NRAO: Chapter 373/374

Chapter 373
"That's a shame." Mei feigned disappointment. "Well then, since you've made yourself clear, I won't bother you any longer. I'll take my leave."

"Not seeing you off," Orochimaru responded indifferently.

As he watched her walk away, something stirred in his memory.

Didn't this woman end up single her entire life?

"Alone forever, huh?" Orochimaru muttered to himself. "Too capable for any man in Kirigakure to match her? What a waste..."

But he didn't dwell on it.

He tilted his head back and gazed at the snowflakes falling from the sky.

His mind drifted elsewhere.

Moments later, Tsunade and Mikoto appeared behind him.

"What are you thinking about?" Tsunade asked.

"Nothing. Let's go."

Orochimaru turned and left with them without elaborating.


---

Meanwhile, in Konohagakure.

In the Hokage's office, Minato sat frozen, his face filled with disbelief.

"Me? The city lord of the Land of Frost?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, nodded with a smile.

"That's right," the old man said. "Orochimaru specifically requested you for the position."

Minato was completely lost.

How could this happen?

The newly established central city in the Land of Frost was set to become the beating heart of the entire ninja world.

The person who controlled that city would effectively control the flow of information, resources, and power.

And Orochimaru, one of the strongest, most elusive figures in the worldbchose... him?

"Lord Orochimaru... chose me?" Minato asked again, still doubting his ears.

Hiruzen chuckled. "That's right. This was Orochimaru's personal decision."

The Sandaime no longer wore the melancholy expression that had weighed him down for so long.

Everything he'd feared hadn't come to pass. In fact, things were turning out far better than he'd dared hope.

The ninja world was finally moving toward peace.

Though part of him still carried guilt over how he'd treated Orochimaru in the past, he was relieved to see his former student walking a righteous path.

Minato took a deep breath and bowed his head slightly.

"I'm flattered," he said. "But since Lord Orochimaru trusts me so much... I'll do everything in my power to live up to that trust."

"I'm sure you will," Hiruzen replied with satisfaction. "While this announcement will be made public later, I wanted you to be mentally prepared in advance. The road ahead will be rough."

Minato's blue eyes hardened with determination. "I'm ready."

Minato Namikaze was nothing if not adaptable.

The initial shock had already passed.

Now, his mind was racing through the implications of his new position.

First and foremost, he had no established power base.

If he were to manage a city that housed the elite of the ninja world, he'd need allies.

"I believe in you," Hiruzen said encouragingly.

The old Hokage was just as surprised as Minato. He couldn't fathom why Orochimaru would choose this particular young man, someone he'd had no past interactions with.

But knowing Orochimaru's meticulous nature, there had to be a solid reason.

And Minato's principles certainly aligned with the ideals Orochimaru claimed to hold.

So, Hiruzen didn't question it any further.


---

News of Minato's appointment spread quickly.

The ninja world was shocked but no more so than the residents of Konoha themselves.

Yet, before the village could fully process the announcement, another bombshell dropped:

Tsunade had resigned as Hokage.

"What... Hokage-sama is stepping down?"

The news left even the Sandaime momentarily speechless.

"Tsunade... are you serious?" Hiruzen asked when she appeared before him, paperwork in hand.

"I was never interested in the job in the first place," she said casually. "The ninja world won't see another major war anytime soon, not with Orochimaru overseeing things. So, I figured, why not step down and enjoy life?"

The old Hokage gave her a complicated look.

The battle for the position of Hokage had once consumed the village.

But now, with Orochimaru's unification efforts succeeding, the role had lost much of its significance.

The era of powerful independent villages was over.

The Hokage was no longer the most powerful figure in the world.

"Where is Orochimaru now?" Hiruzen asked.

"He's here in the village," Tsunade answered with a sly smile. "But knowing him... he's probably busy with something 'important.'"


---

Elsewhere, in the Uchiha compound.

Mikoto stood in front of Orochimaru, her eyes filled with emotion.

He was the man who had taken both her heart and body.

But before she could say anything, the sound of footsteps echoed behind her.

A group of Uchiha clansmen arrived, led by Uchiha Fugaku himself.

"Lord Orochimaru," Fugaku greeted respectfully. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed," Orochimaru replied with a faint smile.

