After returning to the Anbu base, Yōkō immediately summoned Squad Leader Hippo.
Hippo was puzzled, unsure why the Deputy Commander wanted him.
"Hippo, Lord Yellow Dog has discussed matters with me, and there are some tasks for you to handle," Yōkō said.
"Advisor Mitokado Homura's sacrifice is, of course, deeply sorrowful."
"However, the vacancy in the senior Advisor position is an opportunity, a great opportunity."
"You understand the senior leadership, Hippo. They are all experienced, mature Advisors; positions don't open up easily."
"Lord Yellow Dog has decided to compete for the external affairs Advisor position."
Upon hearing this, Hippo's eyes instantly lit up.
He was Yellow Dog's subordinate. If Yellow Dog became an Advisor, wouldn't his own future authority be greater?
Mitokado Homura's assistants had contact with Daimyō and nobles from various countries, with the power to recommend ninja for certain major national missions.
In Konoha, missions were the greatest source of power.
"Lord Fox, what should we do?"
Seeing Hippo's excitement and eagerness, Yōkō said:
"We can't rush this. We need to test the reactions of other factions first."
"The Sarutobi clan naturally will support Lord Yellow Dog, but the attitudes of other ninja clans are hard to predict."
"Lord Fox! The Ino–Shika–Chō trio will absolutely support Lord Yellow Dog!"
Under his mask, Yōkō's lips twitched. He had heard that Akimichi Torifu refused the joint invitation from Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo.
The Ino–Shika–Chō trio didn't seem very interested in this matter.
Yōkō didn't refute Hippo and continued:
"Hippo, your task is to spread rumors."
"The content of the rumors: during the Second Great Ninja War, the Anbu performed exceptionally, and Anbu Commander Yellow Dog was indispensable to this success."
"Appropriately exaggerate Lord Yellow Dog's contributions and obscure his timeline, making villagers mistakenly believe that all Anbu achievements during the entire Second Great Ninja War were due to Lord Yellow Dog."
"You and I both know Lord Yellow Dog was promoted to Anbu Commander after the Second Great Ninja War. But we won't say that. Who among the villagers would know?"
"I presume Advisor Danzo won't care about such rumors, right, Hippo? Proceed boldly and confidently. Lord Yellow Dog and I will handle Advisor Danzo for you."
"Then, spread another rumor: Lord Yellow Dog is the Hokage's eldest son."
"For Konoha's sake, the Hokage placed his eldest son in the Anbu, the unit with the highest casualty rate, risking his life for the village. Both father and son fear no sacrifice."
"Now, with Konoha in panic after Advisor Mitokado Homura's death at the hands of a rogue ninja, it's dangerous for high-ranking officials to leave the village."
"In these perilous times, Lord Yellow Dog is willing to undertake the dangerous external affairs missions for Konoha."
Hippo nodded repeatedly, understanding the plan laid out by Lord Yellow Dog and Lord Fox.
Yōkō added, "You control the scale. The rumors shouldn't be too intense at the beginning."
"Release just a whiff of news, collect feedback from the Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, and other clans, monitor the attitudes of Advisors Danzo and Utatane Koharu, especially the statements from their assistants."
"Also, pay attention to the attitude of Advisor Mitokado Homura's former subordinates."
"If the reactions from all sides aren't too intense, then gradually increase the intensity and release new rumors."
"Wait, how can these be called rumors? I've done too much dirty work; I'm becoming unaccustomed to legitimate affairs."
"Anyway, go ahead and spread the word."
"I understand."
Hippo thought, Lord Fox is still very prudent. It seems Lord Yellow Dog and Lord Fox are truly serious about this.
Hippo asked, "Lord Fox, Orochimaru's subordinates are also active, saying Lord Orochimaru is interested in the Advisor position. What should we do about him?"
Yōkō said, "Regarding Orochimaru, I will meet with him on behalf of Lord Yellow Dog. I am confident I can persuade him to withdraw."
Hearing this, Hippo was immediately reassured. It was good that Lord Yellow Dog and Lord Fox had a plan.
Yōkō added, "Hippo, we both need to work hard. When Lord Yellow Dog becomes an Advisor, won't we... rise along with him?"
Hippo thought, Lord Fox, you really have done too much dirty work, always using such... unflattering phrases.
What's this 'even the chickens and dogs ascend to heaven'? Isn't it more like 'rapidly advancing in one's career'?
