Chapter 216: The Inverted Dawn

"Good morning, Orochimaru-sama!"

"Good day, Commander, this is the list of candidates for Jonin promotion."

"Orochimaru-sama, you've worked hard."

A pale-skinned man with golden serpent eyes walked into his private office. Every shinobi he passed showed him great respect. Whether it was the lingering awe from his departure, his heroic deeds over the past four years, or his act of standing against the explosion with his own flesh and blood just the night before, Orochimaru was undeniably the "Heir of the Will of Fire" in the eyes of any villager.

Everyone understood that the Third Hokage had grown too old. For a shinobi in their sixties, each day they awoke to find their body a little weaker than the day before. Hiruzen was more exhausted than anyone, and with Minato's early demise disrupting his retirement plans, he could only gather his strength to shoulder the responsibilities of the Hokage once more.

Orochimaru as the Fifth Hokage was practically a foregone conclusion.

Hiruzen had mentioned it on many occasions, even more enthusiastically than he had when dealing with Minato. From the look in the old man's eyes, if it weren't for certain formalities, he might have already draped the Hokage's robes over Orochimaru and retired again.

As Orochimaru sat down, he called for Shisui Uchiha to enter.

"Commander, you called for me?"

"Yes," Orochimaru stated directly, "When I become Hokage, this office will be yours."

"Huh?" The short-haired boy with a sword on his back quickly caught on, "Me? The head of the Anbu?"

"This has already been approved by the Hokage-sama. Whatever thoughts you may have, you cannot refuse. This too is part of being a shinobi of Konoha."

"But… but I'm an Uchiha, and my sensei…"

Orochimaru's voice was soft yet raspy, carrying a peculiar magnetism, "In my eyes, whether it's an Uchiha or the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, they're all members of the village. The future head of the Anbu will be you. You're my subordinate and a very trustworthy shinobi of Konoha." He paused, noticing the boy's emotional expression, and waved his hand dismissively like shooing away a fly.

"Don't show such a cheap expression. I'm giving you a day off. From tomorrow onwards, you'll need to look at problems from a perspective beyond that of an ordinary shinobi."

"Yes, Commander… Thank you for your trust."

Shisui bowed respectfully before leaving the Commander's office.

Orochimaru showed no emotion as he took out a pen and paper, about to approve today's documents, when he heard his sensei's summons from upstairs.

He glanced at the mountain of paperwork on his desk and couldn't help but frown.

'That kid, Yuto... It's said he worked late into the night every day. It seems that might actually be true? I need to reorganize the personnel structure. With this in mind,' Orochimaru walked in deep thought towards the Hokage's office.

"Ah, Orochimaru, you've come at just the right time!" Hiruzen slammed his pipe onto the table, huffing and glaring, "Listen to what Jiraiya has to say!"

"Eh, old man, why are you so angry…" Jiraiya, seated in a wheelchair, smiled sheepishly, "I just mentioned it in passing, didn't I?"

"Mentioning it is unacceptable!" Hiruzen's expression was stern, "Using the First Hokage's cells to regenerate your legs? Do you intend to desecrate the remains of our predecessors? Hashirama-sama fought for Konoha his whole life, only to have his grave robbed by his own people in the end? Orochimaru, do you understand me? You must not help him!"

Jiraiya lowered his head, one hand gripping the wheelchair's handle, the other clutching the empty leg of his pants.

Seeing him like this, the old man suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He took a puff from his pipe, his tone softening, "I'm sorry, Jiraiya, I can agree to anything else, but not this. You're one of the Legendary Sannin, representing Konoha. The village cannot bear the disgrace of desecrating the dead…"

Orochimaru observed their expressions, his golden serpent eyes reflecting a hint of thoughtful light.

Although he had "reformed," Orochimaru was still, at his core, the same man driven by a fervent desire to explore and discover.

To him, a jutsu is just a jutsu; what does it matter whether it's considered evil or not?

