"Hmm?"
Akashō glanced at Minato, let out an "oh," then followed him as they left the small group and walked some distance away.
This guy… could it be that he's worried I might expose how he acted in front of Orochimaru earlier, so he's planning to silence me?
Akashō instinctively put himself in that role—if it were him and his disguise had slipped, revealing his true nature, he'd probably kill to keep it quiet too.
"Sorry about that, Akashō. You ended up hearing some unpleasant things back at the Hidden Leaf Village camp."
Minato scratched his head, showing an embarrassed smile.
"You're probably curious too, right? We're both ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village, so why don't Orochimaru and I get along at all?"
Akashō sat down beside Minato.
"Because… of the Hokage position?"
Akashō tested the waters.
"More or less."
Minato sighed. "Actually, this Third Great Ninja War also carries the Third Hokage's intention to nurture and select the Fourth Hokage."
"First of all, in terms of strength, there aren't that many in the village qualified to become Hokage. Just me, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya-sensei… oh, and Tsunade-sama, who's currently traveling outside."
"Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sensei have both clearly stated they're not interested in the position. So that leaves just me and Orochimaru."
As Minato went on and on about the Hidden Leaf Village's internal affairs, he didn't notice the strange look on Akashō's face.
"Wait a second—shouldn't the strongest person be the one who becomes Hokage?"
Akashō interrupted him, voicing his doubt. Logically speaking, the gap between Orochimaru and Minato wasn't small—how could they both be qualified to compete for the position?
Could it be that in other villages, the Kage weren't necessarily the strongest either?
"Of course not."
Minato smiled and shook his head.
"This is the Hokage we're talking about—the leader of a village. How could qualification be judged purely by strength?"
"Strength is only one factor. Reaching Kage level is enough. Beyond that, it also depends on achievements, public support, character, and many other factors."
"I see."
Akashō nodded thoughtfully. So in that case, Minato's usual gentle and mild image in the Hidden Leaf Village camp—could that also be something he deliberately put on to become Hokage?
No… judging from the flaws and gaps in that last 'fishing trap' attempt, this guy probably doesn't have the brains for that. Managing a persona so flawlessly? Especially one this watertight? Unlikely.
"That's why I oppose Orochimaru becoming Hokage so strongly."
Continuing the topic, Minato explained his reasoning.
"I once personally witnessed Orochimaru conducting human experiments. You might not know what that means—"
"No, I do."
Akashō muttered inwardly. As expected. No wonder that guy was so interested in Kokushibo's body—turns out he really is a scientist.
But thinking about it… doing science in a world full of supernatural powers—wasn't there something a bit off about that?
While his thoughts wandered, Akashō continued,
"Human experiments… were they conducted on Hidden Leaf Village civilians without permission?"
"Not exactly."
Minato shook his head. "They were authorized by the Third Hokage—conducted on prisoners of war and criminals."
"Then why are you so upset? They're not village civilians, and even the Third Hokage approved it. What's the problem?"
Akashō couldn't quite understand Minato's thinking.
"Just because the Third Hokage approved it makes it okay?"
Minato's eyes widened. "The Third Hokage too—I really don't understand why he would agree to something like that. Aren't prisoners of war and criminals still human lives?"
"On the battlefield, that's one thing—they're enemies. If you don't kill them, they'll kill you. That's unavoidable. But off the battlefield, there should be at least a basic respect for life!"
"And more importantly, do you know what kind of expression Orochimaru has when he conducts those experiments?"
"Obsessed! Delighted!"
"That guy… is a complete madman!"
"If he really becomes Hokage, I'm genuinely worried about what kind of atrocities he might commit."
By the end, Minato's expression was filled with agitation, leaving Akashō at a loss for words.
Deep down, he felt Orochimaru hadn't really done anything wrong. As for the future… it hadn't even happened yet. Why condemn him in advance?
Still, thinking about it, behind Minato's ruthlessness toward enemies, there was actually a surprisingly soft-hearted side?
And he even seemed dissatisfied with the Third Hokage's decisions—was there a hint of rebellion there?
Both of these were details he hadn't uncovered before. Better remember them—might come in handy when scheming against him later.
Thinking this, Akashō nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, what you're saying makes sense. I always thought Orochimaru didn't seem like a good person."
"Right? Right? You think so too, don't you?"
Minato suddenly found a kindred spirit. His eyes lit up as he grabbed Akashō's arm.
"I told Jiraiya-sensei about this before, but he said I was being overly sensitive. So I haven't talked to anyone else about it for so long."
"But now it seems… justice truly lies in the hearts of the people."
Seeing Minato looking at him with admiration, Akashō forced out a smile.
"Ah… yeah. You're absolutely right."
As the saying goes, the best way to build a relationship with someone is to complain together about the person they hate most. Judging by this situation, the ancients truly did not deceive me.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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