Yōkō emphasized, "Hippo, in matters like this, it's not convenient for Lord Yellow Dog to take direct action."
"Otherwise, it would make him appear overly eager and desperate for power."
"If we handle it, there's much more room for maneuver."
"If the wind changes direction, at worst, Lord Yellow Dog can reprimand us, saying we acted privately. You understand."
"I understand!"
Hippo understood Fox's meaning. If the village's opposition grew too loud, they could claim the subordinates acted behind Lord Yellow Dog's back. Lord Yellow Dog had to remain clean.
Hippo left excitedly to test the waters.
Within a few days, rumors spread throughout Konoha.
Deep within the Akimichi compound.
Nara Rokaku came to the small lake and saw Akimichi Torifu asleep on the recliner.
"Uncle Torifu, I know you're awake."
Akimichi Torifu opened his eyes and smiled. "How troublesome. Before, I could fool you and have some peace and quiet. Now I can't even fool you anymore. What brings you here this time?"
"Uncle Torifu, since you refused the external affairs Advisor position, there have been many rumors in the village." Nara Rokaku said:
"Some say Orochimaru will become the external affairs Advisor, others say Yellow Dog will."
"Yellow Dog?" Akimichi Torifu shook his head and said:
"To be honest, Yellow Dog is somewhat勉强 even as Anbu Commander."
"He holds that position because Danzo hasn't dealt with him out of respect for Hiruzen."
"If Danzo made a move, three Yellow Dogs wouldn't be enough for him to kill."
"Secondly, Yellow Dog is lucky; a Fox emerged within the Anbu."
"For ordinary tasks, Fox's completion rate is extremely high. When facing rogue ninja like Uchiha Madara, Fox can even survive. Very reliable."
"Lose either of these two conditions, and Yellow Dog wouldn't sit firmly as Anbu Commander."
"Now he wants to be an Advisor? I think it's impossible."
"This seems more like a tactic to undermine Orochimaru, propping up a competitor."
"But..."
Akimichi Torifu thought for a moment and continued:
"But it also doesn't quite fit... Does Sarutobi Hiruzen have any choice besides Orochimaru? Why prop up Yellow Dog to compete with Orochimaru?"
"I don't understand. Perhaps there's intelligence I'm not aware of."
"Rokaku, if you don't have other information, don't get involved in this matter."
"Who becomes the external affairs Advisor isn't important to us."
"The Ino–Shika–Chō trio is responsible for the Land of Whirlpools Daimyō's Guardian Ninja. The Land of Whirlpools is east of the Land of Fire; the biggest threat in that direction is Kirigakure."
"Uchiha Madara's rogue ninja organization is active in the Lands of Grass, Rain, and Rivers to the west of the Land of Fire. It hasn't spread to the Land of Whirlpools yet."
"I think we can wait a bit longer."
The attitude of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio reflected that of other ninja clans in the village.
The Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, and other clans simply didn't care who the new Advisor was.
It couldn't be one of them anyway.
Seeing the opposition was so minimal, Hippo intensified his efforts, testing the acceptance level among ordinary villagers.
The First Hokage's brother was the Second Hokage. So why couldn't the Third Hokage's son be the Fourth Hokage?
Two Hokage from one clan—wasn't that Konoha's tradition?
In a remote, deep forest in southern Konoha, there was a hidden underground passage entrance.
Yōkō arrived at the entrance and slowly walked down the sloping passage.
After a few turns, Yōkō entered a laboratory.
Two experimental subjects lay on the operating table.
At first glance, Yōkō felt something was strange. Soon, his pupils constricted.
On a woman's body was stitched a man's head.
On a man's body was stitched a woman's head.
Yōkō had killed plenty, but seeing this scene still evoked a physiological revulsion.
Orochimaru has begun researching soul transfer, preparing for the immortality forbidden technique, Impure World Reincarnation.
"Fascinating, isn't it? The soul resides in the brain. After swapping heads, with my drug stimulation, they can remain conscious for a few minutes."
"A pity. They are alive, but cannot control their bodies."
Tears streamed from the eyes of the woman stitched onto the man's body.
Hearing someone enter the lab, she thought rescue had arrived. She wanted to turn her head but couldn't control her neck. She wanted to speak but couldn't open her mouth.
"Look, how beautiful. Such a strong will to live."
Yōkō had no desire to discuss Orochimaru's perverted experiments. He said, "Lord Orochimaru, I am here to negotiate a transaction with you on behalf of Lord Yellow Dog."
