A New Snake In The Shinobi World

Minato Namikaze?

Upon hearing this, Tsunade and Mikoto, who had just sat down on the sofa in the guest room, were both stunned.

What was Orochimaru thinking?

"Why... why Minato Namikaze?"

"Yeah, you and Minato don't seem to have much interaction, right?"

Mikoto was puzzled, and Tsunade was even more so.

When Jiraiya took Minato Namikaze as his disciple, Orochimaru had already defected from the village.

The two had never had any contact.

So how could Orochimaru entrust him with such an important position?

"Hmm? But from what I see, there are plenty of suitable conservatives. Why Minato specifically?" Tsunade asked.

"Because he's the youngest." Orochimaru casually gave an excuse.

Of course, the real reason was more complicated.

Minato was incredibly capable, whether in combat or interpersonal relationships, he had exceptional talent.

By all rights, he should have become the Fourth Hokage. But because of Orochimaru's actions, he lost that opportunity.

He should have ended up with Kushina too. But again, Orochimaru had intervened, and that future was taken from him as well.

In other words, Orochimaru had taken both Minato's Hokage position and his wife.

So, giving Minato this opportunity now felt like a form of compensation.

Of course, ability was still the deciding factor. If Minato lacked the competence to manage like a true Kage, Orochimaru wouldn't have considered him, even if he were Jiraiya's disciple.

"You're really generous." Tsunade smiled. "You've worked so hard to get to this point, and now you're just handing it over to someone else?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Mikoto chimed in. "But this proves that you started this war for the sake of peace not for power. Don't you think so, Tsunade-sama?"

"You're absolutely right, that's exactly what I was going to say!" Tsunade said, turning to Orochimaru with admiration in her eyes. "Orochimaru, I really didn't misjudge you."

Hearing this, Orochimaru smirked. "Then... shouldn't I get a reward?"

"Of course! What kind of reward do you want? If it's something I can do, I'll make it happen," Tsunade promised without hesitation.

She hadn't even been drinking, but her excitement made it seem like she had.

Because from the very beginning, her biggest fear wasn't the endless wars in the ninja world, it was that Orochimaru would become the kind of power-hungry person she despised most.

But now, knowing that he had stayed true to his ideals and even helped fulfill her childhood dream gave her a joy that rivaled the moment she first saw her younger brother brought back to life.

"How about rewarding me with... the two of you together?" Orochimaru said, his smile turning wicked.

"Huh? Together?"

Mikoto didn't immediately grasp his meaning.

Tsunade froze for a second but quickly understood. "Then... of course," she replied, cheeks flushing.

"Wait... I mean... I'm okay with it, I just don't know if—"

Tsunade seemed to swallow the rest of her sentence.

She'd been with Orochimaru long enough to understand exactly what he meant.

But Mikoto wasn't as familiar with his personality. She didn't realize what was happening until Orochimaru's hand ruffled her hair.

"Wait... here? Right now?" she asked nervously.

"It's fine. It's break time, no one's going to come looking for us."

"Tch, only you would think of something like this," Tsunade muttered.

"You're the one getting the better deal here, Mikoto. Move over."

One against two?

Orochimaru had never tried that before.

But with everything settled and the future of the ninja world secured, he felt it was time to enjoy life a little.

Would Tsunade refuse? Of course not.

If she cared about something like this, she never would have introduced Mikoto to Orochimaru in the first place.

And Mikoto, gentle and obedient as always wasn't the type to refuse him either.

That night belonged to the three of them.

---

The Ninja World Summit lasted several days.

When it finally ended, the other four Kage and the village leaders of the smaller villages left with their subordinates.

Their next task was to select suitable candidates to help build the new city.

Yes—a city, not a village.

And it would be a joint effort by the entire ninja world.

Orochimaru wasn't in any rush.

He planned to spend a few more days in the snowy Land of Iron with Tsunade and Mikoto.

After all, issuing orders was easy, he didn't need to be personally involved.

As they strolled outside the city, the icy winds swept across the vast, snow-covered landscape.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

A voice called out from behind.

Orochimaru turned around and saw Mei standing at a distance. She hesitated before taking a deep breath and calling him again.

Tsunade, walking beside Orochimaru, instantly knew what was going on.

"If it's important, go talk to her," she said, her voice calm but carrying an undertone of authority.

She knew Mei probably didn't have any official business but as Mizukage, she still deserved that much respect.

Orochimaru gave a slight nod and walked toward Mei.

The two stopped when they reached a quieter spot.

"Thank you... for what you did back then," Terumi Mei said sincerely.

The years of separation had added a faint sense of distance between them.

Orochimaru responded with a shrug. "It was nothing. I had my own reasons for killing the Yondaime Mizukage."

"You're being modest. If it weren't for you, our village would have faced a catastrophe."

"Is that all you wanted to say?" Orochimaru asked bluntly.

He disliked small talk and didn't enjoy people beating around the bush.

"Well..." Mei hesitated, then smiled. "Lord Orochimaru, don't you have anything you'd like to say to me?"

Her smile was captivating.

The low-cut blue dress she wore, paired with her thigh-high fishnet stockings, made for an alluring sight.

Orochimaru gave her a once-over and raised an eyebrow. "You're not... interested in me, are you?"

He'd meant it as a teasing remark, but Mei didn't deny it.

"You really are different from other shinobi," she said, her smile growing. "Not only are you strong, but your perception is also terrifyingly sharp. To be honest... yes, I admire exceptional shinobi like you."

Orochimaru chuckled softly. "I have enough women already. Besides... I'm old enough to be your father."

***

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