Two days later, early in the morning, Uchiha Gen was reviewing military affairs in his tent as usual.
"Lord Gen, an urgent message from Konoha."
Outside, the leader of the front-line communication squad bowed respectfully.
"Come in."
Gen's voice was calm as he looked up from his papers.
The squad leader stepped in, walked to the desk, and presented a sealed scroll with both hands. Gen accepted it, unrolled it, and quickly scanned the contents.
Tch. I thought it was something serious. This nonsense?
He exhaled through his nose, unimpressed.
"Go gather the jōnin. I'll make an announcement shortly. I need to see Orochimaru-sensei first."
"Yes, Lord Gen."
The messenger bowed and left. He hadn't read the scroll himself, only the specialized coders in the unit had clearance to handle ciphers. That way, if information leaked, accountability was clear.
The moment the tent flap closed, Gen disappeared. A flicker of Flying Thunder God and he reappeared deep in Orochimaru's research base.
He moved down a dim corridor until the light of a laboratory spilled out. Inside, Orochimaru stood in a white coat and gloves, carefully mixing a potion.
"Something wrong?" Orochimaru asked without looking up.
"Someone's coming to steal our credit," Gen said dryly, leaning on the doorframe. He tossed the scroll casually.
A wet hiss Orochimaru's long tongue snatched the scroll midair. He finished with the potion first, removed his gloves, then unrolled the message.
"Heh… so it really is time to pluck the fruits of our labor," Orochimaru sneered, eyes narrowing.
Gen's lips curled. "The rhetoric's even better than a lullaby."
The scroll was filled with praise, flowery compliments about their brilliance and indispensable contributions. But buried in the praise was the truth: 'Orochimaru and Gen were being transferred, their work handed over to someone else.'
A less sharp ninja might actually fall for it, believing the Hokage and council truly valued them, that they were being sent to greater opportunities. But both master and disciple saw it clearly; it was nothing more than political theft.
"Well, Sensei," Gen asked with a sly look, "comply or resist?"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "You're getting bolder, boy. Planning to defy the will of the Hokage?" His golden eyes gleamed with amusement.
Gen crossed his arms, voice steady. "Of course the Hokage's orders can't be openly defied. But… orders hinge on execution. If the new commander fails, the orders crumble with him."
He smirked. "I could drop some ryo in the Exchange Market. A few mercs would be happy to rough him up. Maybe not kill him, but half-dead works just fine."
For a moment Orochimaru simply stared at him, then smiled faintly and genuinely this time. "You really would, wouldn't you? But no. Shinnosuke and I… have at least some ties. I'll give the old man this last bit of face. Don't escalate."
Gen's brows furrowed. "So we just let them strip us of credit?"
He clicked his tongue in irritation. "The Sarutobi clan is clearly trying to prop Shinnosuke up as Hokage material. But he doesn't have what it takes."
Orochimaru's expression chilled. "Exactly. Shinnosuke has decent ability, but compared to true monsters, his strength is average. Hokage must stand among the top tier of shinobi in the entire village otherwise, how could he command respect from other Kage?"
Gen nodded. "Elite jōnin like him can't compare. At best, he's just above the rank-and-file. Facing other Kage, he'd be a step lower from the start."
Both of them knew that shinobi respected strength above all else. Even Naruto in the future had needed overwhelming power before his words could move people.
Without strength, persuasion was just noise.
"But you're right," Orochimaru continued, voice silken. "We won't swallow this loss. If they want us to transfer to the Land of Rice Fields, then we'll give them exactly what they asked for…"
Gen raised an eyebrow. "…Which is?"
Orochimaru's lips curved into a serpentine smile. "We slack off."
Gen blinked, then grinned. "Heh. Perfect phrasing."
"If we achieve another decisive victory, they'll just take it again," Orochimaru explained. "So, we keep the status quo. No advance, no retreat. Not better, not worse."
Gen gave him a thumbs-up. "Brilliant."
"The elders won't dare replace us as long as the front stays stable," Orochimaru added. "Which leaves us… plenty of free time."
Gen smirked. "Fine. When we get there, I'll handle twenty days of affairs, you take ten, and we'll both rest the extra day."
"The capable do more," Orochimaru teased, eyes glinting.
"They think so too," Gen said, his smile turning sharp.
The two burst into laughter, though Orochimaru's held a faint undercurrent of bitterness.
"The order gives us one day before transfer. Will you go back to the village, Sensei?" Gen asked.
"Too much of a hassle," Orochimaru said dismissively. "What about you?"
Gen thought for a moment. "Yeah. My birthday's coming up. I'll head back for a bit."
"Then I should prepare a gift?"
Gen shook his head with a small smile. "No need for formalities between master and disciple. A drink and meal on the front lines will do."
"…Very well," Orochimaru murmured. "Let's go."