Land of Fire Border.
"Orochimaru-sensei, the mission is complete."
Inside the tent, Orochimaru looked tired as he rubbed his forehead, holding several intelligence reports in his hand. As the overall commander on the front lines, his workload had increased due to the apparent unrest at the border. In addition, he had secret scientific experiments to conduct. He was a master of time management.
Orochimaru looked at his disciple, Anko, who wore an admiring expression, and his teammate, Uchiha Yoru, who pretended to admire him. He lifted his head and revealed his signature smile.
If the enemy saw this smile, they would be filled with fear. Orochimaru had a certain charismatic charm, which made him a formidable contender for the position of the Fourth Hokage.
Anko handed him the mission report, and Uchiha Yoru casually shrugged, indicating that Anko should deliver the news. Anko wore a smug smile, as if saying, "You recognize my worth."
"Orochimaru-sensei, we discovered illegal infiltrators this time. Three of them were low-level shinobi, two dead and one disabled. The remaining one, a Chunin, has been taken to the Interrogation Department. This is the information we obtained from them."
As the overall commander, Orochimaru didn't have to personally handle every mission. Once they captured a live target, they would hand them over to the Interrogation Department for interrogation and provide the mission results. Orochimaru only needed to know the purpose or plot of the enemy, without wasting time on suspicion.
Anko excitedly and proudly recounted the mission details and the results from the Interrogation Department. Orochimaru patiently listened, appearing like a mentor at that moment.
After Anko finished speaking, she wore a proud expression, as if saying, "Come on, praise me already."
"Hehe, Anko, you did well. But I suppose this strategy was devised by Yoru, right?"
Orochimaru's smile was sinister, but Anko didn't feel repulsed. Instead, she looked at her teammate Yoru, pouted, and let out a cold hum. She knew she couldn't have handled the enemy alone. She wouldn't have been able to finish the battle swiftly and efficiently without any injuries.
"Hehe, Anko, you did a great job."
After encouraging his disciple with his hoarse smile, Orochimaru turned his gaze to Yoru and revealed a sinister smile.
"Yoru, your talent in ninjutsu and kenjutsu surpasses my expectations. It seems the title of the 'Genius Team' for you and Anko is not an exaggeration."
Receiving Orochimaru's praise, Uchiha Yoru, wearing a sheepish smile, secretly grumbled in his heart, thinking, What genius? I just spent a lot of money to get this far.
Clearly, the fact that he managed to master Chidori in such a short time had already earned him the title of a genius in Orochimaru's eyes. This was Yoru's plan, after all. He had attached himself to Orochimaru.
If we talk about the level of teaching among the Hokage, it would definitely be Jiraiya and Orochimaru, two of the Legendary Sannin. But it was clear that Jiraiya couldn't establish a connection, while Orochimaru's guidance had a distinctive style.
He naturally had to show his talent to exchange for the maximum resources.
"Orochimaru-sensei, you flatter me."
At this moment, Uchiha Yoru wore a shy smile and Anko, who was standing beside him, couldn't help but sneer.
Who is Orochimaru? He is one of the legendary three ninjas and instantly recognized that Uchiha Yoru had something to say. He turned his head with a hoarse smile and looked at Anko.
"Anko, you haven't had any missions lately. Go and train with the Ninjutsus I taught you."
As expected, Anko, who blindly idolized Orochimaru, nodded excitedly. "Don't worry, Orochimaru-sensei. Anko won't hold you back."
Clearly, Anko was also a genius; otherwise, Orochimaru wouldn't have noticed her.
"Hehe, Yoru-kun is not bad either. Anko, you can leave. It's time for me, as Yoru-kun's teacher, to teach him something."
With excitement filling his heart, Anko glanced displeasingly at Uchiha Yoru upon hearing those words. His eyes conveyed a warning, as if saying, "Orochimaru-sensei is already tired, don't trouble him too much."
Under Anko's warning gaze, Uchiha Yoru forced a bitter smile. As Anko left and the tent quieted down again, he noticed Orochimaru's smile, filled with deep meaning, seemingly asking, "What does Uchiha represent this time?"
Observing Orochimaru's expression, Uchiha Yoru took a deep breath. He knew this was his chance to prove himself. He had to seize the opportunity and rise to power before Orochimaru defected, or else he would never have such a chance again.
"Orochimaru-sensei, this is the funding provided by the Uchiha clan for our teacher."
Uchiha Yoru slowly took out a scroll from his pocket and unsealed it. Instantly, a glittering golden scene appeared before their eyes. Orochimaru's eyes flickered with surprise at the sight.
Gold bricks, piled up like a small mountain, were then sealed back into the scroll. Uchiha Yoru respectfully handed over the scroll.
Seeing this scene, Orochimaru's hoarse laughter carried a sense of joy. Although he was a scientist, research was an endless pit, and the required resources were boundless.
Clearly, it suited his appetite, and when Uchiha Yoru heard Orochimaru's relaxed and joyous laughter, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. His predictions were indeed correct.
After the chaos caused by the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha was in an unstable state, and the resources provided by Tobi's Akatsuki organization would surely decrease. Especially since Orochimaru was a powerful contender for the position of the Fifth Hokage, it would be strange if Tobirama still provided assistance to Orochimaru.
At this time, Orochimaru must be in need of money and various resources!
"Hehe, it seems Yoru-kun has big ambitions."
Orochimaru licked his lips as he looked at the acquired funds, a smile appearing on his face. He naturally wanted the money, and the Uchiha clan seemed promising too.
"Sensei, the Uchiha clan will fully support the Fifth Hokage, Orochimaru-sensei."
Uchiha Yoru smiled, emphasizing the word "sensei," as if to say, "You are the Fifth Hokage, teacher. The Uchiha clan is willing to serve you in every way possible."
Orochimaru heard the underlying meaning in his words and immediately showed a smile.
"Orochimaru-sensei, the Uchiha clan knows that your research in Ninjutsu requires a large amount of funding. This is the initial funding, and the Uchiha clan will continue to provide support in the future. If Orochimaru-sensei needs any research materials, the Uchiha clan will do everything possible to provide them."
Uchiha Yoru made a clear statement and his expression grew firm.