Inside the frontline camp of Konoha.
Orochimaru revealed his crimson tongue, staring at the other person with a twisted expression. There was an unsettling excitement in his eyes, as if he was saying, "This is not enough. Tell me the Uchiha's intelligence and let me see what it is. As for threats? Haha, I never considered that."
Threatening one of the Sannin? Isn't he afraid that the Uchiha will join forces with Danzo and the entire Konoha against him? Nobody is foolish.
Seeing Orochimaru's interest piqued, Uchiha Yoru secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, he knew the direction of this world and had future intelligence at hand. He wasn't afraid of failing to deceive the other party.
"According to reliable information, one of Orochimaru-sama's subjects in the Wood Release experiment survived and awakened a Kekkei Genkai. He's currently in the Root, codenamed 'Kinoe.'"
After saying all this, Uchiha Yoru felt even more pleased. He couldn't believe that Orochimaru, who had studied various information about Konoha, wouldn't know the true power of Wood Release. Now that he learned that Wood Release had reappeared in the world and that it had slipped away from his own hands, would he be shocked?
Using something he didn't need, just exchanging it for benefits he knew, that's what a good deal looks like. As for revealing the future of the Wood Release users to Yamato, what did it have to do with him? When you know about the future, you naturally maximize your own interests.
Sure enough, when Orochimaru heard that one person from his experimental subjects had survived and awakened Wood Release, his expression changed for a moment. But he quickly suppressed his surprise and raised his head, showing a curious gaze towards the Uchiha in front of him.
"Hehe, it seems that Uchiha's intelligence is not as crude as I imagined. You even managed to gather information from the Root."
Orochimaru couldn't hide his surprise. The ninja in the Root were almost all marked with the Tongue Binding Curse Seal. In terms of the ability to keep confidential information in the ninja world, the Root was definitely at the top. Yet these Uchiha managed to gather information from there.
It wasn't that the Uchiha lacked the power. As the first noble clan of Konoha, their strength was unquestionable. But this was about intelligence, not power.
As Uchiha Yoru had expected, Orochimaru attributed everything to the Uchiha clan. After all, even if he was an elite jōnin with one Tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't compare to them.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun, you're quite impressive. While others only know you for using your appearance to get close to Anko and achieve your goals, more people pay attention to another elite Uchiha squad. But little do they know that you are the heart of the Uchiha clan."
With a smile on his face, Orochimaru understood everything. The person in front of him, Yoru, was the trusted one among the Uchiha clan. Although his strength was not remarkable, that was exactly why he could better deliver information.
On the surface, he used his appearance to get close to his disciple, Anko, in order to achieve certain objectives. But in reality, he was directly transmitting information to Orochimaru. It was a case of hiding in plain sight, and Orochimaru was delighted. He had indeed underestimated the Uchiha clan.
"Then Yoru-kun, from tomorrow onwards, you will form a team with Anko. It's a perfect match."
Under Orochimaru's hoarse smile, he had already decided to get closer to the Uchiha clan. He wanted to see how much unexpected intelligence they could provide and how much surprise they could give him.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's arrangement, Uchiha Yoru's face showed excitement. He had a professional smile on his face, but deep down, he was satisfied. Finally, his goal was achieved. Once he could quickly obtain the one million Ryo promised by the elders, he could further advance his plan.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama. The above information was discovered unintentionally. It seems that even the Third Hokage is unaware of it. Furthermore, this investigation was ordered by the Fourth Hokage."
Uchiha Yoru nodded gratefully, throwing another scapegoat. After all, Orochimaru couldn't have known about it, especially since the Fourth Hokage was already inside the belly of the Shinigami. In short, it had nothing to do with him. He was just a messenger of the information, and he needed to ensure the safety of his source.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru showed a look of realization. So that's how it was. No wonder. In this way, everything makes sense.
Although Minato had only been Hokage for a year, he was still a Hokage. Naturally, he had to deal with the struggle for power. Moreover, this was the first time in the history of Konoha, since its establishment, that two Hokage existed simultaneously.
Usually, when the previous Hokage died, the succeeding one took over. There was no such existence where both coexisted. This raised questions. The Third Hokage was still alive and hadn't died in battle, so he naturally retained some power. This became the Third Hokage's direct control, the ANBU Black Ops.
(In the anime, during the Nine-Tails' attack, someone exclaimed, "It's the Third Hokage's ANBU!" From this, we can infer that the Fourth Hokage also had his own ANBU.)
In this case, Minato needed to cultivate his own people, but training was too slow. The quicker way was to gain allies. Uchiha wasn't favored, making him the best candidate for alliance.
Thinking up to this point, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel emotional. No wonder Minato was close to Fugaku. Even though the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and Uchiha Mikoto were closer, the naive kid had grown into a qualified politician. Everything was because Orochimaru had underestimated him.
