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  ....

  If possible, Nara Shikaku wished that every ninja could master the Body Flicker Teique to perfe, enabling them to attatirely through instant movement-or better yet, if everyone could grasp the Flying Thunder God Teique and teleport on the spot.

  "But..."

  Minato Namikaze instinctively prepared to nod in agreement.

  Nara Shikaku's answer was entirely from an objective standpoint, ohat no one could find fault with.

  But did Nara Shikaku truly have no personal agenda?

  ly.

  Nara Shikaku raised his head, his gaze falling upon the portraits of the Sed and Third Hokage hanging in the Hokage's office.

  He was an unwavering supporter of the Hokage fa and deeply uood the importance of bang the vilge's various powers.

  Due to the Uchiha 's Kekkei Genkai, the Sharingan, they were ily strohan ordinary ninjas on an individual level.

  Collectively, with the Senju 's dee, the Uchiha had already overshadowed the Hyūga . Sihe Fourth Hokage and Advisojo took office, the Uchiha had bee the rgest and most powerful ninja Konoha.

  Especially i times, for some reason, the number of young Uchiha awakening the Sharingan had noticeably increased. There were even rumors that the Uchiha would bee great again, produg a sed Uchiha Madara.

  Eveing aside prejudices against the Uchiha, having a single dominant ninja the vilge was not a good thing.

  Currently, the Uchiha leader's policies were moderate, actively iing with Konoha. But who could guarahat future Uchiha leaders would be the same?

  The Uchiha was already strong as ninjas; if they gained enough prestige through war, would the likelihood of a future coup in the vilge greatly increase as one geion passed and another rose?

  For Nara Shikaku, the Hidden Mist Vilge door was the best example. When ninja s or individuals override the vilge or the Kage, such possibilities must be nipped in the bud.

  Previously, the Sed and Third Hokage, along with Danzo, had successively suppressed the Uchiha, and Nara Shikaku was tent to remairal.

  Now that their predecessors had fallen, the baton of maintaining bance had passed into Nara Shikaku's hands.

  He nominated Orochimaru as the ander of the strike force, and there was nothing wrong with that.

  Perhaps Uchiha Fugaku's capabilities were suffit, but his prestige and seniority were not yet on par with the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru. Moreover, as the head of the Police Force, responsible for Konoha's security and public order, it was not appropriate to send him out.

  Before Minato could speak, he suddenly remembered the four secret scrolls that Gojo Kaigetsu had left him whereated to the safe house Minato had arranged.

  Gojo had said that to avoid being followed by those with ill iions to his safe house, he had to use this deyed method of unication.

  He cimed that the scrolls should only be opened when making major decisions and unsure of what to do.

  Thinking of this, Minato shook his head with a wry smile.

  "Is he truly that resourceful, being able to predict the difficult choices I would face even while hiding?"

  "As for the choice of ander, let's set it aside for now. Nara, please step out for about ten minutes; I'll give you a definite ahen."

  "Ah... Yes, Lord Hokage."

  Nara Shikaku retreated, leaving the Hokage's offiinato.

  Now he had time to secretly look at the scrolls.

  Minato felt a bit guilty; as Hokage, he still had a long way to go and much to learn.

  Having to rely o scrolls when making major decisio as shameful as cheating during a Genin exam.

  He silently decided that once his child was born, he would raise him well, so that he wouldn't end up like his father, needing to cheat on exams.

  Quickly, Minato opehe first scroll.

  On the slip of paper inside, five hastily written words read:

  *"Orochimaru will definitely defect."*

  Minato's pupils tracted sharply.

  Was this something that could be said?

  Now, even though Minato had absolute trust in Gojo Kaigetsu, he began to waver.

  Could Orochimaru-sensei really betray Konoha? What would that mean?

  Uhe current Konoha military system, in terms of ninja achievements, excluding the former Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru's achievements surpassed even his own.

  He had pleted as many as 108 S-rank missions.

  These were proofs of his dedication and service to Konoha!

  Minato was Konoha's leader, and Orochimaru was his de facto general.

  If Konoha had a nd-based ninja force, Orochimaru was the ander of nd ninjas. If Konoha had a naval ninja force, Orochimaru was the ander of naval ninjas. If Konoha had an aerial ninja force... then Orochimaru was the supreme ander of all forces.

  At least in terms of seniority, apart from Jiraiya, who was traveling the ninja world, no one in today's Konoha could match Orochimaru.

  But now, the secret scroll left by Kaigetsu cimed unequivocally that Orochimaru would definitely defect, without any qualifiers.

  Minato couldn't help but feel that this ninja world was too crazy.

  Almost instinctively, Minato opehe sed scroll-

  ...

  Minato almost instinctively tore open the sed scroll, seeking an expnation for Orochimaru's potential defe.

  Gojo Kaigetsu wasn't someone who ehe capable or sought to eliminate dissidents through political struggles.

  On this point, Minato trusted his close friend.

  The sed scroll read:

  *"Kidnapping Konoha ninjas, human experimentation, stealing the Scroll of Seals."*

  *"If he actively shows a desire to serve as the atag the Hot Water and Grass Vilges, do not let him leave the vilge. Be sure to tact the Third Hokage to personally deal with him; do not act yourself."*

  *"Otherwise, he be retained for observation."*

  "Hiss-"

  Minato gasped, his expression being grave.

  If what Kaigetsu revealed was true... that was truly scary.

  The "Wood Release Human Experimentation" was once personally led by Konoha's high-level officials but tinuously failed, causing many Konoha ninjas to die in meaningless experiments. Therefore, the project was immediately terminated and listed as one of Konoha's taboos.

