Bang!
As the door closed, the atmosphere in the room turned heavy.
"Lord Hokage, this is just Danzō trying to drive a wedge between us. My sensei may have conducted plenty of research, but he's never touched anything like that. I'm one of his apprentices and assistants—I'd know."
Hiruzen Sarutobi set the documents aside and took a long drag from his pipe. His expression shifted several times before he finally exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.
"I know how to handle Orochimaru. I'm aware of much of his research, and I won't just take Danzō's word for it."
"Enough about him. Kazuyama, you've made quite a name for yourself this time."
Kazuyama didn't care about the fame. So what if people knew his name now? Minato was still above him.
He and Orochimaru had already started planning for the future, but he hadn't expected things to change so suddenly today.
Life really is unpredictable.
Originally, Orochimaru could've continued his research for a few more years without issue. Working with Danzō had offered surface-level protection, which kept him safe.
But his own return had disrupted everything, dragging Orochimaru into the mess and exposing his movements prematurely.
At this moment, Kazuyama was thankful he had urged Orochimaru to prepare an exit plan in advance—otherwise, they'd be in a much worse position.
"Still worried about your sensei?"
"Don't be. He's my student—I know how to handle him."
"You made major contributions on the Land of Rivers battlefield. You don't need a typical reward. Originally, I was going to let you review the Scroll of Seals again."
"But knowing you, you've probably already read it all."
"So, tell me—what do you want as a reward?"
Hiruzen was genuinely pleased with Kazuyama. Over the years, he'd seen everything the young man had accomplished.
"Ten billion ryō? Honestly, I've got everything I need—except money!"
"I'm planning to get married, and I need to buy a house, some land. I'm also the head of the Gekkō Clan, so I've got responsibilities!"
"So, Lord Hokage, do you think you could support me financially?"
Hiruzen was dumbfounded. Seeing Kazuyama possessed by greed, he nearly slapped himself.
Why did I let him choose his own reward? Ten billion? The annual budget from the Daimyō's office isn't even close to that! This kid's gone all out with his demands!
"No way! Absolutely not!"
"Pick something else. There's no money—none at all!"
"But you can go to the mission office and collect the pay from your previous missions. I originally told someone to inform Pakura to get it, but she refused."
"You'll have to pick it up yourself."
Kazuyama shot the Hokage a look—stingy, unbelievably stingy.
Look at the Fourth Raikage from Kumo. He started his term five hundred million in debt, and nothing happened to him!
"But wait—you just said you're getting married?"
"Hehehe, now that's good news."
"Pakura was really worried after you disappeared. It's time you took responsibility."
Hiruzen stroked his beard with a cheerful grin as he looked at Kazuyama.
Both Pakura and Kazuyama possessed Kekkei Genkai. Their pairing was clever—Transparent Escape and Scorch Release were both incredibly useful.
He had worried Pakura might be reluctant to leave Sunagakure, but clearly, that concern was unnecessary.
"Tch. Do you really need to say that?"
"I already removed her Five Elements Seal. I'll find a time soon to hold the wedding nearby."
"As for Pakura, I think she'd make a great teacher."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. After all, she was marrying one of the village's top talents. A seal was nothing. With Kazuyama around, what could possibly go wrong?
"Hey, but what about my reward?"
"You're not seriously going to skip it, are you?"
Kazuyama hadn't forgotten. He wasn't about to pass up a chance to cash in.
Hiruzen rolled his eyes, completely speechless.
"I won't forget. Let this old man think about it."
"I'll let you know once I come up with something. For now, just take a good rest."
Kazuyama was seriously annoyed about the delay, but what could he do? The Hokage controlled the rewards—he just had to be patient.
Still, there was no way he'd let his reward slip away.
...
After Kazuyama left, Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, suddenly looking a little older.
He pulled the report on Orochimaru out once more.
"Orochimaru..."
"Sigh..."
It was clear Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't as calm as he pretended to be.
This was about his beloved student. He'd noticed Orochimaru acting strangely long ago, but hadn't thought much of it at the time. His student had always been a seeker of knowledge—that was what Hiruzen had once admired most about him.
But after the war and all the death they'd seen, Orochimaru had clearly gone astray. And now, Hiruzen couldn't help but worry.
"Someone, come in..."
...
Kazuyama Gekkō exited the Hokage building and headed straight out of the village.
He pushed open the research facility door and saw Yamato practicing Earth Release techniques inside.
"Lord Kazuyama."
"Mm. Keep training, Yamato. I'm here to see the teacher."
He soon found Orochimaru, who greeted him with a slight smile.
"Looks like Lord Hokage knows already?"
"Let me guess—Danzō threw me under the bus, didn't he?"
Kazuyama nodded, his expression turning grim.
"Sensei, you'd better be prepared. Danzō handed over all your past research records to the Hokage."
"Even though Lord Hokage is hesitant, if Danzō keeps pushing, it's only a matter of time before they come after you."
What kind of research was Orochimaru involved in?
Cell experiments, human experiments—none of it acceptable in the open.
"Hmph. The moment I broke ties with Danzō, I knew this day would come."
"But I didn't expect it to be so soon. I know my sensei—he'll punish me if it comes to that, but he'd never expose me while the war is still ongoing."
"Not unless the fighting stops completely. Until then, I'll be fine."
Orochimaru understood Hiruzen and Danzō better than Kazuyama did. And as he spoke, Kazuyama's stern expression began to ease.
Orochimaru was right. This was still the height of the Third Shinobi World War. Taking action against someone as capable as him now would only hurt the village.
Yeah... he'd been a bit too on edge.
Seeing Kazuyama gradually relax, Orochimaru could tell he'd come around.
"Hehehe, come now, Kazuyama. You're just in time."
"Let me show you the new jutsu I've developed."
"This is the first step forward."
"I've named it...Soft Physique Modification."
Kazuyama Gekkō: ...Oh no... Orochimaru's already stepped onto the path of no return... and it's anything but normal...
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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