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In the dimly lit secret room at the base.
The Anbu Chief, having secured a satisfactory political deal, left with a smile. The room was now left with only three people.
After watching the Anbu Chief leave, Koharu Utatane frowned and said in a low voice, "This woman is too obsessed with power."
Perhaps with the outsider gone, the three of them had also shed their pretenses. After all, they had been companions since childhood.
Homura Mitokado, however, shook his head and sighed, "Being obsessed with power isn't wrong, but Ape Fly Shinno's strength and achievements might not be enough to win the majority's support."
They had already decided to abandon Orochimaru. After all, Orochimaru was beyond their control, and once he took office, he would reorganize the Konoha interest groups, plunging Konoha into turmoil again. In contrast, Ape Fly Shinno's ascension would maintain the status quo. At their age, they preferred stability over challenges.
More importantly, Konoha, having just recovered from the Third Great Shinobi War, was in dire need of rest and recuperation after the Nine-Tails Disaster.
"Hmph, with the Third around, it won't matter much if Ape Fly Shinno is a bit lacking."
At this moment, Danzo was secretly hoping for the new Hokage to have some weaknesses. He could then fan the flames and undermine the new Hokage's reputation. With proper planning, he might even have a chance.
Ape Fly Shinno was much easier to deal with than Orochimaru. Several plans were already forming in his mind.
On the other hand, continuing to support Orochimaru would only lead to exclusion by the elders and hostility from the old Konoha factions. His Root organization, after all, was part of the old guard.
Who would come out to help an outsider fight against their own faction?
Danzo's plans were unknown to the other two. Koharu Utatane, perhaps thinking of something, frowned and said, "Danzo, the Forbidden Jutsu left by the teacher, though incomplete, is too dangerous."
It wasn't so much that the Forbidden Jutsu was dangerous, but rather that it was too cruel. Danzo sneered, "Orochimaru isn't like the White Fang, who cared so much about his reputation. The White Fang incident must not happen again, but to undermine Orochimaru's reputation, we need to take drastic measures. What else can we do?"
The position of Hokage required someone recognized by the majority of the upper-level shinobi. They had used the White Fang incident to undermine his reputation back then, which was also a result of the chaotic political situation. A power transition in Konoha could easily lead to turmoil and exploitation by others.
Thus, they had undermined the White Fang's reputation, which had escalated. They hadn't expected him to commit suicide, which became their taboo.
The White Fang was too stubborn, unlike Orochimaru, whose ruthless and decisive nature only earned him some criticism. This time, they were more confident.
Homura Mitokado sighed, "The two incomplete Forbidden Jutsu left by the teacher will require extensive live experiments. We need to be cautious to avoid another White Fang incident."
They could undermine Orochimaru's reputation to prevent him from becoming Hokage, but they couldn't allow another bloody event like the White Fang's. The village couldn't afford such a loss.
The White Fang had always been a lesson for the higher-ups. In their political struggles, they had never considered the White Fang's sacrifice, as they were politicians focused on interests, not fighting shinobi.
A Kage-level shinobi who had lost the right to succeed as Hokage would be the best outcome for Konoha.
Seeing his two friends bring up the White Fang incident again, Danzo couldn't help but frown and say, "Don't worry, Orochimaru isn't like the White Fang."
What kind of person was Orochimaru? Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged glances and smiled in relief.
Orochimaru was ruthless and cold, with a reputation for being heartless. He didn't care about public opinion, which made him stronger than the White Fang in this aspect.
However, while they believed Orochimaru was cold-blooded and focused on interests, they never imagined he would go mad.
After all, immortality! The idea was absurd, and no one had anticipated that Orochimaru would become such a deranged and perverted existence. This was why, in the original story, the Third Hokage was so shocked to see Orochimaru's female face during the Chunin Exams.
Edo Tensei, an incomplete jutsu, was known to be a Forbidden Jutsu developed by their teacher, the Second Hokage. It was rumored to be a forbidden technique jointly developed by an evil yin-yang practitioner and a ninja during the Warring States period, but it was never completed and was subsequently destroyed by the Uchiha and Senju clans.
The jutsu's data then fell into the hands of the Senju clan. The Uchiha clan, with their character, would never have been interested in it. (Analysis of why Madara Uchiha knew about this jutsu, making it consistent)
After the First Hokage's death, the Second Hokage resumed research on this forbidden technique but was interrupted by an incident in the Land of Lightning. Since then, the technique was sealed away.
"Edo Tensei, give the Forbidden Jutsu data to Orochimaru, but keep a close eye on him. We need solid evidence."
Koharu Utatane said this with a frown, and the three of them understood the implications. This type of Forbidden Jutsu required extensive human experimentation, and it would eventually show signs.
Therefore, they needed solid evidence. They had to strike at the heart of the matter, undermining Orochimaru's reputation and ensuring he never became Hokage. Then, they could exile him to the border, like Jiraiya and Tsunade.
...
In the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, pipe in mouth, puffed on it thoughtfully. In front of him was Nara Shikaku, his strategist.
"Shikaku, the Anbu Chief went to Root, along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado."
The Third Hokage spoke in a low, hoarse voice. As the Hokage of Konoha, with years of governance, how could he be unaware of the slightest movement within the village, especially among the higher-ups?
Nara Shikaku, hearing this, lowered his head and felt a headache coming on. Getting involved in the struggle for the Hokage position was a difficult and troublesome affair.
Seemingly sensing Shikaku's dilemma, the Third Hokage sighed, "Orochimaru has gone astray. If we let him continue, Konoha will face another upheaval."
Years ago, he had supported Minato Namikaze despite opposition, seeing that Minato had no significant power base. Once Minato became Hokage, he could gradually hand over his own power, ensuring a peaceful and stable transition.
More importantly, Minato's Will of Fire philosophy was almost identical to his own, unlike Orochimaru, whose political ideals were completely at odds with his.
That was why he had chosen Minato. Now, he faced a similar dilemma. Konoha, having just recovered from the Third Great Shinobi War, couldn't afford another upheaval, especially not now.
The Third Hokage's true intentions had never been about Orochimaru's research. How could a massive base and countless resources escape the Hokage's notice? Besides, the Second Hokage had been conducting human experiments all along. Even during his own reign, he had initiated the Wood Release Project, which ended in a disastrous failure. But this at least proved one point: human experimentation, though taboo, was merely something that couldn't be made public. All major ninja villages were conducting such research. How could powerful medical jutsu and various forbidden techniques have been developed without these studies?
Throughout the original story, the Third Hokage might have had his own private interests, after all, the Sarutobi clan had grown strong. But his affection for Konoha was undoubtedly genuine and placed above all interests. His political ideology was simply too domineering, believing that only his Will of Fire could stabilize the village, and all others were wrong.
The release of the Three Rivers failed, and after discussing with the editor, it will be released next week, on a specific day depending on whether we can secure a recommendation. Don't worry! There will be a burst update after the release!
I haven't been discouraged, no need to comfort me. The performance of this book is quite good for me. Let's keep going.
(End of Chapter)