Naruto: The Age of Ninja Swords Begins in Kumogakure

Chapter 256 Naruto Orochimaru

In the dilapidated Konoha camp, the group discussed matters in a relatively intact room.

They were divided into three camps: one was Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga, and Tokisui Senju; the other was Jiraiya, Danzo Shimura, and Orochimaru.

Finally, there is the neutral camp represented by Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake.

That's right, Minato Namikaze came to the neutral side. Jiraiya didn't say anything about it, as he didn't want his disciple to be bound or affected because of him.

"I propose to remove Hiruzen Sarutobi from his position as Hokage. He plotted to steal Naka Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan on the battlefield and leaked the information to Kumogakure, which led to a crushing defeat and annihilation of our Uchiha-led ninja army on the northern front."

The Hyuga clan head can attest to this; Hiruzen Sarutobi transplanted those eyes into his chest area and also received cells from the First Hokage.

Fugaku Uchiha was the first to speak, proposing to remove Hiruzen Sarutobi from his position as Hokage.

This was one of the main purposes of the three of them appearing together: to first remove Hiruzen Sarutobi from office.

"If you don't believe me, just let Hiruzen Sarutobi show his chest and you'll see."

Finally, he added that Fugaku Uchiha wanted to take this opportunity to wash away the shame of defeat, and that the blame did not lie with the Uchiha clan, but with the treacherous Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"agree!"

"agree!"

Hyuga Hiashi and Senju Tokisui have both made their stances clear, and there's no room for negotiation on that point.

Danzo Shimura frowned and remained silent.

Jiraiya could only remain silent. He knew that this was most likely true. He had previously discussed the Impure World Reincarnation technique with Orochimaru and knew that it was impossible for his teacher to forcibly control so many Kage-level shinobi on his own. If it was the transplantation of the Mangekyou Sharingan from the Uchiha clan, then it would make sense.

"I agree!"

Orochimaru suddenly spoke, a smile playing on his lips.

Previously, Fugaku Uchiha had a brief exchange with him using genjutsu and made a deal: he would give Uchiha Myokyo's Mangekyou Sharingan as a gift from the Uchiha clan, so that he could use it openly in the future.

Of course, it can't be explicitly stated that it's Uchiha Myokyo's eyes, since Uchiha Myokyo is still alive.

Orochimaru!

Jiraiya was instinctively annoyed. How could Orochimaru, as his teacher's disciple, act like this?

"Idiot, there's no way to refute it now, otherwise you can deal with the four-village coalition yourself."

Orochimaru glanced at him sideways, really not wanting to explain to that idiot.

Although this was a transaction, it was also a decision made after careful consideration of the situation.

The current front needs the support of the three Uchiha Fugakus; otherwise, if these three leave, or even turn against each other, the front will collapse.

With such a small number of people, they are definitely no match for the four-village coalition. In fact, the decisiveness of the four-village coalition's retreat may have meant that internal conflicts and divisions would break up again.

"I agree!"

Before Jiraiya could figure it out, Shimura Danzo suddenly spoke up, agreeing to remove his old friend from the position of Hokage.

He didn't make any deals, but he wasn't afraid either.

After all, those Mangekyou Sharingan were obtained by Orochimaru through a transaction with Uchiha Myōkyō, not by theft. So, the Uchiha clan can't say anything about them using them.

As for Wood Release, it's an experimental result I inherited from the Second Hokage. What can the Senju clan say about that?

He now has enough strength to confront and argue with the Senju clan without fear.

Jiraiya looked at Shimura Danzo in disbelief, his expression changing repeatedly before finally letting out a sigh.

"I abstain!"

He could not agree to remove his teacher from the position of Hokage and could only abstain.

As for objecting, does he really want him to go and find the teacher, rip open his clothes and reveal his Mangekyou Sharingan?

"Abstain!"

Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake both announced their withdrawal, reflecting their neutral stance and approach of not directly participating in the village's power struggles.

Thus, Hiruzen Sarutobi's removal from the Hokage position became a foregone conclusion.

"I propose that Orochimaru become the acting Hokage, and assume the power of Hokage until the Fourth Hokage is selected."

Hiashi Hyuga suddenly spoke up, proposing that Orochimaru become the acting Hokage.

"agree!"

"agree!"

Senju Orange Water and Uchiha Fugaku expressed their agreement, clearly indicating that the three of them had already discussed this matter.

