Danzo was furious.
He knew Orochimaru had spies in Root, because he also had spies among Orochimaru's men.
The test subject A wasn't a big deal. The boy had been in Root for years, the experiments were done, the data collected, his value squeezed dry.
What truly made Danzo angry was Orochimaru's attitude—open and bold, without a hint of restraint, as if Danzo didn't matter at all.
Orochimaru was angry too.
Danzo, that fool, had no idea what the experimental subject that symbolized the success of the Kekkei Genkai transplant meant to him.
Going from zero to one is a much bigger breakthrough in math than going from one to one hundred.
If he had known about the boy with Wood Release earlier, he wouldn't have turned to developing Edo Tensei, taking the wrong path of seizing other bloodline ninja's bodies. Wouldn't strengthening his own body have been better?
When two angry people talk, it's low-quality and useless communication. That's why the genie took over Orochimaru's consciousness from the start.
Acting arrogant was just to make Danzo mad—one, to take care of Orochimaru's feelings, and two, because anger pushes people far from reason. Even if he suppressed it, his judgment would still be affected.
"Orochimaru" dropped his legs from the table, sat up straight, and spoke just as Danzo was about to explode,
"Tonight, the Fourth died. The Hokage's seat is empty again."
Danzo's face froze, and his dry right hand gripped his cane tightly.
"Jiraiya will be back soon."
"Orochimaru" showed a playful smile. "Guess who's most likely to be the next Hokage? Jiraiya, you, or me?"
"There won't be a next Hokage," Danzo said coldly.
Because after such a huge blow to the village, stability would come first. Most likely, the Third Hokage would return to power.
"Oh, you mean the old man."
"Orochimaru" shook his head. "But that's just a stopgap. The village needs a Hokage—a strong one at his peak."
Danzo's eyes narrowed. Those words, "at his peak," hit a nerve.
After Tsunade's departure, White Fang's suicide, and Minato's death tonight, the only top-tier fighters left in the village were two of the Sannin: Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
The younger generation—Kakashi, Asuma, Shisui… how many years would they need to grow? Five? Ten?
The Third Hokage couldn't hold the position that long.
And Jiraiya had no interest in it. Orochimaru really was the most likely one to become Hokage.
Danzo's face finally changed. He said coldly, "Orochimaru, you want to be Hokage? Dream on. Hiruzen and Jiraiya will never support you."
"No, they will."
"Orochimaru's" face softened, the coldness melting away, replaced by a warm, sunny smile that erased all traces of malice.
"Because I'll lie to them."
Wait… you can do that?!
Danzo's expression fell apart. His eyes bulged like a small fry's, and the cane in his hand snapped to pieces.
Orochimaru—the same Orochimaru who always wore malice on his face—had learned to act?
And this acting… was flawless.
Even knowing it was fake, Danzo still felt a slight change in how he saw Orochimaru. He had no doubt that the Third Hokage and the others could be fooled…
This was bad. This Orochimaru was trouble.
"Orochimaru" was very satisfied with Danzo's face. Copying others was his specialty as a genie.
And Kamado Tanjiro, the Host from the last world—if you put his calm and gentle face on Orochimaru, who could confidently say Orochimaru is dark at heart?
Danzo's eyes grew gloomier.
Leaving strength aside for now, Orochimaru's contribution to the village was obvious to everyone. The reason he failed back then was because of that shady look on his face, never hiding it. He couldn't compare to Minato's bright and cheerful nature. Among the elite jōnin and above, no one chose to trust him.
If Orochimaru changed his image with the attitude he has now, he might really have a chance to become Hokage in the future.
After a short silence, Danzo finally spoke. "Orochimaru, tell me your conditions."
Danzo wasn't stupid. He knew Orochimaru mentioning the Hokage position at this moment wasn't because he really wanted to fight for it. He was showing his bargaining chips, forcing Danzo to give in.
But Danzo couldn't refuse. A bargaining chip is only a bargaining chip because it has real weight.
Orochimaru raised one finger. "First, hand over that boy with Wood Release to me, and erase all traces of Root."
Danzo nodded without any expression. This request was expected. Losing a ninja who had already been drained of most of his value didn't hurt him much.
"Second, I want all the research data Root has on the First Hokage's cells."
Danzo hesitated for a moment, then agreed. Copying knowledge wouldn't cost him anything, and if this could remove Orochimaru's threat to the Hokage position, it was worth it.
As for helping an enemy?
Danzo knew Orochimaru's talent in research. With his ability, he would create something even more valuable soon. These files would only save him some time.
"Lastly, give me two hundred million."
Danzo's face changed instantly. "That's outrageous. Impossible."
Orochimaru laughed. "The boy with Wood Release and the First Hokage's cell research—if you hadn't kept them from me before, I'd already have those things. These two requests are just me taking back what I deserve."
"The last one is compensation. For Danzo-sama, who controls Root, two hundred million shouldn't be a big deal, right?"
Danzo refused coldly. "Root doesn't have that much money. I can't give you two hundred million."
"Then how much can you give me?"
Orochimaru tilted his head, his smile fading, eyes cold as ice. "Danzo, you don't think you can get rid of me without paying anything, do you?"
Danzo's face sank. He stayed silent, and the air in the Root meeting room grew tense and dangerous.
After a while, Danzo stepped back and said slowly, "I can't give you two hundred million. The most I can give is one hundred million."
A glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. "Cutting it in half just like that, huh? Danzo, you really know how to deal. I can agree, but you must give me the full amount within three days."
Danzo said in a deep voice, "In exchange, you cannot take part in the Hokage election in any way."
Orochimaru agreed right away. "No problem."
The deal was done, and the air turned quiet again.
Orochimaru got what he wanted. He stood up and walked out without hesitation.
Just as he stepped over the doorframe, Orochimaru suddenly said,
"Danzo, I know you're holding dirt on me."
"But you better not get any bad ideas."
"If you destroy my place in the village, I'll swallow my pride and beg the Third Hokage. I'll beg my teacher to protect me."
"In exchange for making me the shadow behind the next Hokage."
"Don't doubt I can do it. You're as shady as they come, and you're still living fine in Konoha."
"And with you as an example, I'll do even better."
"Hey, when Konoha has a second Root, do you think there will still be a spot for you?"
"..."
The sound slowly faded away until it was gone.
Danzo watched in the direction Orochimaru had left, his face turning dark.
He never thought about exposing Orochimaru's crimes, nor did he dare. That would be the same as exposing himself—especially since Orochimaru didn't care about becoming Hokage. The only one who would lose out was him.
Still, he wasn't about to take this loss for nothing.
Danzo pressed a switch on his desk. A Root ninja stepped inside, and Danzo gave his order.
"Check everyone who knows about Subject A. Find them all, and remove every spy Orochimaru left behind."