While both the Third Hokage and Danzō have their dark sides, Orochimaru's darkness is comparatively straightforward. Orochimaru strayed for specific reasons, but with Danzō and the Third Hokage, darkness seems omnipresent. They may act in secrecy, but their actions are always in the name of the village. They claim everything is "for the good of Konoha," all while plotting in the shadows.
After Takuya left, Jiraiya was left visibly conflicted. His goal had been to rally Takuya to support Tsunade, but the situation had spiraled beyond his expectations. The animosity between Takuya and the higher-ups was worse than he had realized.
"Would Takuya really prefer supporting Orochimaru just to see the Third Hokage step down?"
Who was truly at fault here? Takuya? No, even if Jiraiya tried to fool himself, he couldn't deny the facts. Takuya had always treated Konoha as his home and had never acted against the village. Yet, because of his lineage and status, he was repeatedly targeted. The roots of all this started at the top.
Did the Third Hokage make mistakes? Jiraiya couldn't deny it, and they weren't minor, either. But confronting his teacher wasn't an option. Supporting Tsunade's rise was already an unorthodox move for him. Openly opposing his sensei wasn't in Jiraiya's nature.
"Damn it! How did it come to this?"
Anger welled up inside Jiraiya, and with no outlet, he was left wanting to shout, without knowing who to blame.
As Takuya returned to his tent, he was met with the eager gazes of both Minato and Nawaki. He couldn't help but laugh at their curious expressions.
"Go on and ask. Whatever I can say, I won't keep from you."
Minato and Nawaki had been with him for a long time and were already aware of most of the relevant details, so there was no harm in sharing a little more.
"What did Jiraiya-sensei want to talk about?" Minato asked.
"It was about Orochimaru."
"About Orochimaru-sensei?" Nawaki immediately straightened up. His teacher was involved, and it was natural for him to be a bit anxious.
"Yes," Takuya confirmed, shrugging. "Your good teacher has gotten tangled up with Danzō. You know what kind of person Danzō is, right? Jiraiya was concerned things could take a dangerous turn, so he came to talk to me."
Minato glanced over at Nawaki, who looked visibly uncomfortable. Despite Orochimaru's darker inclinations, he had always been good to Nawaki, almost like family. Now, hearing that his respected teacher had fallen in with Danzō, Nawaki was the one who was feeling the sting.
Takuya, without holding back, explained further. "For some reason, Orochimaru wants to contend for the title of Fourth Hokage. He's already begun marginalizing Hatake Sakumo in the village. I think you both have noticed that by now. Currently, Orochimaru and Danzō are working together. If Orochimaru actually takes the Hokage position, the kind of influence he could wield over the village is something no one can predict."
"So, Sensei wanted you to talk to Tsunade, to convince her to join the race for Hokage?" Nawaki asked quietly after a pause. He wasn't the same, naïve kid who once boasted he'd become Hokage someday. His dreams remained, but he now understood that his path was far from easy. The likes of Sakumo, the Sannin — they were all towering mountains standing in his way. Reaching the summit and fulfilling his dream would not be easy.
"Yes," Takuya said, nodding. "The Third Hokage has allowed the marginalization of Sakumo-senpai. And it may only get worse from here."
"Because of the Hokage faction?" Nawaki muttered, clenching his fists. He was sick of hearing the same excuses — "It's all for the good of the village." It made him sick.
Minato placed a comforting hand on Nawaki's shoulder. "Try not to dwell on it. Some things are simply beyond our control."
"Maybe… and maybe not." Leaning back in his chair, Takuya crossed one leg over the other and replied, "Even without the Hokage faction's interference, Sakumo-senpai would undoubtedly have been a leading candidate for the Fourth Hokage. The real problem is that the Hatake clan is deeply tied to the warrior code, which causes them to naturally lean toward the Daimyo's office. That's something the village can't accept."
"So, him being sidelined was inevitable, and it all started with that 'Hokage's Half-Mantle' nonsense. That's not something you should accept lightly." He added with a chuckle, "Especially when it's bestowed by the Daimyo."
Each village's relationship with its Daimyo is complicated. For Konoha, the Daimyo's office is little more than a funding source, but one that often oversteps and tries to seize control of military power — something that strikes at Konoha's core. Relations between Konoha and the Daimyo are not as harmonious as they may appear.
The Daimyo has repeatedly tried to win over Konoha's prominent clans and powerful ninjas, while Konoha regularly weeds out the Daimyo's agents who attempt to stir up trouble. Both sides play their game carefully, refraining from any extreme actions.
Even if Danzō dislikes the Daimyo, he might issue a few threatening statements, but he wouldn't actually take action. With Root's capabilities, wiping out the Daimyo would be easy.
"What about Orochimaru-sensei?"
"Orochimaru's situation is more complex," Takuya replied, shrugging again. "I think he's working with Danzō, experimenting with things he shouldn't be. You know how he loves his research — and most of it falls under village bans."
Nawaki's eyes widened. "You're saying… Orochimaru-sensei is doing forbidden research?"
Takuya nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
Nawaki drew a sharp breath, feeling a chill run through him. If that were to be exposed, the shock would shake the entire village.
"Enough for now. Get some rest. We're heading to the coastal encampment at dawn."
Takuya was unconcerned that Nawaki might rush off to confront Orochimaru. The younger Nawaki might have done so, but the Nawaki of today was wiser, even if the situation involved Orochimaru himself.
Back at the base, Orochimaru set aside a scroll with a satisfied smile.
"Takuya didn't disappoint. I imagine Yagura will lose his mind when he hears about this. It'll be quite the spectacle."
Across from him, Nara Shikaku looked on with curiosity, eyeing the intelligence report on the table. Orochimaru gave a slight nod, tossing the scroll over to Shikaku, who fumbled to catch it. Opening it, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"This… am I dreaming?"
To think that Takuya and Minato had quietly pulled off something of this magnitude!
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Here is the bonus chapter as promised! I'm truly impressed by how quickly you all clicked the power stone button, managing to give over 500 power stones within just two hours. Congratulations on reaching that milestone! I hope these five chapters were enjoyable and worth the effort.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 360+ at Patreon com/ Emik01.
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