Root's underground chamber returned to silence.
The ANBU Commander left first, satisfied with the political bargain she had secured. Once the door closed behind her, only three figures remained.
Koharu Utatane frowned, her expression finally dropping its polite mask."That woman is far too obsessed with power."
With the outsider gone, pretense was no longer necessary. The three of them had grown up together, fought together, and clawed their way to the top side by side.
Homura Mitokado shook his head and sighed."Craving power isn't the problem. The issue is whether Hiruzen's son can command respect. Strength and achievements matter. Without them, the position won't hold."
They had already decided to abandon Orochimaru.
He was uncontrollable. Worse, once he took the Hokage's seat, the village's power structure would be reshuffled overnight. That kind of change would plunge Konoha back into chaos.
By comparison, Hiruzen's son would be predictable. Safe. At their age, stability mattered more than ambition.
Most importantly, the village had barely survived the Third Great Ninja War and the Nine-Tails disaster. Konoha desperately needed time to recover.
Danzo let out a low snort."As long as the Third Hokage is still around, even a weak successor won't matter."
Privately, Danzo welcomed weakness. A fragile Hokage could be pressured, manipulated, even discredited. Hiruzen's son would be far easier to deal with than Orochimaru. Several plans were already forming in Danzo's mind.
Supporting Orochimaru any longer would only isolate Root and turn the old powers of Konoha against him. Danzo's influence was part of the old order. Helping an uncontrollable outsider seize power would be self-sabotage.
Koharu hesitated, then spoke with unease."Danzo… the Second Hokage's forbidden techniques were never completed. They're dangerous."
Dangerous was a polite word. What she meant was cruel.
Danzo laughed coldly."Orochimaru isn't Hatake Sakumo. The White Fang's tragedy won't repeat itself. But if you want to destroy Orochimaru's reputation, gentle methods won't work."
A Hokage candidate needed the recognition of the jōnin corps. Back then, Sakumo's prestige had been shattered for the same reason: the village couldn't afford instability during a volatile era.
None of them had expected Sakumo to take his own life. That outcome remained a taboo among the leadership.
Sakumo had been too rigid. Too honorable.
Orochimaru was different.
Homura sighed."The Second Hokage left behind two incomplete forbidden techniques. Finishing them would require extensive human experimentation. We must control the scale. The White Fang incident must never happen again."
Destroying Orochimaru's candidacy was acceptable. Creating another irreversible loss for Konoha was not.
Danzo frowned slightly."Relax. Orochimaru isn't that kind of man."
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, then smiled faintly. Orochimaru was ruthless, pragmatic, and utterly indifferent to public opinion. That was precisely why he was safer than Sakumo.
What none of them considered was madness.
Longevity.
The idea itself was so absurd that it never crossed their minds. They could not imagine Orochimaru walking that far into obsession. That blindness was why, years later, the Third Hokage's shock during the Chūnin Exams would be so genuine.
Edo Tensei.
They knew it only as an incomplete forbidden technique created by the Second Hokage, rumored to have originated from ancient heretical practices. It had been sealed away long ago, unfinished and discarded.
After the First Hokage's death, the Second had revisited it briefly, then perished before making progress. The technique was archived and forgotten.
Now, it had been handed to Orochimaru.
"We watch closely," Koharu said firmly. "Once there's solid evidence, we act."
Human experimentation on that scale could not stay hidden forever. When proof surfaced, they would strike decisively, crushing Orochimaru's reputation in a single blow. Exile him to the borders. Let him rot there, like Jiraiya or Tsunade.
The Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a cloud of smoke from his pipe. Sitting across from him was Nara Shikaku, his most trusted strategist.
"The ANBU Commander went to Root," Hiruzen said quietly. "Koharu and Homura were with her."
Nothing in the village truly escaped the Hokage's notice.
Shikaku rubbed his temples. Being caught in a succession struggle was never pleasant.
Hiruzen sighed heavily."Orochimaru has strayed too far. If this continues, Konoha will face another upheaval."
Years ago, he had supported Minato Namikaze for one reason above all else: Minato had no political backing. His rise would have allowed a smooth transfer of power without tearing the village apart.
More importantly, Minato shared Hiruzen's ideals.
Orochimaru never had.
What truly troubled Hiruzen wasn't Orochimaru's research. Large facilities, massive funding, and human experimentation had never truly been secrets. The Second Hokage himself had conducted similar research. Even Hiruzen had approved the Wood Release project during his tenure.
Such work was forbidden in name, not in reality.
What frightened him was where Orochimaru's ambition might lead the village.
Hiruzen believed, unwaveringly, that only his vision of the Will of Fire could keep Konoha stable.
And that belief was now steering the village toward another irreversible choice.