Konoha Light

Konoha – A Gloomy Underground Secret Room

"Hmph, some people just don't understand the meaning of ruthlessness!"

An elderly man wrapped in bandages sat in the shadows, his expression cold as he looked at the document in his hands.

"Heh, what an impressive talent! A mere civilian-born ninja, admitted only half a month ago, actually managed to defeat Hiruzen son."

Behind the elderly man, a figure with snake-like eyes gleamed with an eerie fluorescence.

"If it were you, you could achieve the same." The bandaged old man turned his head slightly and asked in a calm tone, "Orochimaru?"

"Hehe." Orochimaru chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, before shifting his gaze to the old man and asking, "Has the Elder Council taken a liking to him? Do they intend to recruit him into Root?"

"Taken a liking to him?" The old man, Danzo Shimura, sneered coldly. "Hmph, I will not favor someone that Hiruzen Sarutobi favors!"

"A person without cruelty and resolve, no matter how talented, can never become a true ninja. Furthermore… hmph hmph…"

Is it because of the so-called 'Will of Fire'? Orochimaru smirked slightly, secretly scoffing in his heart.

He remembered clearly: when Danzo originally targeted a certain disciple of the Third Hokage, the usually hesitant and indecisive Hiruzen surprisingly acted with swift determination. Without hesitation, he cut off the "branch" before it could take root, making someone grieve so deeply that they nearly turned against their own teacher.

Otherwise, given the astonishing talent displayed by Namikaze Minato, how could the Elder Council have simply ignored him?

Even he himself was nearly assassinated. When it came to the so-called 'Will of Fire,' there seemed to be no room for compromise… A dark glint flashed through Orochimaru's eyes as he sighed inwardly.

"Sensei… in your eyes, what is this village, truly?"

The two men, with their own thoughts, lapsed into silence. The secret underground room once again became eerily still.

After a long while, Danzo finally set down the document in his hands.

"Regarding what I asked you last time, have you given it any thought?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly. "This matter requires careful consideration. After all, that man is not easy to deal with."

"Hmph, Minato Namikaze is nothing more than a small character being trained by that fool Hiruzen! The real threat is that man—Konoha's White Fang!"

"One weak Hokage is already too many. If another incompetent fool were to take the position, the Hidden Leaf would be doomed to decline!"

As Danzo spoke, he became more and more impassioned, as though he radiated a kind of "pure and righteous" brilliance.

"For the sake of Konoha, we must eliminate him!"

Orochimaru, standing nearby, couldn't help but be taken aback by this "blinding righteousness." He secretly found it amusing—did Danzo truly believe he was doing this for the sake of Konoha?

However, as if venting his long-standing dissatisfaction with the Third Hokage, Danzo soon calmed himself and said, "Since you've come here, it means you've made up your mind. Speak your conditions."

Orochimaru licked the corner of his lips and hissed, "I want the First Hokage's cells."

Danzo abruptly turned his head, his cold gaze locking onto Orochimaru. "That experiment was shut down. You should know that."

Orochimaru merely smiled. "Elder Danzo, are you really willing to give up on controlling the Nine-Tails so easily? For the sake of Konoha, some sacrifices are necessary."

Danzo remained silent for a moment before suddenly smirking.

"I truly wonder—when Hiruzen learns that his most favored disciple and I are of the same kind, what sort of expression will he make?"

Orochimaru paid no attention to Danzo's taunting, merely sighing softly.

"Fate will always branch off in different directions..."

The Outside World – The Academy

The spar between Shimizu and Asuma Sarutobi surprised many, but it soon became old news. The eyes of the higher-ups did not linger on a mere child for long.

It seemed like life had returned to normal.

"Finally, class is over! Theory lessons are so boring!"

"Yeah, but what about the practical training class?"

"Hey, show some respect for Instructor Yagami!"

"True. Let's go outside and play! Shimizu mentioned a new type of soccer last time."

"Great, I want to be on Shimizu's team!"

"Ugh, unfair! You were on his team yesterday too!"

With few classes in the first year, the students had plenty of time to release their boundless energy.

Inside the classroom, Shimizu smiled as he observed his surroundings.

Clearly, his strategy was working.

The desire to belong was universal, especially among children who had yet to develop mature social skills.

By building an image of someone outstanding, reliable, and friendly—an ideal leader—he naturally attracted his classmates to his side.

Of course, there were always exceptions.

"Hey, Mizuki, want to play with us?" Shimizu called out to a boy sitting in the corner.

Mizuki hesitated. He was envious but did not dare to defy Shimizu's authority in the class. He simply acted as if he hadn't heard.

Unfortunately, this only made the other students dissatisfied.

"What's with your attitude, Mizuki?! Shimizu is talking to you!"

"Yeah, stop acting so stuck-up! I should punch you for that!"

Mizuki was taken aback. He had only muttered a vague excuse to himself, yet suddenly, he was being targeted. Flustered, he quickly stammered, "Uh… sorry, I wasn't feeling well. I didn't mean to…"

Hearing Mizuki's weak excuse, Shimizu calmly mediated, "Come on, guys, we're all classmates. We should support each other."

Seemingly ignoring Mizuki's discomfort, Shimizu sincerely added, "Mizuki, I'm really sorry on their behalf. But… I can tell—you actually want to join us, right? If something is holding you back, just let me know. After all, people like us… we rely on more than just friends, don't we?"

Mizuki trembled slightly but didn't look up.

Shimizu didn't press further. He simply smiled and led the group outside. As he passed Kurenai Yuhi's seat, he paused briefly and looked in her direction.

"Kurenai, want to come with us?"

"Me?" Kurenai hesitated. She glanced at the boys around Shimizu, then shook her head. "That's more of a boys' activity. I'll sit this one out."

"Alright. Next time, I'll come up with a game that suits the girls as well." Shimizu smiled as he walked out, already considering his next move.

"According to my sources, Shinku Yuhi just returned from a mission yesterday. He'll be resting these next few days… It's time to put my plan into action."

Just then, he felt an unfriendly gaze on him.

"Shimizu, what's wrong?" Asuma noticed his distraction.

"Nothing, I just sensed… some hostility." Shimizu smiled but took the opportunity to glance back.

Asuma followed his gaze and spotted a few older boys leaning against the railing outside the classrooms, sneering in their direction.

"Those guys are third-years. They like picking on the younger kids," Asuma muttered.

"Ah, schoolyard bullies?" Shimizu stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"They used to terrorize the second-years, but now that I'm here, they wouldn't dare try anything!" Asuma folded his arms arrogantly.

Shimizu glanced at the older students, his eyes gleaming with interest.

"School bullies, huh? This could be useful..."