Konoha.
Research Department.
"The Kazekage and Rasa really do know their stuff when it comes to Magnet Release..."
Orochimaru looked over the intelligence scroll in his hands and nodded slightly as he discussed it with Hiruko.
"Sunagakure has developed a systematic approach to training Magnet Release. It evolved step by step from the Second Kazekage's sand-manipulation techniques until it became a Kekkei Genkai that can be acquired through training..."
"There are several different variations as well. Fugaku specifically sent me a letter from the front asking me to figure all this out. This should be enough for him to properly develop his own unique Magnet Release."
"If any other Konoha shinobi have the necessary aptitude, they can try learning it too."
After the Third Kazekage and Rasa were defeated and captured, Hanzō and Sakumo sent them to Konoha.
Hiruzen had issued instructions on how to handle the two.
As far as these two were concerned, they were more useful alive than dead, because they were already effectively crippled.
Aside from the symbolic value of their identities as the Kazekage and the Kazekage's disciple, only the intelligence in their heads and their value as research material were of any use to Konoha. Under the Intelligence Division's intensive interrogation, everything had easily been copied out of their minds...
They had even learned that Rasa had fathered Gaara to curry favor with the Kazekage...
"The measures to render them harmless are already complete. I didn't even need to deliberately design anything."
Hiruko nodded.
"After you and Tsunade further modified Hanzō's poison, combining it with chakra not only made it far more potent, but also greatly increased its resistance to high temperatures."
"Under actual combat conditions, combining the salamanders with Second Hokage-sama's Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags proved extremely effective."
"Further improvements would be difficult, though. Resistance to highly acidic or alkaline environments, for example..."
Although the Third Kazekage and Rasa were still alive, large quantities of salamander venom remained in their bodies, having already deeply damaged their Chakra Pathways and flesh.
Orochimaru and Hiruko had detoxified them enough to extract their intelligence.
But both men's chakra reserves and physical condition had already fallen by several levels. They were now inferior even to ordinary jōnin.
When the body itself could no longer keep up, experience alone was useless.
Orochimaru waved a hand.
"Making salamander venom resistant to high temperatures is already enough. Summoning animal species have their own differences in strength. There's no need to pour even more resources into helping Hanzō overcome highly acidic or alkaline environments."
"Our focus now needs to be on researching Hashirama-sama and developing the Rōran Dragon Vein."
"Sensei entrusted us with control over the village's research resources. We have to maximize their effectiveness. Otherwise, we'd be betraying Sensei's trust and everything he's done to cultivate us..."
Hiruko nodded thoughtfully.
In his view, this wasn't merely a matter of allocating resources. Orochimaru was also thinking ahead to the day when he himself became Hokage...
If Hanzō were strengthened any further, the Research Department would still have records of his toxins, but considering Hanzō's mastery of Tobirama's Water Release techniques...
There was naturally nothing to worry about while the Third Hokage remained in office. He could easily keep Hanzō under control.
But what about the day Orochimaru took over?
After all, there was a peculiar history between the two of them. Hanzō was the one who had given Orochimaru and his teammates the title of "Sannin"...
"The Dragon Vein really is fascinating..."
"An enormous amount of chakra, almost like a living organism, lies hidden beneath Rōran. It's an excellent natural resource... And judging from the Third Kazekage's memories, there are also legends in the Land of Wind suggesting that it may be connected to space-time."
Hiruko smoothly changed the subject.
"It definitely needs to be researched. The village's next major research priorities will be the Dragon Vein, natural energy and Cursed Seals, and Hashirama Cells."
"I've already discussed it with Sensei. We'll throw Rasa and the Third Kazekage back to Sunagakure and the Land of Wind and let them deal with those two criminals themselves."
"Chiyo's grandson, Sasori, is a clever young man. Sakumo spoke very highly of him..."
"What we really want from Sunagakure is the Rōran region and their gold reserves. There's no need to bother with the rest of their worthless people and worthless land. If they hand over their puppetry techniques and a share of their missions as well, that'll be more than enough."
