Konohagakure, Hokage Tower, Conference Room.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with four senior advisors, the Hokage's counselor, and the leader of the Root division, Danzo Shimura, were all gathered for a meeting.
Seated at the head of the table, Hiruzen cleared his throat. Once the room fell silent, he spoke in a calm tone.
"The first item on the agenda: recalling Team 11 and Tsunade. What are your thoughts on this?"
At his words, everyone in the room shifted their gazes, their eyes darting nervously.
Thoughts? They had plenty at first—both Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had opinions. But after each of them ended up with a shaved head, courtesy of Danzo's "influence," they decided it was best to keep their thoughts to themselves.
And then there was Rinjin, the wild card.
To put it nicely, he was "highly proactive." To put it bluntly, he was a rogue element.
He rarely left the village, but when he did, he would disappear for three years at a time!
The most infuriating part was his impeccable excuses:
"Completing the mission is a ninja's duty!"
"A ninja either dies or ensures the mission is completed, even in death!"
There was no way to argue against him. They had tried everything—soft persuasion, hard threats—but he was as stubborn and immovable as a rock in a latrine: both filthy and unyielding.
After a long silence, Hiruzen sighed heavily, seeing that no one had anything to say.
"Then let Sakumo go. He's familiar with that rascal and, at the very least, won't get beaten up."
Hearing this, everyone nodded eagerly, like chickens pecking at grain, and chimed in:
"Sakumo is perfect!"
"Yes, let Sakumo handle it."
"Sakumo has always been reliable since he was young~"
Beside Hiruzen, Sakumo Hatake, now the deputy commander of the Anbu, stared blankly at the ceiling, his face devoid of hope.
He had thought that climbing the ranks of the Anbu would free him from Rinjin's antics. In hindsight, he had been far too naive.
Satisfied with the unanimous agreement, Hiruzen glanced at Sakumo and gave his orders.
"It's decided, then. Sakumo, bring back Team 11 and Tsunade. Even if that rascal Rinjin refuses to return, make sure Tsunade comes back!"
With that, Hiruzen opened the roster on the table and moved on to the next topic.
"The second item on the agenda: discussing the future team compositions for Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya."
At this, the attendees were momentarily stunned before their eyes lit up, all turning their attention to the roster in Hiruzen's hands.
To be honest, if they were ordinary jonin, their students wouldn't merit discussion at such a high-level meeting.
But Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya were anything but ordinary!
Setting aside Tsunade's heritage, the fact that these three were direct disciples of the Third Hokage made them core members of the Hokage's faction.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Fourth Hokage would likely be chosen from among them.
Looking back, both the First and Second Hokage had trained their successors. Hiruzen Sarutobi himself had been a disciple of the First and Second Hokage.
Given this lineage, the students of Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya carried significant political weight.
It was a matter of great importance!
At this moment, the three were no longer seen as a collective but as individual "chips" on the table.
In plain terms, the conference table had turned into a gambling table, with Hiruzen as the dealer and Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya as the stakes.
While the three might have some say in choosing their preferred students, the remaining slots would be allocated by the "players" around the table.
Now was the time to wager their chips.
And the one with the most chips was none other than the middle-aged man smoking a pipe at the head of the table.
Seeing that no one was speaking, Hiruzen exhaled a long plume of smoke, pondered for a moment, and then spoke calmly.
"Nawaki will become Orochimaru's student when he grows up. I trust no one has any objections to this?"
At his words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Joking aside, even though Nawaki didn't carry the Senju surname and was only four years old, he was still the "little prince" of the village.
And naturally, the best mentor for the little prince would be none other than the brilliant Orochimaru.
No one had any objections to this arrangement.
What followed was an unseemly battle of words and wits.
When it came to power, these people wore masks of humility, but when it came to grabbing opportunities, they were fiercer than anyone else.
Only Danzo, arms crossed, watched the spectacle with cold detachment, sneering inwardly.
Fight all you want! Keep fighting! When I rise to become Hokage, I'll relish the sight of your stunned faces!
Soon, the student allocations were finalized:
Orochimaru, the most sought-after, was saddled with three additional students.
Jiraiya, who had moderate support, received two assigned students and one slot for his personal choice.
As for Tsunade, no one dared to impose students on her.
There were two reasons for this:
First, Tsunade's status made it inappropriate to force students upon her.
Second, there was Rinjin.
Everyone present was a seasoned veteran, and it was clear to all that there was something going on between Tsunade and Rinjin.
Whenever Rinjin was involved, it was best to keep opinions to oneself. This was an unspoken rule.
After all, Danzo's shiny bald head from three years ago was still a vivid reminder.
With the second topic concluded, Hiruzen frowned slightly as he looked at the next file in his hands. His voice deepened as he announced:
"The third item on the agenda concerns the potential opening of certain forbidden techniques for training the next generation."
The weight of his words plunged the room into an eerie silence.
If the second topic represented the distant future, this one was about the near future.
Forbidden techniques were the foundation of a hidden village's strength and a key determinant of its power.
Traditionally, only the Hokage and their closest confidants had the privilege to research, learn, and disseminate forbidden techniques.
Was Hiruzen suggesting opening access to some of these techniques?
Not quite.
What he meant was:
Who would be granted the privilege to access these forbidden techniques?
And who would have the authority to teach them to the next generation, thereby cultivating their own loyal followers?
This "who" carried profound implications.
As everyone pondered this, Danzo Shimura cleared his throat and stood up.
"Hiruzen, the Root division, as the training arm of the Anbu, is responsible for producing more and better Anbu operatives.
I believe Root requires partial access to forbidden techniques."
Hearing this, everyone silently cursed: "Old fox."
Though Danzo's request seemed innocuous, it was a veiled power grab!
At this moment, Kagami Uchiha, who had a long-standing rivalry with Danzo, raised his hand and spoke in a measured tone:
"Lord Hokage, while I have no direct experience with the Anbu or its operations, I believe forbidden techniques should be awarded as incentives to those who demonstrate exceptional loyalty and make significant contributions.
They should not be treated as standard training material for a single division."
His implication was clear: Danzo, you have no right to reward loyal members—that privilege belongs solely to the Hokage.
If you insist on it, it only proves your ulterior motives!
Hearing this, Danzo's face darkened, and he began cursing inwardly.
Meanwhile, the others watched the exchange with amusement.
It had to be said: though both Danzo and Kagami were students of the Second Hokage, when Kagami wasn't being overly idealistic, his sharp mind was more than capable of holding its own against Danzo's cunning.
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