As the Fourth Hokage, Minato was at the center of power and naturally had easier access to certain information, especially with his teleportation technique.
With these thoughts in mind, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Minato had discovered the existence of Wood Release users, but he didn't have the strength to investigate it. That's where Uchiha became the best choice. It made perfect sense.
If Uchiha Yoru knew Orochimaru's deductions at this moment, he would probably give him a thumbs up. Yes! That's right, everything was as you thought.
"Orochimaru-sama, the Uchiha clan will do everything in our power to help you become the Fifth Hokage."
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru expressed his loyalty with a respectful and passionate tone. Orochimaru responded with his unique hoarse laughter.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun, Anko is my student. I will personally lead this team."
Upon hearing these words, Uchiha Yoru's excitement was evident. He immediately bent 90 degrees, bowing deeply, and shouted, "Orochimaru-sensei."
Forget about dignity or face, and forget about Orochimaru's future betrayal. Present interests were the most crucial, especially since Orochimaru had defected due to his human experiments. If a reckoning were to happen, there would be countless ninjas supporting Orochimaru. In any case, he had the Uchiha clan behind him. According to his deductions, it would be at least two years before Orochimaru defected. By then, he would have made a profit from it.
As for stopping him? Orochimaru wasn't interested in the Uchiha right now. He hadn't experienced the beating of the Mangekyou yet. If he really became Hokage, well, the Uchiha clan might not be annihilated, but they would definitely become frequent visitors to Orochimaru's laboratory.
So he wouldn't stop him. On the contrary, he would strive to gain immense benefits from it. Otherwise, it would take ages for him to gather enough Ryo to buy the Mangekyou.
And Orochimaru's defection could be deduced even more accurately. Uchiha Yoru sneered. It was just after the Fourth Hokage's death, with the border in turmoil. Any discerning person would know that the election for the Fifth Hokage would happen as soon as the border stabilized.
The situation at the border wouldn't calm down for at least a year or two. Furthermore, Orochimaru's defection was likely caused by political reasons, not just Danzo's doing.
If Danzo wanted to become Hokage, he wouldn't want Orochimaru, a young person, to take over. And then, there were the political interest groups led by the Third Hokage. Even if Hiruzen didn't want it, his Sarutobi clan and others like Ino-Shika-Cho, and Akimichi would accept it due to their own interests.
Inside the frontline camp of Konoha.
Orochimaru revealed his crimson tongue, staring at the other person with a twisted expression. There was an unsettling excitement in his eyes, as if he was saying, "This is not enough. Tell me the Uchiha's intelligence and let me see what it is. As for threats? Haha, I never considered that."
Threatening one of the Sannin? Isn't he afraid that the Uchiha will join forces with Danzo and the entire Konoha against him? Nobody is foolish.
Seeing Orochimaru's interest piqued, Uchiha Yoru secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, he knew the direction of this world and had future intelligence at hand. He wasn't afraid of failing to deceive the other party.
"According to reliable information, one of Orochimaru-sama's subjects in the Wood Release experiment survived and awakened a Kekkei Genkai. He's currently in the Root, codenamed 'Kinoe.'"
After saying all this, Uchiha Yoru felt even more pleased. He couldn't believe that Orochimaru, who had studied various information about Konoha, wouldn't know the true power of Wood Release. Now that he learned that Wood Release had reappeared in the world and that it had slipped away from his own hands, would he be shocked?
Using something he didn't need, just exchanging it for benefits he knew, that's what a good deal looks like. As for revealing the future of the Wood Release users to Yamato, what did it have to do with him? When you know about the future, you naturally maximize your own interests.
Sure enough, when Orochimaru heard that one person from his experimental subjects had survived and awakened Wood Release, his expression changed for a moment. But he quickly suppressed his surprise and raised his head, showing a curious gaze towards the Uchiha in front of him.
"Hehe, it seems that Uchiha's intelligence is not as crude as I imagined. You even managed to gather information from the Root."
Orochimaru couldn't hide his surprise. The ninja in the Root were almost all marked with the Tongue Binding Curse Seal. In terms of the ability to keep confidential information in the ninja world, the Root was definitely at the top. Yet these Uchiha managed to gather information from there.
It wasn't that the Uchiha lacked the power. As the first noble clan of Konoha, their strength was unquestionable. But this was about intelligence, not power.
As Uchiha Yoru had expected, Orochimaru attributed everything to the Uchiha clan. After all, even if he was an elite jōnin with one Tomoe Sharingan, he couldn't compare to them.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun, you're quite impressive. While others only know you for using your appearance to get close to Anko and achieve your goals, more people pay attention to another elite Uchiha squad. But little do they know that you are the heart of the Uchiha clan."
