Inside the Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, a cloud of smoke from his pipe lingering in the air. Before him stood Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune, six Anbu members, and a small, pink pig named Tonton.
Hiruzen waved his hand, dismissing the Anbu. "You have done well. You may leave now."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" In a puff of smoke, the Anbu members vanished.
With the Anbu gone, Jiraiya and Tsunade dropped their formalities and collapsed onto the sofa, their usual carefree demeanor taking over.
"Old man, it's been a while. You seem to be holding up well," Jiraiya remarked casually.
Hiruzen chuckled. "And you, Jiraiya, have grown more robust."
"Enough with the pleasantries!" Tsunade interrupted impatiently. "Old man, why did you call us back? What's going on?"
Hiruzen took a deep drag on his pipe, his expression turning serious. "I called you back to deal with Orochimaru..."
He then explained the recent events within Konoha and his growing concerns in great detail.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged glances, their expressions remaining stoic. They had anticipated such a request and were mentally prepared for it.
"Due to my past failures in guiding him, Orochimaru has become increasingly dangerous. To prevent future threats, I plan to eliminate him," Hiruzen stated with a heavy heart.
"There is a spy in the village working for Orochimaru, named Kabuto. I assigned Natsuhane Uchiha to handle him, but there have been no results so far. Jiraiya, can you find Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "With some effort, yes. But are you sure this is the path you want to take?"
Hiruzen sighed. "I know you still care for him, but he's gone too far. My hands are tied."
"Alright, but when I find him, I want to talk to him before we take any action," Jiraiya insisted.
"Very well. Once you locate Orochimaru, remember to include Natsuhane and the Root organization in the mission."
Hiruzen's voice lowered as he continued, "This mission serves two purposes: to eliminate Orochimaru and to deal with Natsuhane."
"Natsuhane will be part of the team that hunts down Orochimaru. I've already positioned him within the village's upper echelon, controlling the Root organization. However, the true leader of Root is still me."
"After dealing with Orochimaru, you can eliminate Natsuhane on the spot."
"I've been planning this for a long time, placing him in high positions and assigning him to investigate Orochimaru, all to set him up for this moment."
"And before we eliminate him, we can have him fight Orochimaru. Regardless of who wins, we will be the ultimate victors."
"I'm counting on you, Jiraiya, Tsunade. Only the three of us have the capability to handle this. As the Hokage, I have too many responsibilities to act openly."
Tsunade frowned. "Old man, do we really need to kill Natsuhane? He hasn't done anything overly harmful. His feud with Danzo was personal revenge."
Hiruzen's expression turned cold. "Tsunade, Jiraiya, I'm old, and one of you will take my place eventually. You need to think like the village's leader."
"Do you know why Danzo orchestrated the Uchiha massacre? Despite his personal motives, he aimed to protect Konoha. The Nine-Tails attack was undoubtedly controlled by the Uchiha, signaling their rebellion."
"Danzo acted without my knowledge, collaborating with Itachi Uchiha to eliminate the clan. Though it was brutal, it secured the village's future stability."
"Danzo's actions, though condemned by many, were necessary. Sacrificing the Uchiha was preferable to risking the entire village's destruction. If the Uchiha had rebelled, Konoha would have been vulnerable to attacks from Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
"I don't want to see that day. I'm sure neither of you do either. Natsuhane's eyes are too dangerous. He is an unstable factor."
"Remember, as future leaders, you must balance public morality with the hidden darkness that maintains stability, and ensure no one discovers it."
Jiraiya and Tsunade were taken aback, remaining silent for a long time.
Finally, Tsunade spoke softly, "Sensei, you... seem to have changed."
To her, Hiruzen had always been the kind, smiling figure.
Hiruzen shook his head. "No, this is the real me. You'll understand once you're in my position."
Jiraiya, with a serious expression, added, "Maybe I'm not at your level yet, but I believe there will come a day when people truly understand each other. I believe in a future where conflicts are resolved without taking lives, even those of our enemies."
"Naive..." Hiruzen thought to himself, but asked aloud, "Jiraiya, will you accept this mission?"
"Yes!" Jiraiya replied without hesitation. "I'll go, but before we kill Orochimaru and Natsuhane, I will speak with them."
"Very well..." Hiruzen sighed.
"Finding Orochimaru's base is up to you. Tsunade, head to the hospital. They have samples collected from the pregnant women in the village. See if you can develop a cure."
"Understood..."
...