  The inal iion of this experiment was to better utilize the power of the Tailed Beasts, but after many i Konoha ninjas sacrificed their lives, the Third Hokage realized his mistake, chose to halt the project, aed Danzo's proposal to tinue experimenting on children.

  But even so, at most, Orochimaru would be puhere was o fight to the death.

  Why? Because the Third Hokage and Danzo had dohe same!

  The same thing, when officially saned, was legal; when done privately, it was an illegal taboo!

  Stealing the Scroll of Seals could be excused; rules are dead, but people are alive. Given Orochimaru's merits, he deserved access to the Scroll of Seals.

  Even if he used theft, sidering Orochimaru's achievements and his retionship with the Third Hokage, leniency could be shown.

  But Orochimaru should never have kidnapped Konoha ninjas for experimentation.

  This behavior pletely deviated from the "Will of Fire," extending a dark hand toward his fellow vilgers. How was that different from enemies from other vilges?

  Minato sidered himself a tolerant Hokage, but he couldn't think of any justification for Orochimaru's as.

  Ninjas who had trained diligently for ten or twenty years, who hadn't died at the hands of enemies but were killed by their own hero-how ironic.

  The most intolerable thing in a vilge is a ninja who has lost all bonds with it.

  Being able to harm his own rades, regardless of how strong he was, how high his prestige, or how outstanding his research talents, the vilge couldn't tolerate such as.

  Who knows when he might suddenly decide to showcase his experimental results to the high-level officials opposing his experiments, using the Hokage Building under his feet or eveire vilge as a stage.

  Wood Release... is simply too dangerous.

  With it, the First Hokage became the God of Shinobi; no one knows what ges successful Wood Release human experimentation might bring to the ninja world.

  For the vilge's safety, Minato couldn't trust a dangerous individual who kidnapped his rades for experiments to remain loyal to Konoha.

  Loyalty that's not absolute is absolutely disloyal.

  As long as there's a risk, it will iably happen!

  Cold sweat gradually soaked Minato's Hokage robe.

  At the critical moment when Konoha was ung a special military operation and f a strike force, such a revetion...

  Orochimaru had been fio the vilge all this time; if he were appointed as the ander of the strike ford took this opportunity to leave the vilge, who knows what he might do to defect-he might even kill his fellow rades irike force.

  If Konoha's supreme ander openly rebelled during a special military operation, it would deal a devastating blow to Konoha's prestige in the ninja world.

  How likely was this to happen?

  Before firming that Orochimaru had kidnapped his rades, the possibility was minimal. But after firmation, the possibility would infinitely increase.

  Because... Orochimaru must sider whether this would be his only ce to defect from Konoha!

  That's why the sentioned: *"Otherwise, he be retained for observation."* As long as Orochimaru wasn't thinking of fleeing immediately, the vilge's regutions would tio restrain him. Later, they could tact the Third Hokage, gradually reduce Orochimaru's prestige, and step by step lower his influeo the freezing point before apprehending him.

  Minato stared bnkly at the note in his hand, recalling what Gojo Kaigetsu had said to him at the Memorial Stohat day:

  *"Those enemies lurking in the shadows, waiting for opportunities, are jumping out oer ahese are impurities we couldn't usually find or didn't have suitable reasons to eliminate."*

  Now, the hidden enemy had revealed himself.

  With seeds of suspi pnted and the dire of the iigation firmed, these things couldn't be hidden.

  Konoha was her too big nor too small.

  Even if you included the area of the three-tiered security zones and the entire Konoha Forest, it was just so much space. By bining this with Orochimaru's usual activity areas for iigation...

  If they wao iigate thhly, it couldn't be cealed.

  The only question was whether to weigh this matter.

  "Should we weigh it?"

  "Here and now!"

  A decisive look fshed in Minato's eyes. To haernal threats, internal stability must first be ensured! Even if it's Orochimaru-sensei, if he dares to destroy Konoha's prosperity, as Hokage, Minato would not hesitate!

  Minato immediately used his personal guard summoning teique:

  "Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raidō, Tatami Iwashi, e see me at once!"

  Ihan ten seds.

  Nara Shikaku, who was about to take out a soft "Konoha" cigarette at the office door, watched as the serious-faced Hokage guards went in and out of the office, his hand holding the lighter suspended in mid-air.

  As a smart person, he keenly sehat something might have ged.

  The ten-minute deadline hadn't arrived; he had to suppress his curiosity and wait silently.

  Sitting in the Hokage's chair.

  Minato rubbed his temples, feeling quite a headache.

  At critical moments, he regretted not having enough trustworthy ninjas.

  Due to Orochimaru's prestige in Konoha, many in the Anbu were his followers.

  If he rashly ordered the Anbu to iigate, even his own direbu, he couldn't guarahat the matter wouldn't leak out.

  Minato had to let his Hokage guards ha.

  "Should I establish a unit separate from the Anbu, ohat belongs exclusively to the current Hokage?"

  After all, the Anbu is Konoha's Anbu.

  Its position is somewhat plex. While most are loyal to Konoha, their priority in following orders varies.

  Some belong to the Third Hokage, some listen to Danzo, and others are pced by various ninja s as their own informants... too plicated.

  "If only the Anbu were posed of civilian ninjas like me, or pure-hearted individuals like Kaigetsu-kun."

  Minato sighed; the idea of f an exclusive unit had to be set aside for now. He could only use his retively limited personal forces to handle urgent matters.

  "Hopefully, Genma and the others quickly uhe truth. The Third Hokage also needs an expnation."

  After handling the most pressing issue, Minato leisurely opehe third scroll.

  ...

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