C222

"Minato-kun, according to your report just now, there was a two-day blank period in between. What were you doing during that time?"

In the Hokage's office, Hyuga Hiashi questioned Namikaze Minato with a solemn expression. In terms of official duties, most tasks were now arranged by him, the Hokage's assistant. 

Privately, the Hyuga clan had aligned itself with Orochimaru's faction. He intended to marry Nawaki.

The Hyuga clan did not oppose women marrying outside the clan. The marriage of one or two women would not significantly impact their bloodline. 

There had even been cases of Hyuga daughters marrying out in past generations. If marriages were limited strictly within the clan, their bloodline would inevitably thin over time, leading to a weakening of their Byakugan.

With an apologetic look, Namikaze Minato replied, "Due to illness from the cold wind, I rested for two days before setting out for the Land of Thunder. I sincerely apologize."

"Minato-kun, how can you expect us to accept such a reason—"

Hyuga Hiashi began with a stern expression, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by Orochimaru.

"Forget it, Hiashi," Orochimaru said with a smile. "After all, the Fourth Raikage's attack on the village was unexpected. The mission did not explicitly require Minato-kun to rush to the Land of Thunder immediately—it was just a coincidence."

Despite the seemingly reassuring words, Minato could not shake a growing sense of unease. And as he suspected, Orochimaru's next statement left him no room for choice.

"Minato-kun, we will let the previous two missions slide. There were understandable reasons and unforeseen circumstances. However, if another accident occurs during this mission… I will have no choice but to consider retiring you from the ranks of ninjas."

As Orochimaru finished speaking, Hyuga Hiashi pulled out a long-term S-rank mission scroll and handed it to Namikaze Minato.

The mission: Hunt down and eliminate Danzo, the leader of Root.

Minato was not the only one assigned to this mission. Ten other elite Jōnin-led teams, alongside Anbu operatives, were tasked with the hunt. 

This arrangement benefited some Jōnin teams since Anbu would provide intelligence and support. Moreover, Konoha-nin carried the banner of righteousness, and some Root operatives might hesitate to strike against them.

However, Namikaze Minato's objective was far more dangerous—his target was Danzo himself. And if he failed, Orochimaru would seriously consider removing him from the shinobi ranks.

If that happened, he would not only be subjected to restrictive sealing techniques but would also live under constant surveillance. Any misstep would trigger those seals, leading to severe interrogation or even imprisonment.

This wasn't about Orochimaru weakening Konoha's combat power. Rather, Minato, with his "Yellow Flash" abilities suppressed and his every move hindered, was now merely an excuse for Orochimaru's maneuvering.

Failing to eliminate Jiraiya was understandable, given their master-student bond. That mission had been a deliberate test set by Orochimaru. 

Likewise, Minato's failure to gather intelligence on the Eight-Tails had been deemed an unfortunate accident.

But if he failed to take down Danzo, it would give the Interrogation Squad ample justification to act against him.

Danzo had already betrayed the village. If the other Jōnin teams managed to produce results while Minato made no progress, squandering the intelligence provided by Anbu, Orochimaru would strike against him—this time with no room for others to intervene.

"I understand, Lord Hokage."

Namikaze Minato sighed inwardly before accepting the mission scroll. This was his last chance.

As Namikaze Minato stepped out of the Hokage building, he couldn't shake the feeling that Konoha had become strange to him. 

Though he had lived here since childhood, there were fewer and fewer things in the village that truly concerned him. Even the title of Hokage—once a symbol of his aspirations—felt increasingly unimportant.

To make matters worse, the girl he had loved since childhood was now someone else's wife, and she had already given birth to children.

Boom.

A small dog suddenly ran into Minato before scurrying away. He barely reacted, only narrowing his eyes slightly before vanishing with the Body Flicker Technique.

In the quiet depths of a forest, Minato spoke calmly, "Come out, Kakashi. No one followed me."

At his words, Kakashi emerged from the shadows, followed by a small Summoning Dog—a familiar one, recognizable only to those from Minato's former team. It belonged to the Hatake family, raised at home.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm sorry, Sensei. This was the only way I could contact you. I… I cast my vote in the last Hokage election against you."

Minato waved a hand dismissively and smiled. "No need to bring that up, Kakashi. I trust that you had your own considerations and reasons. Besides, you sent me valuable information several times afterward."

Kakashi fell silent, then spoke in a low voice. "Obito's grandmother was living alone… I needed money to ensure she could live comfortably. But in the end, Rin ended up giving the money to her instead. Not long after, she passed away."

Her death, however, had not been natural. White Zetsu had taken advantage of the situation, believing Obito had fully fallen for Uchiha Madara's deception. Seizing the opportunity, they retrieved a clone, profiting from the moment.

