Against Kushina, Danzo had no room to attack, only to defend.
Unless he had the audacity to openly strike at Naruto…
And if he really tried that, Uchiha Gen would wake up laughing in the middle of the night.
Because if anything happened to Naruto, Kushina would completely lose control.
With her mastery over the Nine-Tails, not even Hiruzen Sarutobi could stop her if she went berserk. A Jinchūriki in full control of their Tailed Beast was far more terrifying than a rampaging one like Naruto in Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
In the worst-case scenario, even the Sage of Six Paths might be forced to appear. The odds were slim, but the possibility existed.
At Hiruzen's request, Orochimaru and Uchiha Gen escorted the frontline troops to the border, settled them, and returned to Konoha.
But Gen didn't bother with the formal envoy return. Instead, he simply summoned his cloud and ferried Orochimaru, Anna Uzumaki, and Karin Uzumaki straight back.
Once in the village, Gen left Anna and Karin to eat at a dango shop, then accompanied Orochimaru to the Hokage's office for their debriefing.
As frontline commanders, protocol demanded it.
Every ninja they passed in the Hokage Building greeted them respectfully.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Orochimaru and Gen pushed open the door.
"You've returned quickly," Hiruzen said, pipe in hand, his expression briefly surprised before softening into a smile. "You worked hard, the frontlines went very well under your command."
"Heh… as long as I haven't disappointed you, Sensei." Orochimaru's pale face curved into a faint smile, though it carried a hint of coldness. His tone was flat.
Gen stayed silent. In moments like this, it was proper to let Orochimaru, the senior, speak first.
Hiruzen didn't take offense. He knew Orochimaru's discontent.
"The mission was a success. As promised, I'll honor our agreement." He opened a drawer and set a small scroll on the desk. "This contains a catalog of techniques from the Scroll of Seals. Orochimaru, choose two. Gen, choose one."
Without hesitation, Orochimaru walked up, picked up the scroll but instead of looking, he handed it to Gen first.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Thank you, Orochimaru-sensei."
Gen quickly flipped through the list, pretended to consider, then handed it back.
"I choose the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Hiruzen raised his brows. "That's your decision? The training difficulty is extreme. Only the Second Hokage and Minato have ever mastered it."
"I'd like to try," Gen said calmly. "Even if I fail, the experience will be worth it."
Hiruzen exhaled a stream of smoke, then nodded. "Very well. This afternoon, I'll have Anbu deliver the technique to you."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
Turning his gaze, Hiruzen asked, "And you, Orochimaru?"
"Eight Trigrams Seal… and Impure World Reincarnation," Orochimaru answered without hesitation.
Hiruzen's eyes hardened. "The Eight Trigrams Seal is fine. But the Impure World Reincarnation is forbidden among forbidden techniques. Choose another."
Orochimaru gave no protest. He opened the scroll, glanced, and chose another casually.
In truth, he had already obtained the technique by other means. He'd only wanted to legitimize it, but Hiruzen wasn't giving him the chance.
"Rest for now. No assignments will be given to you for the time being. Gen, return to your work with the Police Force."
Both bowed. Gen respectfully. Orochimaru, less so.
Once outside, Gen asked, "Lunch together?"
"Come to my place," Orochimaru replied.
"Alright."
They split for the moment. Gen returned to fetch Anna and Karin from the dango shop and escorted them to a hotel.
In the room, he smiled. "Rest for today. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for you to meet Kushina-nee."
Anna bowed. "Thank you, Lord Gen."
"Thank you, Gen-nii!" Karin chirped.
Gen chuckled, pinching Karin's cheek before glancing at Anna. "Do you have enough money?"
"Yes," Anna said quickly. She'd earned wages at the frontline hospital. Modest, but with no expenses there, she'd saved enough.
"After meeting Kushina, you'll be settling in Konoha. Rent and daily expenses aren't cheap, and Karin's growing. Don't scrimp too much. If you run short, ask me or Kushina. We'll help you find stable work, you can repay later, slowly. Don't burden yourself."
Free handouts bred resentment. Better to provide support in a way that preserved dignity.
Anna wiped her eyes. "I really don't know how to thank you…"
"Living well is thanks enough." Gen smiled. "Karin, give me a kiss."
