"Old man, call Jiraiya back. Someone has their eyes on Konoha... and the Jinchuriki."
Orochimaru's smile twisted with malice. "If you won't let me raise him, then at least entrust him to someone who can protect him."
To Orochimaru, it didn't matter who raised Naruto. What mattered was accelerating the development of the Otsutsuki power that Naruto embodied.
The concept of 'preserving the old while creating the new'—as the Lamp God put it—sounded noble, but even he didn't know what counted as 'old,' let alone how to bring forth something new.
In this situation, someone like Naruto—rich in potential and valuable as a host—could not be left to grow aimlessly.
Orochimaru had no issue stirring fear to make his point.
"Someone's following Konoha?" the Third Hokage asked, eyes narrowing. "Orochimaru, what do you know?"
"I know just a little more than you," Orochimaru replied, dropping his smile for a rare moment of seriousness. "There's only one way to truly control the Nine Tails—aside from the Jinchuriki."
The Third Hokage fell silent.
Minato might still have doubts, but the Third had witnessed the Battle of the Final Valley firsthand. He knew the truth.
And honestly, it wasn't even a secret in the shinobi world.
Uchiha Madara.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
Every major village kept tight control over their Tailed Beasts, all because of one incident—when Madara unleashed the Nine Tails on Konoha. That act had changed the course of history.
Tonight, when the Nine Tails went on a rampage, the Sharingan's tomoe were clearly visible in its eyes.
Was this some lingering scheme left behind by Madara?
Or... could there be an Uchiha within the village aiding the attack?
The Third Hokage's mind raced, burdened with suspicions and half-formed fears.
If it was the former, all they could do was protect the new Jinchuriki.
But if it was the latter...
The village had just suffered massive casualties. Two of their strongest—Minato and Kushina—were gone. So was the original Jinchuriki.
"I'll send word to Jiraiya immediately. He must return to the village," the Third said at last, eyes drifting back to Orochimaru with a wary look.
He was once Orochimaru's mentor. His disciple. A shinobi powerful enough to suppress an entire village on his own. But somewhere along the way, their paths had diverged.
Now, even holding a simple conversation felt strained.
Seeing the Third Hokage's conflicted and wordless gaze, Orochimaru scoffed inwardly. "The old man is still as sentimental as ever."
There was a time when Orochimaru fantasized about destroying the village in front of his beloved teacher, just to see the look on his face. But not anymore. Now, he pursued only one thing—immortality.
"Deng Shen," Orochimaru said casually, "if we're done here, let's return to Root. I can't wait to resume the research on the First Hokage's cells."
"No need to rush that," Deng Shen replied with a sly smile in his voice. "During the previous experiments with the First Hokage's cells, one of the test subjects survived—and awakened Wood Release."
"...What?"
Orochimaru's eyes lit up with a cold, dangerous glint—half startled, half furious.
"So," Deng Shen continued, unfazed, "our first goal is to take that Wood Release kid back from Danzo... and maybe give him a taste of his own medicine while we're at it."
---
Meanwhile, deep within the village ruins...
Among the smoldering debris, Uchiha Fugaku, captain of the Uchiha Police Force, directed his clan. He coordinated evacuation efforts, moving civilians and non-combatants toward safety.
In the shadows beyond the torchlight, hidden even from the night, a team of Root operatives observed silently.
One of them couldn't help but whisper, "Sir, shouldn't we be helping with the rescue?"
Though the Nine Tails had rampaged for less than ten minutes, the destruction was catastrophic. Cries of the wounded echoed through the rubble. The village needed help.
"Focus on the Uchiha," Danzo replied, his cold gaze locked on Fugaku. "Don't forget—they can't be absolved of what happened tonight."
The operative flinched. He, too, had seen the strange pattern in the Nine Tails' eyes—the telltale tomoe of a Sharingan.
Was this the Uchiha's doing?
Shff!
A gust of wind signaled a new arrival. A Root ninja dropped to one knee before Danzo.
"Lord Danzo. The intel team just reported—Kyuubi has been sealed. The Fourth Hokage and his wife… sacrificed themselves to do it."
"...What?"
The shadows around Danzo stirred in shock.
Even Danzo, whose face rarely betrayed emotion, stepped forward abruptly, gripping the ninja's shoulders. "Say that again. Clearly."
"Kyuubi is sealed," the operative repeated. "The Fourth Hokage and his wife gave their lives."
Danzo clenched his fists, barely containing the storm surging inside him.
Only one thought consumed him: The seat of Hokage is vacant once more.
---
As the night edged closer to dawn, Danzo returned to the Root base, exhausted yet restless.
The Hokage seat… it wouldn't be his, he realized.
Konoha had suffered massive losses. The Third Hokage would inevitably be called back to stabilize the village. He was still strong—strong enough to face the rampaging Nine Tails himself. He could easily serve a few more years.
The Fourth had been Hokage for too short a time. He never had the chance to consolidate power. Whatever authority Minato once held could easily be taken back.
Danzo's mood soured even further at the thought of the Third regaining the throne so effortlessly.
And it only got worse.
When he entered the Root conference room, his eyes narrowed.
Someone was already seated—arrogantly—with their feet up on the Hokage's desk. The figure was thin, snake-like… familiar.
Danzo's expression darkened. "Orochimaru. What are you doing here?"
"Danzo-sama," Orochimaru greeted with a mock smile. "You look like you've had a... very productive night."
He gave a long, exaggerated sigh, voice thick with sarcasm. "Not like me. Turns out my long-time partner was playing both sides. Stabbed me in the back while smiling to my face. Very troubling. Can't even sleep well these days."
Danzo scowled. "Spare me the riddles, Orochimaru. What are you talking about?"
Orochimaru dropped the act. His gaze sharpened, voice cold.
"You told me all the test subjects in the First Hokage's cell experiment had died. Every single one."
He leaned forward, eyes drilling into Danzo.
"But today, I found out that's not true. That boy with Wood Release—codenamed 'A'—how long were you planning to keep him from me, Danzo-sama?"
Danzo's heart skipped. His composure cracked. Fury surged.
"Orochimaru! How dare you interfere with Root's secrets!"
______
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