Hokage: The common sense of Konoha has changed

Somewhere in the metallurgy district of Konoha, within the Sarutobi Clan…

"You see, uncle, I've already told you—I can only transform this type of metal for now," Mitsuy Sarutobi was trying to explain to his great uncle what was happening.

It was a clear night when young Mitsuy, bored and restless, was struck by a small meteorite, losing consciousness. Since then, his life had been turned upside down.

The Sarutobi Clan, esteemed for their mastery of nature transformations, particularly fire, and their occasional contracts with the Wise Monkey Clan, had never seen the emergence of a Kekkei Tōta, especially of this kind. Essentially, young Mitsuy gained the ability to release already-transformed metal.

You might wonder, "What's going on here?" Yes, this is a flimsy excuse to avoid explaining that Mitsuy is a reincarnate with a system that conveniently chose to focus on metallurgy.

Understanding that he belonged to the Sarutobi Clan and equipped only with the basic knowledge he remembered from this era of Konoha, Mitsuy did his best. Through relentless effort, by the end of the First Shinobi War, he had become an accomplished Chūnin.

Indeed, accomplished—by the standards of the time, that was quite high. Since his early days, after his uncle agreed to become the sensei of that era's golden trio, Mitsuy's godlike talent in Water Release was discovered, earning him a place as the Second Hokage's student.

Unfortunately, life is cruel, and it wasn't long ago that his precious sensei departed from this world, leaving his uncle to ascend to the position of the Third Hokage at a young age.

But returning to the topic at hand, Mitsuy was now sitting in the midst of Konoha's current council and the Sarutobi Clan elders, discussing this new Metal Release and its limits. For hours, he was subjected to relentless testing to comprehend this Kekkei Tōta—yes, they considered calling it a Kekkei Tōta to avoid provoking the other nations. To the Third Hokage himself, it already bordered on a Kekkei Mōra.

"Well… as you can see, Uncle, I can create any kind of stainless steel imaginable," Mitsuy sighed, rubbing his head.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, lost in thought over these recent developments, concluded, "So, young Mitsuy, if we analyze it this way, as you said, you can produce 1,000 kilograms of steel with each rest period. Considering your chakra is modestly high just by observation, I would say it's at the peak of an Elite Jōnin. These values will only increase as you age, correct?"

Mitsuy paused, analyzing what was said, then nodded. "Basically, that's it, Uncle. And about my request—do you think it's possible?" The twelve-year-old Mitsuy looked up timidly.

Hiruzen glanced around, and seeing everyone's agreement, he spoke, "Very well, the clan will finance the metallurgy shop, and as soon as it starts yielding results, Konoha will secure a contract for ninja weapons. How does that sound?"

Mitsuy nodded, feeling relief wash over him. This was truly a deal—he could relax and work. With his modern mind, he quickly outlined what needed to be constructed and how the production rooms should be set up. After hours of labor, everything was finalized, awaiting only construction.

Mitsuy had few friends, you see. Due to the extensive training under the Second Hokage, he had little time for friendships. Moreover, the clan's efforts to mold him into an exemplary youth resulted in a twelve-year-old Mutsuy Sarutobi with an extensive secret mission record:

Ninja Mission Panel:

Rank S: 40Rank A: 90Rank B: 342Rank C: 232Rank D: 500

He wasn't officially a Jōnin by title, as the Second Hokage himself requested this to protect Mitsuy from assassination attempts. Currently, his codename in the shadowy ninja world was "Liquid Slaughter," with ominous messages like, "If you feel the rain suddenly change, run. If you encounter the shinobi with the water-shaped melting mask, flee," along with many other chilling titles.

Essentially, at such a tender age, he had already done much for Konoha. Now, he planned to take a well-deserved break. The First War had ended a few years ago, and his calculations predicted the next war would break out when he turned seventeen or eighteen. By then, he hoped to have a wife to care for.

"Mutsuy!" a loud voice called out, snapping the young shinobi from his daydreams of the future. Hiruzen continued, "I intend to promote you as soon as the sales begin. Unfortunately, you're the only master of Water Release in Konoha with Kage-level combat power. Until then, you will take on some tutoring responsibilities. Understood?" Hiruzen looked back, awaiting an answer.

"Yes, Uncle. Consider it done. Even if I have to train a battalion of Kage-level Water Release users, I, Mutsuy Sarutobi, consider myself the strongest."

Smack!

Mutsuy rubbed his forehead, pouting, "Alright, alright, this master will overlook your behavior."