Minato nodded solemnly. He understood how much Obito had meant to Kakashi. "You did well, Kakashi. This, too, is the Will of Fire."

"I wasn't strong enough at the time, and things just… happened. I had no choice. But still… I'm sorry, Sensei. I made a decision that went against my heart."

With that, Kakashi took out a scroll and tossed it to Minato.

"I can't reveal Anbu's classified secrets, but these are things I gathered on my own. I hope they'll be useful to you, Sensei. This is all I can do."

Minato unrolled the scroll and, upon reading its contents, his expression froze in shock. For a moment, he was speechless. Then, turning to Kakashi, he said gratefully, "This is more than enough. Thank you, Kakashi."

Minato had been unaware of the information contained within the scroll. Without it, acting recklessly would have led to serious consequences. However, he knew that after this, Kakashi would likely stop sending him information. It was far too dangerous.

After all, Kakashi was now an Anbu Squad Captain—a title shared only by a select few at his age, including Uchiha Shisui.

Hokage's Office

Tsunade stormed into the office with a grim expression. Without hesitation, she slammed her palms onto the desk in front of Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru! Assign me a long-term mission outside the village—immediately!"

Without even looking up, Orochimaru flatly refused, "No. Don't even think about it."

Annoyed, he finally met her gaze. "Tsunade, you promised me you'd stay in Konoha not long ago. Why are you suddenly so eager to leave?"

This is different!

There was a man-eating beast in the village!

Tsunade thought bitterly, feeling both frustrated and humiliated. She had made a terrible mistake while drunk… and in her muddled state, had done something she deeply regretted—something that betrayed Kushina.

No matter what, she could not stay in Konoha anymore. She had to leave.

"The situation is different now, Orochimaru. I must take a long-term mission and leave the village," Tsunade insisted.

Orochimaru sighed helplessly. "Even if you say that, there aren't many long-term missions available—aside from investigating Mist Shinobi and Cloud Shinobi or hunting down Anbu. Are you planning to take on all three? These are vital to the village, Tsunade. You can't afford to delay them.

"Besides," he added, "what about Nawaki's training? Didn't you insist he practice Sage Mode in Shikkotsu Forest?"

Tsunade immediately felt aggrieved at Orochimaru's words. These plans had all been made in advance, but now—

"Nawaki can ask Katsuyu for guidance himself, or Katsuyu can summon me to the forest if needed," she countered firmly. "But I must leave Konoha soon—I have my reasons. Please, Orochimaru!"

Tsunade stepped forward, ready to grab Orochimaru by the collar, intent on using their bond as teammates to force his agreement.

"Stop. I'm just a Shadow Clone," Orochimaru said flatly, waving a hand to halt her advance. "Fine. I'll assign you a mission—but at most, it'll be B-rank. And before you leave, make sure you settle your current responsibilities."

Orochimaru had noticed that Tsunade's sudden desire to leave Konoha had nothing to do with Jiraiya or any past events. This was something recent—something that had taken root in just the last two days.

And in those two days, she had been looking for an opportunity to speak with Kain at Kushina's home.

Tsunade nodded gratefully. "B-rank is enough. Thank you, Orochimaru. I'll take care of everything before I go. Oh, and… can you give me Nawaki's mission reward in advance?"

Orochimaru sighed and shot her a sharp look. "I'll lend you some money—don't even think about touching Nawaki's earnings."

At this point, he almost felt like Nawaki was his younger brother instead. Tsunade had a habit of collecting his mission payments in advance, often leaving Nawaki short on funds—enough that the boy had secretly come to Orochimaru to complain more than once.

In the end, he handed one million ryo to Tsunade.

After that, he selected a patrol and defense mission near the Land of Fire's capital, meant to prevent Root members from attempting an attack on important officials. 

The mission mostly involved Chūnin teams, but Orochimaru knew Danzo wouldn't dare launch an attack now.

This was more of a bonus assignment for village teams rather than a real security concern.

Since becoming the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru had managed to triple Konoha's funding, ensuring that his research budget remained untouched. Most of his funding now came from Kain, who had given him an important piece of advice:

Use money to secure ninja loyalty.

The strategy was simple—when ninja had money, they would spend it. And since seventy percent of Konoha's businesses were owned by Kain, any money they spent would eventually flow back into his hands.

While civilian ninja and those loyal to Orochimaru received well-paid and safe missions, the more dangerous and time-consuming assignments were pushed onto clans like Ino–Shika–Chō and the Sarutobi family.

For a while, they endured it.

But over time, even the Ino–Shika–Chō clan couldn't ignore the imbalance.

And with the Jōnin World Weekly acting as a media mouthpiece, they had little choice but to accept it. Unless the Ino–Shika–Chō and other clans rebelled together, they were like frogs slowly boiling in warm water—their strength bled away little by little, with no escape in sight.

…

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