NOVEL NEXT Chapter 94: Malice
"No, I still have another hope..." Shimura Danzo, who had been anxiously pacing around, suddenly stopped. His eyes lit up as a thought crossed his mind. "Yes, Orochimaru. He's also one of the candidates!"
Upon this realization, Danzo felt a sudden sense of clarity. Orochimaru, too, was vying for the position of Fourth Hokage. In fact, the two main candidates for the Hokage position in Konoha were Orochimaru and Minato Namikaze.
As someone who had watched Orochimaru grow and had made him the deputy of the Root, Danzo knew very well how much influence Orochimaru wielded in the village. While Orochimaru might seem cold and detached, especially in battle, his calm demeanor made him strangely captivating. Orochimaru had many loyal followers, and the support he had garnered over the years could not be underestimated.
In the past, before Danzo had pulled Orochimaru into the depths of the Root organization, he had viewed him as a potential rival for Hokage. At that time, Danzo had even thought about the possibility of forcing Orochimaru to defect. But even if Orochimaru had defected, Danzo knew he would have had many devoted followers in Konoha because of his charisma and his long years of service to the village.
Danzo's thoughts took a turn. If he supported Orochimaru for the Hokage position, he could use his influence over Orochimaru's dark secrets to control him—becoming the true power behind the Hokage. Then, once he held that power, Danzo could manipulate Orochimaru and eventually push him aside to claim the position of Fifth Hokage!
His blood surged with excitement at the prospect. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. With a renewed sense of purpose, Danzo quickly left for Orochimaru's Wood Style Laboratory at the Root base.
When Danzo arrived at the laboratory, the junior ninjas stationed nearby saw him and, without a word, pretended not to notice anything, their eyes lowered.
With a loud bang, Danzo swung open the door and walked in briskly. He found Orochimaru sitting in front of a computer screen, recording something. Without preamble, Danzo spoke, his words rushed with urgency:
"Orochimaru! Are you ready for the Hokage election? Tell me the rules, and I'll give you some advice to increase your chances of winning!"
Orochimaru, already irritated by Danzo's rude entrance, calmly placed the notebook down. He turned to face Danzo, his expression calm but eyes sharp.
When he saw Danzo's twisted, fanatical excitement, Orochimaru immediately understood what was going on. He knew exactly what Danzo was after. Danzo's obsession with becoming Hokage was well-known, and now he was trying to manipulate Orochimaru into helping him.
But Orochimaru wasn't fooled. He knew that Danzo wanted to use him as a puppet to further his own ambitions. He wasn't interested in playing that game.
Orochimaru crossed his arms, his gaze cold as he spoke to Danzo. "Danzo-senpai… relax a little and give up on running for Hokage."
Danzo's eyes widened in shock. "What did you say?"
"I said… give up on the Hokage election. We have no chance against Minato-kun," Orochimaru replied with a calm smile.
"Minato-kun has the full support of Uchiha... no, it's more accurate to say that he has Uchiha Yuma as his disciple. No one can compete against him!"
Orochimaru wasn't lying. He truly believed that there was no chance of winning. From the moment Minato Namikaze announced his candidacy, Orochimaru had run simulations and calculated that the odds of his success were slim. Uchiha Yuma's support, coupled with the fact that Minato was his mentor, made it almost impossible for anyone else to win.
Even though Orochimaru himself harbored some thoughts about the Hokage position, he knew it was no longer a realistic goal. Instead, he was more focused on his research and his pursuit of immortality.
Danzo stood there, processing what Orochimaru had said. It dawned on him that his plan had failed. He had been obsessed with becoming Hokage, but now he realized that Orochimaru had already conceded defeat. There was no way to win against Minato, especially with the support of Uchiha and the immense influence of Yuma.
Danzo's shoulders slumped in defeat. He left the laboratory in a daze, his mind swirling with thoughts of how Uchiha Yuma's influence had crushed his chances. Once back in his private room, he muttered to himself, "It's all because of Uchiha Yuma... Because of him, Orochimaru gave up the election. If it weren't for Uchiha's support, Orochimaru might have fought harder."
His frustration only grew. "I must find a way to get rid of him."
Danzo realized that he couldn't defeat Yuma through force; Yuma's powers were too formidable. The Mangekyō Sharingan, combined with the dangerous techniques like the Flying Thunder God and Sage Mode, made Yuma a formidable opponent. But Danzo believed that with cunning and strategy, even someone as powerful as Yuma could be taken down.
Just as Danzo's malicious thoughts bubbled to the surface, a dark figure—Black Zetsu—watched him silently from the shadows of his room. "Heh… Now we have a chance to trip up Konoha."
Meanwhile, after the party, Yuma returned home. But as he passed through the Death Forest, he suddenly sensed an overwhelming, hostile aura directed at him. "Hmm? What's going on? This feels like the malice of someone who sees me as their mortal enemy!"