short on supplies, and our numbers were thin…"
"If it weren't for Orochimaru-sama's command—if he hadn't stabilized the war in the Land of Whirlpools and preserved enough strength for the front lines—how would you even be standing here spouting nonsense today?!"
That single outburst nearly made Uchiha Shin's blood pressure spike.
It was true that Orochimaru had played a crucial role in coordinating and directing the battlefield in the Land of Whirlpools. But the main fighting force back then had been the Uchiha… and the Hyūga with their Byakugan.
And if one were to speak of sacrifice, it was those two clans that had paid the highest price.
Yet somehow, in the mouths of these ordinary shinobi, the entire victory had become Orochimaru's alone.
Even so, Shin held his tongue. He was beginning to understand what Natsuhiko was trying to show him.
The shinobi named Yuma wasn't finished. In his fury, he suddenly yanked open his shirt, revealing his bronze-colored torso.
Scars crisscrossed his body—dense, jagged, and countless—each one a testament to battles fought and survived. They were enough to make onlookers suck in a breath.
One scar, in particular, stood out—a deep, brutal wound that stretched from his chest down to his abdomen.
It was hard to imagine how he had survived such an injury.
"See this?" Yuma roared, pointing at the scar. "This is from the Land of Whirlpools! I was surrounded by a Mist squad back then—left for dead!"
His voice trembled, not with fear, but with raw emotion.
"I should've died. There was no hope left for me… but Orochimaru-sama didn't abandon me! He gave me a second chance—he brought me back from the brink!"
His eyes burned as he glared at the younger shinobi.
"If even someone like me wasn't cast aside, what gives you the right to believe these rumors so easily? What makes you think Orochimaru-sama would do something like that?!"
Yuma continued shouting, his anger fueled by something far deeper than mere argument.
During the Third Great Ninja War, he had truly come face to face with death. That had been his darkest, most desperate moment… and yet Orochimaru had been the one to pull him back into the light.
He had given him hope—given him life—and allowed him to return to Konoha.
There were many like him.
People who, from the bottom of their hearts, respected Orochimaru—and who would never allow others to slander him like this.
But what Yuma hadn't expected was that the younger shinobi would flare up as well.
Shinobi—especially young ones—valued their pride above all else.
To be publicly berated like this, over something the entire village was already discussing… how could he possibly endure it?
The young shinobi's face flushed red as he shot to his feet, his voice shaking with anger.
"And even so, are you going to silence everyone just because you don't like it?! I've said it already—rumors don't just appear out of nowhere! Who knows whether it's true or not?!"
"What did you say, you brat?!"
"What else is there to say? The whole village is talking about it! Do you want me to repeat it again? I told you—things like this don't spread without reason! If it's all fake, then why hasn't anyone stopped it yet?!"
"Are you looking for a fight, brat?"
"I'm just stating facts!"
Their argument escalated rapidly. With alcohol fueling their tempers, words soon gave way to action.
No one knew who threw the first punch.
But in the blink of an eye, the argument turned into a full-blown brawl.
The surrounding shinobi quickly formed a circle, cheering and jeering as the fight intensified. As tensions spread, more people were drawn in, and soon enough, others began joining the fray.
The situation descended into complete chaos.
Throughout it all, Natsuhiko and his group remained seated, silently watching the scene unfold. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Sora and Renge observed coldly as well. After all, they had played a part in orchestrating this—one could even say they had been involved from beginning to end.
Uchiha Shin, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh.
He understood now.
The method was crude. Simple, even.
But undeniably effective.
"Go handle it, Elder Shin."
Natsuhiko tapped the table lightly, his expression calm, almost amused.
"This falls under the jurisdiction of the Police Force. Show a proper attitude—don't let people grow resentful. And when you return, draft a set of operational guidelines. From now on, everything must be carried out strictly according to those rules. Understood?"
"I understand, Natsuhiko-kun."
Shin nodded seriously, then added in a low voice,
"I've truly learned something today. I hope you'll continue to guide me in the future."
"Guide you? Hardly." Natsuhiko waved a hand dismissively before picking up another slice of grilled meat and placing it into his mouth. "These are nothing more than some… inelegant little tricks."
