Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

March, Konoha.

Spring had finally arrived in the village.

Pink buds sprouted on the cherry trees lining the roads, with a few already eagerly blooming, swaying gently in the breeze.

The warm sunlight felt comforting against the skin—neither biting cold like winter nor oppressively hot like summer.

The snow in the village had long since melted away, leaving the ground dry and producing a soft rustling sound underfoot.

The four faces on the Hokage Monument stood out clearly in the sunlight.

The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage from different eras overlooked the village, each bearing a distinct expression. The Fourth Hokage's face was still brand new, its rocky edges sharp and untouched by the erosion of wind and rain.

Beside the Fourth, a massive new stone face was currently being carved. Working from the top down, the hair had already been sculpted, though the facial features were yet to be defined.

Judging by the hair, it was certain that the Fifth Hokage had long, smooth hair.

The atmosphere in the village remained as usual, seemingly unchanged.

People strolled down the streets, shopped at storefronts, and children chased each other playfully in open spaces. Occasionally, a squad of ninjas would hurry past, but their faces showed no signs of intense tension.

When the villagers saw them, they simply made way naturally and went back to their own business.

News of Uchiha Taiga leaving the village seemed to have been deliberately suppressed.

The ordinary villagers remained completely in the dark. They only knew that there had been a massive explosion outside the village that day, and a section of the outer wall had collapsed the following morning. However, the village's official explanation was a training accident. It was quickly repaired, and no one brought it up again.

The ninjas who knew the truth were also unwilling to mention it, all pretending that nothing had happened.

Shimura Danzo was dead, Utatane Koharu was dead, Mitokado Homura had stepped down, and the Third Hokage had abdicated... These events sparked quite a bit of discussion among the ninjas, but talk was just talk; no one dared to say anything publicly.

The Hokage building.

The nameplate on the door of the Hokage's office had already been changed.

It no longer read "Third Hokage," but "Fifth Hokage."

The layout of the office had also changed. The pipe favored by the Third Hokage was gone, replaced by a row of neat bookshelves filled with scrolls and books. The items on the desk were meticulously organized, with every document in its designated place.

Behind the desk, a person was hunched over their work. This individual had a slender build, straight black hair, and pale skin.

It was none other than Orochimaru.

At this moment, Orochimaru sat behind the desk, holding a document as his golden, slit-like pupils rapidly scanned the paper.

He wore the white Hokage robes, with a purple rope tied around his waist underneath. His long black hair cascaded over his shoulders. He looked a bit thinner than he had a few months ago, but he was in excellent spirits.

An ANBU operative walked in through the door and knelt on one knee.

"Lord Hokage."

Orochimaru looked up at the ANBU.

"Speak."

The ANBU took a scroll from his chest and presented it with both hands.

"According to information obtained by ANBU intelligence personnel in the Land of Hot Water, Uchiha Taiga appeared there a few days ago and clashed with Kumogakure forces. Based on our investigations, it is highly likely that Kumogakure deployed a Jinchuriki."

Orochimaru took the scroll, unrolled it, and his eyes darted across the paper.

His brow twitched slightly before the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a smile.

He stuck out his tongue, licking his lips, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Interesting."

His voice was very low, as if muttering to himself.

"To think Taiga-kun could easily suppress a Jinchuriki. Now, it's Kumogakure's turn to have a headache."

He closed the scroll, placed it on the desk, and nodded to the ANBU.

"Dismissed."

The ANBU stood up and vanished out the door.

Orochimaru turned around and looked out the window.

The sunlight from outside shone on his face, making his golden, slit-like pupils gleam faintly.

He looked at the distant Hokage Monument, at his own face currently under construction, and at the people bustling about the village, feeling that fate was truly marvelous.

Truth be told, his desire to build a good relationship with Uchiha Taiga naturally stemmed from his interest in the boy's uniqueness.

An innate Sage Body capable of naturally attracting natural energy without any side effects—it was a phenomenon he had never seen before.

He had originally planned that if he ever defected from the village in the future, he would take Uchiha Taiga with him to study that special body and uncover the secrets of its constitution.

He had even secretly prepared several contingency plans—bribery, coercion, persuasion, and negotiation—each meticulously thought out.

But he never could have imagined that things would develop to this point.

In the blink of an eye, he had somehow become the Hokage.

Logically speaking, the position of Hokage shouldn't have fallen to him.

