Before, he could only watch from the shadows, following Naruto wherever he went. Now, as Orochimaru's direct subordinate, getting close to Naruto wouldn't arouse any suspicion. He could even become his teacher, staying by his side with a legitimate reason. Any other time he wanted to keep an eye on him would also seem more natural—after all, he was a teacher. Besides, they lived in the same neighborhood, so frequent visits were perfectly reasonable.
Thank you, Lord Orochimaru.
Shingo walked with a spring in his step, already thinking about how he would interact with Naruto in the future.
After Shingo left, Orochimaru continued to discuss the handover of power with the Third Hokage.
"Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado must be relieved of their duties immediately," the Third said. Their disgraceful conduct had been thoroughly exposed during the election for the Fifth Hokage. Although he himself had stepped down, those two still held significant power.
Orochimaru nodded in agreement. "Let them resign voluntarily. It will be better for appearances."
The Third nodded slightly. "Fine. Who do you plan to transfer their authority to?"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado were in charge of mission assignments and medical affairs, respectively, while the Third held control over the ANBU. These three positions checked and balanced each other, which was how he had been able to manipulate the political landscape before.
When the Fourth Hokage was chosen, he should have had the authority to restructure his own ANBU. But at the time, the Fourth was too young, and the Third had held onto that power under the pretext of protecting him.
The situation was different now. Not only was Orochimaru of a suitable age, but he was also incredibly experienced. More importantly, Uchiha Kawasaki's revelations had forced the Third's hand, compelling him to relinquish power quickly. Handling it the way he did with the Fourth was no longer an option.
It was a pity, really, that Orochimaru didn't actually care for power.
But how did Kawasaki know all of this? The Third felt he had suffered a great loss. Fortunately, Orochimaru was on his side, so it wasn't a total defeat. The question now was who would replace Koharu and Homura.
Orochimaru already had a plan. "I have decided to appoint Hizashi and Shikaku as the new council elders. Hizashi will be responsible for managing the mission system, and Shikaku will oversee the medical system."
"Hizashi? Not Hiashi?" the Third asked, puzzled.
Orochimaru gave an inscrutable smile. "Hizashi is from the branch family."
The Third thought for a moment and understood. The Hyuga branch family rarely had access to power, as the main family always suppressed them. Even if Hizashi gained control of mission assignments, it would be difficult for him to truly help the branch family rise. It would be a different story if that power were given to the main family. The main family was overly conservative and wouldn't actively participate in missions anyway. Giving them more power would only lead to greater corruption and more severe exploitation. However, distributing power within the Hyuga clan would also increase their loyalty to Konoha.
As for letting Shikaku manage the medical system, that was also an excellent choice. The Nara clan excelled at cultivating medicinal herbs and possessed extensive medical knowledge. At the same time, they were intelligent, not greedy for power, and knew when to advance and when to retreat. Orochimaru's political acumen was truly impressive, the Third thought with satisfaction.
"What are your thoughts on the Uchiha clan?"
Orochimaru smiled confidently. "Old man, you've been spooked by the Uchiha. If you had paid closer attention, you would have noticed that Uchiha Kawasaki is extremely cautious. Or rather, he cherishes his life and has never wanted a direct confrontation with us. It was your own impatience that led you into his trap. I now command the entire village's resources, and I've already taken control of his most profitable restaurant business. The Uchiha are few in number, while Konoha has a massive population. In the end, they can't possibly compete with me in terms of people or resources. Why bother deliberately targeting them?"
The Third grew thoughtful as he listened to Orochimaru's words.
At the Hatake residence.
In the training grounds.
Thud! Thud!
Amidst the dull sounds of impact, two figures, one in black and one in green, were locked in a fierce exchange.
Clang!
Kakashi threw a powerful kick, sending Guy stumbling back several steps.
Might Guy gave a thumbs-up, his teeth flashing. "As expected of my greatest rival! Kakashi, you've improved a lot recently!"
Might Guy was genuinely happy for Kakashi's progress. Lately, not only had Kakashi stopped avoiding him, but he had even started inviting him to spar and welcomed his challenges at his home. They had just been warming up.
"Guy, thanks for coming. How's your squad doing?" Kakashi asked as he did some stretches. If he needed a good sparring partner, it had to be Guy. And Guy was more than happy to be that partner.
The Kakashi of today was no longer the man who had to rely on tricks to win against Guy. Instead, he was genuinely improving his strength to compete.
Guy, also doing leg stretches, replied, "Neji, Tenten, and Lee are attending the combat training at the Uchiha compound. They're learning a lot every day, which gives me the time to come here and train with you."
Kakashi knew about the Uchiha's activities, but he had assumed it was all part of their campaign for the Fifth Hokage election. "Now that Orochimaru has become the Fifth Hokage, are the Uchiha still doing that?"
Guy nodded. "Yes, they still hold combat training every day. A lot of the genin have improved because of it."
"In that case, I suppose the Uchiha have done something good for the village." As a genius ninja who had joined the ANBU early, Kakashi didn't know much about such matters. But he was well aware of the problem of new graduates and newly promoted genin lacking real combat experience.
"Kakashi, why don't you consider teaching some rookies?" Guy asked while doing push-ups at a rapid pace. "You know, the passion of youth must be passed on!"
Kakashi shook his head. "I've already wasted too much time. I have to focus on improving my own abilities." He thought of Obito, the Third Hokage, his father, and his father's will.
Guy knew everything about Kakashi's past and how strict he was with himself, how intense his daily training regimen was. As the person who pestered him for a match every day, Guy was the most sensitive to Kakashi's recent changes. Kakashi no longer visited the Memorial Stone, nor did he even accept missions anymore. After his vision was restored, his fighting style had shifted to favor his sword techniques, with ninjutsu becoming a secondary tool. His physical abilities were improving at a phenomenal rate.
In his eyes, Guy no longer saw the confusion and emptiness of the past. It had been replaced by determination and killing intent. Guy greatly admired this attitude. Such self-imposed pressure was so similar to his own.
The warm-up was over.
"But Kakashi," Guy said, "I managed to even the score last time. We're tied now! Today, let's continue our unfinished battle!"
"Another real combat match?"
Across from him, Kakashi shook his head. "If it's a real fight, let's do it another time. Let's try something new."
He looked at Guy and said, "I've thought of a new type of competition!"
Guy slammed his fists together, full of confidence. "What is it? A taijutsu duel? A hundred-meter dash? Rock climbing? Diving? I'll even compete to see who can eat more!"
Kakashi lightly tapped the back of his head. "Let's see who can touch the back of the other's neck first. The rule is, the first person to touch the back of their opponent's neck with their hand wins."