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Pointless politics.
Orochimaru ignored the two people in the office, stepped out on his own, walked through the long, curved corridor, and sighed softly.
He deliberately put the cat by the pond and then accused it of stealing fish.
Even if Sawara-kun hadn't pointed out this reason today, it would probably have 'conveniently' appeared in the Village's public eye when Lord Third needed it, wouldn't it?
The extent to which Lord Third controls Shimura Danzo is far beyond what ordinary people can imagine.
The fact that Root has planted many operatives within Anbu, under the pretext of Anbu training, is well-known among the entire Konoha high command.
After all, those who emerge from Root's inhuman training, or rather, torture, are essentially no longer normal people in the common sense.
Many times, one can tell their identity with just a glance.
However, Lord Third always acts as if he knows nothing, appearing pitiful and innocent.
It's as if all power has been usurped by others, and he is helpless.
Yet, Shimura Danzo's every move within Root always appears in Lord Third's hands without warning, but at just the right time.
No one knows how many pieces Lord Third has planted around Danzo.
And Shimura Danzo is completely unaware of this; his ridiculous need to win and his arrogance blind him.
"When it comes to tactics, one must look to Lord Third, mustn't one?"
"However, precisely because of this."
"Danzo, as the weaker party, can allow people of sufficient weight to stand alongside him, lest either party inadvertently become a complete puppet in Lord Third's hands."
"Annoyingly foolish."
Orochimaru murmured, stopping by the window and looking out at the Hokage Rock shrouded in the faint dawn.
It has been nearly forty years since the First Hokage.
However, how many of the wishes of 'That Person', who founded Konoha Village and was unmatched in the world during his lifetime, were actually realized?
Compared to his yearning for exploring truth, the power struggles in the political arena are too insignificant to mention.
However, Orochimaru is a rational person.
He knows that throughout Konoha Village, there are actually only three people qualified to inherit the Fourth Hokage position.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and himself.
Among these three, the only one with realistic prospects of succession is actually him.
The reason is also that he is sufficiently rational.
Why has no one asked him if he wants to be Hokage?
Orochimaru thought this.
Even the most rational person will inevitably have moments when they want to be willful.
However, out of the most unadorned sense of responsibility, he still quietly suppressed this thought.
There's something that might sound a bit funny to say.
At least, until now.
This man, who has never loved anyone, still deeply loves Konoha.
Although he dislikes many, many things happening in this Village, he is still willing to give everything for this Village—even including his life, which he cherishes as a treasure.
"Lord Orochimaru?"
Hearing the voice from afar, Orochimaru slowly withdrew his gaze and looked towards the figure standing in the darkness.
Sawara Kiri stood quietly in the gap between the faint light and shadow, his expression gentle.
"Sawara-kun?"
Orochimaru looked at this overly young man, his voice showing no fluctuation: "Aren't you going back yet? It's almost dawn."
"Is that so?"
Sawara Kiri's voice remained calm, his smile faint: "I thought it was Lord Orochimaru who wanted me to stay."
"Oh?"
Orochimaru looked at him, his expression calm.
His golden vertical pupils, however, flickered with a dangerous signal like that of a predator.
Sawara Kiri seemed completely unaware, continuing:
"After all, when you heard the term 'Ninjutsu without hand signs' appear in Minato's narration..."
"Your eyes."
"They were like a true venomous snake."
"Hiss."
Orochimaru's long, soft-modified tongue subconsciously slid across the corner of his lips, then he suddenly curved into a smile, and the killing intent towards Sawara Kiri, accompanied by a massive amount of Chakra, was released without concealment.
His entire deterrent force instantly escalated to a near-genjutsu level.
Interesting.
It was just a sudden thought.
He really wanted to test the true strength of this newly rising young man.
He formed a hand sign with his left hand.
"Bang—"
However, in almost a flash.
Sawara Kiri, who was at least ten meters away just a moment ago, suddenly appeared in front of him with an extremely sharp posture.
If it weren't for the vigorously erupting wind force surrounding him and his blown-back black hair, which clearly indicated this was a real physical phenomenon, Orochimaru might have thought that extreme speed was an unprecedented spatial Ninjutsu.
In the blink of an eye, the space between the two of them was less than ten centimeters.
At the same time, without him realizing it.
Sawara Kiri's hand had already firmly pressed down on his wrist, interrupting his one-handed hand sign.
However, Orochimaru's smile did not disappear; instead, his interest grew, and even the look in his eyes when he gazed at Sawara Kiri seemed substantial.
"Truly astonishing, Sawara-kun."
His voice was still hoarse and low like metal rubbing: "Your performance is far higher than I expected."
"If not for that, how would I dare to stand before you?"
Sawara Kiri's tone was very sincere: "Likewise, only then can you recognize the value of me and my jutsu, right?"
Orochimaru looked at this young man, and a sudden curiosity arose in his heart.
It wasn't curiosity about the other party's arrogant attitude and unexpected strength.
Rather, it was curiosity about his 'certainty'.
It was a kind of 'certainty' that he was a person who could not refuse new jutsu.
However, until now.
This characteristic had been deeply hidden by him, so much so that even his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had not truly perceived it.
Orochimaru's curiosity suddenly began to grow vigorously.
"What do you want?"
Sawara Kiri's expression slowly composed itself: "That depends on what you can offer."
"Of course."
"This is not the place to talk."
"If there's an opportunity, I hope to discuss it in more detail with you next time."
Orochimaru's smile paused, and he said calmly:
"That's not up to you!"
Suddenly, from Orochimaru's sleeve, as he stood in confrontation with Sawara Kiri, several black-scaled venomous snakes shot out with lightning speed, biting fiercely at the young man in front of him.
At such close range, the speed unleashed by these venomous snakes was even comparable to shuriken.
However.
Orochimaru's eyes suddenly widened.
The thirteen venomous snakes that had shot out from his sleeves, collar, and trouser legs at his feet, all froze in place at the same instant, suspended in mid-air just a hair's breadth away from Sawara Kiri.
They could not advance an inch.
Sawara Kiri's smile, in contrast, was calm and composed, as if he had anticipated all of this.
"Well then, I'll take my leave."
As soon as his voice fell, there was a 'bang'.
The young man's figure suddenly transformed into a puff of smoke and vanished.
Since the beginning, the one confronting Orochimaru had only been a Shadow Clone.
Orochimaru watched his figure disappear into thin air.
Instead, he inadvertently revealed a strange smile.
"Truly astonishing."
"Sawara-kun."
Things have become interesting.
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