Orochimaru chuckled.
If Konoha executed Rasa and the Third Kazekage, the Sunagakure shinobi who supported them could use their deaths to claim, to some extent, that they had "died fighting for the Land of Wind."
The dead couldn't defend themselves.
But death would also automatically erase most of their wrongdoing in the minds of Sunagakure's shinobi.
The logic behind it was somewhat similar to Danzō's current self-destructive mindset.
But if Konoha sent these two crippled men back alive, emerging forces within Sunagakure like Sasori's faction would, so long as they had any sense, rise by stepping on the two of them and repudiating every decision they had previously made against Konoha.
To fundamentally distinguish themselves from the defeated Kazekage and Rasa, they would have to offer Konoha genuine compensation and fundamentally change the narrative being promoted within Sunagakure.
Whether a living man or a dead man was more useful depended entirely on the circumstances.
The same was true of whether killing someone or utterly destroying their standing was more devastating.
Sasori's emergence and his unusual position had made dealing with Sunagakure much easier for Konoha, allowing them to take the best of what it had without expending too much effort.
Hiruko nodded.
This was exactly why he had never considered fighting Orochimaru for leadership of the Research Department...
Being in charge didn't just require strength. It also required brains.
There were far too many things to consider from every possible angle.
Research was much simpler...
"You'll have to help shoulder some of my responsibilities too."
Orochimaru smiled.
"Now that the situation on the front has reversed, Sasori, Chiyo, and the Daimyō of the Land of Wind have already submitted their surrender."
"I'll represent Sensei in the negotiations. We need to collect their war reparations and technological achievements and take control of the Rōran region as quickly as possible."
"Iwagakure and Kumogakure have also withdrawn back into their own countries. But with the Third Raikage and Ōnoki still there, and their jinchūriki still possessing strategic defensive value despite their severe injuries, they're continuing to resist."
"Sensei intends to use this transition from defense to offense, while we still hold the initiative to determine the scope and intensity of the war, to let Konoha's various corps and squads gain combat experience inside the territories of Iwagakure and Kumogakure."
A controlled war of attrition was a classic military strategy.
"It's not good for us to stay inside the Research Department all the time either. We still need to show our faces on the battlefield. It'll also help us understand what frontline shinobi actually need, so we can further adjust the direction of our research..."
"Ultimately, every project in the Research Department exists for the village's shinobi. Projects that don't meet their needs have to be adjusted in time. If research becomes detached from reality, problems will emerge sooner or later."
Orochimaru added, "Those were Sensei's words."
"Hokage-sama's words are always so profound!" Hiruko said from the bottom of his heart.
Seeing Hiruko's reaction, Orochimaru chuckled and couldn't help thinking: 'No wonder Sensei likes presenting himself as the inheritor of the First Hokage's, Second Hokage's, and even Madara's will...'
'This trick really does work!'
Borrowing the prestige of great figures was an indispensable part of building collective identification.
"Let me give you a heads-up."
"Now that the village is shifting from defense to offense, shinobi casualty rates and logistical indicators will be watched very closely. Whatever you do, don't get greedy for achievements and rush ahead. You need to fully understand the strategic reasoning behind this."
Orochimaru's tone was meaningful.
Hiruko thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I understand. I'll focus on giving elite young shinobi like Asuma and Guy opportunities to experience the battlefield."
"We'll also give newly promoted jōnin and special jōnin opportunities to develop their command skills and wartime experience."
Orochimaru nodded.
"As long as you understand that."
"At this point, the village has effectively already won the war. Sunagakure's technology and Rōran, along with the Land of Water and Kirigakure, are already enough to keep us occupied for several years just absorbing and digesting everything."
"Even if we swallowed Iwagakure and Kumogakure right now, we don't have enough shinobi or bureaucrats to govern them. We'll keep wearing them down until they're exhausted from constantly responding to us. When the time comes, we'll simply make them hand over their core resources."
Without first establishing cultural, institutional, and other forms of identification, the cost of governing a newly acquired region would be ten times that of governing Konoha's own territory.
