A New Snake In The Shinobi World

Obito was stunned when Orochimaru uncovered his identity.

He couldn't figure out how Orochimaru had managed to discover it.

But he wouldn't give up so easily.

After all, Nagato was a key part of the entire Eye of the Moon Plan.

If Orochimaru couldn't be persuaded, implementing the plan would require an indefinite delay.

Thus, without compromising other plans, Obito decided to prioritize recruiting Orochimaru.

Orochimaru, however, wasn't overly concerned about this.

For him, completing his own plans was the top priority.

"Lord Orochimaru, do you think that person earlier is really from the Uchiha clan?"

Mikoto and Kushina were still in shock, unable to process what had just happened.

They didn't understand why that masked man had suddenly appeared in front of them, but the conversation between him and Orochimaru had left them deeply shaken.

The reasons behind Orochimaru's rebellion against the village and the masked man's true identity—

"Of course. Didn't you see his Sharingan?"

"I did, but he claimed to be Uchiha Madara. And you, sir, said…" Mikoto hesitated, her voice filled with confusion.

A man claiming to be Uchiha Madara, yet Orochimaru asserted he was the last person in the world who could be him.

So who exactly was this masked man?

Orochimaru smiled faintly. "I'll explain it all to you later. For now, go report my situation to Tsunade."

"Ah, this… how am I supposed to report something like this?"

"Just tell the truth," Orochimaru said indifferently. Then, as though struck by an afterthought, he added, "By the way, you don't need to return. Kushina is pregnant, and since you're here, it's perfect timing. Help take care of her."

"Huh? Pregnant… she's pregnant?"

Mikoto froze in place, stunned.

What… what's going on here?

---

A few days later, in the Hokage's office in Konoha Village:

After receiving Uchiha Mikoto's message via ninja eagle, Tsunade was utterly floored.

"Ruling over a small nation? Is it to end the war?"

The message laid out Orochimaru's ambitions and methods in painstaking detail:

Change the leadership, reduce wars, and achieve unification.

What an audacious plan!

Tsunade found herself conflicted.

From a moral standpoint, the daimyo of a nation was still a life, and killing them was clearly wrong.

Orochimaru's plan of replacing the original daimyos with clones essentially left the real daimyos with no choice but to be eliminated.

Yet, from a long-term perspective, his methods undeniably contributed to world peace.

Once the smaller nations were unified under a single rule, the only conflicts remaining would be between the great nations. Resolving those could lead to peace throughout the ninja world.

"Damn that man…" Tsunade gritted her teeth in frustration.

Faced with Orochimaru's plans, could she stop him?

No.

All she could do was express her dissatisfaction with him verbally.

---

At the same time, in Kirigakure Village within the Land of Water:

The middle-aged Third Mizukage had been forced to abdicate due to a series of poor decisions, much like the Third Hokage.

Yagura, an elite jounin, had taken over as the Fourth Mizukage.

The process for selecting a Mizukage in Kirigakure differed from other villages.

While other villages either held elections or appointed successors in advance, Kirigakure relied on sheer strength. Whoever had the most formidable combat abilities earned the title of Mizukage.

Initially, the strongest candidate after the Third Mizukage wasn't Yagura but Fuguki.

The man was so powerful that Suigetsu once claimed he was the most terrifying Samehada user in Kirigakure's history.

Yet, despite his strength, the struggle for power wasn't just about combat.

In the realm of conspiracies and intrigue, Fuguki was no match for his competitors.

Ultimately, Yagura emerged victorious amidst the political turmoil, securing his position as the Fourth Mizukage.

---

The ninja world continued developing steadily, with time marching forward.

By July of Konoha Year 48, in an orphanage:

In just six months, Orochimaru had reshaped the political landscape west of the Land of Sound, excluding the Land of Rain.

He even built secret laboratories in each daimyo's residence.

These weren't laboratories for research or experiments, though.

Each contained eight life-support pods designed to sustain clones.

Orochimaru had spent half a year creating these daimyo clones. After all, if he started killing ninjas from other nations without justification, it would only create unnecessary problems.

The eight clones stationed in each residence acted as both replacements and personal guards for the daimyos.

Of course, most of these clones were drawn from his orphanage.

When traveling, Orochimaru only had twenty guards with him, which was insufficient. The orphanage served as a convenient source of reinforcements.

Now, Orochimaru had come to the orphanage for two reasons.

First, he had completed replacing the daimyos in this region.

Second, a child was about to be born.

Yes, a child.

Kushina was due to give birth in just two months.

Even more surprising, Mikoto after spending two months with Orochimaru was now pregnant as well.

It was an awkward situation.

Originally, Orochimaru had planned for Mikoto to look after Kushina, but a lonely night had led to unforeseen consequences.

Neither woman could return to Konoha, and they were far from on good terms with him.

Thus, Orochimaru arranged for them to stay nearby while they waited to give birth.

"Lord Orochimaru… what's going on with them?"

Nono, the head of the orphanage, was utterly baffled as she stared at the two pregnant women in front of her.

"They're just like you," Orochimaru said nonchalantly."

Orochimaru's main concern was ensuring the children's safety. He didn't want a repeat of the Nine-Tails' rampage from his memories.

He personally constructed a cabin near the orphanage for the three women to stay in temporarily.

The area's security was handled by clones, while Nono, an excellent medical ninja, took care of prenatal care and would oversee the deliveries.

With Orochimaru's protection, nothing could go wrong.

Still, he needed to address a potential threat before Kushina gave birth: Uchiha Obito.

The man's ability to phase through barriers made him an unpredictable wildcard.

With this in mind, Orochimaru crouched on the ground.

Buzz!

Light green eyeshadow appeared around his eyes as he gathered immense natural energy. His fingertips touched the earth, and his unique perception ability spread out in all directions.

"Five kilometers away?" Orochimaru smirked.

With a faint whoosh, he vanished from the spot.