Chapter 147: Orochimaru! You're just a loser who failed against Hanzo; what
right do you have to act like the Alpha here?
Three days later. Konoha Research & Development (R&D) Department.
Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Prophet-Teacher—stood amidst the high-tech hum of the
laboratory, flanked by his "Lead Scientists": Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hiruko.
"The potency and production quota of the Sovereign Sage Pills have been expanded
by fifty percent," Orochimaru reported, his tone clinical and professional.
"The prototypes for the Sage Beauty cosmetics line are also finalized and ready
for mass production. We've selected a cohort of shinobi with high-precision
medical chakra control to oversee the 'Slow-Release Vitality' application
process. It's a perfect 'Old-to-New' mentorship model."
Orochimaru continued the briefing: "Regarding Clone Technology, we've achieved
high-efficiency production of non-rejection prosthetic grafts. However, the
'Chakra-Density' bottleneck persists. On the surgical front, Tsunade has
successfully adapted the Earth Grudge Fear protocols for internal organ
suturing. As long as a patient hasn't suffered total 'System Failure' or
catastrophic blood loss, we can perform effective emergency triage."
"And the Chimera Procedure for Hizashi Hyuga is being perfected. We're just
waiting for his 'Biological Data' to stabilize following the wedding."
Hiruzen nodded, a look of serene satisfaction on his face. Seeing a high ROI
(Return on Investment) on his R&D budget was one of the few things that truly
mirrored the joy of his past life as a high-level bureaucrat.
"Teacher," Orochimaru said, his tone turning cautious. "Regarding the village's
current 'Ideological Conflict'... aren't you going to call a meeting to set the
'Official Narrative'? If we delay much longer, the nobles will lose confidence,
and the shinobi will start developing their own 'Unauthorized Perspectives'."
Hiruzen chuckled. "Set a narrative? Why? I want them to talk. I want them to
debate. I can't just cast a village-wide Genjutsu and force everyone to think
I'm right—that's poor 'Soft Power' management."
"I've spent the last few days monitoring the discourse. The village is split
into two 'Market Segments.' One group, influenced by my reforms, believes
prioritizing human life is the correct 'Ethical Metric.' The other, the
'Hardline Realists,' thinks that if we don't treat shinobi as tools of the
mission, our 'Military Credibility' will crash."
"Both have valid points. We just need to find the 'Balanced' middle ground,
using Uchiha Yashiro's 'Extreme Case' as the catalyst for the next 'System
Update'."
"How do you even know what every shinobi is thinking?" Tsunade asked, her eyes
narrowing.
"You'll understand when you're the Hokage," Hiruzen replied cryptically. Between
the Crystal Ball, Anbu intelligence, and the new "Prophet-Root," the village was
essentially a transparent spreadsheet to him.
"And what about the 'Mysterious Enemy' in Yashiro's report?" Orochimaru pressed.
"An enemy? Let's call him a 'Legacy Consultant' for now," Hiruzen laughed. He
had been looking for a way to pit the old Ninja Code against the new Will of
Fire to push through his final bureaucratic reforms—and this mystery man had
delivered it on a silver platter. He had even provided an excuse to purge the
"Opposition Faction" of the Fire Country nobility.
It's almost like the guy is my Shadow Clone, Hiruzen thought.
"Old traditions have massive inertia," Hiruzen lectured his students. "You can't
just use [Authority] to force a change; it won't stick. A crisis is a 'Strategic
Window.' You must learn to use the conflict's momentum to achieve your goals.
Don't just provide the answer; let the conflict create a 'Consensus'."
Orochimaru listened with rapt attention, his "Feral Genius" mind recording every
word. Beside him, Hiruko was furiously scribbling in a notebook, his eyes
shining with "Fanatical Belief."
"I don't think Yashiro is lying," Hiruzen continued. "He's a high-level Police
Force asset with a clean 'Performance Review.' So, we have to analyze this
'Consultant's' intent."
"To suppress a three-tomoe Uchiha without using a single signature technique...
this person's 'Combat Metrics' far exceed someone like Kakuzu. Even I would find
it difficult to be that 'Clean' in a fight."
"Someone with that much power doesn't want money or resources. He's not a
'Looter.' He's a 'Tester.' He's looking to see if our 'Kingdom Building' has
outpaced our soul. He's attacking our 'Core Values' rather than our
infrastructure."
Orochimaru nodded. "If it were a rival village, they would have at least
harvested Yashiro's Sharingan to boost their 'Bloodline Assets.' This was purely
a psychological strike."
