“I think it’s an excellent choice.
Minato is more than qualified to hold the position of Hokage,” Hikuro replied with a smile.
Hiruzen nodded, clearly pleased.
Hikuro had contributed greatly during the Third Great Ninja War, even outshining Minato on several occasions.
Having him stand in support would be nothing but a great advantage.
Once the meeting ended, Tsunade did exactly as she always did—snatched a thick stack of money from Hikuro’s arms, then turned and headed straight for the casino in high spirits.
“Put it on my tab!” she called out casually with a wave of her hand before walking away.
“Wow, Hikuro, you really have the patience of a saint,” Jiraiya remarked, his eyes glinting with a knowing look.
“It doesn’t matter.
It’s not like I’m short on funds anyway,” Hikuro replied.
Realizing that Hikuro had seen through his little thoughts, Jiraiya scratched his nose in embarrassment, laughed loudly, and quickly took his leave.
Afterward, Hikuro and Orochimaru walked together toward the laboratory.
Yet Orochimaru followed beside him with a dark, brooding expression.
“What’s wrong?
Something bothering you?” Hikuro asked directly, noticing his gloomy mood.
“Hmph—the title of Hokage means nothing to me,” Orochimaru answered, his voice rough and unusually sharp.
A faint, mysterious smile appeared on Hikuro’s face.
“Is that so?”
He did not believe for a moment that Orochimaru felt nothing at all.
Ever since they were children, Orochimaru had dreamed of becoming Hokage.
The Third Hokage’s decision must have stung his pride.
It was one thing whether Orochimaru wanted the title, but quite another to have it taken away from under his nose.
“To those of us who seek eternal life, fame, power, and status—things ordinary men spend their entire lives chasing—are completely meaningless and worthless,” Orochimaru continued, his tone low and sinister.
He was indeed unhappy, but only to a certain degree.
Unlike Danzō, he was not obsessed with the position of Hokage itself.
When they reached the lab, Hikuro handed over all the research data he had prepared in advance.
“When do you plan to leave?”
The thought of leaving Konoha had been turning over in Orochimaru’s mind for a long time.
Between the power struggles of Danzō and Hiruzen, and the way the village operated, he had already collected almost every valuable secret and resource Konoha had to offer.
Staying any longer would bring him little benefit; it was far better to travel abroad in search of new subjects and materials for his experiments.
Orochimaru glanced sideways at Hikuro and spoke slowly.
“I still have a few more trials to run.
Once I’ve gathered all the data, I’ll be gone in a few days.”
He did not think much of Hikuro seeing through his intentions.
He knew Hikuro was not someone blindly loyal to Konoha—just like himself, he was only faithful to his own pursuits.
People naturally draw clear lines between allies and strangers.
Though he and Hikuro had collaborated on many projects, working together as research partners in harmony, even regarding each other as kindred spirits and good friends—they were still not as close as those he had grown up with.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen would always hold a more important place in his heart.
Even when he later moved to kill the Third Hokage, it was only to give his old teacher a dignified exit, rather than letting him cling to power in weakness and live on in disgrace.
“Would you like to come with me?” Orochimaru asked, testing the waters.
His long tongue flickered out, sliding slowly across his lips as if tasting some unknown temptation.
“Konoha is too small a world, and Hiruzen is far too conservative.
This place can never contain our grand ambitions.
Why not come with me and explore a wider, greater world?”
To achieve his ultimate dream, he needed not only immense power but also capable companions—and Hikuro was undoubtedly an exceptional research partner.
Besides, they shared the same goal: unlocking the secrets of immortality.
At that moment, Orochimaru had already set aside all thoughts of his former friends, focusing entirely on how to win over this valuable talent for the journey ahead.
But Hikuro shook his head, a smirk playing on his lips.
“I’m afraid I can’t bear to leave behind all the beauties in Konoha.
And Danzō has even promised to send me that traveling shrine maiden as a gift.”
“Hah, that old fox Danzō certainly knows how to please you,” Orochimaru replied, glancing at him before saying no more.
He kept Yūgito of the Blaze Release locked up in his home, openly pursued Tsunade, and now had his eyes set on that shrine maiden too.
At this rate, he would surely end up getting himself into trouble over women sooner or later.
“I have mastered ninety-nine percent of the forbidden techniques stored in Konoha.
Are you sure you don’t want to see them?
I can share everything written in the Scroll of Seals with you—every technique, every research finding I possess.
It will all be yours.”
Orochimaru stared intently at Hikuro, offering these tempting terms to persuade him.
As a former student of the Third Hokage, he was skilled at speaking and making promises.
His plan was simple: convince Hikuro first, and worry later about whether or when to actually deliver what he had offered.
Hikuro was talented, but he had never been a direct disciple of Hiruzen, so he had rarely been granted access to the forbidden arts in the Scroll of Seals.
What he did know had mostly been given to him by Danzō as a way to win his loyalty.
From what Orochimaru knew, despite all his great contributions to the village, Hiruzen had only ever taught him the Shadow Shuriken Clone Technique and the rather impractical Multiple Shadow Clone Technique from the scroll.
Though the latter could speed up training, it placed a heavy strain on the body—too heavy for someone with Hikuro’s natural limits, making it almost useless to him.
Still, Hikuro shook his head again.
“No, I have no plans to leave Konoha just yet.
After all, I’ve lived here for decades.”
The forbidden techniques Orochimaru mentioned were indeed tempting, and Hikuro would love to see them all—they might spark new ideas for his own work.
But his desire for the scroll was not overwhelming.
Ninjutsu, after all, was only a tool, not the ultimate path.
He wanted to be the master of techniques, not just a collector of them.
And in time, he could surely trade or negotiate his way to whatever knowledge he needed from Danzō.
“Your secrets aren’t quite as flawless as you think,” Orochimaru said with a knowing smile.
He was well aware that Yūgito was far from the only prisoner Hikuro kept hidden away.
“Monday to Friday – Update 3 Chapters a Day”
“Saturday and Sunday – Off”