Swallowing territory recklessly would only leave Konoha suffering from internal strain as it struggled to digest what it had taken.
It might look impressive on the surface, but the substance would be lost.
"We won't go wrong by following Sensei's plan..."
"Before long, Sensei will have completely rebuilt the Land of Water. Kirigakure's shinobi will be integrated into Konoha's formations and fight alongside our own. That's also crucial for building their identification with Konoha and laying the groundwork for future cooperation."
"We need to pay close attention to that as well."
Orochimaru shook his head with a sigh.
"I've heard some Kirigakure shinobi are already calling Sensei 'First Mizukage-sama.' Even the Daimyō of the Land of Water seems eager to distance himself from Byakuren."
"They certainly know how to seize an opportunity..." Hiruko said with a laugh.
"But I suppose it can't be helped. Compared to Kirigakure, which has never had a clear direction since the village was founded, the Will of Fire and Konoha's institutions are simply far better."
"The Third Mizukage's Bloody Mist was absolutely terrible, but objectively speaking, what he did over the past few years helped reduce the cost of absorbing Kirigakure and the Land of Water."
"If the Third Raikage and Ōnoki did the same thing, the village might actually be able to swallow those two great nations right now."
Orochimaru laughed as well and shook his head.
"A Mizukage like Kiritori blowing up his own village is extraordinary. Forget the few decades since the one-country-one-village system was established—even if you went back several centuries in the shinobi world's history, you'd struggle to find more than a handful of ninja clan leaders who ever did anything similar."
"That's something worth analyzing carefully."
"Sensei says it's a classic case of personal morality deteriorating under extremism. Interpreting and analyzing it through the Will of Fire would make a worthwhile research topic."
"Research shouldn't always be limited to ninjutsu. The mental state and psychology of shinobi, along with strengthening the village's institutional development, are also extremely important."
Orochimaru spoke with complete seriousness.
The longer he remained by Sarutobi Hiruzen's side, and the more he studied and tried to understand his own teacher, the more Orochimaru came to appreciate this point.
Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai, secret techniques, research, even Tailed Beasts...
Ultimately, all of them required individual people to serve as their vessels.
Understanding the structure connecting those "people" to the village was the most important responsibility of a Hokage. Only by accomplishing that could someone truly be said to possess a "Hokage's way of thinking."
Hiruko sighed.
This was where the difference between his perspective and Orochimaru's became obvious. As expected of someone Hokage-sama had personally trained since childhood!
The way Orochimaru carried himself, spoke, and handled affairs was already beginning to resemble Hokage-sama...
"By the way, how do you think Sasori will deal with the Kazekage and Rasa?"
Hiruko pondered the question.
"How else? He avoided fighting as much as possible on the battlefield, while Sunagakure was beaten that badly by Hanzō, Sakumo, and Nagato. He's already made it abundantly clear that he's distancing himself from the decisions made by the Third Kazekage and Rasa."
"Both the actual outcome and public opinion within the village are now on Sasori and Chiyo's side."
"And the Daimyō of the Land of Wind has been at odds with the Kazekage for a long time. The two sides have been fighting each other politically for years."
Orochimaru spoke casually.
"If I were Sasori, I'd go back, convene a general assembly, and make the Kazekage step down voluntarily. I'd keep Rasa alive and send him into the desert to pan for gold every day until he dies. Then, once the matter has been settled and the verdict on everything is final, I'd dispose of the Third Kazekage and claim he took his own life."
"I've heard Sunagakure has a special forbidden puppetry technique. I've read Sasori's file, and I can see a little of my former self in that brat..."
"If the Third Kazekage's current body were turned into a puppet, he'd probably be considerably stronger than he is now. It would also help Sasori consolidate his own rule."
Hiruko silently nodded.
"Let's hope Sasori is a smart man!"
Neither Orochimaru nor Hiruko morally condemned Sasori over the matter of forbidden puppetry techniques.
As researchers of the "Tobirama school," something like that really wasn't much of an issue to them...
