Inside the Hokage's office, smoke filled the room.
The tobacco in Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe glowed on and off, just like the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
The cheers of the villagers celebrating their victory could faintly be heard from outside, but the joy seemed separated by an invisible wall. It could not truly enter the room that represented Konoha's highest authority or drive away the heaviness weighing upon his brow.
That was until the captain of the Hokage's Personal Guard suddenly appeared before his desk, knelt on one knee, and urgently reported everything that had happened at the village gate with a tone filled with disbelief.
"Hokage-sama! Lord Chiya... he... he brought the rogue ninja Orochimaru back!"
"What?!"
Hiruzen suddenly shot to his feet. The pipe slipped from his hand and struck the desk with a sharp crack, scattering sparks across its surface.
He did not even bother picking it up. Leaning forward, he stared intensely at the guard captain.
"Explain yourself! Orochimaru? That Orochimaru?! What happened to him? Was he captured? Or..."
His voice trembled without him even realizing it as one question after another escaped his lips.
"Reporting to Hokage-sama, according to what we observed at the scene, Orochimaru..."
"Orochimaru returned of his own free will. He declared that he wishes to deeply reflect upon his crimes, atone for the village, and dedicate all of his knowledge and strength to Konoha's future."
"At present, Lord Chiya has already taken Orochimaru toward the Konoha Police Force headquarters."
The guard captain tried to keep his report as concise and clear as possible, but the disbelief in his tone was impossible to hide completely.
"Returned of his own free will... Atone..."
Hiruzen quietly repeated those words.
The excitement and joy on his face quickly faded away like a receding tide, replaced by an incredibly complicated expression mixed with deep disappointment and understanding.
He slowly sank back into his chair as though all the strength had left his body.
Returned willingly...
Yet he had gone straight to the Uchiha.
Yes.
What right or position did he still have to ask to see that child?
Or perhaps...
In that child's heart, he had long since ceased to be the teacher he once was.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the dust floating in the air as well as the exhaustion and regret hidden within Hiruzen's eyes.
His gaze gradually became unfocused as his thoughts drifted back many years to the training grounds where three children with completely different personalities had once stood before him.
Jiraiya had been loud, hot blooded, and impulsive. Though he had seemed like the class failure, he possessed an innocent heart and unwavering determination.
Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, possessed extraordinary talent, unmatched skill in medical ninjutsu, and immense pride.
But Orochimaru...
Orochimaru had always been different.
Even as a child, those golden snake eyes had shone with a calmness and intelligence far beyond his age, along with an almost obsessive thirst for knowledge.
Among the three, he had possessed the greatest talent.
He learned everything quickly, could draw countless conclusions from a single example, and possessed astonishingly sharp insight.
He rarely spoke, yet whenever he did, his observations always struck directly at the heart of the matter.
In Orochimaru, Hiruzen had seen the reflection of his own youthful pursuit of mastering ninjutsu.
He had even seen possibilities that reached far beyond himself.
He himself had become known as the Professor of Ninjutsu because of his research.
He had always firmly believed that Orochimaru would one day surpass him.
He would lead Konoha's ninjutsu research, and perhaps even the exploration of the mysteries of the entire ninja world, to unprecedented heights.
Perhaps his favoritism toward Orochimaru had come from that very expectation.
He cherished pure intelligence and unmatched talent.
Yet it was that very brilliance and endless hunger for truth that had ultimately led Orochimaru deeper and deeper into forbidden territory.
When he discovered Orochimaru's illegal human experiments, the shock, heartbreak, and anger had nearly crushed him.
As Hokage, he had been obligated to uphold the village's laws and principles.
That guilt and regret had gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake for many years.
Countless nights, he had found himself thinking of that pale, slender figure.
Now...
Orochimaru had returned.
He had returned to Konoha in a way Hiruzen had never imagined.
But he had gone directly under the Uchiha.
It was as though fate itself were silently mocking all of his past failures.
"Uchiha... Chiya..."
Hiruzen closed his eyes bitterly and weakly pressed his fingers against his throbbing temple.