He paused for a moment, as if recalling something, then continued with a faint smile.
"There's a saying I quite like—and I think it's very accurate."
"What saying?"
"'Spreading a rumor takes only a mouth; dispelling it takes a man to run himself ragged.'"
Natsuhiko's smile deepened slightly.
"Personally, I don't like calling what I do 'spreading rumors.'"
He paused, then spoke with quiet certainty—
"I prefer to call it… controlling public opinion."
"Even though doing this is shameless, it's undeniably practical."
Natsuhiko's voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"After all, people like us… must maintain a flexible moral baseline."
Whether Uchiha Shin truly understood what a "flexible moral baseline" meant, Natsuhiko didn't particularly care.
All he knew was that the framework of his plan was already beginning to take shape.
The more violently the matter concerning Orochimaru escalated, the deeper the blow it would deal to Hiruzen Sarutobi and his faction.
And once Hiruzen Sarutobi reached the point where he could no longer tolerate it, Natsuhiko would not wait for him to act. He would force him to sever Orochimaru's arm himself.
And once that arm was cut off, how many capable people would remain under Hiruzen's command?
More importantly, once this chain reaction began, trust itself would become the most critical issue.
Natsuhiko observed everything in silence.
Not far away, Nara Shikaku and the others had also noticed what was happening.
In truth, they had long been aware of certain unusual rumors about Orochimaru circulating within the village. It was just that at first, those whispers hadn't drawn enough attention to warrant concern.
Moreover, neither the ANBU nor the Third Hokage had taken steps to suppress them, so over time, they simply stopped caring.
But now it was becoming painfully clear—these rumors were far more dangerous than they had ever imagined.
Akimichi Chōza immediately stood up, intending to step in and stop the fight.
However, Nara Shikaku, quick as ever, grabbed him and held him back before he could act.
Chōza looked at him in confusion, but ultimately sat back down without resistance.
After all, he trusted Shikaku. His friend had never acted without reason.
"Don't act rashly," Shikaku said at last, once Chōza had settled.
"There's no need for you to intervene. Don't forget—there's an Uchiha sitting right there. And more importantly… this situation likely has other shadows behind it. It's better to observe for now."
"Other shadows?" Yamanaka Inoichi frowned, thinking for a moment before realization flickered in his eyes. "You mean… this Orochimaru rumor isn't normal?"
"It has never been normal," Shikaku replied with a faint sigh. "We just never took the time to seriously think about it."
He lowered his voice, his expression growing more solemn.
"But now that I look at it… everything about this situation feels off. The conflict behind it may be far more complicated than we imagined."
"Is that so?" Chōza muttered, frowning, before falling silent.
He had never liked political matters. But as a shinobi of Konoha, he knew they were unavoidable. Without stable governance, the village itself would collapse—and everything would return to the era of endless war.
At least he was fortunate to have the Nara clan handling these matters. Otherwise, he wasn't sure he could survive in this bloodless yet suffocating swamp of politics.
Meanwhile, Inoichi continued to analyze the situation in silence. Then, as if a realization struck him, his eyes sharpened slightly.
"You mean… this Orochimaru incident might actually be a clash between two Hokage factions?"
As someone from the Intelligence Division, Inoichi had access to far more information than most.
"Yes. If nothing unexpected has changed, that's the most likely explanation," Shikaku nodded slowly.
"Don't forget—similar rumors appeared more than a year ago. But back then, they died out almost immediately and didn't cause much of a stir.
"This time, however, the situation is different. The rumors haven't dissipated at all. And the fact that they persist… suggests the Hokage himself may have his own intentions."
"In other words…"
Yamanaka Inoichi took a deep breath and lowered his voice as he spoke.
"Then… it's possible that Orochimaru-sama really did get exposed for something, and the Third Hokage is still hesitating over how to respond. Or even… we could speculate that once Orochimaru's actions were discovered, it was the Third Hokage and the others who deliberately let the rumors spread."
That single line made Akimichi Chōza, who usually kept a calm, half-lidded expression, suddenly widen his eyes in shock.
The idea was almost unbelievable.
The Third Hokage himself releasing rumors… and using them against his own disciple?
Could something like that really exist?
