Chapter 225: I Don’t Care
Half an hour later, Orochimaru entered the Hokage Building.
The ninjas in the building all avoided Orochimaru, one by one sticking to the walls of the corridor.
The aura on Orochimaru’s body was even more chilling.
One of the medical ninjas recognized that the smell on Orochimaru’s body was the smell of preservatives.
Orochimaru entered the Hokage’s Office, saw Danzo was also there, and sat down on his own on the sofa on one side.
“Do you need something from me? I’m very busy.”
Danzo felt much better in his heart. It turned out that Orochimaru had this attitude toward Hiruzen Sarutobi as well, not targeting him specifically.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, “Recently, someone in the village has been stirring, utterly mad, already to the point of lawlessness.
Shimura Tan and Hiruzen Sarutobi, both about to be promoted to jonin, died on the night before their promotions.”
Orochimaru was stunned. There was actually such a thing?
These two had some things in common; both were special jonin about to be promoted.
From the meaning of the Third Hokage’s teacher, it seemed not assassination by other ninja villages, but something more vicious: assassination by someone from the same village.
Orochimaru thought of many possibilities in his mind.
After the last jonin meeting, Orochimaru had told Tsunade that she wasn’t ruthless enough, that she didn’t understand power struggles were kill-or-be-killed, not just shouting a few angry words at a jonin meeting.
A Senju special jonin nominated by Tsunade had died mysteriously. Although Orochimaru didn’t know the details, he knew that death was absolutely not an accident.
He hadn’t expected to hear such extreme news today: Shimura Tan and Hiruzen Sarutobi, two quasi-jonin, had been killed.
Orochimaru also felt it wasn’t something Tsunade would do; she wasn’t that kind of person. He said,
“What do you want me here for? To have me investigate these two deaths?
I’m not going.
This kind of mission consumes the most time; my research has entered a critical phase.”
Orochimaru looked at Danzo, meaning you know, the research on Hashirama Cells is about to enter the transplant phase.
Through transplanting Hashirama Cells, perhaps he could obtain the power of the god of the ninja world like the First Hokage.
“It’s not to have you investigate the two death incidents.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said,
“There is a force lurking in the darkness of the village; they are conspiring to sabotage the village’s existing order, bringing riots and darkness to the village.
I’ve decided to suppress them, first cutting off their hopes.
Orochimaru, you should strive to become the Fourth Hokage; don’t indulge in secret jutsu and power.”
“Hm? Fourth Hokage?”
Not only was Orochimaru very surprised, Danzo slowly stood up from the sofa, staring deadly at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi continued,
“Among the Senju Clan, there are still young men shouting that they want to be Hokage; Sakumo Hatake has also made statements before about wanting to be Hokage.
Their arrogance must be suppressed; it’s precisely because they think they have hope that they resort to any means.
For this, I’ve decided to cultivate you to become the Fourth Hokage.”
After his initial heartbeat of excitement, Orochimaru immediately understood that his teacher Hiruzen wasn’t favoring him and cultivating him to become the Fourth Hokage, but using him to block those people’s paths, setting himself up as a stumbling block for others.
He didn’t acknowledge his teacher Hiruzen’s intentions, but said,
“In the ninja academy, six out of ten children have shouted that they want to become Konoha Village’s Hokage in the future.
When those children grow up, they will naturally realize how far they are from the Hokage position and will only laugh in their hearts at their overconfident younger selves.
Wanting to become Hokage is just a fantasy for many people.
Jiraiya has shouted about becoming Hokage, Nawaki has, Kato Dan has, and Sakumo Hatake did during his time at the ninja academy.
What does this prove?
Teacher Hiruzen, don’t be so tense; wanting to become Hokage isn’t a crime.
I’m not very interested in becoming Hokage…”
As he spoke, Orochimaru’s voice grew much quieter.
He saw a large scroll, the large scroll moved from the seal room, Konoha’s Scroll of Seals.
Even Orochimaru didn’t have the qualification to casually browse the Scroll of Seals.
The Scroll of Seals recorded the secret jutsu and forbidden jutsu collected by the Third Hokage, and all the research of the Second Hokage.
The Hokage position suddenly seemed a bit attractive; the secret jutsu and forbidden jutsu accumulated by Konoha Village were very tempting.
Hiruzen Sarutobi followed Orochimaru’s line of sight to the Scroll of Seals, made no comment, and continued,
“Orochimaru, among Konoha ninjas aged 20 to 30, you are the only one with the strength to confront Sakumo Hatake.
Sakumo Hatake’s strength is too great.
Last week, several Hidden Sand Village spies were executed; they came to scout intelligence on Sakumo Hatake, to find out when Sakumo Hatake would leave the village, as Chiyo the advisor of Hidden Sand Village wanted to ambush Sakumo Hatake.”
“Oh? There’s such a thing?” Orochimaru said, “Then why not leak the intelligence to Chiyo?”
Orochimaru immediately reacted, “Oh? You wouldn’t be afraid that Chiyo would also be killed by Sakumo Hatake, giving Sakumo Hatake a great merit for nothing, would you?”
Conspiracies and tricks have to be insidious because they lack the power to confront head-on.
In front of Sakumo Hatake’s White Fang Short Sword, any long-famous ninja could capsize.
Chiyo was a puppet old lady, at a great disadvantage against the White Fang.
People with great fame but abilities countered like this easily became stepping stones for the White Fang.
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, “The Daimyo of the Land of Wind, the Land of Rivers Daimyo, and the Land of Fire Daimyo were all very surprised to hear that Sakumo Hatake killed Tora.
Before encountering Sakumo Hatake, Tora had always been a Sand Ninja headache for all three countries; he had once used puppets to assassinate several nobles of the Land of Fire and Land of Rivers.
Thanks to Tora, Sakumo Hatake also gained prestige among the daimyo.
Orochimaru, Jiraiya is unreliable, and Tsunade now has only the Senju Clan in her eyes.
Only you can stand up to confront Sakumo Hatake.”
Orochimaru finally glanced at the Scroll of Seals and said, “I don’t care; if you need it, I can compete for the Fourth Hokage position.”
Orochimaru stood up and left.
Danzo stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi and said, “Do you really intend to support Orochimaru to the Fourth Hokage position?”
“Danzo, the Hokage is not only glory, but also responsibility. Look at me; I’m clearly not yet 50, yet I look old like Danzo, you’re not suited to be Hokage.” Hiruzen Sarutobi said,
“Have you read Anbu Copper Fox’s records? You’re just like him, acting extreme, absolutely impossible to come into the sunshine.
You’re too impulsive; how could you rashly kill a special jonin of the Senju Clan?
Nearly killing Shinma was also a bad move.
Now they’ve come for revenge; Shimura Tan and Hiruzen Sarutobi were both killed by them.
The current problem is, it’s uncertain whether it was Tsunade, Sakumo Hatake, or the Uchiha Clan who did it.
I have some doubts; although these three have become opposing thorns, none of them seem like they would do such a thing.”
Danzo thought to himself, now that something has happened, you call it a bad move.
When it succeeded so many times before, why didn’t you say I, Danzo, was extreme?
Danzo ignored this and asked, “Who do you think struck the killer blow? Tsunade? White Fang? Or the Uchiha Clan?”
Adding the extra chapter for last month’s 7500 monthly votes! This month I probably can’t do 500 monthly votes for an extra chapter; my main job has been very busy lately, writing in spare time after work, energy insufficient. Extra chapters will still happen; I’ll try 1000 monthly votes for an extra. See if my body can hold up.