Chiya truly had accomplished what he never could.
Whether it was winning the war...
Or...
Bringing Orochimaru to his side.
After a long while, Hiruzen took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the emotions surging within him.
He waved a hand toward the guard captain, who was still kneeling on the floor.
His voice sounded hoarse and exhausted.
"I understand. Keep Orochimaru under close observation. If anything unusual happens, report it immediately."
"Yes!"
The guard captain silently disappeared.
The office fell into silence once more.
Hiruzen sat there alone for a very long time.
In the end, he could no longer suppress the overwhelming urge to see Orochimaru.
It was not merely concern for a rogue ninja.
It was the simplest concern of a teacher for a student who had lost his way.
He needed to confirm Orochimaru's true condition.
He needed to see with his own eyes whether his student was really...
Safe.
"Someone."
He raised his voice.
An ANBU immediately appeared.
"Bring Danzo here."
"Yes!"
Not long afterward, Danzo entered the office with his cane, his expression completely emotionless.
Before Hiruzen could even speak, Danzo let out a cold snort.
"Hiruzen, if you're planning to talk about Orochimaru, there's no need. The entire village is already discussing it. It would be difficult not to know."
He walked over to the sofa and sat down, striking his cane against the floor with a dull thud.
His voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"What impressive methods, Uchiha Chiya."
"Not only did he win the war, but now even an S Rank rogue ninja has willingly returned because of him, and he even brought him directly back to the Uchiha."
"It seems the Uchiha have truly become powerful enough to ignore the village's established rules and decide the fate of rogue ninja themselves."
"Such prestige and authority..."
"I'm afraid even the First Hokage himself never enjoyed this much."
Hiruzen frowned but ignored Danzo's mockery.
Instead, he spoke in a low voice.
"Danzo, Orochimaru was once my student. Now that he has returned to the village, whether as Hokage or as his teacher, I must meet him and learn the full situation. He's currently with the Uchiha. Go there on my behalf and bring him here."
Danzo narrowed his single visible eye as a glimmer flashed within it.
"Bring him here? Hiruzen, are you joking?"
"The man personally brought back by Uchiha Chiya? The Uchiha Police Force is tighter than an iron fortress now."
"What exactly am I supposed to use to bring him back?"
"My old face?"
"I'm afraid it doesn't carry much weight before the Uchiha Clan Head."
Hiruzen naturally understood Danzo's thoughts.
He rubbed his aching forehead tiredly.
"I'll temporarily place the Hokage's Personal Guard under your command."
"In the Hokage's name, demand that the Uchiha hand over the relevant individual for questioning."
"That should be sufficient."
The moment he heard those words, delight and calculation flashed through Danzo's exposed eye.
The authority to command the Hokage's Personal Guard.
That was genuine temporary power.
Moreover, it was the perfect opportunity to suppress the Uchiha's growing influence, test Chiya's attitude, and perhaps even obtain some of Orochimaru's research.
One move.
Many rewards.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Danzo maintained his usual gloomy expression as he slowly stood.
"Since this is in the Hokage's name and for the sake of the village's laws, then I shall make the trip."
"Hopefully the Uchiha Clan Head still remembers the Hokage's authority."
With that, he turned around without another word.
Leaning on his cane, he left the Hokage's office with barely concealed eagerness.
Watching Danzo leave, the exhaustion in Hiruzen's eyes deepened even further.
How could he not know what Danzo was planning?
But at that moment...
He simply wanted to see Orochimaru.
As for whatever trouble Danzo might stir up because of this...
He no longer had the strength to concern himself with it.
...
Meanwhile, inside a heavily guarded secret room within the Uchiha Police Force headquarters.
Chiya was quietly reading through several scrolls respectfully presented by Orochimaru.
The scrolls were made from unique materials and covered in intricate formulas and diagrams.
The contents recorded within them were both bizarre and shocking.
There were records regarding the development and improvement of forbidden techniques, surpassing even the research left behind by the Second Hokage.
