Chapter 21: Fugaku and I Have Always Been Rivals (1/2)

Orochimaru fell silent.

He hadn't forgotten his earlier intention to "correct" Wakaho's perspective.

But after hearing Wakaho articulate his grand "dream" with such an innocent tone...

Orochimaru found himself at a loss for words.

To become the leader of the Uchiha clan and ensure the stability of Konoha.

That sounded fairly normal, perhaps even a common aspiration among Uchiha youth.

But... leading the Konoha Military Police Force to conquer the ninja world?

Establishing laws for the entire ninja world? Maintaining world peace?

Kid, you might not realize this, but your dream is essentially no different from world domination.

And that kind of "dream" is something every village leader has likely entertained at some point.

Moreover, leading the Uchiha out of Konoha—well, that's practically the definition of defection, isn't it?

To put it mildly, it could be seen as leaving the village's control.

But the higher-ups would certainly view it as something far more serious, kid...

What intrigued Orochimaru the most, though, was Wakaho's interpretation of the "Will of Fire."

Those who violate the law should be completely incinerated by the Will of Fire...

So that's what you meant by shouting about the Will of Fire before using ninjutsu?

"I must say, your dream... is quite surprising, Wakaho-kun," Orochimaru finally said. "I'm curious, have you ever discussed this with Clan Leader Fugaku?"

Conquering the ninja world... Is this just the innocent dream of a child, or is it a reflection of the ambitions of Fugaku, the young clan leader?

Even without sensing his teacher's gaze directly, Orochimaru, who had already set his sights on becoming the Fourth Hokage, was starting to think like a Hokage.

To be sure, while he was more interested in succeeding his teacher and gaining the highest authority in Konoha, this didn't detract from his ability to be an effective leader...

"No."

Wakaho looked at Orochimaru seriously. "Fugaku and I have always been rivals, but right now, his Will of Fire is far stronger than mine."

"Until I'm confident I can defeat him, I can't reveal my ambitions."

"..." Orochimaru was momentarily at a loss.

This was definitely not the response he had expected.

Then again, it made some sense. After all, this kid had just been trying to get Fugaku to "each call their own shots"...

Orochimaru decided he needed to adjust his own way of thinking, or he'd have a hard time keeping up with this kid's train of thought.

"Orochimaru-sensei, can you help me keep this a secret?"

Wakaho suddenly asked.

"...Of course." Orochimaru responded after a brief hesitation. "I'm glad you shared your dream with me, Wakaho-kun."

"As your teacher, I naturally support your dreams and will keep your confidence... I look forward to the day you become the leader of the Uchiha clan."

After all, this kid was still young.

Once he faced reality, his declarations about "dreams" might well change.

As for this child's apparent misunderstanding of the "Will of Fire"...

Orochimaru found himself thinking that maybe this interpretation wasn't so bad after all.

After all, the Will of Fire does need to have some heat to it, doesn't it?

"Hearing you support my dream, Sensei, puts my mind at ease," Wakaho said, exhaling a sigh of relief.

Orochimaru responded with a smile.

"Then, Sensei, could you please help me submit my application for the Chūnin exam?"

Orochimaru's smile froze for a moment..