Undercover in Konoha: I Was the Real Hokage All Along!

Politics. So dull.

Orochimaru paid no attention to the two still arguing in the office. He stepped out into the corridor alone, walking the long, curved hallway, letting out a faint sigh.

"You put a cat next to a pond, and then blame it for stealing fish…"

Even if Saharu Kiri hadn't said it today, that justification would have found its way into public discourse — at just the right moment, exactly when Lord Hiruzen needed it.

Hiruzen-sensei's control over Danzo Shimura went far deeper than most could imagine.

Everyone in the higher circles of Konoha knew: Root had long embedded "shadow operatives" inside the ANBU under the pretense of training.

And those "operatives," hardened by inhuman trials or, more accurately, torture, rarely turned out to be mentally stable by any conventional definition.

You could often spot them at a glance.

Yet Hiruzen-sensei always acted innocent, as if he knew nothing. So pitiful. So powerless.

As though all authority had been stripped from him... and he could do nothing to stop it.

But somehow, every move Danzo made in Root — no matter how secret — always ended up conveniently landing in Hiruzen's hands, right when it mattered.

No one knew how many pieces Hiruzen had buried inside Danzo's domain.

And Danzo… still hadn't figured it out.

That laughable pride of his. That pathetic obsession with victory. It kept him blind.

"When it comes to real manipulation," Orochimaru whispered, "no one outplays Hiruzen-sensei."

"And yet, it's precisely because of that…"

"That someone like Danzo — clearly the weaker side — is allowed to exist. A counterbalance. To prevent anyone from becoming a complete puppet under Hiruzen's strings."

"Foolishness... how irritating."

He murmured to himself and paused by a window, gazing out toward the looming Hokage Rock, bathed in the soft glow of dawn.

It had been nearly forty years since the founding of the village.

But how many of the dreams of that man — the First Hokage, the visionary who forged Konoha with unmatched strength—had come true?

Compared to the pursuit of truth and the mysteries of life… this political chessboard was insignificant. Petty.

But Orochimaru was a rational man.

He knew full well — if you surveyed the entire village for candidates truly qualified to become the Fourth Hokage, the list was short.

Tsunade. Jiraiya. And himself.

Among them, the only practical successor… was him.

Because he was rational enough to do what must be done.

"Funny," he thought, "no one ever asks whether I want to become Hokage."

Even the most logical people, it seemed, could feel a selfish desire now and then.

But Orochimaru suppressed the thought. Silently. Dispassionately.

Out of… something resembling duty.

It might sound absurd to say, but until now, this man who had never truly loved anyone...

Still, deeply loved Konoha.

Even if he hated much of what happened within its walls, even if he scorned its hypocrisy, he was still willing to give everything for it.

Even his life.

"Lord Orochimaru?"

The voice, soft and distant, drifted in from the shadows.

Orochimaru slowly turned his gaze and found a figure standing between the shadow and the faint silver light of dawn.

Saharu Kiri.

His expression, as always, was calm — even warm.

"Kiri-kun?"

Orochimaru looked him over — this oddly composed young man.

"Still haven't gone home? Dawn's coming."

"Is that so?"

Kiri's voice remained tranquil. His smile was mild.

"But I thought it was you, Lord Orochimaru… who wanted me to stay?"

"Oh?"

Orochimaru stared at him.

His golden, slit-pupiled eyes shimmered faintly — a predator scenting something interesting.

But Kiri didn't seem to notice. Or maybe, he simply didn't care.

"After all… the moment Minato-kun mentioned unsealed ninjutsu in his report…"

"Your eyes..."

"They gleamed like a real viper."

Hiss.

Orochimaru's long, serpent-modified tongue reflexively flicked across his lips.

A grin curled up on his face.

The surge of chakra and killing intent he released next was raw, immense — like a wave, crashing down.

Intimidation bordering on genjutsu.

Interesting.

The urge came suddenly, primal.

He wanted to test this upstart.

He formed a hand seal.

"Boom—"

But in the blink of an eye, Kiri disappeared.

One moment, he stood ten meters away.

Next, he was right in front of Orochimaru, moving with lethal speed, like a blade cutting through the air.

If it weren't for the clear gust of wind still spiraling around his black hair, Orochimaru would have thought he'd just witnessed a space-time ninjutsu.

Between them, less than ten centimeters.

And without even realizing it…

Kiri's hand had clamped down tightly on Orochimaru's wrist, cutting off his seal mid-cast.

But Orochimaru only smiled wider, eyes glittering with a twisted hunger.

"Remarkable, Kiri-kun…"

His voice was low, raspy — metal scraping metal.

"Your skills far exceed my expectations."

"If not," Kiri replied sincerely, "how would I dare stand before you, Lord Orochimaru?"

"And more importantly, how else could I make you see the value… of me and my techniques?"

Orochimaru looked at him — and for the first time…

He felt genuine curiosity.

Not about Kiri's attitude, nor even his overwhelming talent.

But the certainty behind his words.

A strange, unwavering belief that Orochimaru — above all else — could never resist the allure of a new technique.

That was a trait Kiri had somehow seen through.

A trait even Hiruzen Sarutobi had failed to notice.

Orochimaru's curiosity began to grow wildly, uncontainably.

"What do you want?"

Kiri's smile faded slightly.

"That depends, Lord Orochimaru…"

"On what you can offer."

"Of course…"

"This isn't the place for that conversation."

"If there's a next time… I hope we can speak more freely."

Orochimaru's smile paused.

His voice flattened.

"That's not up to you."

Suddenly — from his sleeve — black-scaled vipers burst out with blinding speed, striking at Kiri like lightning.

At this range, their venomous fangs struck like shuriken.

But—

Orochimaru's eyes widened.

Thirteen snakes — launched from sleeve, collar, and pant leg — all stopped instantly, frozen mid-air, less than an inch from Kiri's body.

Not a single one could move forward.

Kiri's expression remained utterly composed.

As though he had known this would happen all along.

"Then I'll be excusing myself."

Poof.

With a puff of smoke, his body vanished.

A shadow clone.

He had never been here in person.

Orochimaru stood still, eyes lingering on the fading traces of chakra.

And then… he smiled.

"Astounding…"

"Kiri-kun."

"Things… are starting to get interesting."