Even though Inoichi carefully framed it as speculation, it was still enough to leave Chōza momentarily stunned.
He had never imagined things could escalate to such an extent.
But… considering the Third Hokage's personality, could he really go that far?
Before Chōza could voice his thoughts, Nara Shikaku gave a quiet sigh and nodded.
"It's not impossible. I'd say that's also within the realm of possibility. After all… the Third Hokage still has Danzo."
"Danzo?" Chōza murmured, then frowned. "But wasn't Danzo already relieved of his position? How—"
"Danzo's existence isn't something that simple," Shikaku interrupted with a slow shake of his head. His expression had turned serious.
"Forget it. Let's focus on our own duties. We're outsiders in this matter. If we're assigned to support the ANBU, then we support them. If we serve the Third Hokage, then we serve him. That's all there is to it—that's how we survive."
...
At that same moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat alone in the Hokage's office, exhaustion etched deep into his face as he looked over the latest reports. A heavy sigh escaped him before he could stop it.
But even that sigh was quickly suppressed.
His gaze flicked toward a shadowed corner of the room—where ANBU operatives were stationed in silence—before returning once more to the documents on his desk.
Knowing he was being watched inside his own office filled him with an indescribable sense of frustration.
Once upon a time, he had been the one using the ANBU to monitor Minato Namikaze. Yet now, less than a year later, the roles had completely reversed due to circumstances beyond his control.
Not only had he lost control of the ANBU… he had become the very target of their surveillance.
And worst of all, he could not afford to sever ties with the people behind them.
Because that little brat from the Senju clan—who stood behind the ANBU—held something in his hands that even Hiruzen found deeply unsettling.
His eyes drifted toward the window, where the silver moon had already climbed high into the night sky. Another quiet sigh slipped from his lips.
The situation he was in was far too passive—so passive that he had already begun considering whether it was time to deal with certain people around him.
He did not want to lose old friendships. Nor did he wish to discard the "shadows" he had carefully cultivated over the years.
But if things truly reached an unavoidable point… then he would have no choice but to act.
He felt a deep sense of guilt, believing that he himself had led that old friend down a path of no return—that he had burdened him with far too much of the darkness that should have belonged to the Hokage alone.
But now that things had come this far, there was no turning back. He had to continue forward.
However, his thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he noticed a report regarding Orochimaru.
The blood pressure that had just begun to settle immediately surged again.
The number of altercations caused by the spreading rumors about Orochimaru had been steadily increasing.
This was far from good news. In fact, it was a direct blow to his reputation.
And yet Hiruzen had not taken action—not because he did not want to, but because he currently could not.
The most suitable person to handle such matters had been Danzo. But Danzo had already been removed from his position.
More importantly, Hiruzen was still deeply troubled by the question of who was truly behind all of this.
At first, he had suspected Natsuhiko. After all, he was the most likely candidate to orchestrate something like this.
But the more he thought about it, the less it made sense. Spreading such rumors would only alert others and bring no real benefit to Natsuhiko whatsoever.
So then… who?
After much deliberation, one name surfaced in his mind.
Danzo.
If there was anyone who excelled at this kind of manipulation, it was Danzo. After all, when he had once controlled ROOT, such tactics had been his specialty.
As an example, there had been the incident involving Hatake Sakumo—an affair in which Danzo had played a decisive "role."
At the time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had indeed agreed to certain actions, but he had never expected Sakumo to end his own life because of it.
And that wasn't all. Around the time of the Fourth Hokage selection a year or two ago, Danzo had attempted the same old tactics once again.
But that time, he had failed—and failed completely.
Because of this, it was difficult for Hiruzen not to immediately think of Danzo whenever similar rumors surfaced.
Especially since Danzo had always harbored ambitions for the Hokage seat. Now that he had been relieved of his position, it was easy to assume he had nothing to lose and was once again stirring trouble behind the scenes.
In the end, all of these rumors seemed to be pointing back at one person—Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
"…Was it really you, Danzo?"
Hiruzen silently pondered the question. Even now, he could not be one hundred percent certain.
"Or perhaps… this is Natsuhiko's scheme. That boy is certainly capable of something like this."
"But if it truly was you… then I can only say I'm deeply disappointed."
...