They all coveted the Hokage position, and none of them would back down. In order to maintain the alliance and finish the Ninja World War, the only option was to appoint someone else as the acting Hokage to assist them in finishing the war.

As for the Fourth Hokage, they will ultimately be decided through force, with the strongest becoming the Hokage.

Orochimaru was taken aback by the three men's statements. He never expected to be put in the position of Hokage, even if it was just as an acting Hokage.

Not only was Orochimaru surprised, but Shimura Danzo and the others were also completely bewildered, though they quickly grasped the deeper meaning behind the three men's words.

After careful consideration, it seems that Orochimaru is indeed the best choice at present.

Orochimaru, as the Third Hokage's disciple, although the relationship seems to be somewhat strained, still maintains the status of master and disciple. This way, he can temporarily keep those in the Hokage faction from causing trouble behind the scenes.

Orochimaru had cooperated with Danzo Shimura and Fugaku Uchiha, and even obtained Wood Release. Therefore, he had to give the Senju clan an explanation.

There hasn't been any overt interaction with the Hyuga clan yet, but Hyuga Hiashi might have other ideas.

As for the neutral camp, their opinions need not be considered.

"agree!"

After thinking it through, Danzo Shimura expressed his agreement.

Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake also agreed, stating that Orochimaru was indeed the most suitable choice at this stage.

Finally, everyone looked at Jiraiya, who had not yet expressed his opinion, while Jiraiya looked at everyone suspiciously.

"Have you guys been making some kind of deal behind my back?"

Jiraiya directly asked, and he suspected that these people had made a shady deal; otherwise, there was no way to explain their tacit understanding.

"Jiraiya-sensei, Orochimaru-sama is indeed the best choice at the moment."

Minato Namikaze explained helplessly, "That bastard was right. Jiraiya-sensei really isn't good at thinking about these kinds of things."

"Why can't you choose me?"

Jiraiya was also unhappy. He naturally didn't care about the Hokage position; what bothered him was that he had been outshone by Orochimaru again.

These words left everyone speechless. Why didn't they choose you? Don't you have any self-awareness?

"I abstain!"

The looks from the others made Jiraiya even more unhappy, and he ultimately withdrew again—his last act of defiance as Gamabunta!

"So you've become Hokage? It's not that surprising."

Orochimaru laughed, feeling that the Hokage position was nothing special, especially with so many troublesome people and forces in the village. He really didn't understand why the teacher still held onto this power.

Isn't he afraid of working himself to death?

"Thank you all for supporting my becoming Hokage, but there are some things I need to clarify. I am just an acting Hokage. Don't tell me things like 'I'll protect the village with my life'."

There are some things I won't force you to do, but you should at least be aware of them.

The village and the Land of Fire are your foundation, and you cannot lose this foundation; you must make the necessary sacrifices.

Finally, before this Ninja World War ends, everyone must refrain from secret rivalry, or we'll truly be doomed.

Orochimaru made his point very clear, and he also understood his current role: to mediate between the major powers and assist in the conclusion of the Shinobi World War.

None of them spoke, but they all nodded silently in agreement.

"If there's nothing else, the meeting is adjourned. I need to think carefully about how to be a good acting Hokage. The upcoming war won't be easy."

After Orochimaru finished speaking, he left first, too lazy to waste words with those people.

The group exchanged glances and then got up and left.

Minato Namikaze and Sakumo Hatake followed Jiraiya away. They needed to discuss things further, as they were among the few who had a better grasp of the bigger picture.

Fugaku Uchiha followed Danzo Shimura to a secluded and deserted place, where Danzo Shimura stopped and turned around.

"Do you have any doubts?"

"Were you involved in plotting against our Uchiha clan?"

Fugaku Uchiha stared intently at Danzo Shimura; he needed to ascertain certain things to identify the true enemy.

"Would you believe me if I said I wasn't involved?"

Despite a playful expression on his face, Danzo Shimura was inwardly frustrated.

He has taken countless blames throughout his life, some of which he knew about, but many more he didn't. He was hated by everyone in the village and was practically a rat crossing the street.

"I believe you!"

Fugaku Uchiha's expression grew even more somber, and his killing intent towards Hiruzen Sarutobi intensified.

It was that old man's scheme.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"

Fugaku Uchiha's performance surprised Danzo Shimura, who became somewhat interested in him.

"Whose eyes are those?"

Upon further inquiry, Fugaku Uchiha stated that he would never allow anyone to take away their Sharingan, especially the Mangekyou Sharingan.

"It belongs to Kagami. Orochimaru traded it from Myokyo."