Everyone in the room laughed, uplifted by the cheerful atmosphere that this little one always brought to the clan. Hiruzen, alongside his usually silent advisors, couldn't help but smile too.

Destiny plays tricks on the purest of hearts. During his time at the ninja academy, Mutsuy formed great friendships with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. You may wonder what happened to this delightful childhood. Destiny smiles—he also met the young Kashimoto Mitokado, Kaori Utatane, and finally, Aiko Shimura. Since then, he had a doll-like relationship with Aiko Shimura, enduring Jiraiya's pranks and Tsunade's jealous outbursts. Such was the blood-stained childhood of Mutsuy.

Three months later...

Sarutobi Metallurgy

The shop stood three stories tall, with spacious back rooms housing various smelting chambers. Upon entering, one would find a massive steel barrel pouring molten liquid into molds shaped like shuriken, kunai, senbon, tantō, katanas, and more. After the appropriate duration set by seal automation, the final products landed in a rubber basket, awaiting masterful sharpening.

This marked a significant shift for Konoha, moving away from foreign metallurgy merchants to perfect their own, thanks to Mitsuy's Metal Release. You may wonder, "Is he merely serving as a war battery?" Don't be foolish—Mutsuy was delighted. Beyond releasing 1,000 kilograms of metal every few days, he was swimming in wealth. Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you, your father here is the richest in this country! Such was the current life of Mutsuy. You might think the ninja world runs on chakra—it does, but in essence, money rules all.

It was early afternoon, and Mutsuy had just returned from his small lunch break. He was at the sales counter of his shop, jotting down some interesting ideas in a notebook, along with some well-detailed sketches. If one were to take a closer look, they might think it was an intricate assembly method for some kind of device. However, if someone from the blue planet were to glance at it, they would immediately recognize what it was—precision rifles. At that moment, Mutsuy was sketching and noting down measurements here and there, determined to bring his idea to life.

Letting out a deep sigh, he took a sip of tea and set the notebook aside as a customer entered the shop. Judging by the eyes, he seemed to be a Hyūga; by the vest, he was a Jōnin. Very well.

"Dear customer, Mutsuy Sarutobi at your service," he said, pushing a detailed list across the counter. The list contained small images and unit prices of various ninja weapons. The Jōnin took it and began analyzing the options before finally making his request.

"Mutsuy-dono, I have come to modernize the armaments of our Hyūga clan. I heard from the Ino-Shika-Chō clans that these weapons have better durability and can withstand high-intensity ninjutsu."

Mutsuy smiled and replied politely, "You are absolutely correct. Currently, our weapons have been tested and certified to withstand Lava Release, officially attested with the Hokage's seal, as you can see on the wall over there—'HOKAGE QUALITY SEAL'."

Don't ask—Mutsuy fought hard to get his uncle to approve that. Some things are best accepted without question.

The Hyūga let out a relieved breath. "That's reassuring. I'd like to place an order for 500 kunai, 800 shuriken, 200 senbon, and 30 katanas."

Mutsuy quickly jotted down the order and smiled, passing a card to the Jōnin. "Everything is ready, Hyūga-san. Please accept this loyalty card. If you decide to continue purchasing from us in the future, know that by paying a monthly fee of just 500 ryō, you will receive a 10% discount. Quite affordable."

At that moment, a member of the Sarutobi clan arrived with a cart carrying the ordered items, placing them on the counter. He greeted them briefly and left.

The Hyūga couldn't help but furrow his brow—at no moment had he seen Mutsuy send any message or summon assistance.

Noticing the confusion, Mutsuy explained, "Do not worry, Hyūga-san. I have a sealing tablet here. By pressing certain buttons in quick succession, I can send orders directly to the warehouse. As you can see, everything is prepared."

After carefully packing, sealing, and stamping each box with the official seal of Mutsuy Sarutobi, he passed them over to the Hyūga. After making the hefty payment of 300,000 ryō, the Jōnin thanked him, sealed the crates into a scroll, and departed.

With a sigh, Mutsuy returned to his small corner at the counter and glanced out the window. The street outside was bustling, people coming and going. Returning his focus to his notebook, he continued sketching and refining his ideas until nightfall.

When it was time to close the shop, five Sarutobi ninjas appeared at the entrance, prepared to guard the establishment throughout the night, ensuring the security of the young master's growing industry.

Walking through the well-lit district, Mutsuy glanced around, observing the steady flow of people and merchants. Business was thriving. He was strong. Women were not lacking.