She giggled, hugged his neck, and pecked his cheek.
"Good. Rest well. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Gen-nii!"
…
After leaving the hotel, Gen bought fresh ingredients at the market, then headed to Orochimaru's mansion. Before long, six dishes and a soup were ready.
The two sat across from each other, clinked glasses, and drank. Orochimaru, though not fond of alcohol, occasionally indulged when drinking with Gen.
"Sensei," Gen asked, "do you know the truth behind the fall of the Whirlpool Nation?"
Orochimaru picked at his food. "Some of it."
"Tell me."
"If you wish." His voice was calm, but his eyes sharpened. "When Uzushiogakure fell, Jiraiya and I were nobodies. Tsunade-senpai was different, of course, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, beloved by all."
Gen nodded.
"It happened on the eve of the Second Great Ninja War—Konoha Year 37. That same year, the Second Hokage and Second Raikage died at the hands of the Kinkaku Force. With Tobirama gone, Konoha's political and military situation destabilized.
"The Hokage Guards returned unscathed, but Tobirama's death left Sarutobi-sensei poised to become Third Hokage. Not everyone was convinced, despite Tobirama's dying wish and the guard's testimony. Political infighting followed."
"Beyond our borders, tensions rose. War loomed."
Gen listened intently.
"The Hidden Cloud's system is suited for war, far more than ours," Orochimaru continued. "They consolidated faster than Konoha. To unify his village, solidify his power, weaken Konoha before war, and gain forbidden sealing techniques, the Third Raikage launched a surprise attack on the Whirlpool Nation."
"The Uzumaki sealing arts," Gen realized.
"Exactly. Edo Fūin—powerful, perfect for controlling Tailed Beasts. The Hidden Cloud wanted them desperately. The Hidden Mist also took advantage of the chaos, though Cloud profited the most."
Gen's mind sharpened. No wonder both Cloud and Mist produced perfect Jinchūriki, unlike Sand or Stone. The Uzumaki were the key.
"Four birds with one stone," he muttered. "The Raikage seemed like a brute, but his heart was black as pitch."
"Most of Kumo's shinobi are dark-skinned," Orochimaru deadpanned. "So it suits them."
Gen snorted at the poor joke but played along.
"When Uzushiogakure was attacked, did Konoha receive no word?"
"Hard to say. Even with internal strife, intelligence couldn't have completely failed. Messages might be delayed, but not nonexistent. More likely… either we got word too late to act, or…"
"Or Konoha delayed on purpose," Gen finished.
"Exactly." Orochimaru's gaze darkened. "When Kushina was sent to Konoha, Uzushiogakure still stood. They may have foreseen their fall and sent her ahead as a safeguard. But whether by chance or design, Konoha never arrived in time. Personally… I now lean toward the second possibility."
Gen raised his cup. "You believe they sacrificed Uzushiogakure for Kushina?"
Glasses clinked. Both drank.
"Yes," Orochimaru said flatly. "For Konoha's sake, the elders would do anything. Mito-sama was already frail. Kushina was the strongest heir, but her ability to control the Nine-Tails was uncertain. Keeping the Uzumaki sealing techniques in Konoha guaranteed a fallback, even if Kushina failed."
Gen exhaled slowly. "That makes sense. And without Uzushiogakure to resist Mist, Konoha bore greater losses."
The two ate in silence for a moment, then Gen asked, "What now, sensei?"
"What else? Research. That's all I want." Orochimaru smirked faintly. "You, though—you've already carved a name for yourself in the world. Not as dazzling as Minato, perhaps, but not far off. Even Jiraiya can't boast about his golden boy anymore."
Gen smiled. "All I want is to grow stronger, fall in love, and continue research with you. The Uchiha are limited to the Police Force. If I want to advance, the path isn't clear."
"If no position exists," Orochimaru murmured, "create one yourself."
Gen only shook his head. Power tempted him, but not at the cost of scheming against his clan. Unless provoked, he had no desire to harm them.
Ambition was fine, but not blind. He had time on his side.
Orochimaru saw his disciple's restraint and dropped the subject, shifting instead to one of his experimental projects. That was what he valued most about Gen—the brilliance of his ideas, not a hunger for power that would one day turn against him.