Natsuhiko, of course, was unaware of Hiruzen's current suspicions toward Danzo. To him, the success or failure of the plan led to the same eventual outcome regardless.
There was, however, one oversight in his planning: whether Hiruzen would go and directly confront Danzo.
Given the complicated relationship between the two, it was entirely possible.
If that happened, part of Natsuhiko's setup might be exposed—but even that didn't matter.
At worst, he would simply go fully open. He would make his intentions clear: Yes, I am targeting Orochimaru.
He would like to see just what Hiruzen Sarutobi could do in response.
But for now, he had no time to dwell on such matters.
After meeting with Uchiha Shin, Natsuhiko did not continue to interfere further.
In his eyes, Shin was much like Senju Shoma—someone with ambition and decisiveness, yet lacking a clear understanding of how to execute his vision.
The Police Force itself was a valuable asset. It held significant authority, responsibility, and strength.
But due to a combination of Konoha's policies and the Uchiha clan's own missteps, its authority had long since eroded.
All Natsuhiko could do was help restore it—but even that assistance could not be too direct.
The Uchiha were naturally sensitive and proud. He could guide them, but he could not lift them up entirely on his own.
They needed to realize their own shortcomings and come to him seeking answers—just as Shin had done that night.
Only then could Natsuhiko truly maintain control over the department… or rather, over the version of the Uchiha he intended to shape.
By sending many clan members into the Police Force now, he was essentially preparing for the future—waiting for the day when its authority would be restored, so those people could stand in higher positions and exert greater influence from within.
"For now, though, the Police Force still isn't ready.
Sora is developing well enough—still inexperienced, but with plenty of room to grow.
Have her draft a preliminary operational framework for the department.
Then let Renge select a group of obedient, capable clan members to be placed inside. After that… observe their progress from the shadows.
If they still can't rise to the occasion after all that, then they are beyond saving."
Standing atop a utility pole somewhere within Konoha, Natsuhiko gazed up at the bright, full moon hanging in the night sky. Slowly, he raised a strange mask and put it on.
He had long since planned to trouble Obito and make preparations for the future—so naturally, he could not remain idle forever.
For now, matters within Konoha were temporarily settled.
The expansion of the ANBU was still ongoing, and the establishment of the two major secretarial divisions was also progressing—none of which required his direct intervention.
The Internal Affairs Division was likewise being expanded to monitor and oversee those two departments, a development that only increased its importance.
As for the Police Force, its direction had already been set. There was no need for him to interfere any further.
And matters like contacting the various clans were being handled by Senju Shoma, sparing him the need to personally act.
In the end, the matter concerning Orochimaru had clearly entered a phase of "let the bullets fly for a while." For the time being, things had settled into a relatively calm state.
But remaining idle in Konoha under such conditions would simply be a waste of time.
However, as the ANBU Commander, Natsuhiko could not truly disappear from the village either.
So he had deliberately left behind a shadow clone, one into which he had infused a considerable amount of senjutsu chakra as well as Nine-Tails chakra.
The purpose was simple: to ensure the clone would last long enough and be capable of handling basic combat situations. More importantly, it would allow him to immediately sense if anything unusual occurred within Konoha.
He could not guarantee instantaneous long-distance teleportation, but it was still worth attempting.
After all, he possessed a small portion of Ryūmyaku chakra within his body. Even though most of it was currently being used to nurture a "seed," he still had the little Nine-Tails as a backup source.
With that thought in mind, Natsuhiko's figure flickered—and the next moment, he vanished from where he stood.
When he reappeared, he was already outside Konoha.
His destination was the Land of Waves. From its port, he would take a ship directly into the waters of the Land of Water, and from there potentially proceed into the Land of Sea—or even infiltrate Kirigakure itself.
This route was one of the least guarded paths used by Konoha shinobi. If he went through the Land of Waves, there was no telling what kind of encounters he might run into.
Of course, with his strength, none of that should pose any real problem.
But caution could always help avoid unnecessary trouble.
"This time, there are two targets… or rather, you could say there's only one."
Natsuhiko moved at high speed through the terrain. Since he had not left any Flying Thunder God marks in advance, he could only travel on foot.