"Is this the concern of the future?" he wondered.

He couldn't help but sigh, knowing that in a few years, perhaps more, his brief vacation from the harsher realities of the world would come to an end.

Upon arriving at the Sarutobi complex, he retreated to his modest quarters. Preparing a light dinner, he sat on the veranda, gazing at the serene garden in front of him.

He smiled knowingly. "Orochimaru, I see you've finished your missions. How are things?"

"Not good," Orochimaru replied with a sigh, taking a seat beside him. "The nations are moving. Missions have become chaotic. It seems that the treaties from the First Great War will soon be broken."

Mutsuy took a sip of his tea and answered without hesitation, "Definitely. I'd give it four years before the first skirmishes begin, and by the fifth year, we'll be in full-scale war."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "The clans of Konoha have already begun stockpiling ninja weapons. The Genin battalion will receive a shipment of 10,000 kunai next week."

Orochimaru nodded. He was well aware of the situation. The Orochimaru of today had an insatiable thirst for knowledge. With Mutsuy's extensive financial resources, the two had established a Scientific Library, acquiring books from all over the Shinobi world, officially approved by the Hokage's office.

Nowadays, thanks to Mutsuy's brilliant idea of loyalty cards, many clans paid subscriptions to access this invaluable knowledge.

Orochimaru viewed Mutsuy as his brother—not just in arms but in life itself. If it were possible, he would have wanted to be his brother by blood.

They had gone through hell together, surviving the worst during their time executing missions side by side.

Unlike the original timeline, this Orochimaru was undoubtedly a genius of godlike caliber, walking alongside a man of equal talent. However, Orochimaru never trained under the Second Hokage. Instead, he spent most of his shinobi career from the age of eight alongside Mutsuy, undertaking the most diverse and dangerous missions.

To the outside world, they were merely two runny-nosed brats. But those who truly knew them knew the truth.

For wherever the "Liquid Slaughter" walked, the dreaded "Cold Snake" followed.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, if you were ever on a mission and suddenly felt the temperature drop—if you felt unseen eyes watching you from all directions—and if, above all, you were within the borders of the Land of Fire...

Run for your life.

The little snake brother is here.

That was one of the many affectionate titles Orochimaru had earned during his time in ANBU.

To maintain their ultra-secret identities, Mutsuy came up with a rule: while serving in ANBU, they would each use only one type of technique. Mutsuy strictly used Water Release.

Orochimaru, with Mutsuy's guidance, developed Frozen Snake Release.

Some might think—Nani?!

Oh, but you see, Mutsuy had a rather peculiar system, full of the most varied capabilities. However, there were no panels, no visible interfaces, nothing of the sort.

One day, while looking at Orochimaru, a prompt had suddenly appeared beside his friend's head:

"Do you wish to take Orochimaru under your wing?"

If answered yes, an intricate menu of methods and abilities became available for his development.

After carefully browsing through an extensive list, Mutsuy found an option that perfectly suited Orochimaru.

At the time, they were just children, filled with curiosity and mischief. Neither of them realized that on that day, a friendship destined to transcend time and space had been forged.

Slowly but surely, they constructed an intricate jutsu system with this transcendent release.

Orochimaru could summon living ice serpents of various sizes and forms, shaped entirely by his chakra and imagination. This ice was no ordinary frost—it burned upon contact. Additionally, depending on how the technique was cast, the serpents could possess unique abilities dictated by the user's will.

Mutsuy handed his notebook to Orochimaru, awaiting his response to the proposed ideas.

Orochimaru examined the pages carefully, considering all possible scenarios and implications before finally speaking.

"Aside from the fact that we could create small armed battalions for territorial defense, have you considered how to prevent this technology from falling into the wrong hands?"

Mutsuy paused, then nodded.

"I've thought of something, but I need more tests. Essentially, I'll use Sealing Jutsu to create an intricate chakra recognition system. Only recognized users will be able to wield the weapons. And if too many unauthorized attempts are detected..."

He smirked.

"The components will self-destruct, and an alert will be sent to the central control panel. I just need Mito-sama to review my seals, and this idea can take on a life of its own. What do you think?"

Orochimaru nodded. It was a solid plan.

He knew well—Mutsuy was a sealing master, responsible for many of Konoha's wartime sealing techniques and the lead instructor for the village's sealing division.

Just thinking about all that work made Orochimaru sigh.

What a hassle.