In the days that followed, Sasuke began his ninjutsu training under Orochimaru's guidance. Due to the sensitive situation in Konoha, the Fourth Hokage and Orochimaru accompanied Jiraiya to Mount Myoboku, where they met with the two Great Toad Sages.
"It's been a long time, Lord Fukasaku, Lady Shima," Minato said with his usual gentle smile.
The relationship between Mount Myoboku and Konoha was a complex one. The toads did not directly interfere in Konoha's development, but they maintained strong ties with those who signed their summoning contract. Thus, they would not stand idly by if Konoha were in crisis. To avoid putting Mount Myoboku in a difficult position, Minato and Naruto had consciously reduced their contact.
Although the two Sages were shocked by Naruto and Minato's choices, they expressed their understanding.
"We are truly happy to see you again," they said, tears welling in their eyes. Minato's gentle nature and reserved demeanor had made him a favorite among the toads of Mount Myoboku. However, they had learned from Jiraiya that the Minato before them now stood in opposition to the entire ninja world, a fact that left them sighing with regret.
"I'll prepare a feast for you tonight," Lady Shima said, not letting the grim circumstances dampen her spirits.
"Lady Shima's cooking... I'm really looking forward to it," Minato said with a nostalgic sigh. "But..." he glanced at Orochimaru, who was curiously observing the two Sages, a smirk playing on his lips. "Snakes don't eat bugs, do they?"
"Now that you mention it, Minato, I do sense the scent of those creatures on this gentleman," Lord Fukasaku said, his brow furrowing as he looked at Orochimaru with hostility.
"Ah... I have indeed signed a summoning contract with those great snakes, but that does not mean I am allied with them," Orochimaru said politely. "In fact, Minato-kun and I are partners now."
"That's right. I am also the head scientist of the Seireitei. It's a pleasure to meet you. If you two are interested in research, you are welcome to join us at any time," Orochimaru said, his serpentine eyes lingering on the two Sages. He could feel the vibrant natural energy teeming within their bodies. They were excellent experimental subjects.
"Orochimaru, you've already joined the Seireitei?" Jiraiya asked, his face etched with disappointment. He had hoped that Orochimaru was merely cooperating with Naruto and that, if Konoha paid the right price, they might have a chance to bring him back to the village for good. But now, it seemed Orochimaru truly had no lingering attachment to Konoha.
"To be precise, I am not yet qualified to join the Seireitei, because I have not yet become a Shinigami," Orochimaru said with a smile, pulling a vial of pink potion from his robes. "Only a Shinigami who has awakened their Reiatsu can join."
"If I drink that, will I have the same power as Naruto?" Sasuke's eyes burned with intensity as he reached for the vial, only to be stopped by Orochimaru.
"Sasuke, a ninja must not be impatient."
"You lack the necessary resolve right now. If you drink this, you will surely die. When you truly understand the meaning of my words, then you may drink this potion," Orochimaru said cryptically, placing the vial in Sasuke's hands.
Sasuke repeated the words to himself, a look of confusion on his face.
"I'll hold onto this for you," Jiraiya said, taking the potion from Sasuke and looking at Orochimaru with a serious expression. "If this potion can awaken Reiatsu, why haven't you drunk it?"
"Because I lack the necessary resolve as well," Orochimaru replied casually. "If one's heart is filled with attachments and bound by other emotions, the probability of becoming a Hollow after consuming the potion increases dramatically."
"Once you undergo Hollowfication, your memories will be erased, and your entire being will be consumed by negative emotions," Orochimaru said with a shrug. "From the experiments we've conducted so far, there have been a few rare cases that retained some memories after Hollowfication, but they are so few they can be disregarded."
"Are you confident you can be one of those exceptions?" Orochimaru asked with a smile.
"Is there a big difference in strength between a Hollow and a Shinigami?" Sasuke suddenly asked.
"What a mad thought," Orochimaru said, looking at Sasuke with surprise. "No wonder Naruto holds you in such high regard. You truly do possess terrifying potential."
"However, Hollowfication and Shinigamification each have their own characteristics. I would personally advise you to strive for Shinigamification. After all, as a Hollow, you would have to fight and devour your own kind to survive. The survival rate is extremely low. Even a strong individual could easily fall."
"For now, you don't need to consider any of this, because you are not yet qualified," Orochimaru said, glancing at the resentful Sasuke and the solemn Jiraiya with a sigh. "Jiraiya, I know you've been suspicious of our motives. I can tell you this, in all seriousness."