Incidentally, after Tobirama unleashed the outrageous combination of Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags and Impure World Reincarnation, Danzō made a rather unexpected move.
It was somewhat similar to how Hiruzen had put "Living Corpse Reincarnation" under his own name.
Danzō declared that the entire deployment had been his decision and had nothing to do with anyone else.
On the surface, it looked like he was stealing credit for the achievement. In reality, he had firmly taken the blame on behalf of his disciple. After all, combining those two techniques absolutely reeked of Tobirama...
If word got out, it wouldn't exactly be good for his beloved disciple Seisui's future reputation...
Danzō was still counting on Seisui becoming Hokage after his death, inheriting Hiruzen's fireside-chat program, and telling the shinobi a few heartwarming little tales about the "Darkness of the Shinobi" to rehabilitate his image!
All that could be said was that, in this regard, Danzō truly followed in Tobirama's footsteps.
Both were counting on their beloved disciples to clean up their reputations afterward...
"You and I also need to immediately take charge of the compensation and logistics work."
Orochimaru's expression grew serious.
"Support for the families and the actual payment of compensation must be handled properly. Anyone who tampers with it or gets any crooked ideas, regardless of their identity or background, is to be dealt with severely without exception!"
"Sensei specifically emphasized that if anyone dares to gorge themselves in the rear while the front is under pressure, we'll send them to meet the Sage of Six Paths and let them repent in the Pure Land."
"Businesses that voluntarily supported the village during this war also need to receive tangible recognition. Ichiraku Ramen, for example, voluntarily donated money and provided free food to the shinobi on the front lines."
"They should receive proper commendation banners and plaques and be designated 'Outstanding Businesses of the Will of Fire.' They should receive certain tax reductions, and when the village organizes cultural or sporting partnerships in the future, these businesses should be given priority."
Hiruko sighed in admiration.
"Hokage-sama really does think of everything!"
"Konoha's shinobi don't actually need that one bowl of ramen. What's important is that when they return to the village after fighting on the front lines, little things like this let them feel the wholehearted support of their own people. That kind of emotional reassurance is extremely important."
"On a broader level, you could even call it an embodiment of the Will of Fire!"
After spending so much time around Hiruzen, Hiruko had gradually come to understand something.
Shinobi generally had psychological issues...
They were a group sorely lacking in love and care.
The shinobi world's high-pressure environment often left defects in their personalities, and the Will of Fire was precisely the best medicine for filling that hole in their hearts.
Of course, Hiruko didn't think there was anything wrong with him.
He simply hadn't met Hokage-sama before...
"Everyone has it hard. Even if this is all for the village's long-term interests, war inevitably brings casualties. If the compensation isn't handled properly, it'll damage Sensei's authority..."
"That Uchiha kid on Minato's team, Obito, died in battle too. What a shame."
Orochimaru shook his head.
Thanks to Obito's enthusiasm and proactive attitude toward helping others, combined with the Uchiha having joined the Hokage's faction, he had earned quite a reputation among the elderly people who gathered around the village entrance and had become somewhat well-known throughout Konoha.
The elderly villagers often talked him up and praised the enthusiastic young man to Konoha's various Council Members, so even Orochimaru had formed a relatively strong impression of Obito.
Orochimaru had even observed Obito on two occasions because of it, and had been slightly surprised to discover...
Although Obito was an Uchiha, Orochimaru couldn't shake the strange sense that the boy somehow reminded him of his former disciple, Nawaki.
What Orochimaru really couldn't handle, though, was this:
How did this kid end up stepping on an explosive tag too?
Did explosive tags really have some kind of natural advantage against hot-blooded idiots?!
"It really is a shame..."
Hiruko sighed.
"We should make young shinobi more wary of explosive tags! But I've read Obito's intelligence file too. What got him were specially made concealed explosive tags and Explosion Release devices from Iwagakure. In the end, he was simply unlucky..."
"I'll make sure his grandmother is looked after."
"We've also collected more than enough Explosion Release research material during this war. Our village will have access to it in the future as well."