With a smile on his face, Orochimaru understood everything. The person in front of him, Yoru, was the trusted one among the Uchiha clan. Although his strength was not remarkable, that was exactly why he could better deliver information.
On the surface, he used his appearance to get close to his disciple, Anko, in order to achieve certain objectives. But in reality, he was directly transmitting information to Orochimaru. It was a case of hiding in plain sight, and Orochimaru was delighted. He had indeed underestimated the Uchiha clan.
"Then Yoru-kun, from tomorrow onwards, you will form a team with Anko. It's a perfect match."
Under Orochimaru's hoarse smile, he had already decided to get closer to the Uchiha clan. He wanted to see how much unexpected intelligence they could provide and how much surprise they could give him.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's arrangement, Uchiha Yoru's face showed excitement. He had a professional smile on his face, but deep down, he was satisfied. Finally, his goal was achieved. Once he could quickly obtain the one million Ryo promised by the elders, he could further advance his plan.
"Thank you, Orochimaru-sama. The above information was discovered unintentionally. It seems that even the Third Hokage is unaware of it. Furthermore, this investigation was ordered by the Fourth Hokage."
Uchiha Yoru nodded gratefully, throwing another scapegoat. After all, Orochimaru couldn't have known about it, especially since the Fourth Hokage was already inside the belly of the Shinigami. In short, it had nothing to do with him. He was just a messenger of the information, and he needed to ensure the safety of his source.
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru showed a look of realization. So that's how it was. No wonder. In this way, everything makes sense.
Although Minato had only been Hokage for a year, he was still a Hokage. Naturally, he had to deal with the struggle for power. Moreover, this was the first time in the history of Konoha, since its establishment, that two Hokage existed simultaneously.
Usually, when the previous Hokage died, the succeeding one took over. There was no such existence where both coexisted. This raised questions. The Third Hokage was still alive and hadn't died in battle, so he naturally retained some power. This became the Third Hokage's direct control, the ANBU Black Ops.
(In the anime, during the Nine-Tails' attack, someone exclaimed, "It's the Third Hokage's ANBU!" From this, we can infer that the Fourth Hokage also had his own ANBU.)
In this case, Minato needed to cultivate his own people, but training was too slow. The quicker way was to gain allies. Uchiha wasn't favored, making him the best candidate for alliance.
Thinking up to this point, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel emotional. No wonder Minato was close to Fugaku. Even though the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails and Uchiha Mikoto were closer, the naive kid had grown into a qualified politician. Everything was because Orochimaru had underestimated him.
As the Fourth Hokage, Minato was at the center of power and naturally had easier access to certain information, especially with his teleportation technique.
With these thoughts in mind, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Minato had discovered the existence of Wood Release users, but he didn't have the strength to investigate it. That's where Uchiha became the best choice. It made perfect sense.
If Uchiha Yoru knew Orochimaru's deductions at this moment, he would probably give him a thumbs up. Yes! That's right, everything was as you thought.
"Orochimaru-sama, the Uchiha clan will do everything in our power to help you become the Fifth Hokage."
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru expressed his loyalty with a respectful and passionate tone. Orochimaru responded with his unique hoarse laughter.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun, Anko is my student. I will personally lead this team."
Upon hearing these words, Uchiha Yoru's excitement was evident. He immediately bent 90 degrees, bowing deeply, and shouted, "Orochimaru-sensei."
Forget about dignity or face, and forget about Orochimaru's future betrayal. Present interests were the most crucial, especially since Orochimaru had defected due to his human experiments. If a reckoning were to happen, there would be countless ninjas supporting Orochimaru. In any case, he had the Uchiha clan behind him. According to his deductions, it would be at least two years before Orochimaru defected. By then, he would have made a profit from it.
As for stopping him? Orochimaru wasn't interested in the Uchiha right now. He hadn't experienced the beating of the Mangekyou yet. If he really became Hokage, well, the Uchiha clan might not be annihilated, but they would definitely become frequent visitors to Orochimaru's laboratory.
So he wouldn't stop him. On the contrary, he would strive to gain immense benefits from it. Otherwise, it would take ages for him to gather enough Ryo to buy the Mangekyou.
And Orochimaru's defection could be deduced even more accurately. Uchiha Yoru sneered. It was just after the Fourth Hokage's death, with the border in turmoil. Any discerning person would know that the election for the Fifth Hokage would happen as soon as the border stabilized.
The situation at the border wouldn't calm down for at least a year or two. Furthermore, Orochimaru's defection was likely caused by political reasons, not just Danzo's doing.
If Danzo wanted to become Hokage, he wouldn't want Orochimaru, a young person, to take over. And then, there were the political interest groups led by the Third Hokage. Even if Hiruzen didn't want it, his Sarutobi clan and others like Ino-Shika-Cho, and Akimichi would accept it due to their own interests.
