In Konoha, inside a modest residential house.
This was the home of Konoha Jonin Hiruko. Not too big. Not too small. Just like the life he believed he was living, neither remarkable nor miserable.
He had grown up alongside Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. The four of them had been in the same class. But as their paths diverged, he had gradually fallen behind.
It wasn't that the Sannin looked down on him.
It was that Hiruko felt he could no longer see their backs. Even if he forced himself into their circle, he wouldn't truly belong.
Why embarrass himself?
Sometimes he told himself he should be content. He was a Jonin, one in a hundred within the village.
That should be enough.
But whenever he thought about the achievements his former classmates had earned, the fame, the admiration in people's eyes when they spoke their names…
He couldn't calm down.
So he buried himself in research instead, drowning in the sea of ninjutsu development. It was the only way to numb the ache.
Because of that, he still maintained contact with Orochimaru.
A knock sounded at the door.
Hiruko frowned and closed the research notebook in his hand. He had finally made a small breakthrough in Cell Fusion during his time off, and now this unexpected visitor had interrupted him.
Annoying.
He opened the door and saw Orochimaru standing there with a faint smile. Hiruko's lips twitched.
"What's this? The busy man has time to visit me?"
Outwardly, he told himself he was content with research. In reality, he followed every shift in the village with obsessive focus. Every prominent figure. Every rumor.
If one exaggerated, he spent twenty-four hours a day analyzing trends and the Sannin.
So of course he knew about the whispers surrounding the Konoha Commissioner position.
In Hiruko's mind, Orochimaru would absolutely be selected. Perhaps even rise higher in the future.
Was he here to show off?
"I'm not looking for you," Orochimaru said calmly. "The Hokage is."
He took in Hiruko's expression and laughed inwardly.
That twisted personality of his old friend really was difficult.
If not for their shared love of research and their childhood bond, Orochimaru wouldn't have bothered to extend a hand.
"I mentioned Konoha's current research talents to Sensei. Your ideas came up. He said they were interesting."
"He wants to see you. It might be related to the Konoha Commissioner position."
Orochimaru waved lightly. "I've delivered the message. What you do is up to you."
Hiruko's heart jolted.
So the elite selection circulating among the Jonin had an official name. Konoha Commissioner.
And Orochimaru had known all along.
A bitter taste rose in his chest. But then his pupils contracted.
Wait.
Forget Orochimaru.
Did that mean… he might have a chance to join the Konoha Commissioner?
He suppressed the storm in his chest and forced his face into what he thought was calm neutrality.
"I understand."
After shutting the door and listening to Orochimaru's footsteps fade, Hiruko moved at once. He changed into his cleanest Jonin uniform, washed his face, and stood before the mirror to straighten himself.
"Is this my opportunity?"
A flicker of fear crept in.
Would the Hokage even understand research?
The Third Hokage had recently pushed bold reforms, bringing a sense of renewal to the village.
But as the leader of Konoha, buried under endless responsibilities, would he really have the time or energy to grasp scientific work? Especially something as niche as bioengineering?
Maybe he had simply gotten excited talking with Orochimaru and decided to summon him for a cursory chat.
Hiruko kept lowering his expectations.
Yet the moment he stepped outside, his unease only grew.
At that very moment, Orochimaru lingered at the corner of the street, watching Hiruko in his freshly pressed uniform, face stiff with tension. A wicked smile curved his lips.
"Pretending not to care, yet fully prepared. Interesting."
He wondered whether Hiruko would pass Sensei's test.
If Hiruko became a Konoha Commissioner, his strength in research would naturally align him with Orochimaru's side. That meant one more ally.
And he would have pulled up an old friend in the process. Why not?
"Perhaps I've changed a little too," Orochimaru murmured with a faint laugh.
But he didn't mind.
For someone who believed change was inherently good, he himself was simply part of that process.
Konoha, Hokage Tower.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held Tobirama Senju's research notebook, reading with absorbed interest.
Ever since discovering what lay inside that mysterious black tank in the hidden archive, even these scattered notes seemed heavy with untold stories.
He couldn't help but sigh.
No wonder people enjoyed obscure histories and dramatic rival pairings.
They might be wild, but they were compelling.
And beyond the intrigue, the notebook contained a wealth of valuable knowledge, numerous research approaches worth studying.
As Hokage, Hiruzen had no intention of becoming a scientific expert overnight. That required hands-on experience and years of accumulation.
But foundational knowledge, basic logic, structural frameworks, those he had to understand.
If he understood nothing, he might end up like Danzo Shimura, misled in funding matters by subordinates spinning excuses.
Some projects hadn't even begun formal proposals, yet they claimed progress and demanded budget.
Even his close bond with Orochimaru was no excuse for complacency.
If the Hokage relaxed, he opened the door for others to stumble.
A cautious knock sounded.
After receiving permission, Hiruko stepped in, taking a deep breath before speaking.
"Hokage-sama."
"Hiruko, you're here. Sit."
Hiruzen closed the notebook naturally. "Orochimaru mentioned you've been researching cells?"
He poured tea into the cup before him.
Hiruko hurried to his feet. "I'll do it, I'll do it. Thank you, Third."
He held the warm cup, but the heat in his palms could not match the fire in his chest.
What was happening?
He was just an unremarkable Jonin, yet the Hokage had poured tea for him.
Hiruzen watched his reaction and smiled inwardly.
Orochimaru had described this man's temperament.
At its core, he craved recognition.
A talented shinobi trapped in the shadow of his classmates, measuring himself against a standard set too high.
The Konoha Commissioner system was the perfect solution for that.
But suitable or not, Hiruko still needed to present something of substance. Hiruzen would never place an empty shell on the commissioner list simply because Orochimaru recommended him.
"I'm studying Cell Fusion. My current line of thought is roughly this…"
Hiruko explained carefully, choosing concise phrasing to ensure the Hokage could follow.
It wasn't condescension. Different fields were different mountains.
But Hiruzen's eyes brightened.
This might be exactly what he needed to perfect a certain unnamed Hokage's private collection.