His sensei was just too rigid. Not using the Impure World Reincarnation had some logic to it, but leaving out the technology to regrow limbs, wasting Jiraiya's shinobi career—wasn't that just a joke?

"But Obito Uchiha…" Jiraiya muttered quietly, barely audible.

"He's a rogue shinobi who unleashed the Nine-Tails on the village. Why do you keep comparing yourself to him?" Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, glaring at Orochimaru, "Orochimaru, I want you to promise me you won't help Jiraiya with this."

The golden-eyed man remained expressionless for a long time before slowly responding, "Yes, sensei, I swear I won't help Jiraiya regenerate his legs."

—As if!

Orochimaru suppressed a chuckle. If it weren't for his sensei mentioning "Hashirama cells" today, he wouldn't have had a clear direction.

Because of his past defection, he felt a bit of unease regarding those cells. But on reflection, the First Hokage's cells might indeed help Jiraiya.

'Hmm, once I become the Fifth Hokage, I'll take some time to research the technology for limb regeneration. Once I succeed, I'll secretly use it on Jiraiya. By then, it'll be too late to stop me.' Orochimaru couldn't believe his sensei would actually have the heart to cut off Jiraiya's new legs.

As for why he had decided to help Jiraiya while simultaneously making a solemn vow not to, it could be attributed to the growth Orochimaru had experienced over these past four years.

Before, though his position was high, there were still figures like Danzo, Sakumo, Jiraiya, and Tsunade who were on equal footing, so he wasn't really one of Konoha's "decision-makers."

But in these last four years, Orochimaru had been working closely with Hiruzen on every major and minor issue. Though he held no official title, he was a true leader in practice.

As a leader, he had to speak and act with far more finesse than he did in the past.

Orochimaru thought it best not to clash directly with his sensei. He'd just quietly get things done behind the scenes, so he spoke seriously to show his resolve.

'Sensei, don't blame me; I'm doing this for Konoha. As for why Jiraiya might end up with new legs in the future, well, that's just fate…'

Orochimaru felt a deep sense of satisfaction, while Hiruzen was left with a troubled heart, each unaware of the unusual situation growing around them.

Jiraiya, hearing Orochimaru's vow, slumped in his wheelchair like a deflated balloon, his eyes dull, lacking the usual vigor and confidence.

Overwhelmed with disappointment, he didn't suspect Orochimaru's intentions nor notice the strong guilt and hesitation in Hiruzen's words.

In the end, man proposes, but fate disposes.

…

Creak, creak.

"Eh? Jiraiya-sama, you're here?" Shizune smiled and invited the white-haired man into the Senju Compound. "I'll go get Tsunade-sama…"

"No need, I just wandered over here by accident." Jiraiya scratched his head, feeling a bit of relief.

Holding her pet pig, Shizune chuckled, "Oh, everyone knows you, Orochimaru-sama, and Tsunade-sama are close friends, the kind of people who would trust each other with their lives. What's wrong with chatting a bit?"

"Thanks, Shizune." Jiraiya sighed with relief. When it came to Orochimaru and his sensei, he couldn't talk to anyone else but Tsunade.

A shinobi who loses their legs doesn't just suffer physically; over time, their spirit weakens too.

However, to his surprise, Shizune quickly returned, looking apologetic, "I'm sorry, Jiraiya-sama. Tsunade-sama has locked herself in, and I can't get in."

"What?"

"Oh, it's like this," Shizune explained, "After the battle with Obito-san the other night, Tsunade-sama was severely injured. She often locks herself in her room all day and refuses to see anyone."

"Is she really alright?"

"She's definitely fine. I've noticed Tsunade-sama has been in great spirits lately. She's always smiling when we meet, and her appetite has increased too."

"That's good." Jiraiya relaxed, though he was a bit disappointed. After a few more words, he left the Senju Compound after giving a few more instructions.

"Sigh... I guess I'll go have a drink."

(End of Chapter)