"Once I have finished teaching Sasuke and helped you deter the other ninja villages, my last bond with Konoha will be completely severed. I will then formally become a Shinigami. From that point on, we will be enemies in the truest sense of the word."
"It seems Naruto thinks very highly of you, to go so far as to strengthen Konoha for your sake," Jiraiya said with a bitter expression.
"Strengthen Konoha?" Orochimaru scoffed. "Even if we strengthen you, can you hold onto it? If your conscience is clear, what is there to worry about?" he said, his words laced with meaning.
Jiraiya's face immediately darkened. He's right. It's because Konoha has wronged Sasuke that we are so cautious.
Jiraiya didn't want to dwell on the topic. Since Orochimaru still had some sentiment for Konoha, perhaps he could obtain some useful information.
"This potion..." Jiraiya began, choosing his words carefully. "Are there many of them?"
"Such clumsy interrogation techniques, Jiraiya. But I'll tell you the answer anyway. We can already mass-produce it."
"To think that a potion to awaken Reiatsu can be mass-produced... Your ambition is no small thing," Jiraiya said with resentment, his eyes fixed on the pink vial in Sasuke's hand.
In terms of both current strength and future potential, Konoha had been completely left in the dust by the Seireitei. He had to admit, Konoha was in an extremely passive position. If things continued like this, destruction was inevitable. If Konoha could also get its hands on mass-produced Reiatsu... An idea began to form in Jiraiya's mind.
"Kage-level shinobi Orochimaru has returned to Konoha?" The news quickly spread throughout the ninja world. Considering Minato's special status, Konoha did not announce his return.
The Three Sannin of Konoha were finally reunited. For the other hidden villages, this was not good news.
"To think that after the Third's death, the Three Sannin would all return to Konoha. This is not good news at all," the Kage of the various villages lamented.
Onoki of Iwagakure was especially glad he had chosen to remain passive. "Good, good. I knew Konoha had a trick up its sleeve. This time, my strategy was flawless."
Upon receiving the news, Nagato's expression remained unchanged. The addition of three Kage-level shinobi was a huge boost for Konoha, but the village no longer had a Tailed Beast.
"The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, has defected from Konoha and is currently in the Land of Demons." Nagato fell into thought as he read the latest intelligence report. Without Konoha's protection, Naruto was a prime target for capture. But he also knew that Naruto was a ninja capable of defecting from Konoha and even killing the Third Hokage. This meant his strength had likely reached a level surpassing that of a Kage.
The original plan to capture the Tailed Beasts was set for two to three years from now, but given the current situation, perhaps it needed to be moved up. They couldn't let Naruto build up his forces in the Land of Demons.
Aside from the Nine-Tails, capturing the One-Tail was also a major headache. There was a mysterious powerhouse in Sunagakure who had defeated Sasori and Deidara. And Sunagakure was considered one of the weaker villages. It seemed he had underestimated the strength of the other villages.
Elsewhere, Zetsu, in his Tobi persona, had learned of Obito's capture. White Zetsu clones were spread throughout the entire ninja world, making them arguably the most powerful intelligence network.
All traces of Obito had vanished after he entered the Land of Demons. White Zetsu could sense a terrifying power originating from the Pure Land enveloping the country, forming a massive barrier. He couldn't get inside; even the slightest touch would result in heavy damage. The Reiatsu barrier was a powerful counter to him.
The next time he saw Obito, he had already been captured. He had followed Orochimaru to Konoha and witnessed Obito's eyes being gouged out, his body reduced to a human stump, and him becoming experimental material for Konoha.
"Konoha has restarted its human experiments, and Obito actually fell for it."
What Zetsu found most unbelievable was that Obito, with his Mangekyo Sharingan, couldn't even escape. Kamui was an extremely practical jutsu—it could be used for offense, defense, advance, and retreat. It could pull the user into a separate dimension, allowing for a perfect escape. But even Obito, with such a powerful life-saving jutsu, had been unable to return.
The Land of Demons was now shrouded in a veil of mystery in Zetsu's eyes. The current Obito was completely useless, which meant Zetsu had lost a pawn.
Given how mysterious the Land of Demons was, Zetsu didn't want Nagato to confront Naruto too soon. The plan had already deviated significantly. If Nagato were to be defeated, the entire plan would fall apart.
