Faced with Orochimaru, the Third Hokage had a few options to choose from.
He could agree to all of Orochimaru''s demands andply with his terms without hesitation.
He could simply turn around and leave, asserting the dignity of a Hokage, one who doesn''t bow to anyone or allow themselves to be humiliated.
Or… he could eliminate Orochimaru right here and now, cutting off any potential future threats.
But to kill Orochimaru?
The drawbacks outweighed the benefits. Not only did the Third Hokage feel immense guilt toward Orochimaru, but he alsocked the confidence to face Orochimaru''s current strength.
Even if he somehow managed to kill Orochimaru, the action wouldn''t help Konoha''s current predicament, it would only worsen the situation.
Killing Orochimaru wasn''t an option. Neither morally nor logistically could he justify it.
As for walking away?If he did that, why had he evene in the first ce?
Given the broken rtionship between him and Orochimaru, the Third Hokage had prepared himself for all possible oues before arriving.
He didn''t want to hand Konoha over to Orochimaru, but what choice did he have?
For the sake of Konoha, he was willing to lower himself and ask for Orochimaru''s help.
Tsunade''s faith that Orochimaru could save the vige gave him a glimmer of hope. At this point, he had no alternatives.
Fortunately, aside from the matter of the Nine-Tails'' Jinchūriki, Orochimaru''s other demands were still manageable.
Although he couldn''t understand how Orochimaru even knew about the Nine-Tails'' Jinchūriki, this wasn''t the time to dwell on it.
Orochimaru''s threat had been crystal clear: if he arrived in Konoha and didn''t see the Jinchūriki, he would destroy the vige.
The Third Hokage couldn''t take any chances. If he tried to hide the Jinchūriki by sending her away, Orochimaru could easily align himself with the viges attacking Konoha.
If that happened, Konoha''s downfall would only elerate.
Orochimaru''s tant grab for the Nine-Tails'' Jinchūriki left the Third Hokage powerless to resist.
Orochimaru''s indifference toward him stung, but he couldn''t me his former student.
Because in the end, all of this was a consequence of his own decisions.
As Orochimaru''s figure disappeared into the distance, the Third Hokage stood in silence, his thoughts a chaotic mess.
"Perhaps… I truly was never fit to be Hokage…" he murmured to himself.
---
"Tsunade, how did it go?"
As Orochimaru approached, Tsunade immediately rushed to him, her voice impatient.
More than anyone, she was desperate to know the oue of the negotiation.
"Go ask him yourself. I''ll be waiting at the foot of the mountain," Orochimaru replied nonchntly, waving his hand dismissively. Without waiting for her response, he began descending the mountain.
He had no interest in exining something so tedious.
Letting Tsunade be Hokage was always his n, it was simply a matter of waiting for the right moment.
Now that the opportunity had finally arrived, everything had fallen into ce.
Orochimaru''s actions, sowing chaos among the ninja viges and dragging Konoha into turmoil had always been for two purposes.
The first was to force Hiruzen to abdicate and pave the way for Tsunade to take over.
The second was to weaken the major nations and manipte the bnce of power.
Once the chaos of a five-nation melee took hold, Orochimaru would have countless opportunities.
He could control smaller countries, underminerger nations, expand his Edo Tensei army, and even seize one or two tailed beasts.
These objectives could only be achieved after leaving Konoha and once war broke out, he could act without restraint.
As for Tsunade? Her bing Hokage would serve as a gateway to controlling Konoha indirectly.
Why? Because Konoha was the most powerful ninja vige in the world.
It held vast intelligenceworks and immense talent.
As Orochimaru had long understood, the best way to dominate wasn''t through destruction but through control.
Conquering a vige or nation meant you couldn''t simply kill off its poption, doing so would be meaningless.
Instead, you needed personnel to manage and enforce your rule.
While Orochimarucked the manpower for this, Konoha had plenty.
And though he couldn''t use Konoha''s resources directly due to his status as a traitor, his connection to Tsunade provided a convenient workaround.
For Orochimaru, the benefits of indirectly controlling Konoha far outweighed any potential drawbacks.
Would Hiruzen regret his decision?
Undoubtedly.
A Hokage who prioritized the vige above all else would eventually reconsider his promises once the crisis passed.
The agreement between them was verbal and private. There was no binding mechanism to hold Hiruzen to his word.
But Orochimaru didn''t mind.
Once he secured the Nine-Tails'' Jinchūriki, any attempt by Hiruzen to renege would have to be carefully calcted.
If Hiruzen dared to break his promise, Orochimaru would lose nothing but time.
Konoha, on the other hand, would lose its Jinchūriki and possibly its entire vige.
Orochimaru was confident Sarutobi would understand which choice was more important.
---
Roughly half an hourter, Tsunade appeared at the foot of the mountain, breathless and emotional.
Before Orochimaru could react, she threw herself into his arms.
"Thank you, Orochimaru! Thank you for agreeing to help the vige unconditionally!"
Her voice quivered, heavy with gratitude, and tears welled in her eyes.
But…
"Unconditionally?" Orochimaru blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then a sly smile crept across his lips.
It seemed Hiruzen hadn''t told Tsunade the full details of their discussion.
Which made sense. If Hiruzen had been transparent, it wouldn''t have helped and might have even disrupted their cooperation.
"Tsunade, I think you misunderstood something," Orochimaru said, his tone amused.
"Misunderstood? What do you mean?" Tsunade pulled back slightly, wiping away her tears, confusion written across her face.
Orochimaru gently took her hand, his golden eyes gleaming. "I didn''t agree to go back and help Konoha."
"But… you clearly—"
"I only agreed to provide assistance, not to return to Konoha," Orochimaru exined in his low, hoarse voice. "Do you really think I''m suited to fight alongside Konoha''s shinobi again?"
"What''s stopping you?" Tsunade pressed. "Your clones are strong, and wouldn''t they be even more effective with the vige''sbat system backing them?"
"Clones?" Orochimaru smirked faintly. "Do you think I need clones to repel these viges? Are you underestimating me, Tsunade?"
"So… you mean…"
A realization began to dawn on Tsunade, but she hesitated to voice it.
"That''s right," Orochimaru said with a shrug. "My forces aren''t suited to making a public spectacle in front of the five major ninja viges. So…"
He paused, letting his smirk widen.
"I''ll be the one handling this. Alone."
"You''re kidding… right?" Tsunade''s voice faltered, disbelief etched into her features.@@novelbin@@
***
For every 300 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 70+ advanced chapters: /Blownleaves.