"Do not lay a hand on the children of this village!"
"Furthermore, in light of the mistakes you've committed recently, your funding and personnel selection will be subject to corresponding restrictions."
Hiruzen looked at the now-silent Danzo and delivered his final judgment with blunt authority.
"You will regret this, Hiruzen!"
Danzo's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He could endure Hiruzen scolding him, or even losing face in front of Minato Namikaze, but this penalty cut deeper than any insult.
He had sacrificed everything for Konoha—even his own clan had been squeezed dry for the cause. This cold-blooded dismantling of his power base was the one thing he could not accept.
"Hmph. Danzo... I am the Hokage!" Hiruzen's voice was low, yet it vibrated with absolute command.
"Hmph!" Danzo let out a sharp, frigid snort. He turned on his heel, the wind whistling in his wake as he slammed the office door shut and stormed off.
Once he was gone, Hiruko and Orochimaru slowly stepped out from behind a decorative screen.
"I trust neither of you has any objections to this punishment?" Hiruzen asked, watching the door before rubbing his temples with a weary sigh.
"No objections here, Lord Hokage," Hiruko said with a casual, easy smile.
Danzo wasn't "due" to die yet; Hiruko still needed the old war-hawk alive. However, Hiruko had no intention of being driven out of Konoha like a common criminal, so stepping into the light of officialdom was a necessary move. If he wanted to remake this godforsaken Ninja World, he needed legitimate power—using Konoha as a hub to radiate influence across the continent.
"The funds cut from Root will be diverted to the two of you," Hiruzen said, fulfilling his promise. "Danzo no longer has the authority to interfere with the Ino-Shika-Cho clans either. You two can discuss and select suitable personnel from among them."
Hiruzen was pulling out all the stops to recruit Hiruko. A man who could elevate the village's entire baseline strength was someone he needed firmly in his camp.
Orochimaru narrowed his reptilian eyes, meeting his teacher's gaze.
"This isn't quite what you promised last night," Orochimaru remarked, licking the corner of his mouth with visible dissatisfaction. He was never happy with the budget; to him, the allocated funds were still a pittance.
Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe and sighed. "You know how much manpower and capital it takes to establish a brand-new department. The village's economy has improved, but we aren't at the point where we can squander money. We just finished the Third Great War. Besides, even as Hokage, I have to call a vote for a new department."
"Tsunade's Medical Department wasn't built in a day. It took years of compromise to finally establish it," Hiruzen added nostalgically.
"And history proved the Medical Department was the right call. Tsunade's proposal was correct back then, just as mine is now," Orochimaru countered coldly. "To be frank, your stalling is meaningless and does nothing for the village."
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the desk. "At the very least, you have to show me—and the rest of the council—the value of this department. The Scientific Research Department you're proposing has overhead costs far higher than the Medical Department's. I fail to see its immediate benefit."
"Besides," Hiruzen added, "Hiruko can practically handle the research on his own."
Hiruko stepped forward immediately. "Lord Hokage, while I can develop things solo, research is agonizingly slow without a coordinated team. If we possess superior technology, we can execute a 'dimension-shattering' strike against other nations. That is the true strategic value."
Hiruzen nodded. "I understand that. However, the other clans need to see tangible profits before they'll sign off."
The Third felt a headache coming on. His students were geniuses, but the village's finances were a mess. The Medical Department's massive investment hadn't even broken even yet, and now he had another "gold-swallowing beast" at his door. They truly didn't understand how expensive it was to run a household.
"But Lord Hokage, this deviates from our agreement," Orochimaru pressed, his pupils narrowing into vertical slits.
Hiruzen glanced at the silent Minato and asked with a smile, "Minato, what do you think?"
"I believe a Research Department is essential," Minato said seriously. "Mr. Hiruko's contributions in the last war speak for themselves."
Hiruko flashed a friendly smile at the young Fourth. As expected of the youth; Minato is much more open to innovation than the old guard.
The Third nodded. "Fine. I authorize the two of you to establish the department and scout your own personnel. I will provide the initial startup capital. However, if you cannot produce significant results, the subsequent financial burden falls on your own shoulders. Do we have a deal?"
The three men exchanged glances. After a moment, they all nodded. The art of politics was, after all, the art of compromise.
Three days later.
Konoha Orphanage.
Nonō Yakushi, the head of the orphanage, looked nervously at her visitor.
Recently, Danzo had informed her that she was to be "gifted" to Hiruko to serve him—while also acting as a spy. She had spent the last few days frantically settling the orphanage's affairs, terrified that once she entered Hiruko's household, she'd never be allowed to leave. In the Ninja World, a woman's status was fickle; plenty of kunoichi were forced to retire into domesticity after marriage.
As a master of intelligence, she knew better than anyone how dangerous and unpredictable the pale-skinned man standing before her truly was.
"Lord Orochimaru," Nonō said with a polite, practiced smile that usually made people feel at ease. "The orphanage is quite modest. I'm afraid I have nothing grand to offer you."
She handed him a cup of warm water. Her "Walking Priestess" persona was famous for a reason; she had a natural aura that invited trust.
Orochimaru accepted the cup. "I know. I didn't come for tea. I came to invite you to join the Research Department founded by Hiruko."
"?"
Nonō's brow furrowed. "A new department? Lord Orochimaru, what exactly are you planning?"