"Which means," Hiruzen said, "we have room to negotiate. But for now, we wait.
I'll have Mito-sama and the Intelligence Division audit Yashiro's memory for
'Frame-by-Frame' analysis. If this person continues his 'Sabotage,' he'll
eventually leave a trace of his 'Code.' We don't chase ghosts; we wait for the
data to accumulate."
"But the nobility is in an uproar," Tsunade pointed out. "The 'Bronze Mirror'
incident has them screaming for blood."
"Screaming? Only a noisy minority," Hiruzen corrected. "The Daimyo sent me a
'High-Priority' encrypted message this morning. He made it clear that the nobles
condemning us are his own political rivals. Eighty percent of the Fire Country's
'Old Money' is firmly in our camp because of the Sovereign Sage Pills. They're
'Brand Loyalists' now."
"Lord Madoka, the one whose mirror was broken, is just a 'Naturally Evil'
opposition leader. I've actually authorized the Daimyo to let the protest
continue for a bit."
"Why, Teacher?" Tsunade asked. "Isn't it better to shut it down?"
"Because," Orochimaru cut in with a thin smile, "Teacher wants the opposition to
expose themselves. Once they all jump out to attack Konoha, the Daimyo can
'Decommission' them all at once, making the Fire Country more unified. It's a
'Strategic Flush'."
Hiruzen patted Orochimaru's shoulder. "I've always said you have 'Hokage-level'
intuition. Today proves it."
Then, Hiruzen did something that stopped everyone's heart.
He reached up, took off his Hokage Mantle and Hat, and placed it on Orochimaru's
head. He squinted, adjusting it slightly. "Not bad. It fits. What do you think,
Tsunade? Hiruko?"
Orochimaru, usually the coolest person in any room, froze. "Teacher... you said
you were going to stay in office for another fifty years. I'm not ready for this
'Management Role'."
"It's not a permanent 'Title Transfer'," Hiruzen laughed, though his eyes
remained sharp. "I'm going to the Capital for a few days. The 'Big Brother'
needs to go support his 'Little Brother' (the Daimyo). I need to talk to the
nobles about our 'Long-term Infrastructure' and pitch the R&D Department's
latest products."
"While I'm gone, you'll hold my hat. You'll learn how to chair the Konoha High
Commission meetings. You'll learn how to aggregate their 'Conflict Metrics' and
provide 'Balanced' summaries."
"Being Hokage isn't just about being the strongest 'Alpha' in the room,
Orochimaru. It's about being the 'Coordinator.' It's about taking everyone's
disjointed resources and 'Naturally Evil' ambitions and turning them into a
'Unified Synergetic Force.' It's a challenge. Don't let your ego get in the way
of the 'Human Relations'."
The Next Day. The High Commission Meeting Room.
Orochimaru sat at the head of the long table, the Hokage's hat resting in front
of him. But the High Commissioners were not acting with the same "Submissive
Protocol" they showed Hiruzen.
Outside the door, Tenzou (Hyuga) leaned toward Danzo. "Assistant Danzo, what is
the meaning of this? Why is Orochimaru calling the meeting? Did the
Prophet-Teacher say something to you?"
"You're the one who fought in the trenches with Hiruzen! Surely you have more
'Seniority' than a mere scientist!"
Isshin Uchiha chimed in, stirring the pot with "Strategic Realism." "Indeed.
Orochimaru has done well in R&D, but his 'Military Service Record' is... well,
we all remember the Second War. Assistant Danzo, I've always respected your
'Hardline' approach. You should show this junior how a real 'Root' leader
handles a room."
The other members—Sakumo, Hizashi, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—remained silent, but
the tension was thick. They weren't against Orochimaru, but Hiruzen was the
"Balanced Master" who kept everyone's ROI high. If the "Manager" changed, the
"Contract" might change.
Danzo Shimura felt a surge of "Aggressive Alpha" energy. He misread the room's
restlessness as support for himself.
He kicked the doors open and marched in. His face instantly contorted.
Orochimaru was sitting in the Hokage's chair. Worse, Danzo's usual "Assistant's
Seat" to the left of the Hokage had been removed. There was no chair for him at
all.
Ensuring Hiruzen was truly absent, Danzo pointed a bandaged finger at
Orochimaru's face and roared:
"Orochimaru! You're just a loser who failed to handle Hanzo of the Salamander!
You're a 'Low-Level' failure who spent a decade failing to produce a Hashirama
Vaccine! What right do you have to sit there and act like the Alpha of this
village?!"
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