Danzo Shimura did not hide anything and revealed the origin of those eyes.

Having received a reply, Fugaku Uchiha gave Danzo Shimura a deep look before turning and leaving.

Once those two issues are identified, everything else becomes secondary.

"You want to ask about my Wood Release technique?"

Watching Fugaku Uchiha leave, Danzo Shimura looked at a tree not far away.

Thousand Hands Orange Water emerged from the trees; he really wanted to ask his grandfather's disciple a question.

"What's with your Wood Release technique?"

When the four-village coalition attacked this camp, Danzo Shimura displayed a strange Wood Release technique, which piqued Danzo's curiosity.

"Is this how you ask your elders for advice?"

Danzo Shimura sneered.

Senju Orange Water remained silent, staring intently at Shimura Danzo.

Danzo Shimura didn't tolerate Senju Orange Water's behavior and turned to leave.

"Such a dark and sinister power. Have you ever seen such a power before, Immortal?"

Watching Shimura Danzo leave, Senju Tousui looked at a small slug in her palm.

"That feeling reminds me of a monster."

The slug fairy paused for a moment before speaking. That dark power was too extreme, making her feel a sense of unease even as she sensed it.

"Monster?"

Senju Orange Water wondered, what kind of monster did Shimura Danzo obtain?

Is that the big bird burning with black flames?

He became a demon jinchūriki?

"That was a long time ago. In order to fight against the rising Ninja Clan, the Onmyoji once worked together to create a magical artifact that could unleash the dark power in people's hearts and give birth to a demon that could devour living beings and grow stronger."

However, he was later defeated by the Ninja Clan, and the demon and magical artifact were sealed away. Perhaps he obtained that magical artifact, which was a very terrifying artifact, even though the Ninja Clan suffered heavy losses in that battle.

Gamamaru knows more about this; you can ask him.

The Slug Sage didn't know much about that battle, but Gamamaru was involved and must know about it.

"That kind of power isn't very effective, is it?"

Senju Orange Water wasn't very interested in that kind of power, especially after obtaining Wood Release and the Eight-Tails.

"That power is extremely extreme and cannot be controlled by humans. He will eventually be corrupted and become a new monster."

The Slug Sage was pessimistic about Danzo Shimura's future, and believed that it was only a matter of time before he was corrupted.

"Hopefully he'll be corrupted quickly, so there will be one less competitor."

After glancing at the blazing sun in the sky, Thousand Hands Orange Water turned and left.

Leaving aside Senju Orange Water's thoughts, Orochimaru was pondering how to better assist his research by using his position as acting Hokage when Hyuga Hiashi came to him.

"Hiashi-kun wants to obtain my Sage Mode power?"

Before Hiashi Hyuga could speak, Orochimaru revealed his thoughts: the only thing Orochimaru possessed that could tempt Hiashi was Sage Mode.

"What price will be paid? Besides this eye."

Hiashi Hyuga didn't hesitate and directly asked for the stakes, as he really needed the power of Sage Mode.

Although he was defeated by Otsutsuki Rei last time and even had one of his eyes gouged out, he was able to see the difference in the opponent's power.

The opponent possessed Sage Mode power and integrated it into the Tenseigan Chakra Mode, making the Tenseigan Chakra Mode even more powerful.

He needs the power of Sage Mode to enhance himself, and perhaps he can use it to reactivate the Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

"I need some of Hiashi-kun's body cells. In addition, I would like to ask Hiashi-kun to tell me the identity and background of the mysterious person who attacked you, and whether he will become an enemy of Konoha."

Seeing Hiashi Hyuga's directness, Orochimaru smiled and stated his request.

Which cells?

After a moment of silence, Hiashi Hyuga asked, which was considered an agreement to Orochimaru's request.

"Skin, muscles, bones, bone marrow."

Orochimaru revealed four types of cells, which would be enough for his research, especially bone marrow cells, which contain a special type of cell that can be cultured to create perfect clones.

Even the first-generation clones they cultivated themselves were not truly perfect in this respect, mainly because the Hashirama cells obtained from Danzo Shimura were not good enough and had some deficiencies at the genetic level.

If it weren't for the chakra of the First Hokage that was traded from Hao Jun to activate the body's potential, plus the Sage Orb that the White Snake Sage incorporated, this body would never have been able to reach this level.

Hiashi Hyuga didn't say much. He used the power of the Shikotsumyaku (Corpse Bone Pulse) to separate a small piece of bone, which contained some bone marrow, and then cut off a small piece of flesh.