The clan head's eyes narrowed slightly.

Orochimaru's reputation had already spread across the entire ninja world.

But for him to appear here, within the Uchiha compound, was unexpected.

"To what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Fugaku asked cautiously.

Orochimaru didn't bother with preamble.

"Lead your clan to the new city and take charge of the military forces," he said, his tone calm but the words shocking.

The entire group stiffened in disbelief.

"Us? The Uchiha?" Fugaku asked, voice faltering.

The Land of Frost's central city would become the political and military core of the ninja world.

Only the strongest, most trusted ninja would be stationed there.

For Orochimaru to hand the city's military operations over to the Uchiha was almost unfathomable.

Why?

The clan had been sidelined for years, relegated to law enforcement duties that most considered glorified security work.

This appointment was a monumental shift.

Fugaku's eyes drifted toward Mikoto, standing beside Orochimaru.

Was this because of her?

"Not interested?" Orochimaru asked, his smile never wavering.

"Of course we are!" Fugaku quickly corrected himself. "But... what about the Hokage?"

Managing the city's military would give the Uchiha more influence than they'd ever had in Konoha.

Would the village even allow it?

"There won't be any issue," Orochimaru said dismissively. "Just convince your clan to cooperate."

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru!" Fugaku bowed deeply.

One of their own had brought them unimaginable power.

He couldn't help but think:

Is this what they mean when they say 'one person's success lifts the entire family'?

Orochimaru turned to leave, then paused.

"You'll be coordinating with Hatake Sakumo for the details," he added.

"Hatake Sakumo?" Fugaku was startled. "Why him?"

A voice responded before Orochimaru could.

"Because he's the next Hokage," came the unexpected answer.

Fugaku's head snapped toward the source of the voice.

"Hokage-sama?"

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Chapter 374

According to the normal Hokage succession process, after the Sandaime Hokage retired, Minato Namikaze was supposed to become the Yondaime Hokage.

And in canon, when the Yondaime died and no one else was available, the Sandaime temporarily resumed the role.

But with Tsunade having already served as the Yondaime Hokage, those events were effectively erased from history.

Now that she had resigned, it was impossible for Hiruzen to reclaim the position again.

So, after Minato left for the Land of Frost, the only logical candidate to become the next Hokage was Hatake Sakumo.

Sakumo had made countless contributions to Konoha.

He was also the father of Kakashi, who, in the original timeline, was supposed to become the Rokudaime Hokage.

In terms of qualifications, no one was more suitable to become the Godaime Hokage.

As for the Uchiha clan?

Orochimaru's decision to involve them was part of a larger plan.

While Tsunade had previously suggested a way to address the clan's isolation, she never had time to implement it.

The Uchiha clan's nature made it difficult for them to adapt to mundane jobs like running shops or selling vegetables.

Military command suited them far better.

Now that an opportunity presented itself, Orochimaru decided to solve the issue once and for all.


---

With everything settled, Orochimaru left Konoha with Tsunade and Mikoto.


---

A few days later, west of Konoha, at the Orphanage.

The sun cast soft shadows across the open courtyard.

On the grass, Mikoto and Kushina played games with their daughters, their laughter ringing through the air.

Meanwhile, Tsunade sat beside Orochimaru, watching him with a perplexed expression.

"You've worked so hard for so long," she said softly. "And now you've finally succeeded. Are you really willing to let it go like this?"

"What's there to be unwilling about?" Orochimaru replied nonchalantly. "What matters to me is the process and outcome of this transformation."

He leaned back in his chair.

"This entire journey... the challenge of reshaping the ninja world, that's what gave me satisfaction. As for overseeing the world afterward? That's a job for someone with more patience and responsibility than me."

"So that's why you asked me to resign?" Tsunade asked with a half-smile.

"Of course. Didn't you find that position exhausting?"

"It was exhausting," Tsunade admitted. "So exhausting that I didn't even know how to keep up with you."

Orochimaru smirked and pulled her into his arms.

"That's why I need to train you again from scratch."

"You... you really have no shame." Tsunade's cheeks flushed. "You never used to say things like that so directly."

"People change," Orochimaru said casually. "And besides—"

"Lord Orochimaru!"

