Atop the Hokage Rock.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru sat cross-legged in the grass, relaxed beneath the open sky.
"Orochimaru, what's your dream?" Hiruzen asked.
"To master every jutsu in the world. To make life no longer so fragile…" After their earlier heart-to-heart, Orochimaru had no intention of hiding behind polished, empty words.
He paused, then added with complete sincerity, "To earn your acknowledgment, and the entire village's. To become the rightful Fourth Hokage. That's one of them."
"You really were a lot like me," Hiruzen said with a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "When I was young, I thought I could master every jutsu too. Become the strongest Hokage. They even called me the 'Professor of Ninjutsu.'"
He exhaled slowly.
"Later, I realized I was only average. Just keeping the village running has been exhausting."
"If I hadn't happened to dream of Lord Tobirama guiding me… if I hadn't found the resolve to break what must be broken… then maybe now…"
His tone shifted, thoughtful and distant.
"But you're different, Orochimaru."
"You're young. Your talent surpasses mine. When I look at you, it feels like I'm seeing a better version of myself."
Orochimaru's emotions tangled inside him.
Part of him basked in the praise. His teacher's recognition was something he had always valued.
But another part of him could not help feeling that Hiruzen was far too modest.
With the way his teacher trained every day, sharpening himself without pause, could his own talent truly be greater?
For most shinobi, their forties marked the twilight of their careers.
For Hiruzen Sarutobi, it might very well be his prime.
"There's no need to say that, Sensei," Orochimaru said at last. "You… you're not like ordinary ninja."
"Perhaps. But a person's life isn't decided by talent alone."
Hiruzen's gaze drifted across the horizon. "The era you're born into, the state of the shinobi world… those shape you just as much. If Lord Tobirama had returned from the battlefield back then, I might have walked a very different path."
"But he gave his life for the village. For me. So everything I've done since… is only what I should do."
Orochimaru nodded.
Taking on the mantle of Hokage while still young… that kind of pressure could crush anyone.
Improving oneself required time and space.
If the weight of responsibility already pressed a man to the brink, where would he find the energy to chase higher peaks?
"But you're different," Hiruzen continued. "You're stronger than I was."
"You have me standing in front of you, carrying the burden."
Orochimaru's pupils tightened.
It felt as if a spark had been tossed into his chest.
Those words…
Even a cold-blooded creature like a snake would struggle not to feel warmth.
"I have only one request of you," Hiruzen said quietly. "Before you act, remember that you are a ninja of Konoha. You were raised under the light of the Will of Fire."
"When temptation comes, strong enough to shake you, restrain yourself. Don't let desire cloud your judgment."
"Desire makes people impatient. But if you calm down and really look, there are always other ways to solve a problem." Hiruzen glanced up at the sky. "Move a little slower. The foundation will be steadier. And you won't leave your loved ones grieving… or yourself regretting it."
Orochimaru fell silent, thoughtful.
He understood the implication.
Because of the limits of the Immortality Jutsu, the only practical vessels were other people.
But technology did not stand still.
From the Warring States era to the founding of the villages, ninjutsu and biological research had advanced at a startling pace. Forbidden Jutsu emerged one after another.
Perhaps one day, the barrier of technique would be broken.
And if that day came, even if he set his sights on a talented ninja of Konoha, obtaining suitable material openly might not be difficult.
Not that there was anyone in the village who tempted him that much yet…
But even if there were.
Tobirama Senju had stayed behind to cover the retreat, allowing Hiruzen to shoulder the village without hesitation.
After all these years of care. After today's trust and support.
Was that not enough to earn his restraint?
And looking at it purely from a practical standpoint…
With the village's resources behind him, his research would progress far more smoothly.
Besides, for Orochimaru as he was now, the Immortality Jutsu was merely a last resort. A card that granted false eternity.
A true genius sought to perfect himself. To seize another's body was always a lesser substitute.
In a sense, it was an admission of inadequacy.
"Sensei, I will always remember that I am a ninja of Konoha," Orochimaru said. He made no dramatic vow, but his tone carried absolute seriousness.
"Good. That's enough."
Sometimes, the promises exchanged between men were simple. Plain. Yet heavy as mountains.
"Who knows," Hiruzen said lightly, lighting a cigarette. "One day you might become like the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave. Truly long-lived."
He smiled, the tension long gone. "If that happens, you won't need to be Hokage. Just make sure you sign a few more contracts for Konoha."
Orochimaru's throat tightened.
It felt like watching an ordinary father imagining his son graduating the Academy, becoming a Jonin, maybe even Hokage, reaching heights he himself could never attain.
"When that day comes, I'll carve a plaque," Orochimaru replied, playing along. "It'll say: Hiruzen Sarutobi, the great Third Hokage, will always be my teacher."
Yet inwardly, he sighed.
If his teacher had possessed his resources, his fortune… perhaps those heights would not have been beyond him either.
Those thoughts were tinted with emotion, no doubt.
But in Hiruzen's heart, he truly believed them.
He was different.
The effort he had poured into strengthening Konoha had not vanished into thin air. It had transformed into something else, into a refinement of his own limits.
Step by step, he was still growing. Quietly expanding the ceiling of his strength.
For now, the change was subtle. But accumulation led to transformation.
He had the patience for it.
And he would never tell anyone.
"This technique still needs to be officially registered," Hiruzen said at last. "We'll put it under my name. Consider it a joint development."
"My credibility should be enough. No one will think too much of it."
Improving and refining the jutsu would require resources.
Stopping Orochimaru now, when things had progressed this far, would make no sense.
But allocating resources always drew attention.
Danzo Shimura. Koharu Utatane. Homura Mitokado. Even Hiruko.
If Orochimaru conducted private experiments without an official banner, the consequences of exposure could spiral into a storm strong enough to destroy his reputation.
But if it bore the Hokage's name, it would be different.
Kind. Dove-like. Steady.
Those were the fixed impressions people held of Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Under his name, the research could be classified at the highest level. No one would dare pry.
It was protection.
And it would cost Hiruzen nothing.
"Sensei, that isn't necessary. I already gave you my word," Orochimaru said, frowning. "I won't claim I would never use this technique. But the chances are close to zero. Unless I reach the end of my life without making any breakthroughs."
"If anyone dares to smear my name, I'll deal with them myself."
His teacher was thinking too far ahead for him.
So much that Orochimaru felt a flicker of shame.
Hiruzen spoke slowly.
"Some say Danzo Shimura bears the darkness for me."
"Maybe there's truth to that. But what I have to carry is more than that."
"Perhaps one day you'll understand. Perhaps you won't. It doesn't really matter."
"It's all the same."
Orochimaru listened, puzzled.
But Hiruzen merely waved a hand and changed the subject.
Several days later.
The Hokage Building.
Danzo Shimura brought crucial intelligence.
The final piece of the resurrection puzzle.
Information on the bearer of Earth Grudge Fear.
Kakuzu.