"But did you notice what happened to his two teammates? The Sakumo family's kid, and that medical-nin Tsunade has been paying particular attention to..."
"Mito-sama is very angry right now. You know how it is..." Hiruko's expression turned strange.
After Kakashi and Rin regained consciousness, their injuries had essentially healed on their own thanks to Uzumaki Ashina's sealing-based treatment. They hurried back to headquarters and reported what had happened.
As a result, when Konoha began pushing the Iwagakure front back, the intelligence brought by Obito, Kakashi, and Rin allowed them to avoid a large number of traps, making a very real contribution to the counteroffensive.
The seals left on their bodies, however, were extremely conspicuous...
After extensive investigation, Kakashi and Rin returned to the village and were confirmed to have no hidden measures left behind by the enemy.
The seals themselves, however, proved extremely difficult to remove.
It was only after Orochimaru and Hiruko took them to Mito and had her personally intervene that the seals were finally undone.
What appeared afterward was even more surprising—a bizarre seal configuration.
Mito laughed the moment she saw it.
A laugh of pure anger!
Tobirama, don't you think you've taken this a little too far this time?
He'd better not let her catch him. If she did, she was absolutely going to have the Nine-Tails slap him across the face!
Hiding in the shadows as the mastermind of the shinobi world and acting as a controlled external threat to spur Konoha's development—Mito, as a kunoichi from the Warring States Period, could understand that much.
Things like that had been commonplace in her era...
But how had he gone so far as to bring her father back with Impure World Reincarnation?
Had he even asked the family for permission?!
Others might not have been able to recognize the sealing techniques on Kakashi and Nohara Rin, but after the seals were undone, Mito took one look at the structure of the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal and the techniques used to construct it and immediately concluded that it was the work of her father, Uzumaki Ashina.
Within the Uzumaki Clan, to an expert of Mito's caliber, the finer details of someone's sealing techniques were practically an ID card.
Extremely difficult to fake!
And in Mito's eyes, the logic behind reanimating Ashina also fit her brother-in-law's style perfectly...
First, he was powerful enough to serve as another combat asset capable of influencing the course of the war.
Second, his beloved disciple Sarutobi Hiruzen was currently training in the Ten Thousand Seals Body Integration Seal. Since that particular field happened to be a gap in Tobirama's own knowledge, it was only natural for the teacher to drag an "expert" out of the Pure Land to give his disciple some guidance...
Mito became even more certain that Tobirama was behind everything.
If it wasn't that little bastard, then who else could possibly know Konoha this well?
And because of that, Mito—who hadn't truly lost her temper in a long time—made an astonishing request of Orochimaru and Hiruko!
Using Tailed Beast chakra and large quantities of replicated Hashirama Cells as the foundation, they were to create a vessel that reproduced as much of Hashirama's strength from life as possible, while also pouring their full effort into improving Impure World Reincarnation!
Mito had a growing premonition.
If Ashina had already been reanimated, then Tobirama had clearly gone completely off the rails. There was no way he had stopped with just one powerful shinobi from the Warring States Period. For all she knew, the previous Kage from every village might already have been gathered together!
Tobirama was absolutely capable of something that outrageous!
Although Mito still believed his actions were, overall, meant to benefit Konoha, as an outdated former Hokage who had already removed himself from the village's formal system, his desire for control seemed to have gotten a little excessive...
They couldn't let everything proceed according to his rhythm!
You want to use Impure World Reincarnation?
Then so will I!
Mito was certain Tobirama wouldn't dare reanimate Hashirama, because Hashirama would simply be too difficult to control...
Konoha, however, was different.
Hashirama would probably just laugh every day and wander around the village...
When Hiruko brought up the matter, both he and Orochimaru's expressions became rather complicated.
This was currently the single most sensitive subject among Konoha's upper leadership!
Even with their positions, it was the kind of subject best left completely untouched...
The kind even Hiruzen was unwilling to acknowledge or confront!
Second Hokage-sama was still alive—and had founded some bizarre, mysterious organization.
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