After Orochimaru left, Danzo flew into a rage.
Orochimaru's betrayal had ruined all of Danzo's carefully laid plans.
Danzo never expected that Orochimaru, who seemed indifferent to everything except research, would go directly to Hiruzen Sarutobi and request permission to continue his studies under self-regulation.
But now, no matter how furious Danzo was, it wouldn't change anything—Orochimaru was, after all, Hiruzen's disciple. And as Orochimaru had rightly pointed out, Root was simply a training division of the Anbu. It made perfect sense for him to join the Anbu.
Just when he thought the dawn was approaching, before daylight could come, dark clouds had already gathered overhead.
"It's not Jiraiya, nor Orochimaru... Then who does Hiruzen plan to pass the Hokage title to? Who else could possibly be more qualified than those two? Tsunade? Unlikely. She has hemophobia. As for influence, aside from being the granddaughter of the First Hokage, she still can't compare to Orochimaru or Jiraiya..."
Danzo couldn't figure out at all who Hiruzen intended to name as the next Hokage.
...
At the barbecue restaurant.
Kushina Uzumaki and Pakura had visible eye twitches.
Kabuto Yakushi practically buried his face in his chest.
The reason? All three of them had already finished eating, but Shindai was still there, shoveling food like someone who hadn't eaten in eight hundred years.
Unable to bear it any longer, Kushina warned, "Hey, Shin! That's enough already! Once you're full, that's it! Stuffed yourself senselessly isn't fun anymore!"
She was already mentally cursing her thinning wallet.
"Full? Not yet... *burps* I mean, sure, Tsubaki always carries seasonings around so I can grab a quick bite when hunting, but that's nothing compared to real grilled meat. If I don't eat my heart out, I'd feel like I've betrayed myself!"
While saying this, Shindai let out several loud burps.
Kushina barely restrained herself from throwing a fist, grinding her teeth as she hissed through clenched lips, "I'm giving you ten seconds — after that, we're out of here!"
As Kushina began the countdown, Shindai sped up even more, stuffing food into his mouth frantically.
When the time ran out, Shindai's mouth was so full he literally couldn't fit another bite.
Kushina, Pakura, and Kabuto all rolled their eyes simultaneously.
Seriously, like he hasn't eaten in centuries?
To prevent Shindai from pulling anything else crazy, Kushina immediately went to settle the bill.
Even prepared for the worst, seeing her wallet suddenly emptied still made Kushina's breath come fast and hard as she shot a murderous glare at Shindai behind her, who was still struggling to swallow everything in his mouth.
She was seriously itching to punch someone right now!
"Sorry about making you pay," Pakura apologized to Kushina, clearly embarrassed.
Kushina shook her head with a smile. "Don't say that. I'm a few years older than you anyway. You and Shindai can just call me 'sister', too."
Shindai nodded. "Hmm, Sister Kushina."
Hearing Shindai call her "Sister" just like Shindai did, Kushina Uzumaki felt a slight sense of relief regarding her wallet.
After leaving the barbecue restaurant, Shindai finally swallowed the bite in his mouth.
Shindai patted his bulging belly, "Huff, that was delicious. Time to go home~"
As soon as Shindai finished speaking, he felt a bitter glare directed at him.
Turning his head, he discovered the glare came from Kabuto Yakushi.
Shindai forced a laugh, "Uh, haha, I didn't forget, I was just kidding you. You actually believed it though~"
Kabuto pouted. "Didn't forget? Sure you didn't."
Shindai said to Pakura, "Pakura, I need to go to the orphanage with Kabuto. Do you want to come with us or go back home with Sister Kushina first?"
"I..."
Pakura originally wanted to go with Shindai, but Kushina Uzumaki immediately said, "Pakura should return with me first. Pakura needs proper rest for her injuries and shouldn't keep running around with you!"
"Hmm, okay then. Anyway, Pakura, you have the house key. Today you can sleep in my room. Tomorrow I'll take you shopping for daily necessities. Let's go, Kabuto."
Waving goodbye to Pakura and Kushina Uzumaki, Shindai headed toward the orphanage with Kabuto, proudly sticking out his belly.
After Shindai left, an Eight Trigrams-like expression appeared on Kushina Uzumaki's face. Eagerly, she said to Pakura, "Pakura, since we're neighbors now and it's still early, why don't you come over first and tell me how you met Shindai?"
Pakura looked at Kushina Uzumaki with a complicated expression. Why did this feel... ominous?
...
Right now, Shindai practically leaned entirely onto Kabuto Yakushi, who struggled to support him.
"Haha, sorry about this Kabuto. Need to rely on you for support~"
"You ate too much! Can't you eat less next time?"
Kabuto grumbled. He was still young and shouldn't be burdened with such weight!
Shindai lectured, "Ah, but you mustn't eat less. More eating means more earning. You're still young and don't understand."
Kabuto retorted, "I'm not *that* much younger than you! And aren't you uncomfortable being so full?"
"Uncomfortable! But the moment I think that even my burps smell like barbecue now, I don't feel uncomfortable anymore."
Kabuto was utterly speechless facing Shindai.
Finally, after Kabuto exerted tremendous effort and nearly collapsed from exhaustion, they reached the orphanage.
After leading Shindai into a room, Kabuto said, "Wait here a second while I go find the Headmaster."
"Okay, perfect chance to sit down and digest my meal."
Leaning on the table, Shindai sat down heavily. He distinctly felt his tiny belly bounce when he sat down.
A while later.
Kabuto Yakushi brought Nonou Yakushi to the room, accompanied by another person.
"Oh, Orochimaru-sama is here too."
Orochimaru's gaze fell upon Shindai's rounded belly. "Looks like you've been eating well."
Curious, Shindai asked, "Since Orochimaru-sama is here, does that mean...?"
Orochimaru nodded. "Correct. I've already spoken with Sarutobi-sensei. He will support my research from now on. I've also discussed your orphanage plan with him — he agrees with it."
Although Sarutobi warned Danzo, there's still a chance he'll exploit any information gaps — try to force Nonou Yakushi back into Root, then send her on an out-of-village mission. If that happens, it'll be too late. That's why I came to warn Nonou in advance."
Shindai immediately understood — Orochimaru was referring to Danzo.
Shindai turned to Nonou Yakushi and asked, "So, Sister Nonou, you already knew about this?"
Nonou Yakushi smiled and said, "Yes, thank you Shindai, for coming up with this money-making plan for our orphanage. If it works, we'll become self-sufficient and won't need aid funds anymore."
Proudly lifting his chin, Shindai bragged to Kabuto, "See? I wasn't lying, Kabuto! Even Hokage-sama approved my plan!"
The look Kabuto gave Shindai finally showed real admiration. He sincerely exclaimed, "Aniki, you're amazing!"
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