"Here, Minato. These are the documents newly submitted today. They must be reviewed and approved by you, the Fourth Hokage, before they can be executed."
Shikaku Nara placed a stack of documents half as tall as a person onto Minato Namikaze's desk.
Minato, who had already nearly been buried beneath piles of paperwork, heard that heavy thud.
The exhaustion and mental fatigue on his face immediately deepened.
"Managing a village properly really is not easy… I truly do not know how Lord Third managed to handle all kinds of affairs for thirty years as if it were one day, while also developing Konoha better and better."
"All right, stop complaining, Minato. Lord Third did not have this much work every single day."
Shikaku Nara, who had heard many anecdotes about the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, from his own father, rolled his eyes.
While stretching his shoulders, he said, "The war has ended, old and new are changing places, and there are protests from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans. If all these things had not piled up together, there would not be so many matters that needed concentrated handling."
"Everything waits to be rebuilt."
Minato moved his neck and sighed sincerely.
"Yes. Not only does everything wait to be rebuilt, but it is also time to deal with the problems we previously had no energy to address."
Hearing Shikaku say this, Minato's expression became serious.
"Has Lord Third finally begun thoroughly investigating Root?"
"Yes, it has begun. The human experiments, forbidden technique development, and brainwashing methods left behind from Danzo's era—Lord Third is investigating them one by one. At present, he has already found some extremely hidden materials involving troublesome figures."
Shikaku nodded and sighed worriedly.
"Lord Third said he will handle this matter himself. There is no need for us to touch the darkness born from his incompetence… But I keep having a bad feeling."
"…Let us trust Lord Third. After all, he has walked alongside this village as Hokage for more than thirty years. He knows how to handle matters in the darkness better than we do. He is far more experienced at it as well."
Minato picked up a report from the Konoha Military Police Force.
Looking at the sharp wording and impassioned tone written on it, he helplessly covered his eyes.
"Besides, the trouble we need to handle on our side is not small either. The hawks of the Uchiha clan have been protesting constantly recently, demanding that we retrieve Shisui Uchiha from Kirigakure's hands at any cost…"
"Seriously, learn to use your brains a little, Uchiha people…"
Shikaku complained while making nearly the same headache-induced gesture as Minato.
"Shisui awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan at the age of nine. He is a super genius. With him in their hands, Kirigakure can completely create their own Uchiha clan. With such exaggerated benefits involved, how could they casually trade him back?"
"By contrast, the Hyuga clan's reaction has been much more realistic. Although a few branch family shinobi were punished internally for failing to protect him, under the management of the main family elders, most Hyuga clan members can still accept the fact that the Byakugan was taken."
"Thanks to this incident, the frequency of quarrels and conflicts between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans has also increased greatly."
Looking at another report submitted by the Anbu, Minato sighed bitterly.
"The Uchiha hawks mock the Hyuga clan as cowards who do not even dare speak up after their Kekkei Genkai was stolen. The Hyuga clan fires back by attacking the Uchiha for only daring to shout with their mouths, while taking no real action at all."
"Just in these two days, eight Hyuga shinobi were arrested by the Military Police Force because of conflicts with the Uchiha clan. Among the Uchiha involved, only two received symbolic punishment. The other dozen or so were released on the spot without charges after questioning…"
"…Minato, you should go speak with Fugaku first."
Shikaku took a deep breath and walked to Minato's side.
"At the very least, make the Uchiha clan stop displaying double standards so obviously. Konoha cannot withstand the impact of the Uchiha and Hyuga clans completely turning against each other right now."
"Then I will trouble you to help handle these affairs for the time being, Shikaku."
Minato nodded, stood, and took down the Hokage cloak hanging nearby.
Then, with a Body Flicker, he vanished from the Hokage's office.
Only Shikaku remained, sighing repeatedly at the mountain of documents.
"Minato, Lord Third… You must clean up the aftermath properly. If another major incident that draws attention occurs, the war that finally ended will immediately return."
…
"You came to find me, old man?"
Sitting in his public laboratory, Orochimaru looked leisurely at Hiruzen Sarutobi and the group of Anbu who pushed the door open and entered.
His tone was relaxed.
"Orochimaru."
Looking at this disciple who had unknowingly stepped into the darkness and walked very, very far inside it, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt fortunate that he had not handed Root over to him after Danzo's death.
At the same time, he tightened his grip on his arm guards and asked in a heavy voice, "When did you start conducting those forbidden experiments with Danzo?"
"There is no point asking questions when you already know the answer, Teacher Sarutobi…"
Orochimaru calmly pushed Hiruzen's question back.
"You are the one who knew Danzo the longest and understood him the deepest. After taking over everything he left behind, why bother asking me, a latecomer, such a boring question?"
