Orochimaru had never been more eager to learn a forbidden technique—Flying Thunder God—than at this moment.
It wasn't that he envied Minato.
He simply wanted to cover his excellent disciple with seals so that when the kid managed to slip away from him, he could grab him right away!
It was outrageous!!
How did Minato become a "spy," according to that conclusion?
And what was with the charred bodies of the Root ninjas?
That kid, riding the Five-Tails, was shouting to protect Danzo, wasn't he?
Was this how he protected him?
"Ha..."
Orochimaru took a deep breath.
He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, drained and weary.
From the border of the Land of Earth to the Kamino Bridge and then to the Land of Fire, the vast consumption of chakra and physical energy was not beyond his limits.
During his missions with Jiraiya and Tsunade in the Land of Rain, he had encountered situations a hundred times more perilous than today's.
He could handle such consumption and even more if needed.
But arriving at Konoha in less than two hours...
"Old man, did you ever feel like this?"
Orochimaru rubbed his brow, momentarily ignoring the imposing Akimichi Chouza beside him...
"Um... Lord Orochimaru?" Akimichi Chouza timidly raised his hand.
"Hm!?" Orochimaru's gaze snapped toward him.
In his extreme fatigue, Orochimaru, who had been focused on competing for the Hokage position and meeting his teacher's expectations, momentarily dropped his façade of "disguise."
His cold eyes locked onto Akimichi Chouza, causing the burly man to tense up, as if he were being targeted by a vicious, venomous snake!
The true cold-hearted Orochimaru, temporarily back in action!
"L-l-l-lord Orochimaru..." Akimichi Chouza struggled to suppress his urge to flee and ventured cautiously.
"Yes, Chouza-kun," Orochimaru's voice remained cold but began to warm.
"Ah!" Akimichi Chouza straightened up. This was Lord Orochimaru's serious demeanor? It was terrifying!
As expected of Lord Orochimaru!
"Chouza-kun, could you tell me what happened here?" Orochimaru's tone was calm, though his gentle smile had yet to return.
"Well..." Chouza thought for a moment and decided to start from the beginning.
"I, along with Inoichi-san and Minato-san, brought Fugaku-sama and the Uchiha here..."
"There was almost a fight, and Minato-san went to protect Lord Danzo..."
Akimichi Chouza observed Orochimaru's expression carefully, relieved to see no significant change, while also growing more puzzled.
"Then Wakaho-kun arrived, saying Minato-san was a spy, and that we should protect Lord Danzo. So, Minato-san took Lord Danzo away..."
"White Fang-san ordered a pursuit. They left on the Five-Tails, and I wasn't taken along..."
"..."
Orochimaru fell into silence.
He had underestimated...
Had the kid never seen Danzo before?
Because he knew nothing about Danzo and was convinced there was a conspiracy, he treated Minato, who had injured the Five-Tails, as a false enemy and went to protect Danzo instead?
Hmph!
It was... as always, reasonable!
If Minato was truly a spy, and if he had seized the opportunity to kill Danzo amid the chaos, everyone present, including the Uchiha and Shikaku, would be implicated!
"You thwarted another extremely dangerous situation but never a disaster that would occur, Wakaho-kun..."