Land of Fire.
Konohagakure.
Inside the Hokage Residence, the Third Hokage was studying a map spread across a table. A group of advisors surrounded him, including one man who stood out. Namikaze Minato, now widely known as the "Yellow Flash."
Wearing his Konoha flak jacket, he had a warm, gentle smile, a quintessential "sunny" hero. Though he struck terror into enemies on the battlefield, in person, Minato was modest and kind. Despite his civilian roots, his talent and status as Jiraiya's student made him a core member of the Hokage's direct faction.
Standing near him was Nara Shikaku. Though he looked quite young, he was already the head of the prestigious Nara clan. While the Nara weren't as large as the Senju or Uchiha, no one dared underestimate them because of their ancient alliance with the Akimichi and Yamanaka clans.
Under Nara leadership, this "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio served as the backbone of the Hokage's faction. Their philosophy was simple: unwavering support for whoever held the title of Hokage. They never meddled in the selection process, but once a Hokage was named, they gave their total loyalty.
Shikaku was currently the Jōnin Commander, overseeing the village's regular elite forces.
"Is there still no word from Orochimaru?" Hiruzen asked suddenly, his eyes fixed on the map.
Over half a month ago, Orochimaru had vanished from the village without a word. Hiruzen found it bizarre, but knowing his three students all shared a certain erratic streak, he felt only a sense of helplessness.
"No news," Koharu replied. She and Homura, Hiruzen's teammates from the Second Hokage's era, were the high-level consultants of the village. Danzo was also part of this group, though he wasn't present.
"Every single time I need them, they disappear. Him, Jiraiya, even Tsunade... I wonder how I ever thought all three were geniuses?" Hiruzen grumbled. He felt like his teaching had failed to produce reliable successors.
"I don't think bringing Orochimaru back would help even if we could find him," Shikaku interjected. "He made it clear he no longer wants to participate in this war."
Hiruzen's expression softened with a mix of grief and understanding. The Second Shinobi World War had been brutal. Tsunade had lost her lover and her brother. Jiraiya had lost three disciples he took in abroad. Both had left the village in disgust with war.
While Orochimaru stayed, he had expressed a lack of interest in further fighting. Hiruzen thought it was due to the loss of his teammates, specifically Tsunade's brother, Nawaki, whom Orochimaru had practically raised. The fragility of life Orochimaru witnessed in Nawaki's death had only deepened his own obsession with research and immortality.
Hiruzen had a headache. Though Konoha held the advantage in the Third War, the pressure was immense, and the losses were mounting. The "Big Three" were gone, and the legendary White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, had been driven to suicide by rumors.
For a brief moment, Uchiha Kagami had helped stabilize things, but he had mysteriously vanished in the Land of Rice Fields. Hiruzen felt like his pool of trustworthy commanders was drying up.
Strictly speaking, he still had powerful figures like Fugaku, Hiashi, and the semi-retired Senju clan. But the Senju had begun transitioning away from the shinobi lifestyle to avoid the village becoming a "one-family" town, which would violate Hashirama's vision. They were now heavily involved in the politics of the Land of Fire's capital. Tsunade's title of "Princess" was an official one recognized by the Daimyō.
The Senju hadn't been "persecuted" into vanishing; they had simply evolved.
That left the Uchiha and Hyūga. As major clans, they naturally had their own agendas which didn't always align with the Hokage's. Hiruzen didn't want to rely on them unless necessary, as victory would require rewarding them with power, leading to political struggles he hoped to avoid. That was why Fugaku was only sent to the front after Kagami's "death," to give the Uchiha clan an explanation.
"Do you have a recommendation, Shikaku?" Hiruzen asked.
Shikaku smiled. "Of course. I recommend Jiraiya-sama's disciple..."
"Minato?" Hiruzen looked at Minato, who seemed a bit surprised.
"Kannabi Bridge is a vital strategic point for Iwagakure, far from our borders. Attacking it to sever their supply lines requires a long-range strike. We need a unit with both extreme power and high mobility. Currently, Minato is the perfect candidate," Shikaku said seriously.
Hiruzen nodded but hesitated. "But Minato is still young. I worry about his experience in such large-scale—"
"But Lord Third, you don't have a better choice, do you?" Shikaku said solemnly.
If Orochimaru were willing, he'd be a fit, but he was missing. The Hyūga weren't politically ideal. War serves politics, and if you win the war but lose the political battle, the victory is hollow.
After a long pause, Hiruzen said, "Minato, study the situation at Kannabi Bridge. Prepare yourself. If the front line becomes strained, you will lead the spearhead unit to solve this!"
"Yes, Lord Third!" Minato responded instantly.
…
Back in the Land of Birds, Diarmuid was watching Orochimaru.
The Third Raikage's body lay on a table, flanked by a massive blank scroll. Orochimaru had one hand on the Raikage's head and the other on the scroll. As his chakra fluctuated, text began to manifest on the paper as if he were literalizing the dead man's memories.
Orochimaru had successfully bypassed the Five-Petal Secret seal.
After a long while, Orochimaru stopped. The scroll was almost completely filled. He wiped a bead of sweat and smiled. "It's done!"
Diarmuid and the others' eyes gleamed. They had hit the jackpot!