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"Just because someone is dead, does that mean their past mistakes are forgiven?"
Tsunade's tone was neither warm nor cold as she replied:
"Or does death simply erase all the sins they committed? Old man, Danzo was your comrade, but Orochimaru was your disciple—raised and trained by your own hands. Are you saying Orochimaru means less to you than Danzo?"
Theoretically, the Third Hokage had three disciples. When it came to Tsunade, he hadn't given her much personal attention—after all, Mito Uzumaki was still alive at the time, and she took charge of Tsunade's upbringing.
As for Jiraiya...
Well, Jiraiya hadn't received much attention either.
Because the Third Hokage's greatest focus had always been on Orochimaru.
The fact that Orochimaru had unrestricted access to all kinds of ninjutsu-related books was proof enough of just how much leniency the Third Hokage had granted him.
Born into an ordinary civilian family, orphaned at a young age—for most children in his position, simply graduating from the Ninja Academy would have been an achievement.
Yet Orochimaru soared far beyond expectations, his talent so overwhelming that even Minato Namikaze, the so-called "Yellow Flash," couldn't hold a candle to him in their respective youths.
By the time Orochimaru graduated from the Academy, Minato was still grinning foolishly in class.
When Orochimaru became a genin, Minato was still an ordinary student.
When Orochimaru was promoted to chunin, Minato hadn't even graduated.
And by the time Orochimaru became a special jonin... well, at least Minato had finally graduated by then.
He was also fortunate enough to catch the Third Hokage's eye and be taken in as Jiraiya's disciple.
Despite Jiraiya's usual carefree and unserious demeanor, deep down, he carried a sense of inferiority—one that stemmed from Orochimaru.
As a child, Orochimaru's brilliance was so overwhelming that even Tsunade had admitted she couldn't compare.
So how had Orochimaru managed to rise to such heights in his youth?
Entirely because of the Third Hokage's unwavering support and attention.
Want to read books? Go ahead—the only worry was Orochimaru getting bored of them.
Want to learn ninjutsu?
Even easier—his teacher had more than enough to teach.
Because of this, Tsunade had often complained that Orochimaru was the Third's real disciple, while she and Jiraiya were just afterthoughts.
"That's not what I meant. My feelings toward Orochimaru are— cough! "
Noticing Tsunade's displeased glare, the Third Hokage quickly corrected himself:
"What I mean is, even though Danzo committed many crimes, he was still a high-ranking figure in the village and contributed greatly in the past. Now that he's dead, I don't think we should continue tarnishing his name."
"Cut the crap."
Tsunade smacked the table impatiently.
"You two left behind a mess that I'm still cleaning up. Don't give me that nonsense—plenty of people have contributed to the village, not just Danzo! If it weren't for the need to smoothly reintegrate Orochimaru and ensure the villagers don't reject him, do you think I'd even bother bringing Danzo into this?"
The idea had come from Kazuki, but Tsunade took the responsibility upon herself.
She didn't want the animosity between Kazuki and the Third Hokage to escalate further.
She was genuinely afraid that one day, the Third might snap and try to kill Kazuki in a fit of rage.
"Frankly, I don't even want to mention that man!!"
Seeing Tsunade's rising frustration, the Third fell silent.
In theory, her actions aligned with his own long-standing philosophy:
Everything I do is for the sake of the village.
Compared to Orochimaru's return, dragging Danzo's name through the mud one more time was a small price to pay.
After all, Danzo was already dead—how much worse could it get?
On the other hand, Orochimaru's smooth reintegration was far more important.
As one of the legendary Sannin, he had contributed immeasurably to the village and held immense prestige both within Konoha and across the shinobi world.
Even if he had suffered a major defeat at Kazuki's hands, no one could deny Orochimaru's strength.
The return of the Sannin would bolster Konoha's weakened forces significantly.
"...Fine. If Orochimaru can return without facing too much resistance, then it's worth it."
With a sigh, the Third Hokage reluctantly made his choice.
Everything for the village.
At this moment, he could only console himself with those words—though they now carried a bitter irony.
Once, he had believed that phrase to be noble and righteous. Now, it felt like nothing more than a hollow justification.
"But can we really trust Orochimaru to stay loyal? What if he—"
He knew his disciple all too well.
The Third feared that Orochimaru might pretend to comply while secretly scheming behind the scenes.
"As long as Kazuki remains in the village, Orochimaru won't dare cause trouble. You can rest assured of that."
Compared to the repeatedly disappointing Third Hokage, Tsunade now placed absolute trust in Kazuki.
Not to mention, the relationship between the two had long since crossed the line of mere professionalism.
The only awkward part for Tsunade was that if their relationship were exposed, she wouldn't even know how to explain it.
Knowing the Third still had doubts, Tsunade continued:
"Old man, the village can't afford any more turmoil. I hope you understand my position. After all, you bear a large share of the responsibility for the village's current state. I don't want to see any more targeting of individuals. I'll talk to Kazuki. I believe he values the bigger picture and won't cause further trouble for you or the Sarutobi clan. But I also expect you and your clan to prioritize the village's stability."
"...I will."
Did he resent it?
Of course. But compared to the fate of Konoha, his personal grudges with Kazuki meant nothing.
He no longer had the leverage to challenge Kazuki or the Uchiha.
If anything, he should be grateful they weren't actively targeting him.
Not everyone was like Danzo—willing to provoke others even with a blade at their throat.
"Good. That settles it."
Tsunade's expression softened slightly before she explained the circumstances of Kazuki's meeting with Orochimaru:
"Kazuki promised Kakashi he'd arrange a compatible eye transplant, so he needed Orochimaru's help. Coincidentally, Orochimaru had previously been placed under Kazuki's genjutsu control, leaving his soul damaged. That's how Kazuki could track him down, no matter where he hid. That's also why I'm confident Orochimaru won't act out. I trust Kazuki—and by extension, I trust that Orochimaru won't dare make a move until he can break free from Kazuki's control."
"..."
What terrifying ocular prowess...
The Third Hokage's heart was a storm of mixed emotions.
"Let's leave Orochimaru's matter here for now. Next, we need to discuss the Sarutobi clan's... situation."
"I'll discipline them myself!!"
At the mention of his clan, the Third's aged face darkened completely.
Damn them—trying to force a decision while I was incapacitated?
Do they have a death wish?!
Tsunade hadn't paid much attention to the Sarutobi clan's antics, but the Third couldn't ignore it.
He would make sure they regretted their audacity.