"Could it be that deep in your heart, you still hold some desire to excuse everything Danzo did?"
Hiruzen's expression darkened.
Regarding Danzo and Orochimaru, Hiruzen had always believed that no matter how dark their methods were, their final goal was to properly protect Konoha, not to satisfy their own ambitions.
But the many experimental records and mission reports found inside Root's confidential intelligence archive had slapped him hard across the face.
For experimental data, Root had not hesitated to abduct Konoha civilians who fit the required conditions and use them as test subjects.
To eliminate dissidents, they had used Root's power to assassinate those with opposing opinions.
Even behind Sakumo Hatake's suicide, there were traces of Danzo's subordinates secretly guiding events and fanning the flames.
Only then did Hiruzen gradually realize what kind of monster his indulgence and incompetence had allowed Danzo and Root to become.
"Nonsense, Orochimaru! Understand your current position!"
Just as Hiruzen was left somewhat unable to answer because of Orochimaru's retort, one of the Anbu behind him took the initiative to shout sharply.
"Do you think that relying on your identity as one of the Sannin can wash away the many crimes you committed during your time with Root?"
"Otsubo, do not be so extreme—"
The companion standing beside the agitated Anbu tried to stop him.
But almost in the next instant, a huge snake shot from Orochimaru's hand.
It bit the speaking Anbu's shoulder and lifted his screaming body into the air.
"Teacher Sarutobi, is this how you educate the Anbu under your command? A mere brat who has never even completed an S-rank mission alone now dares speak so arrogantly before me, someone who has shed blood, earned merit, and contributed countless times to Konoha?"
Orochimaru looked coldly at the Anbu whose skin was rapidly turning purple.
Then he looked at Hiruzen, whose gaze had instantly sharpened.
A wicked smile appeared on his face.
"Or is this hotheaded fool someone you prepared in advance so that you could justifiably take me down, Teacher Sarutobi?"
"Orochimaru, do not be impulsive! Release Otsubo. I did not come here to kill you!"
Facing Hiruzen's words, Orochimaru's expression visibly darkened and chilled.
He casually smashed the impulsive Anbu into the Anbu behind Hiruzen, knocking them into chaos.
Then he stared fixedly into Hiruzen's eyes.
His voice was cold enough to freeze.
"Then did you stand before me to forbid all of my research and cut off my future, Teacher Sarutobi?"
"Those cruel human experiments should never have continued in the first place. Konoha must never grant someone unlimited privilege just because they once earned merit, much less protect them when they harm their comrades."
Hiruzen stood before the laboratory exit and spoke with rare firmness.
"Orochimaru, forget the things you obtained through wrongful methods. If you do that, you can still continue to be admired by the people of the village as one of Konoha's Sannin."
"I see. You intend to cooperate with the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques and seal away part of my memories, Teacher Sarutobi?"
Listening to Hiruzen's words, which still carried unrealistic fantasy even now, Orochimaru suddenly smiled in relief.
"It seems the bond between me and Konoha ends here… But that is fine. This way, I no longer need to hold any unrealistic illusions toward Konoha."
"What are you planning to do, Orochimaru?"
Hiruzen decisively summoned his summon, Enma.
Gripping the Adamantine Staff Enma transformed into, he questioned him sharply.
"Of course, I am going to pursue the knowledge and ninjutsu I long for, Teacher Sarutobi."
Orochimaru rose from where he had been sitting.
He bowed to Hiruzen.
Then, while opening his mouth wide enough to tear the corners of his lips apart, he let out a hoarse, unpleasant laugh.
"I hope that after cutting away corrupt pieces like us from the darkness, Konoha's future will be bright."
"Otherwise, I will mock you with all my strength from somewhere just close enough for you to hear."
Hiss—
A massive cloud of thick, dark-purple poison gas sprayed from Orochimaru's mouth.
In an instant, it filled the entire laboratory.
As the elite Anbu all used their own methods to stop the poison gas from invading their bodies, a long figure suddenly burst from Orochimaru's mouth and swiftly lunged toward the laboratory exit.
Clang!
With a single staff strike, Hiruzen hit the vital point of Orochimaru, who had transformed into a white-scaled serpent and attempted to escape.
He smashed it brutally into the ground.
But the white-scaled serpent opened its mouth again.
A slightly smaller snake body was fired out once more.
Under Hiruzen's shocked gaze, it fled without looking back.
"Cough, cough… Lord Third… Did Orochimaru escape?"
A Yamanaka clan shinobi, covering his mouth and nose with a mask prepared in advance, asked Hiruzen mentally.
"He escaped."
Hiruzen looked at the vicious-looking snake molt beneath his feet and closed his eyes with complicated emotions.
"Use the Mind Body Transmission Technique to notify the village."
"Tell them Orochimaru… has defected."
"Yes."