A familiar voice called from the path.

The interruption caused Orochimaru to pause mid-sentence and turn toward the source of the voice.

"Yakushi Kabuto?"


---

Tsunade stood and left as Orochimaru shifted his attention to the two children standing beside Kabuto.

One boy had silver-gray hair and two red dots on his forehead. His delicate features gave him an air of calmness beyond his years.

The other boy had short orange hair and an innocent face but there was an undercurrent of instability in his eyes.

"Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said, giving a slight bow.

The two children immediately followed suit, though their confusion and nervousness were apparent.

"Kimimaro... and Jūgo?" Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "Yes. As you instructed, I located Kimimaro... and found Jūgo along the way."

Orochimaru smiled.

He had only asked Kabuto to bring back Kimimaro, yet somehow, Kabuto had managed to find Jūgo as well.

Luck or foresight? Either way, it was an unexpected bonus.

"Well done, Kabuto. Take them both to the lab."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto answered immediately. "Come along, you two."

"Yes!" Kimimaro and Jūgo said in unison and obediently followed Kabuto toward the laboratory.

As they disappeared down the path, Orochimaru chuckled softly.

He hadn't anticipated obtaining both a potential battle genius like Kimimaro and a chakra anomaly like Jūgo in one go.

His plan to create a new generation of powerful shinobi was progressing even faster than expected.

But just as he was about to relax, his senses sharpened.

Another uninvited guest?

"There certainly have been a lot of surprises today," Orochimaru muttered.

His gaze shifted toward the shadows ahead.

"Come out, Obito."

The air three meters in front of him distorted, swirling into a vortex.

Moments later, Uchiha Obito emerged, still wearing his trademark spiraled mask.

Beside him, Zetsu—half white, half black—rose from the ground like a plant breaking through the earth.


---

"Sorry," White Zetsu spoke first. "We still haven't found any trace of the Nanabi."

Orochimaru's expression didn't change.

"Don't bother looking," he said calmly. "The Nanabi... is already in my possession."

His words froze both Obito and Zetsu in place.

White Zetsu tilted his head in confusion. "Wait... what?"

Orochimaru shifted his gaze to Obito.

"Obito," he said.

"I understand," Obito responded with a slight nod.

"Huh?"

The brief exchange left Zetsu completely bewildered.

Before he could react, Obito's hand shot out and gripped his neck.

"W-What?!"

Zetsu flailed in confusion.

"Obito... what are you doing?"

This didn't make sense.

Obito and Zetsu had always been on the same side. Why was Obito suddenly attacking him?

Obito's voice was cold. "Let's finish this conversation in a... quieter place."

His Sharingan spun, and the familiar ripple of Kamui activated.

Buzz!

The vortex expanded and swallowed both Zetsu and Orochimaru.


---

Inside Kamui's dimension.

The dim, gray space stretched endlessly. Rows of stone sarcophagi lined the walls.

Zetsu was immobilized on the ground, while Obito and Orochimaru stood side-by-side, facing him.

"What the hell is going on?" White Zetsu demanded. "Obito... what are you doing?!"

Black Zetsu, embedded in White Zetsu's body, realized something was off.

But it was already too late.

This was Obito's personal dimension.

In here, only Obito had control.

Escape was impossible.

"Sorry, Zetsu," Obito said, voice heavy with guilt. "You helped save me once. I won't forget that. But... I can't refuse Orochimaru's request."

Zetsu's eyes widened. "Is this... about Rin?"

Obito remained silent.

"Listen to me!" Zetsu shouted. "Even if Orochimaru promises to bring Rin back, my existence doesn't interfere with that!"

"No," Orochimaru cut in, his voice low and mocking. "Your existence doesn't affect Rin's resurrection but it does affect Kaguya's."

Zetsu froze.

That name... Kaguya.

A thousand years of scheming suddenly unraveled in his mind.

He immediately forced himself to adopt an innocent expression.

"Kaguya? Who's that?"

Orochimaru chuckled softly.

"You're really going to play dumb?" Orochimaru shook his head. "What a shame. I was considering helping you resurrect her... if you cooperated."

He turned to leave.

"Come on, Obito. Let's go."

"Wait! Orochimaru, wait!" Zetsu called out desperately..