Uchiha orphan, so what if I'm ruthless?

April in Konoha was steeped in the essence of spring.

The trees lining the roads were lush with foliage, their tender green leaves gleaming under the sunlight. The scent of earth and fresh grass permeated the air.

Children chased each other in the open clearings, their laughter echoing from one end of the street to the other. The elderly sat under the eaves, soaking in the sun and chatting idly. Everything appeared peaceful and serene.

In the Hokage building, inside the Hokage's office.

Orochimaru sat behind the desk, pinching an intelligence report as his golden, slit-like pupils slowly scanned the paper.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a faint, enigmatic smile. He darted his tongue out to lick his lips and let out a low chuckle.

"Hehehe."

As the Hokage, Orochimaru naturally wouldn't lick his lips in front of the public, but he never bothered to hide this peculiar habit around acquaintances.

Placing the report on the desk, Orochimaru looked up at the person sitting across from him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sat there dressed in dark casual clothes. He had more white hair on his head, and the wrinkles on his face had deepened significantly.

He also held an intelligence report in his hands, but his attention didn't seem to be on it. He merely pinched the paper, his gaze fixed on the desk, lost in thought.

Orochimaru leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands in front of him.

"Teacher, we really should thank Taiga-kun."

He wore a smile, his expression unusually relaxed.

"If it weren't for him, who knows how long the frontline would have remained in a stalemate with Kumogakure. Now that Kumogakure's forces have retreated, the pressure on the frontline is completely gone."

Sarutobi Hiruzen remained silent. His fingers twitched slightly, his knuckles turning white from gripping the report so tightly.

Orochimaru watched him without rushing, simply leaning against his chair and waiting with a smile.

After a moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen lowered the report. His movements were sluggish, as if the piece of paper weighed a thousand pounds.

Finally, he looked up and gazed out the window. His eyes were somewhat unfocused, making it impossible to tell what he was looking at or thinking about.

Watching his teacher, Orochimaru knew exactly what was going through his mind.

Regret. There could be nothing else but regret.

He was likely regretting the words he had spoken that night, forcing the genius youth away, and failing to make the right choice when things could still be salvaged.

But it was too late to say anything now.

Orochimaru offered no comfort, merely stating calmly, "The current situation is already clear. Taiga-kun probably won't ever return. After all, his bonds with the village have been completely severed."

He paused.

"In the future, he might even become an enemy of the village. For the sake of the village, we must enhance our own power."

Sarutobi Hiruzen snapped back to reality. He turned his head to look at Orochimaru, his gaze somewhat cloudy but his tone remaining firm. "I still maintain that those experiments are a mistake."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

"But everyone else supports them, don't they?"

His tone was casual. "So, Teacher, me researching the First Hokage's corpse isn't really a big deal, is it?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice sank.

"That is my teacher."

Orochimaru grinned, a hint of nonchalance in his smile.

"He's not my teacher."

Sarutobi Hiruzen was left speechless.

Looking at Orochimaru's smiling face and those golden, slit-like eyes, he felt a wave of exhaustion seep deep into his bones.

He opened his mouth to speak, but ultimately, no words came out.

He stood up slowly, his body slightly hunched, looking like a true old man.

Turning around, Sarutobi Hiruzen walked toward the door. His footsteps were heavy, every step looking as if he were trudging through a quagmire.

Finally, as he reached the door, he stopped. Without looking back, he spoke in a dry voice.

"You will regret this, Orochimaru."

Sitting behind the desk, Orochimaru watched his teacher's back, his smile unwavering.

"I am the Hokage, Teacher."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's body stiffened for a moment before he opened the door and walked out.

Bang!

The door closed, leaving the office in silence, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Such scenes had played out in this office many times before.

And every time, it ended exactly like this.

Orochimaru stared at the closed door, let out a soft chuckle, and then withdrew his gaze. Picking up the brush on his desk, he poured his energy back into the work at hand.

