A New Snake In The Shinobi World

In the Hokage Conference Room of Konoha, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, convened a meeting with Koharu and Homura to discuss the succession of the Fourth Hokage.

Danzo was notably absent.

Everyone knew Danzo's ambitions, and his views often clashed with Hiruzen's. Naturally, Hiruzen would not involve him in discussions about the next Hokage.

Following the retreat of enemy forces at the Suna and Kumo defense lines, Hiruzen returned to Konoha from the front lines of the Kannabi Bridge battle.

Once back in the village, he began contemplating the various problems Konoha faced.

During the First Hokage's reign, the ninja world feared Konoha's strength and dared not act recklessly. After Hashirama's death, the Second Hokage, Tobirama, succeeded him, but conflict soon followed.

Even so, during that war, Konoha's only significant clash was with the Kumo-nin, and they even formed an alliance afterward.

But everything changed after Tobirama's death and Hiruzen's ascension. The Uzumaki clan's destruction, the Second Shinobi World War, the Third Shinobi World War, and even Orochimaru's eventual defection—these events all stemmed from what could only be described as poor decisions under his leadership.

Hiruzen couldn't deny it. Compared to his predecessors, his reign had seen far too many failures.

Now, with the war nearing its end, it was clear that the time had come for him to step down and pass the torch to someone else.

In truth, Tsunade wasn't his ideal candidate, especially after Orochimaru's defection. However, Hiruzen found himself with no other viable choice.

The situation with the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki being in Orochimaru's hands made everything even more precarious. Orochimaru's strength, coupled with his mastery of the Reanimation Jutsu and his other forbidden techniques, left Hiruzen unwilling to take risks.

Reluctantly, he decided that Tsunade would be the best candidate to succeed him, even though it wasn't his first choice.

The succession process for the Hokage was complex. It required the votes of more than fifty Jonin from the village, the approval of Konoha's senior advisors, and the daimyo's blessing. Once the position was secured, the Hokage would also need support from the influential clans to ensure smooth governance.

However, Tsunade's candidacy was unlikely to face opposition. Her battlefield reputation as a medical master was unparalleled, she had saved countless lives during the war. This alone would earn her the respect and votes of many. The few whispers about her relationship with Orochimaru could easily be silenced by the upper ranks of Konoha's leadership.

After Hiruzen explained his reasoning, the two advisors exchanged hesitant looks.

"It seems there's no other option left," Homura said with a sigh.

"The events of the past regarding Orochimaru… well…" Koharu trailed off, shaking her head.

"Let's just hope Tsunade will prioritize the village's welfare once she becomes Hokage," Hiruzen said, exhaling a long puff of smoke.

---

On the front lines, Tsunade stood frozen after receiving a secret letter.

"What?" she muttered to herself, re-reading the contents in disbelief.

She was being named the next Hokage?

Tsunade couldn't wrap her head around it. As someone who had long considered herself unsuited for politics or leadership, the idea seemed absurd. Not to mention, how could someone like her widely known as Orochimaru's wife possibly hold the position?

Tsunade knew the process well. While the Jonin vote was technically required, the reality was that the previous Hokage and the senior advisors had the most significant influence on the outcome. The Jonin generally deferred to their decision unless something outrageous was proposed.

But why her?

The timing also baffled her. The war wasn't even over yet, so why was Sarutobi making such a hasty decision?

Then it hit her.

Her mind flashed back to the day she had persuaded Orochimaru to meet with Hiruzen. Something about that meeting had struck her as strange even then.

"Orochimaru… did you make a deal with the Third Hokage?" she muttered under her breath.

Now, it seemed clear. Orochimaru, ever pragmatic, wouldn't have returned to aid the village without some form of leverage or guarantee.

Placing her hand on her forehead, Tsunade sighed heavily. "Honestly… couldn't you have at least discussed this with me first?"

---

Elsewhere, minor skirmishes at the borders continued, but the large-scale conflicts of the Third Shinobi World War were winding down. The only remaining threat was Kirigakure's forces, but even they posed less immediate danger.

---

Meanwhile, deep within Rorān, Orochimaru stood in a vast underground chamber hundreds of meters beneath the city.

In the center of the chamber was a large, intricate seal—the dragon vein's power was locked within it.

Staring at the seal, Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint frown.

He had hoped that mastering the dragon vein's power would allow him to control time freely. However, his research revealed otherwise.

The dragon vein's power was not only tethered to Rorān, but it also had strict limitations. The time span it could traverse was limited to a mere twenty years, and its influence could not overlap with existing timelines.

In essence, the dragon vein wasn't a tool for unrestricted time travel.

If one traveled to a specific point in time and absorbed the dragon vein's energy, they would be unable to use it a second time to revisit that era. Furthermore, anyone who left Rorān after using the dragon vein would find the power dissipating over time, eventually forcing them back to their original timeline.

The restrictions made it impossible to use the dragon vein to rewrite history on a large scale. It couldn't take him to the Warring States Period or beyond, it simply wasn't built for that.

"Reality is always disappointing," Orochimaru muttered with a dry laugh. "What a waste of effort…"

"Still… perhaps not a complete waste," Kushina said softly from behind him.

Orochimaru turned slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"At least we met Reige," she added timidly.

Orochimaru let out a faint chuckle. "Reige, huh? Do you really believe she's our daughter?"

"W-What do you mean?" Kushina stammered, clearly caught off guard.

"Her appearance, her bloodline, even the bond she seems to share with us—it all checks out," Kushina said, her voice steady despite her nervousness.

"I've believed it from the beginning," she added earnestly.

Orochimaru shrugged. Strengthening the seal on the dragon vein, he turned and began walking toward the exit, with Kushina following closely behind.

"By all accounts, she does seem to be our daughter," Orochimaru admitted. "But don't you think the idea of… us… is a little strange?"

"What's so strange about it?" Kushina shot back, though her face turned red as the words left her mouth. She realized too late how her response might be interpreted.

"I mean… I already love this daughter of ours," Kushina continued, fumbling over her words. "Even if I don't know how things happened between us, if you don't mind… I… I…"

"Are you saying you'd be willing to sleep with me for the sake of this daughter?" Orochimaru asked with a smirk.

"I-I… yes!" Kushina blurted out, her face burning with embarrassment.

Orochimaru let out a low, amused laugh. "Women really are fascinating creatures," he mused. "But before anything else… I suppose I should run this past Tsunade first, don't you think?"

"T-Tsunade-sama?"

***

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