"By the way, Orochimaru-sensei, why are you here?"
It was only then that Naruto remembered the figure leaning silently against the corner of the wall—Orochimaru.
"It's a simple matter."
Orochimaru stepped forward, his raspy voice breaking the tension. He addressed the three members of Team 7. "Following the recent attack by the assailants from the Kumogakure(Hidden Cloud Village), Naruto performed outstandingly to thwart them."
"This accomplishment has been classified as an SS-ranked mission. Uzumaki Naruto, under my authority as one of the Three Sannin, I hereby appoint you as a jōnin!"
As Orochimaru's declaration fell, the entire hospital room plunged into stunned silence.
Mikoto and Kushina were so shocked that their jaws nearly hit the floor.
Naruto furrowed his brow slightly. He sensed that this situation was far from as straightforward as Orochimaru made it seem.
For starters, Orochimaru didn't have the green flak jacket signifying a chūnin's promotion in his hand—highly suspicious.
And since when could the Three Sannin bypass the Hokage's authority to promote someone? That kind of decision belonged solely to the Kage.
As expected, Orochimaru shifted his tone, adding, "Well, as much as I'd like to say so..."
"In light of maintaining the fragile peace among the Five Great Nations, Naruto, your accomplishments this time won't be made public."
"That's unacceptable!"
"Exactly! It's completely unfair to Naruto-kun!"
Hearing this, Kushina and Mikoto immediately voiced their dissatisfaction, their cheeks puffing in protest.
Kushina glared at Orochimaru and said indignantly, "Orochimaru-sensei, do you even realize how dangerous it was for Naruto that day? He nearly died!"
After that fateful night, Kushina had also come to understand her own identity as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. The monster sealed within her belly was both feared and coveted by the Five Great Nations.
"Heh." Orochimaru chuckled mockingly, as if Kushina's remarks were too naïve to take seriously.
"This is politics."
"But..."
Mikoto felt an uneasiness gnawing at her. Orochimaru-sensei seemed... different. His approach to Naruto's achievements came across as unusually harsh.
Orochimaru rubbed his temples, visibly exasperated. How could he explain this concisely to these two young women?
After a moment of contemplation, Orochimaru's golden, slit-like pupils narrowed. His tone turned grave.
"You must understand. If the Konoha openly confronts the Kumogakure over this incident, war could break out between the two great nations."
"The remaining three great nations, seeking to secure their own advantages, wouldn't stand idly by."
"Before we know it, the Third Shinobi World War might erupt again, destroying the hard-won peace we've only just attained."
When Orochimaru finished speaking, his piercing gaze locked onto Kushina. "In such a scenario, Kushina, tell me—what should we do?"
"I... I don't know. But we're the victims here!"
Unwilling to accept this, Kushina clenched her fists tightly, struggling to suppress her anger.
Seeing her reaction, Orochimaru sighed softly. There was no point in pushing the matter further; after all, they were still just kids fresh out of the academy.
"That's why the Kumogakure, having lost one of their Kage-level fighters, cannot demand reparations from the Konoha. That is their price to pay."
Kushina trembled with rage after hearing Orochimaru's explanation.
For the innocent red-haired girl, injustice was injustice, no matter the reasoning.
"I'm going to speak to the Third Hokage about this!"
With that, Kushina stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Orochimaru glanced at Mikoto and motioned for her to follow, ensuring nothing would go awry.
"Kushina, wait for me!"
Once outside the hospital, Mikoto called out to Kushina.
Hearing this, Kushina stopped in her tracks, waiting for Mikoto to catch up.
"Mikoto, don't you think this whole situation is unfair?"
Kushina, unable to contain her frustration, blurted out her true feelings.
"Of course it is. But barging in to see the Hokage won't solve anything. Instead, we should negotiate for some compensation for Naruto-kun."
Mikoto gently grasped Kushina's fair hand, speaking with calm persuasion.
"Fine. Let's do that."
---
Back in the hospital room, only Naruto and Orochimaru remained.
"Out with it, Orochimaru-sensei. You deliberately sent Kushina and Mikoto away—what is it you really want to talk about?"
Naruto, having remained silent throughout, had sensed the oddities in Orochimaru's words.
Leaning against the windowsill, Naruto tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the sky outside.
The serene azure sky brought a sense of peace to the mind.
"Naruto, what's the story behind the large-scale ice release near the borders of the Land of Fire?"
Orochimaru asked slowly.
The Third Hokage and the Konoha's higher-ups weren't fools. With such information at their disposal, they naturally needed answers. Otherwise, it would be as if a ticking time bomb existed within the village.
Questioning Kushina and Mikoto had yielded nothing, as both were unconscious during the incident. With no other option, the Third Hokage sent Orochimaru to interrogate the person directly involved.
"Oh, that's my Kekkei Genkai," Naruto replied candidly. There was no point in hiding it—it was impossible to conceal anyway.
"Is that so?" Orochimaru nodded slightly, then pressed further. "And the S-rank-level destructive power?"
"I call it Kekkei Genkai Overdrive," Naruto replied flatly.
"Overdrive?"
A flicker of curiosity flashed through Orochimaru's golden pupils.
Naruto ran a hand through his golden locks, and under Orochimaru's astonished gaze, his hair slowly turned white.
The transformation was effortless for Naruto.
"I see... A power obtained by burning through your own life force."
Orochimaru's raspy voice carried a hint of pain.
"I'll inform Sarutobi-sensei of the situation."
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