061 Orochimaru’s Open and Aboveboard

"Weren't Shisui's eyes already destroyed by the elder? Hehehe..." Orochimaru laughed, his mocking tone entirely undisguised.

"You—!?" Koharu Utatane wanted to lash out, but the words caught in her throat, and cold sweat drenched her back, soaking her clothes. Anger was there, but fear prevailed. If Orochimaru hadn't produced the nutrient tank just now, this incident would have ended with her as the one who destroyed Shisui's eyes. And while she was still immersed in the righteousness of sacrificing for the village, behind the scenes, Orochimaru could very well have been holding the real Shisui's eyes, laughing at her foolishness.

Koharu wasn't afraid of sacrifice, but she feared a sacrifice made in vain.

After the fear came embarrassment and rage, her emotions cycling in a loop. She glared at Orochimaru as though she could burn him with her gaze. This bastard dared to toy with her so openly.

Orochimaru, hardly one to indulge her, just smiled. "What, destroying one pair of Shisui's eyes isn't enough? Do you want another?"

"It's fine, I have plenty," he added, producing two more small nutrient tanks from the scroll at his side and setting them on the table for show before tucking them away again. One couldn't help but wonder just how many pairs of eyes lay hidden within that scroll. And more to the point, did it really contain Shisui's eyes at all?

After what had just transpired, doubt gnawed at everyone present.

At this point, any further dispute over the Mangekyō Sharingan was meaningless. Even if Orochimaru produced the genuine article and destroyed it before their eyes, no one would believe him. Knowing Orochimaru's nature, he would never relinquish the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Any destruction he put on display would be mere theater, a question only of how convincing the act, and whether anyone chose to deceive themselves for the sake of their own peace of mind.

Koharu was no fool; indeed, under Orochimaru's relentless assault, her intellect seemed keener than ever, and it didn't take her long to see the truth. Things had come to this point—any attempt to rally the village leadership, including the Third, to pressure Orochimaru would be futile. Not all the elders shared her convictions, after all.

She shot Danzo and Orochimaru a venomous glare, then rose abruptly and swept out, sleeves billowing. Homura Mitokado glanced at the ever-silent Third, sighed helplessly, and followed after her.

Soon, silence returned to the Hokage's meeting room, leaving only the three master and disciples, and Danzo.

Danzo, for all his faults, had a face thick as leather, honed through years at the helm of Root. Even after his recent embarrassment, he could still sit unruffled as though nothing had happened. Yet, inevitably, his presence made certain matters awkward to discuss between teacher and disciples. All three fell silent, casting obvious looks of disdain in Danzo's direction. The atmosphere grew tense.

Danzo could not bear it for long—not from lack of discipline, but from a desire not to waste time. With the situation as it was, it was clear that these fools would say nothing with him present.

He stood, shot Orochimaru a sidelong look, and grunted coldly: "Orochimaru, see to your own affairs..."

Much like the Uchiha, he saw little point in further conflict. They were, after all, just a pair of useless eyes. His purpose here had been to preserve Shisui's eyes from destruction—nothing else mattered. Yes, that was it. As for Shisui's eyes, he was confident in his ability to secure them for himself, should he be willing to pay the price. Orochimaru—hmph, a greedy man, but easily bought if the price was right.

With such thoughts, Danzo vanished from the meeting room.

As Danzo departed, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, turned with a faint sigh. "Orochimaru, you went too far today. You shouldn't have toyed with Koharu like that."

"I didn't expect things to develop this way, either," Orochimaru shrugged, indicating his earlier surprise was genuine, then added with biting sarcasm, "Perhaps it's because our esteemed elder has served as Hokage's advisor for too long. Power and the obedience of others have blinded her—she's forgotten what it means to be human." He flashed a wicked smile. "Humans can be deceived, can be fooled. Why shouldn't I play with her? Koharu takes her position far too seriously."

The Third refrained from commenting on Orochimaru's mockery, saying quietly instead, "What I didn't expect was that you didn't take the opportunity to press your advantage."

Compared to others, Sarutobi understood his disciple far better. From the outset, he had considered what would happen if Orochimaru had produced a counterfeit pair of eyes. After Koharu destroyed the eyes, he had planned to expose the ploy and put pressure on Orochimaru, but Orochimaru had confessed himself instead. Perhaps there was some perverse amusement in it, but clearly, Orochimaru had no intention of weaving a web of lies.

Jiraiya, who had remained silent, was equally intrigued, turning his gaze toward Orochimaru. This was not the behavior he remembered from his old comrade.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... The reason is simple," Orochimaru said with a sinister chuckle. "I've realized that, at least on the surface, most people in the village are on my side in this matter. It's you who are on the defensive."

The Third sighed but said nothing. Orochimaru smiled and went on, "Two elder advisors, high-ranking leaders of the village, showing baseless hostility toward a shinobi clan—it's incomprehensible. I used to think they were simply malicious, out for personal vendettas. But after today's display, I've changed my mind." Orochimaru glanced toward the door through which the elders had exited, a mocking curve on his lips. "They're not malicious, they're stupid. And stupidity is even more intolerable than evil."

Hearing Orochimaru's flagrant scorn, Hiruzen said nothing, but even Jiraiya, though he found it somewhat extreme, could not entirely disagree. The two elders' animosity toward the Uchiha did seem unfounded.

Seeing the Third's continued silence, Orochimaru asked, "What's wrong, old man? Were you planning to destroy Shisui's eyes as well? That doesn't sound like something the Hokage would do."

"Let's set that matter aside for now," Hiruzen replied, fixing Orochimaru with a hard look. "You haven't fulfilled your promise regarding the Cloud Hidden War."

At these words, Orochimaru's smile faded, his brow furrowing slightly. The Third kept his gaze fixed on him, waiting for a response.

Orochimaru had only been allowed to command in the Cloud Hidden War thanks to the Third's maneuvering, and in return, he was to repel the enemy while ensuring the Uchiha suffered significant losses, thus clearing them of suspicion. But in the end, Orochimaru had performed too well—Cloud was defeated, the Uchiha lost a pair of Mangekyō Sharingan and were exonerated, but the anticipated blemish of deliberately sacrificing Konoha's own shinobi never materialized. On the contrary, Orochimaru's performance in the war had made his prestige in the village unmatched. Should anyone suggest making him the Fifth Hokage, the consequences would be unthinkable...

With the Third's reminder, Orochimaru realized this as well, his expression growing grim. To become the next Hokage, disciple to Jiraiya—such a notion was utterly unthinkable.