Chapter 154: Plan

~Hokage's Office~

Inside the Hokage's office, Hiruzen sat with an expectant smile on his face as he waited for his favorite student to arrive.

He knew Orochimaru would come and confront him about his ruling on the bill he had just voted to decline, yet he knew his decision before he even entered the Conference Room.

He expected Orochimaru to barge into the room and question him about his decision, and he had already prepared his responses to many of the questions Orochimaru would ask.

It was at that moment that he heard footsteps approaching the door, making him straighten his back and stare straight ahead, showcasing the full majesty that he had as the Hokage.

The cold and chilly aura that surrounded Orochimaru when he entered would make Tsunade believe that she was seeing the future version of her friend instead of the one she knew.

"You already know why I'm here, right Sensei?" Orochimaru asked as he stared at his teacher with a blank expression on his face.

"I do." Hiruzen responded back, not taking his eyes off of Orochimaru.

"Then why? You purposely dispatched Jiraiya to the border and gave Tsunade a task on short notice with the sole purpose of blocking the bill from being passed. Even with what Danzo said, the benefits of that bill would have vastly outweighed any disadvantages it could have had?" Orochimaru questioned.

"I know that as well." Hiruzen said calmly as he relaxed in his chair.

"THEN WHY SENSEI!! THIS BILL COULD HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED THE VILLAGE!!" Orochimaru said, this time with anger fully laced in his voice.

Hiruzen stood up and looked out the window behind him, staring at the Stone Monuments.

He then signaled for Orochimaru to come beside him and look at it, with them both staring at the 3 great faces.

"The First Hokage created the Village with unparalleled might that only his granddaughter can hope to replicate. The Second Hokage created countless systems that have been integral to our Village and even adopted by other Villages, which only serves to emphasize its success. He also led us and nearly sacrificed his life to give the Village the peace that we so desperately craved. The Third Hokage, myself, led us after the fall of the Second Hokage and throughout the Second Great Ninja War, while also implementing systems, at the behest of Tsunade, to increase the power of our Education and Medical systems. I have already achieved greatness in my lifetime, and I am content with what I have done.

The accolade of that bill would practically make the Civilians view you in reverence, and I'm afraid I have no need for such a thing. But a new and upcoming Hokage, one that made himself known in the Second Great Ninja War as a member of the Legendary Sannin, and is titled the 'Snake Sage' could use that bill as one of the first pieces of legislature that he passes once he takes over. It would give him an unshakable position to stand upon as he becomes the new leader of the Village." Hiruzen said, not taking his eyes off of the Hokage faces while Orochimaru stared at him in shock.

He understood what Hiruzen was saying. If he were to reintroduce this bill when he was Hokage, a lot fewer people would dare to go against it. 

Therefore, he would be nearly guaranteed to get the votes needed and could use it to solidify his position in Konoha.

"Tensions are rising, Rochi. I have no doubt that the other Villages still feel anger about how we suffered very minimally in the last war unlike them. The Third Great Ninja War could happen a lot sooner than I predicted. That is without even mentioning the chaos that may soon erupt in the Land of Fire. So before any of this can be used against us, I plan to inaugurate you as the Fourth Hokage." Hiruzen added, this time looking straight into Orochimaru's eyes.

"What's your goal, Sensei?" Orochimaru asked with skepticism laced in his eyes.

He did not believe his teacher would simply give away the seat of Hokage for something as trivial as it being his dream.

"My goal is to bait the 4 other nations into attacking Konoha, at least 3 of them. Then, I would ask for Tsunade to be sent to the battlefield of Kumo, some of the Patriarchs and I to be sent to the battlefield of Suna, Sakumo, and Duy to be sent to Kiri, and Jiraiya and Kenta to be sent to Iwa. With Tsunade's might, she could quickly overpower the army of Kumo and deal devastating damage to them. The other groups may not be able to do the same at such a quick pace, but they could win nonetheless. And, after each Village agrees to peace treaties upon their defeat, it would allow the heroes of this war, the new generation, alongside the leaders of powerful Clans, to showcase themselves to the world. This would begin the process of fading out my generation, allowing the new generation to shine brighter than any before them as the old leaves become nutrients for the young sprouts. This was the same process Tobirama-Sensei used for us, and I believe it could be even more successful with your generation. And the devastating damage we dealt to the other Villages would give us a time of peace. An era without the need of war for the next generation.

Sometimes it is necessary for us to spark the conflict, especially in a situation when we know that it is coming yet we are unable to do anything due to the Daimyo wishing to maintain the moral high ground. But, with this plan, we could allow an entire generation of Konoha to enjoy their childhoods far more than mine or yours did, giving them a true chance to be children and grow, rather than becoming soldiers at the first inconvenience that a Village has." Hiruzen explained his crazed plan, with Orochimaru staring at him in shock.

He hadn't expected his teacher to be so insane to make such a plan that would practically use the other Ninja Villages as a platform that Konoha could use to grow.

The aftermath would see Hiruzen, Danzo, and the rest of the older generation fall from power as his generation would become the main governing body in the Village, allowing the new innovations and customs that they wish to be adopted to be enacted. 

Therefore, instead of looking at Hiruzen as if he were a fool or insane, the serpent gained a chilly smile upon his face, with the single question he asked giving a perfect representation of his stance on the matter.

"When do we begin?"

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