Still, that was hardly an issue for him. It was actually a good opportunity to think through his objectives while on the move.
His targets in the Land of Water were Obito—and the Fourth Mizukage.
However, considering that the Fourth Mizukage was already under Obito's control, it was essentially the same as dealing with Obito alone.
He had some experience fighting Obito. That previous battle had been won through the combination of Flying Thunder God and senjutsu.
Without Flying Thunder God this time, things might be slightly more troublesome.
But in any case, he already understood Obito's weakness. There should not be any major issues.
More importantly, he had chosen an excellent timing for this operation.
Aside from the stability within Konoha, there was another encouraging factor—
His "seeds" were almost mature.
...
Name: Senju Natsuhiko
Gender: Male
Birthday: Konoha Year 34, March 24
Rank: Semi-Kage Level (System evaluation without using abilities) (Chakra reserves: Massive) (Small portion of sealed Ryūmyaku chakra)
Bloodline Development: Intermediate (Senju Secret Arts, BasicYang Release)
Jinchūriki: Nine-Tails (Intermediate; capable of devouring large amounts of special chakra to grow; can be cultivated into an Advanced Nine-Tails form; intake of chakra ongoing, continuously increasing)
Seeds: Advanced Fire Release Chakra Seed (99%), Advanced Wind Release Chakra Seed (99%), Advanced Sage Art Chakra Seed (80%), Fusion Seed (99%)
Fruits: None
Mission: Become the true final boss of the shinobi world (unique) — (progress 22%)
...
"Two advanced chakra nature seeds… and the fusion seed have all reached ninety-nine percent."
Natsuhiko studied his status panel in silence, a faint sense of satisfaction forming in his mind.
It almost felt as though expanding his "bandwidth capacity" had increased his "download speed" as well.
This was the first time he had cultivated high-level seeds so quickly.
And more importantly, he had done it all at once—three of them simultaneously.
Back when he had first attempted something similar, it had taken several years without any results at all.
Especially at the final stage, it had become stuck at ninety-nine percent—like a lightning strike frozen in midair, refusing to move.
Now, however, Natsuhiko could clearly feel it. His "seeds" were likely to mature very soon.
He didn't know why he was so certain, but he trusted that intuition completely—it had never been wrong before.
"In other words… when I face Obito next time, I'll have another trump card."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
In truth, he would have preferred to reserve this newly fused power for "Senju Natsuhiko" alone. But since this ability had not yet been exposed, it could serve perfectly as a hidden card.
If things went wrong, and he could not rely on Sage Mode or Flying Thunder God, this would give him another layer of flexibility.
As for which chakra natures to ultimately fuse, he still had not made a final decision.
But there was one thing he had already ruled out—Dust Release.
"Dust Release is powerful, but its activation is too slow. Standing on the ground to use it would basically turn me into a target.
"If I could somehow obtain Ōnoki's Ultra Light-Weight Rock Technique, then it might be worth considering… but for now, it's better to set that idea aside. In any case, any Kekkei Tōta I create won't be weak."
A Kekkei Tōta formed from the fusion of three chakra natures—no matter how one looked at it, its power would not be inferior.
The real question was how exactly such a power should be used.
Perhaps it could function like Dust Release, enabling long-range annihilation. Or perhaps it would be closer to something like the Chidori, used for close-quarters killing power.
But in the end, it didn't matter which form it took—as long as it was powerful and effective, Natsuhiko would accept it.
"And with this experience in fusion…"
A thoughtful glint appeared in his eyes.
"Once I attack Obito and obtain a higher-quality White Zetsu body, I might be able to form even more fusion seeds. That would let me experiment with other types of Kekkei Tōta as well."
At this point, Natsuhiko's attitude toward chakra fusion had already turned noticeably optimistic.
He even had a rather interesting idea—
First, he would separate chakra natures and fuse them into Kekkei Genkai or Kekkei Tōta.
Then, using the special properties of those fusion seeds—combining two or even three attributes at once—he would eventually merge them into a single Kekkei Mōra.
It was, admittedly, a somewhat cheating approach.
But… it was an idea worth trying.
Even if it didn't succeed, what if it did?
"Trying it out never hurts. If it doesn't work, I'll just have to think of another way."