There were astonishing data concerning the activation and transplantation of human cells.
There were bold theories and preliminary experimental records regarding the synthesis and separation of Kekkei Genkai.
Every single subject stood at the forefront of its era.
One could even say it stood at the edge of ethics and taboo.
Yet the brilliance and groundbreaking ideas displayed within were enough to astonish anyone who understood their value.
Even Chiya occasionally showed approval as he rapidly read through them.
Orochimaru truly deserved to be called a scientist blessed by fate.
His talent was so extraordinary that it inspired envy.
"Very interesting research."
Chiya placed down the final scroll concerning cellular activation before looking toward Orochimaru, who quietly stood nearby.
His current demeanor could even be described as gentle.
"Your knowledge and imagination are valuable assets to the village."
"It is my honor to contribute to your future and Konoha's future."
Orochimaru slightly bowed.
His tone was incomparably sincere, and his golden snake eyes shone with the focused determination of someone who had found a brand new purpose in life.
Naturally...
That was the power of Kotoamatsukami.
Chiya lightly tapped the desk with his finger.
After thinking for a moment, he asked the question that truly interested him.
"Orochimaru, most of your research focuses on the essence of life and strengthening individuals."
"What about large scale barrier techniques?"
"In particular, barriers integrated with natural energy, Sage Art."
"Have you ever researched them?"
"Or rather..."
"Do you have any ideas for creating a barrier that can remain extremely well hidden while accurately identifying and warning against the infiltration of a specific type of strange lifeform?"
The moment Orochimaru heard the words barrier, Sage Art, and identification warning, his golden eyes suddenly lit up.
It was as though he had discovered an entirely new and highly challenging research subject.
His tongue instinctively slid across his lips.
Apparently, even after his will had been rewritten, that old habit remained.
"A large scale warning barrier integrated with Sage Art perception? Designed specifically to detect certain lifeforms?"
His voice carried the excitement of a scientist confronted with a fascinating challenge.
"That is an excellent direction."
"Traditional barrier techniques rely upon chakra detection."
"But against beings capable of perfectly imitating or concealing their chakra fluctuations, their effectiveness is indeed limited."
"Natural energy, however, exists throughout all things."
"Its fluctuations are much more fundamental and far more difficult to disguise."
He fell into brief contemplation as his mind rapidly calculated countless possibilities.
"If we could establish a large scale perception network using natural energy as its foundation, then implement a specialized filtering mechanism..."
"In theory, it should indeed be possible to achieve extremely long distance, highly precise detection and early warning against specific targets."
"However, this would require profound understanding and control over natural energy."
"We would also need to solve a series of problems involving energy convergence, node stability, information transmission, and data analysis."
"It would require extensive calculations and countless experiments."
Orochimaru raised his head, his eyes burning with enthusiasm.
"Give me some time and a suitable laboratory."
"I am willing to begin researching this immediately."
"This would absolutely become a revolutionary project capable of dramatically improving the village's hidden defensive capabilities."
Watching Orochimaru instantly immerse himself in research mode, Chiya nodded in satisfaction.
As expected.
Professional matters should always be left to professionals.
"Very good."
"Prepare a complete list of whatever resources and facilities you require."
"This project will be given the highest priority."
Just as Chiya finished issuing his orders, a gentle knock sounded from outside the secret room.
The respectful voice of an Uchiha clansman came from beyond the door.
"Clan Head."
"Elder Danzo has arrived outside with the Hokage's Personal Guard."
"They claim they have come under the Third Hokage's orders to..."
"To take Mr. Orochimaru away for questioning."
Inside the secret room, Chiya's eyes instantly became profound.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru acted as though the matter had nothing to do with him.
His thoughts remained completely immersed in the brand new concept for the barrier technique they had just discussed.
━━━━━━━━━━━━
❤️ Enjoying the Story?
⭐ Every 500 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter!
📖 Read 120 chapters ahead on Patreon.
🔗 patreon.com/atomelectron
Thank you for your support!
━━━━━━━━━━━━