When he heard Naruto say "Fourth Kazekage", Orochimaru's pupils shrank. He hadn't anticipated such a secret to be exposed by Naruto, who was the most unpredictable. Thus he became vigilant in his heart. Orochimaru had a feeling as if his innermost thoughts had been laid bare.
You see, Orochimaru has been meticulously preparing for this plan for a long time and only a few people were aware of it. One of them was Kabuto, whom Naruto had met. This caused Orochimaru to wonder if Kabuto had betrayed him.
"But I'm curious, how did you know about this Naruto-kun? Or...did he reveal all my plans to you?"
Orochimaru's eyes are full of coldness. If his most trusted assistant were to betray him, then it would be absolutely unforgivable.
"Don't worry. It's not Kabuto Yakushi. Even when I offered him to join me, promising to kill Danzo and avenge him, he still refused. It's quite regrettable. I must admit, Orochimaru, your personal charisma is truly strong."
Regarding Orochimaru's personal charisma, to be honest, Naruto is deeply impressed. Especially in the aspect of abducting children and making them loyal to him. In this regard, Orochimaru managed to completely surpass Jiraiya.
Look at Kabuto, look at Suigetsu and then look at Karin and Kimimaro. Each one of them is devoted to Orochimaru.
Naruto's explanation made Orochimaru feel a little better. At least it indicated that information didn't come from the betrayal of the people around him. However, if that's the case, how did Naruto know this?
"As for how I know, I have my own methods and I am knowledgeable about many things. If you encounter any question that you don't understand, feel free to ask me. I might be able to give you an answer."
"Hee hee hee, in that case, I look forward to receiving more advice from you in the future."
Orochimaru did not refuse. He also knew that not all information comes at a price. On the contrary, some require equal transactions, which Orochimaru never refuses.
After finishing speaking, Orochimaru didn't stay for long. He wanted to talk to the Third Hokage as the Fourth Kazekage, just as Naruto had said.
Now that the One Tail Jinchūriki is safe and will appear before the third round of exams, Orochimaru must ensure that the Chūnin exams are not cancelled.
Otherwise, wouldn't his previous efforts be in vain?
Although Orochimaru is unaware what method Naruto used to take Gaara away or whether he desired One Tail, he remains unable to guess the answers. Maybe he can only acquire such information from Gaara when he returns.
"Naruto, Orochimaru is an extremely dangerous individual. It'd be better to minimise contact with him."
After Orochimaru left, Minato came out.
He had heard what Naruto and Orochimaru talked about. But as he believed in Naruto, he didn't ask too much.
Furthermore, regarding Naruto's aspiration to become Hokage, Naruto's clone had also revealed a little to Minato. Seeing that Naruto did not seek to seize power by launching a coup, Minato naturally supported Naruto.
Especially in the past few days, when he looked into the things that the Third Hokage and Danzo had done over the years, he felt that Third Hokage, who seems to be only interested in power and politics, should step down from his position.
Not to mention that there is also the matter of Konoha's destruction in the Land of Uzumaki, which was actually planned by the Third Hokage in the background. This revelation only made him even more angry. He didn't even dare to tell Kushina the truth, fearing that Kushina wouldn't be able to bear it.
"Don't worry, he wouldn't dare to do anything to me. Have you forgotten? With my current strength, I have no trouble dealing with any of them on my own."
Naruto said confidently.
"Well, I know. I am just worried that you might be used by him."
Minato nodded, reassured about Naruto's safety.
Back then, Minato could be invincible with his Flying Thunder God Technique. Not to mention, Naruto has surpassed him in terms of knowledge and ninjutsu, so there would be no issues to be concerned about.
Three days later, a message came to Konoha that the Fourth Kazekage was coming early.
In the past few days, because a large number of ninjas are constantly roaming the streets, looking for something, the news that Sunagakure's One Tail Jinchūriki disappeared in Konoha was finally known to everybody.
Indirectly, other ninja villages have dispatched an unknown number of shinobi to Konoha in the past few days, closely monitoring every action of the Third Hokage. Their keen senses are akin to hungry sharks, capable of detecting even the slightest smell of blood.
Among them, Kumogakure's attitude is the most arrogant. Despite being of moderate strength, they managed to catch up after the Third Ninja World War and firmly establish their dominance over Konoha and the Rock Shinobi, securing third rank.
Therefore, they can't wait to take advantage of Konoha's general situation and take the opportunity to unify the ninja world!
But Kumogakure, who seems to be full of muscles in their brains, is actually very careful. They know that even if they want to defeat other ninja villages, they can't take the initiative and become the target of public criticism.
Otherwise, maybe they will be besieged by three villages like Konoha before. Therefore, when the Jinchūriki of Sunagakure went berserk in this Chūnin exam and disappeared in Konoha, it can also be seen that this incident may become the fuse of the war, thus Kumogakure, directly sent a group of envoys to Konoha.
They were afraid that the water would not be turbulent enough, so they wanted to take the opportunity to further escalate the situation.
The influx of various news not only overwhelmed the Third Hokage, but also spread a tense atmosphere that permeated the hearts of every villager in the village. They all shared concerns that the Fourth Ninja World War might be imminent, leaving them to wonder if their days of peace were drawing to a close.
And at this time, an additional headache befell the Third Hokage. The man behind the scenes actually took the situation to spread rumours, placing the blame on the Third Hokage's ineffective leadership and lack of capabilities.
The villagers talked amongst one another saying that the Third Hokage was old and dying, which caused the ongoing events. The arrival of the Fourth Kazekage to Konoha for accountability further intensified the discussions.
Upon being informed of the news, the Third Hokage grew very furious.
"Bastard! Who is pulling the strings behind the scenes?! This is obviously targeted at me!"
"What the hell does he want to accomplish?! Does he want to destroy Konoha and start a war?!"
The Hokage clenched his teeth and lit a cigarette with anger.
Fortunately, there were only Danzo, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado in the office now, who were his trusted old friends. Otherwise if other ninjas see the appearance of the Third Hokage they will have to wonder if the Third Hokage is really old, they might even question his ability to guard Konoha.
After all, such a gaffe from the Third Hokage was quite rare.
Even Utatane and Mitokado are aware of how critical the situation is now.
Only 'Danzo', Naruto's clone, couldn't help laughing.
'This is just a small glimpse and you can't handle it? Just wait! There is an even more explosive news that has not yet been released~'
'At that time, not only will doubts arise regarding your competence, but also your ability to uphold the positive image you have cultivated over half of your lifetime will become a significant concern!'