After Uchiha Taiga left, his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen, favored Jiraiya and wanted him to take over as the Fifth Hokage.

But Jiraiya completely ignored the offer, giving all sorts of excuses—saying he wasn't suited for a desk job, that he still had to find the Child of Prophecy, or telling Hiruzen to go find Tsunade instead. Later on, he simply stopped replying to messages altogether, causing Hiruzen endless frustration.

Afterward, Hiruzen had no choice but to shift his focus to Tsunade. Unfortunately, Tsunade was unwilling to return to the village; after showing her face outside once, she disappeared without a trace.

Seeing that the village's ninja hierarchy was gradually developing dissenting voices—with some proposing a re-election for the Hokage and others suggesting that the heads of the other major clans take over—such a situation was absolutely unacceptable.

Left with no other options, Hiruzen could only hand the position of Hokage over to him.

Orochimaru could somewhat understand his teacher's reasoning.

Originally, when competing for the title of Fourth Hokage, he had a chance. But because of his involvement with Shimura Danzo, Hiruzen grew wary of him, and the position of Fourth Hokage ultimately went to Namikaze Minato.

Now, Shimura Danzo was dead, the advisor Utatane Koharu was dead, and Mitokado Homura had stepped down. The Fifth Hokage could assume power immediately upon taking office with very few constraints, making it much easier to unite the village's various ninja clans and factions.

This was a good thing.

Since the constraints of the advisors and Danzo were gone, letting Orochimaru become Hokage was no longer an issue.

After all, he was part of the Hokage lineage and a disciple of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. His background was flawless.

The previous concern had simply been that Orochimaru might be corrupted by Shimura Danzo into doing something terrible.

Now, that temptation was completely gone.

Thus, Orochimaru's ascension to power became a matter of course.

After all, throughout the entire village, the clamor for Orochimaru to become the Fifth Hokage was the loudest and could no longer be suppressed.

And so, Orochimaru became the Fifth Hokage, now sitting behind the Hokage's desk, marveling at the unpredictability of the world.

Just as he was about to refocus his energy on the documents, the office door was pushed open.

The door wasn't locked, and there was no knock; it was simply pushed open.

Sarutobi Hiruzen walked in.

He wore dark casual clothes, without the Hokage hat or the Hokage robes.

His hair was much whiter than it had been a few months ago, and the wrinkles on his face were much deeper. He looked more than ten years older. His eyes were still the same, but the light within them had dimmed significantly, as if covered by a layer of dust.

"Orochimaru."

His voice was hoarse, carrying a deliberately maintained toughness.

"I do not agree with the human experiments regarding Wood Style."

Orochimaru looked up at his teacher.

Looking at Hiruzen's aged face and dim eyes, he inexplicably felt that the man now bore a slight resemblance to the deceased Shimura Danzo.

Both had that same bitter expression, that same stubbornness of 'I am doing this for the good of the village,' and an inexplicable stench of decay.

Orochimaru shook his head.

"Teacher, I have already submitted this matter to the Jonin Council, and they have passed it by a vote."

Hiruzen's expression changed.

"You want to conduct experiments using the First Hokage's cells. Are you not afraid that such a thing will cause unrest among the rest of the village?"

"Unrest?"

Orochimaru repeated the word, as if savoring its meaning, and then smiled.

"Teacher, right now, the village needs power more than anything."

Hiruzen took a deep breath, his chest heaving a few times.

He opened his mouth to say something, but looking into Orochimaru's calm, golden, slit-like pupils, he swallowed his words.

He knew he couldn't change Orochimaru's decision. Just as he couldn't change Danzo, couldn't change Minato, and couldn't change Uchiha Taiga.

Hiruzen turned and walked toward the door.

When he reached the door, he stopped without looking back.

"You will regret this, Orochimaru."

His voice was very soft, so soft it was almost inaudible.

Orochimaru sat behind the desk, watching his teacher's back without saying a word.

It wasn't until Hiruzen's hand grasped the doorknob that he finally spoke.

"Teacher."

Hiruzen's hand paused.

Orochimaru's voice was perfectly calm.

"I am the Hokage."

Hiruzen's body stiffened, his cheeks trembling. This phrase sounded incredibly familiar to him, and in that moment, he completely understood how Shimura Danzo had felt back then.

*Thud.*

The door was shut.