Orochimaru's face was austere, his skin pale. With casually spread black hair, he gave off a gloomy aura, making it difficult to feel any warmth toward him.
"You! You're just like Rin!" Anko fumed.
"Lord Orochimaru, please don't be angry. He really..."
"Anko," Orochimaru interrupted Anko, who was berating Shinji while simultaneously trying to explain his actions.
"Yes, sir."
"Do you remember what I asked you to pick up from the hospital yesterday?"
"Yes!"
"Go get me some more of it for me."
"Oh, okay!" Anko nodded instinctively, then realized something was amiss, "Um-Now?"
"Yes."
Anko shot Shinji a suspicious glance, her face a mask of worry. If this guy angers Lord Orochimaru again… she thought.
"Are you worried about what I might do to your friend?"
"No! I'll go right away!"
Anko dashed out, hoping to return quickly.
Only Shinji and Orochimaru remained in the sparsely furnished living room. Orochimaru walked over to a chair and sat down.
The house was somewhat old. ]
Fallen leaves piled up under the trees in the yard. A breeze blew into the living room, bringing not comfort but a chill.
Shinji knew what he was doing; and facing someone like Orochimaru was undeniably stressful.
"Who's behind you?"
"What is Lord Orochimaru talking about?"
"Sending me such a big gift... what does he want in return?"
"I don't understand what Lord Orochimaru means."
Orochimaru scrutinized the young man before him. "I have a short temper. If you don't own up to it, I might change my mind in the next second."
Shinji still shook his head. "Lord Orochimaru, you must have misunderstood something."
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp and intimidating.
He changed tack. "You said Minato will be the next Hokage?"
"I didn't say it," Shinji replied. "That's what everyone in the village thinks." He then looked at Orochimaru with feigned surprise. "Could it be that Lord Orochimaru also wish to be Hokage?"
Shinji's continuous denials had sown seeds of doubt in Orochimaru's mind. But at this moment, Orochimaru finally understood. This kid was playing him.
He wasn't immediately enraged. He was surprised and amused that someone dared to try such a trick on him.
Shinji continued, "The Hokage is someone who brings hope to the villagers, someone bathed in rays of light."
Orochimaru scoffed. "You think I can't be Hokage?"
Shinji didn't answer the question. Instead, he started to tell a seemingly unrelated story. "I seem remembered an old story. I wonder if Lord Orochimaru would be interested in hearing it."
Orochimaru's eyes flickered, wondering if this kid was sent by the Hyuga to test him.
But who in the Hyuga clan could it be...
"Let's hear it," he said.
Shinji slowly began his tale. "Once upon a time, there was a king who wanted to pass his throne to one of his two sons..."
"..."
"The eldest son was exceptionally talented and powerful, inheriting all of the king's strength. However, he was arrogant and conceited, unpopular with the people. All he thought about was how to become stronger.
"The younger son, though weaker, cared deeply about the people's lives and often helped them solve their problems. He held great prestige among the commoners.
"Who do you think the king should pass the throne to, Lord Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru sneered. "If the Eldest son was truly that strong, he wouldn't be foolish enough to wait for the throne to be handed to him."
He seemed to know that the younger son would inherit the throne. He understood that the two characters in the story represented himself and Minato, so he directly bypassed Shinji's question.
Shinji said, "But the old king was still alive and just as powerful. Moreover, the nobles in the country all favored the younger son. On the other hand, the Eldest son was isolated, his power seemingly insufficient to oppose everyone.
"The Eldest son always believed that as long as he was strong enough, he could win the throne with his own power. But the final result was that the younger son, supported by the people, ascended to the throne and drove the Eldest son out of the country. The Eldest son wanted revenge, but the people of the country all stood before the new king.
"Lord Orochimaru, what do you think the Eldest son can do at this point?"
Orochimaru remained silent, his face cold.
"Of course, there's another way," Shinji continued.
"The Eldest son could kneel before the younger son and support him as the new king. Then, the powerful Eldest son could become the general of the country. Wouldn't that be a beautiful story?
"The story is over, Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru stared intently at Shinji. "Aren't you afraid of death?"
Shinji feigned surprise. "Lord Orochimaru, you wouldn't kill me, would you?"
Orochimaru: "..."
A thought suddenly struck him. 'Is this kid always this brave?'
Usually, people were both respectful and fearful in his presence. He had just released his killing intent, yet this guy seemed completely unaffected.
What gave him such confidence?
"But if you want to be Hokage, how can you kill a fellow villager?" Shinji pressed on.
"I can become Hokage If I don't kill you?" Orochimaru sneered, deliberately twisting Shinji's words.
Shinji chuckled. "Lord Orochimaru, if you don't kill me, I can find a way to make you Hokage."
"You?" Orochimaru scoffed, but recalling the kid's previous behavior, his mind raced.
This kid...
"Why are you doing this?"
Shinji paused, then looked at Orochimaru calmly. "Does Lord Orochimaru understand what's going on with my eyes?"
Eyes...
Orochimaru had learned about this anomaly in the Hyuga clan from Anko. At first, he found it quite intriguing. First, an outsider obtained the Uchiha's Sharingan, and now a Hyuga had ordinary eyes.
"I'm just a member of the branch family. If I were to have the Byakugan implanted again, it would mean being branded with the Caged Bird Seal by the main family once more."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru instantly understood everything, including the matter of Shinji relaying information about the Byakugan through Anko.
There was no one behind this kid; it had been him all along.
He had gone to such great lengths, just for this?
A weakling, desperately trying to attract his attention, seeking his protection?
If Shinji had revealed his identity and pledged allegiance from the beginning, Orochimaru would have found him incredibly arrogant and foolish.
Now, it did seemed the kid was indeed arrogant!
"What made you think I would accept those Byakugan in the first place?" Orochimaru suddenly asked.
Shinji responded, "Because the Eldest son is arrogant and conceited. There's nothing he wouldn't dare to do."
Orochimaru said indifferently, "You also mentioned the Eldest son's ending. As someone unpopular, I should just wait for Minato to be hailed as Hokage."
Shinji replied, "That was just a story, a story I made up. Stories need logic to be convincing. Reality is much more magical and illogical than stories.
"Besides, aside from the position of Hokage, weren't those Byakugan also out of Lord Orochimaru's reach?"
Orochimaru's heart stirred. He wanted to be Hokage because the position would bring him many advantages.
But things like the Byakugan were what he was truly passionate about.
Shinji had indeed given him a reason that was hard to refuse. The Hyuga's strict control over the Byakugan made Orochimaru curious about its power, yet helpless to obtain it.
After hearing what Shinji had said from Anko, he had taken action despite knowing it might be a trap.
Orochimaru pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "First, tell me what your plan is."
These words meant that he had acknowledged Shinji.
"I'm curious Lord Orochimaru. It's wartime, yet, why are you staying at home?"
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "You want me to compete with Minato to see who can kill more enemies?"
Shinji countered, "Lord Orochimaru only needs to demonstrate the ability to turn the tide of the war, doesn't he?"