"Being the Hokage is quite convenient," he muttered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips. "And I have Taiga-kun to thank for that."

The tip of the brush glided across the paper, producing a soft rustling sound.

Over in Kumogakure, April didn't carry much of spring's warmth.

The snow on the mountains had yet to fully melt, leaving the peaks blanketed in pristine white.

Halfway up the mountains, the trees had sprouted tender green buds, but they shivered in the cold wind, looking fragile and thin.

The environment here was just like that. Early spring wasn't particularly warm, nor was it freezing cold, but the signs of spring were gradually arriving.

The scars left by the previous battle had not yet been fully repaired. The massive crater outside the village still remained, resembling a giant, gaping maw.

The stone walls were still under reconstruction. People climbed up and down carrying heavy stones, the clinking and clanking of their tools ringing out from dawn till dusk.

The ruins near the outer wall had been cleared away, but scorched marks still stained the ground, serving as a grim reminder of what had transpired that day.

The villagers' faces lacked their usual smiles, replaced by a sense of caution and wariness.

They no longer spoke loudly while walking down the streets, and they instinctively avoided any unfamiliar faces.

Children were warned by their parents not to wander off, restricted to playing only at their doorsteps. Shops remained open, but business was bleak. Owners sat behind their counters, bored as they watched the sparse trickle of pedestrians outside.

Uchiha Taiga couldn't care less about any of this. After all, this wasn't his home, and he knew no one here.

Currently, he was staying in a house on the eastern side of the village. It was in a prime location near the river, offering a wide, unobstructed view.

The house wasn't large, but it was clean and fully furnished with everything he needed: tatami mats, a table, a wardrobe, bedding, and a private bathroom.

He wasn't picky about his accommodations; as long as it was clean, it was fine.

Yes, Uchiha Taiga had found this place himself. He didn't pay a dime. Seeing that it was unoccupied, he simply moved right in.

As for who owned the house? That was none of his business.

Now that he was living in it, it was his.

After all, no one dared to bother him.

For the past few days, Uchiha Taiga had gone fishing by the river every single day.

Kumogakure was surrounded by mountains, but water often flowed between them. As a result, the village boasted a rich network of water veins. Rivers of all sizes cascaded down the mountains, converging in the valleys to form crystal-clear streams and wide rivers.

The rivers were teeming with large fish, making for a pleasing sight.

The weather was nice today, with the sun hanging high in the sky, casting a warm glow.

Uchiha Taiga sat on a large boulder by the riverbank. His fishing rod was propped up beside him, the line dangling in the water as the bobber gently swayed with the ripples.

The only reason he was here was simply to satisfy his craving for fishing.

His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and his eyes were half-closed, looking as though he were dozing off, yet also as if he were watching the fish beneath the surface.

Uchiha Taiga had been in Kumogakure for four or five days now, waiting for Raikage A to deliver the jutsu scrolls.

Since he had demanded all of their jutsu, it was no small amount.

Kumogakure had been established for decades, accumulating hundreds, if not thousands, of jutsu. Just organizing them would take a considerable amount of time.

Uchiha Taiga wasn't in a hurry. He had food and drink provided for him here, so he treated it like a vacation.

At that moment, a figure appeared a short distance behind him, stepping out from behind a tree without making a sound.

The person walked very slowly and carefully. Every step they took landed without making the slightest noise.

Uchiha Taiga didn't move, seemingly completely oblivious to the intrusion.

The person drew closer and closer. Five meters, four meters, three meters... and then stopped.

Right then, Uchiha Taiga spoke.

"Heh, I didn't expect you to take the initiative to come see me."

His voice wasn't loud, and his tone was casual, as if he were greeting an old friend.

He didn't even turn his head. His gaze remained fixed on the bobber floating on the water, but the corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a faint, enigmatic smile.

The footsteps behind him halted, and a kunai was already shooting straight toward the back of Uchiha Taiga's head.