"Corpse Bone Pulse!"

Seeing Hiashi Hyuga's actions, Orochimaru became even more certain of his suspicions.

"His name is Otsutsuki Shari, and he is a blood relative of our Hyuga clan, just like the Senju and Uzumaki clans."

However, our two clans have not been in contact for a long time, and there are very few records left in our clans. I only learned of the existence of that clan before my father passed away.

His thoughts are dangerous; he seems to want to destroy the entire ninja world, which inevitably makes him our enemy.

As he spoke, Hiashi Hyuga handed the four types of cells he had separated to Orochimaru.

He wasn't afraid that Orochimaru might discover something from it, because the key to the transformation of the Tenseigan lay in the giant Tenseigan; otherwise, even if all three bloodline powers were gathered together, the Tenseigan would not be transformed.

"Destroy the entire ninja world? What a terrifying figure."

Licking his lips, Orochimaru became even more interested. Since the other party wanted to destroy the ninja world, he must have the power to destroy the ninja world, or know the method to destroy it.

"Does Hiashi-kun have any knowledge of the Sage Training methods at Ryuchi Cave?"

Suppressing his thoughts, Orochimaru transformed his right hand into a white snake while asking the question.

The methods of cultivating immortal arts in Longdi Cave are rather bizarre and dangerous, and he didn't want to be misunderstood by this person.

"Snake venom?"

Looking at the white snake that Orochimaru's arm had transformed into, Hiashi Hyuga used his Tenseigan to make some discoveries and guesses.

"This is a medium through which one can perceive natural energy, absorb it into the body, and fuse it with physical and mental power in a one-to-one ratio to ultimately form Sage Chakra."

I've given a brief explanation of the cultivation of immortal arts. The cultivation methods in the three holy lands are the same; the only difference is the medium used.

"bring it on!"

Hiashi Hyuga signaled to begin immediately, having absolute confidence in his own strength. Even with only one Tenseigan left, Orochimaru was no match for him.

"It hurts a little, Hiashi-kun, bear with it."

Orochimaru's smile deepened as he manipulated a white snake to bite Orochimaru's shoulder, injecting snake venom infused with Sage Mode power.

As the snake venom entered and corroded, Hiashi Hyuga quickly sensed the presence of natural energy, and even sensed Orochimaru's Sage Chakra, absorbing some of it.

With the absorption of Sage Chakra, the power of the Tenseigan was finally further unleashed, making Hiashi Hyuga very excited, knowing that he had made the right bet.

Sage Mode can indeed activate the Tenseigan Chakra Mode once again.

Without delay, he quickly raised his hand to form hand seals, guiding the power of the Tenseigan's pupils and the chakra within his body to merge, thus activating the Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

Instantly, green chakra surged forth, forming a chakra cloak that enveloped his entire body, and a small horn sprouted from Hyuga Hiashi's head.

That wasn't all. Stimulated by Orochimaru's portion of Sage Chakra, especially the Sage Snake Venom, the Tenseigan Chakra began to actively devour and fuse with it, thereby replenishing itself and becoming even stronger.

Orochimaru stared wide-eyed, looking very excited, and secretly used the white snake to absorb a little bit of that green chakra.

After a while, Hiashi Hyuga finally managed to grasp Sage Mode using the Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

The reason it was able to master it so quickly is mainly because the Tenseigan Chakra Mode itself contains Sage Mode, it just hadn't been activated before.

"Congratulations to Japan Football Club on your great improvement."

Orochimaru offered his congratulations, his eyes gleaming with fervor.

"I have another piece of information here, about a member of the Otsutsuki clan. I need you to use my cells to grow a pair of eyes for me."

Hyuga Hiashi retracted his Tenseigan chakra mode and proposed another deal.

He had previously communicated with Fugaku Uchiha and learned that Orochimaru had helped cultivate those eyes, and that he had awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan again.

This gave him some ideas.

"make a deal!"

Orochimaru agreed without hesitation; cultivating a pair of eyes would not be difficult for him.

"Previously, Hiruzen Sarutobi sent someone to the Ōtsutsuki clan's territory and brought out a woman, but that woman was kidnapped by Danzo Shimura."

After saying this, Hiashi Hyuga got up and left.

"Lord Danzo, you've been hiding quite a lot!"

Gently stroking the white snake that had transformed into his right hand, Orochimaru realized that he had underestimated Lord Danzo.

(End of this chapter)