Chapter 188: Let the News Drift for a While

Kawakaze returned to the Land of Hot Water with Orochimaru, and the two wandered through the streets. He was in a good mood, having fought the Third Raikage and obtained a secret technique. What a relief!

"Let's hang out for a couple more days?" Kawakaze suggested.

Orochimaru noticed that Kawakaze had no intention of returning to the village for now and gave him a slightly mocking look. "Sure!" he replied.

"Let the news float for a while longer," Kawakaze added. He glanced at Orochimaru and smiled in a somewhat meaningful way.

"Playing God," he said abruptly. "Show me the secret technique."

Orochimaru gave Kawakaze a quick glance, deciding not to overthink what he was plotting. By remaining a bystander, he felt he'd already done someone a favor.

"Here." Kawakaze knew that Orochimaru had always been interested in Ninjutsu, so he offered it generously. He had no immediate plans to practice the technique and figured there would be plenty of time once he returned to the village.

"I'm tired. Let's find a place to rest for a while," Orochimaru said, twisting his neck slightly. The smell of blood on him lingered strongly.

"Sure, let's go," Kawakaze agreed, wrapping an arm around Orochimaru's shoulders. The two headed to a hot spring shop, where they reserved a well-equipped room. Soon, they were soaking comfortably in the warm pool.

Orochimaru reclined on the edge of the pool, a towel draped over his face as he propped himself up on his elbows. Kawakaze sat across from him, similarly covering his face with a towel.

"I want Tsunade to become Hokage," Kawakaze suddenly blurted out.

Orochimaru slowly removed the towel from his face after a long silence, his deep gaze fixed on Kawakaze. "You don't have to tell me," he said flatly. He had already sensed something unusual about this mission.

"I don't want to hide it from you," Kawakaze replied. "I'm the one who delivered this opportunity into his hands."

He lifted the towel and sat upright. His words carried a certain weight, and he believed Orochimaru would understand. Perhaps during their previous exchanges, Orochimaru had already suspected as much.

"I guessed it." Orochimaru's tone was calm. "I don't want to interfere in your affairs. After all, he is my Sensei."

Orochimaru was both surprised and a little heartened. He hadn't expected Kawakaze to confide in him. There was a clear difference between guessing something and hearing it directly.

The Orochimaru of this moment, uncorrupted by his darker ambitions, still remembered Hiruzen Sarutobi's kindness. As an orphan, it had been Hiruzen who took him in as an apprentice and taught him everything he knew. In the original timeline, if not for Hiruzen sparing him, Orochimaru would never have escaped from Konoha. This was why, during the Chūnin Exams, he had taken Hiruzen hostage—and even shed tears.

"I didn't mean to involve you," Kawakaze said. "I just didn't want this incident to affect our relationship. You just need to watch." He made his intentions clear, feeling much better afterward. It was obvious to him that Orochimaru had little interest in the Hokage position at this point.

"You sound very confident," Orochimaru replied, adjusting his mindset as he teased Kawakaze.

Kawakaze let out a light laugh, exuding confidence. "It's not much, just 80% to 90%."

After more than two years of planning, everything was finally falling into place.

"Remember to let Tsunade set Pakura free when the time comes," Orochimaru said half-seriously, making a small request.

"Haha, you're tempted," Kawakaze said, pointing at Orochimaru. The two of them shared a laugh, a rare moment of camaraderie.

...

A few days passed quickly, and Raikage returned to Kumogakure with a heart full of anger. No one dared to approach him during that time; it felt as though they were facing not a man but a ferocious beast ready to devour anyone in its path. It was evident that the Third Raikage was truly enraged.

The news of the battle on Crescent Moon Island soon reached Konohagakure. When Homura Mitokado received the intelligence, panic washed over him. Though the report lacked details of the battle, it noted that Raikage had gone out with fifteen people and returned with only three. His unchecked fury made it obvious that he had suffered a significant loss.

This could only mean that Kawakaze and Orochimaru had emerged unscathed. Homura didn't know how to handle the situation. After hesitating for a while, he seemed to latch onto an idea, as if finding a lifeline. To the shock of others, Homura ran recklessly toward the Hokage's Office. Along the way, he even collided with a doorframe, looking completely disheveled—unlike the dignified high-ranking counselor he was supposed to be.

"Hiruzen, something bad has happened, something bad!" he shouted before even reaching the door. Without knocking, he pushed it open and barged in.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained composed, casting a critical eye at Homura. "Look at yourself," he scolded.

Turning to the two Anbu in the office, Hiruzen said, "You may leave." The Anbu promptly departed, leaving only Hiruzen and Homura behind.

"Go on. What is it?" Hiruzen asked.

Though visibly anxious, Homura had the sense not to speak carelessly in front of the Anbu. Now alone with Hiruzen, he steadied himself and began. "I just received information from Kumogakure. The Raikage fought a battle with Kawakaze and Orochimaru on Crescent Moon Island."

Hiruzen's expression sharpened, and he leaned forward. "Then what happened?"

Under Hiruzen's expectant gaze, Homura's face darkened. "The Raikage took fifteen Jōnin with him... and only three returned. Since coming back, he's been furious all day. I suspect—" He hesitated, gauging Hiruzen's reaction before finishing.

"What a waste!" Hiruzen's face darkened as he slammed his hand down on the desk.

"What are we going to do?" Homura asked nervously, gripping Sarutobi Hiruzen's arm as if it offered him some sense of security.

"What do you mean, what are we going to do? Of course, we're going to welcome our heroes back to the village," Hiruzen replied, his tone firm. He intended to deny all knowledge of the matter. Even if Kawakaze knew something, without evidence, he couldn't act on it.

"Will this work?" Homura doubted the plan. He wasn't convinced that Kawakaze and Orochimaru were the type to be easily placated.

"What are you afraid of? I'll take the blame if anything happens," Hiruzen declared with apparent resolve, though inside, he was panicking. If even the Third Raikage couldn't handle the situation, how could he?

"But—" Homura began.

"No buts. Let's just pretend this never happened," Hiruzen interrupted sharply, leaving no room for argument.

"Okay, I understand," Homura said, his voice subdued. He dared not press further. Things had escalated to the point where he could only proceed cautiously and hope for the best.

"Are there any other people who know about this?" Hiruzen asked as he picked up his pipe, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling menace.

"Two other people know," Homura admitted. He didn't dare conceal the truth, even though the two were loyal subordinates of his.

"Get rid of them. We can't leave any evidence," Hiruzen said casually, the weight of his words chilling. Homura stiffened but could only nod in agreement. Nothing was more important than his own survival now. Eliminating the two subordinates was inevitable.

"Go," Hiruzen commanded, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he retrieved Kawakaze's mission card, staring at it in silence, lost in thought.