"Uzumaki Naruto... who in the world is this guy?" Zetsu murmured, his eyes filled with apprehension. A few years ago, Naruto had been just the "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki." Now, he was seriously jeopardizing his plans.
"I need to find a way to make Nagato avoid Uzumaki Naruto for now. If only a Great Ninja War could break out at a time like this," Zetsu thought, his eyes narrowing.
Three months of peace passed. During this time, the great ninja villages once again fell into a delicate balance. The reconstruction of Konoha was nearing its end. Although the village had been restored to its former state, the wounds inflicted by Naruto remained in everyone's hearts, unforgettable.
Inside the Ninja Academy, a Chunin instructor was guiding the students through self-introductions. These students were from the Hyuga clan, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and some were commoners.
A simple-looking Hyuga student walked up to the front and shouted passionately, "Hello everyone, my name is Hyuga Neketsu! I like training and getting stronger, and I hate anyone who threatens Konoha! My dream is to become Hokage, defeat Uzumaki Naruto, and show him that Konoha's dignity will not be trampled upon!!!"
The classroom erupted in applause, the faces of all the students filled with excitement.
Soon, a second kid walked up to the stage. "My name is Yamanaka Nikko! I love Konoha, and I hate Uzumaki Naruto! My dream is to defeat Uzumaki Naruto and prove that Konoha's dignity will not be violated!!"
Thunderous applause filled the room once more.
Outside the window, Minato and Iruka had heard everything. A strange smile appeared on Minato's face. "It seems Naruto has become the public enemy of all of Konoha."
Hating Naruto had now become the politically correct stance. The villagers' hatred for him had already infected the next generation. In their stories, Naruto was portrayed as an ungrateful demon whose only desire was destruction.
Only the ninja knew that Konoha truly owed Naruto a great debt. The current conflict between Naruto and Konoha was a case of the village reaping what it had sown. While they felt a bitter sense of guilt, they were also filled with hatred. No matter what Konoha had done to you, the fact that you, Uzumaki Naruto, set fire to the village was undeniable. You had better ways to express your resentment. You could have forgiven, you could have exposed the corruption of the higher-ups. But you chose the worst possible path.
It could be said that Naruto's actions had completely killed the last shred of guilt in the hearts of Konoha's ninja.
Minato looked at Iruka. The man who had dedicated half his life to Konoha's cause now looked worn and haggard, his face covered in unshaven stubble. After Naruto's defection, Iruka had begun to doubt his own teaching philosophy. After sleepless nights of inner turmoil, he had submitted his resignation.
An excellent ninja instructor should be a beacon in a student's life, guiding them down the right path, instilling in them the correct worldview and values. At first, he had indeed felt resentment due to his own inner hatred. But he had quickly adjusted and treated Naruto with the same attitude as everyone else. He had seen Naruto's elegance, his gentleness. He had also seen the change Naruto brought to everyone. Deep down, he was proud of Naruto, because he had taught a perfect student.
But everything had collapsed on that day. When Naruto had swept his hair back... when he had revealed that ambitious smile, everything had changed.
"You've already done everything a teacher should do, and even more," Minato said softly, a look of pity in his eyes. "The truth is, Naruto has never forgotten you. It's just that his ambition and Konoha's path were fundamentally incompatible."
"You are an excellent teacher, Iruka. Don't waste your abilities."
Hearing this, Iruka looked at Minato with a bitter expression. "To hear such praise from you is an honor, Lord Fourth."
"Don't call me Lord Fourth anymore. I'm not a part of Konoha," Minato said, shaking his head.
"In my heart, you will always be the Fourth Hokage," Iruka said with reverence. No matter what Minato's stance was now, the fact that he had sacrificed himself for Konoha was undeniable. Iruka was actually dissatisfied with the village as well. In his opinion, the Fourth had done everything he was supposed to do; they shouldn't have just erased all his efforts.
Hearing Iruka's words, a warmth spread through Minato's heart. He patted Iruka's shoulder. "Are you interested in coming to our side to be a teacher?"
"Me?" Iruka was stunned. His skills were that of a very ordinary Chunin, an expendable role in any village. He never thought he would receive such an invitation.
"Thank you, Lord Fourth, but I've decided to stay in Konoha," he said with a relieved smile. "Konoha may have made many mistakes, but it is my home."
"Lord Fourth, if we meet on the battlefield in the future, please do not hold back," Iruka said softly, a gentle smile on his face.