"Transaction?" Orochimaru said, puzzled. "What does Yellow Dog want?"
Yōkō got straight to the point. "Lord Yellow Dog wants you to withdraw from the competition for the external affairs Advisor position. In return, Lord Yellow Dog can offer you appropriate compensation."
"Compensation? Heh, heh." Orochimaru said:
"I want to be an Advisor to seize greater power, obtain more authority to support my increasingly complex forbidden technique research."
"What can Yellow Dog provide me? Can it match what the Advisor position offers?"
Yōkō said, "Lord Orochimaru, the external affairs Advisor is a very busy role."
"You would be traveling between the castles of various Daimyō. Just traveling from the Land of Hot Water's castle to the Land of Whirlpools' castle takes nearly 20 days."
"Are you sure you want this Advisor position?"
"The travel time alone would drive you mad; it would be a waste of your limited lifespan."
Orochimaru frowned. "I would send subordinates to negotiate with the Daimyō."
"Impossible," Yōkō said. "The nobility does not trust ninja."
"The same words, spoken by an Advisor versus a regular Jōnin, make a world of difference."
"If Advisor Mitokado Homura promised to protect a Daimyō's certain heir, the Daimyō would believe Konoha attached great importance."
"Send a regular Jōnin to tell the Daimyō the same thing—even if the same squad is ultimately sent on the mission—the Daimyō would feel uneasy."
"If the Daimyō is uneasy and lacks trust, much of your work cannot proceed."
"Lord Orochimaru, the position suitable for you is Danzo's Advisor role, handling the village's dark missions."
"Even Utatane Koharu's internal affairs Advisor is more suitable than the external affairs one."
"For Konoha's internal affairs, you truly could delegate to subordinates, allowing you to continue your experiments comfortably within the village."
"Lord Orochimaru, it's not that Lord Yellow Dog must have this external affairs Advisor position; the Anbu Commander holds significant power too."
"So, your requested terms cannot be too excessive. Otherwise, Lord Yellow Dog might as well remain Anbu Commander. Don't you agree?"
"Listening to you, the external affairs Advisor indeed doesn't suit me. But..." Orochimaru looked at Yōkō and said:
"Since when have you been so loyal to Yellow Dog? Have you perhaps fallen under some Mangekyō genjutsu?"
"Ever since cooperating with you on Wood Release and you showed me the Scroll of Seals, I've been busy with experiments and haven't paid much attention to you."
"What have you been up to lately? Is pledging loyalty to Yellow Dog part of an act?"
"An act? Lord Orochimaru, if I can act for a lifetime, what's the difference between that and truly being loyal to Lord Yellow Dog?" Yōkō chuckled and said:
"Lord Orochimaru, I'll be frank with you. I am someone who desperately wants to advance."
"I know my limits. I cannot become Anbu Commander in the short term."
"If Lord Yellow Dog gets promoted to Advisor, he won't let go of the Anbu either."
"Then, as the sole Deputy Commander, within the Anbu, if not having absolute power, I could at least act with considerable freedom."
"So that's it. Your greater goal is to have Yellow Dog retain control of the Anbu, serving as your public figurehead." Orochimaru thought for a moment and said:
"This external affairs Advisor truly isn't for me. My time is precious."
"Wasting time is, for me, wasting life."
"The Scroll of Seals records many forbidden techniques, but it lacks your teacher's own forbidden techniques."
"Teacher collected so many forbidden techniques, yet he begrudges copying his own invented techniques into the Scroll of Seals."
"That technique is my obsession, my unresolved issue..."
"If Sarutobi Shinnosuke gives me the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack, I will withdraw from the Advisor competition."
Yōkō was taken aback; he hadn't expected it to be this technique.
In the original story, when Orochimaru launched the Konoha Crush, it wasn't aimed at killing the Third Hokage. It seemed more like a display of forbidden techniques, as if proving himself to the Third.
Who knew the Third would prove resolute and choose to die with Orochimaru?
The Third wasn't entirely satisfied with Orochimaru.
Not mastering the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack became Orochimaru's unresolved complex.
Yōkō said, "I will discuss this with Lord Yellow Dog and give you an answer tomorrow night."
Leaving Orochimaru's laboratory, Yōkō went straight home.
Discuss what? It's just the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack. Just give it to Orochimaru directly.
Orochimaru, if you master the Five Elements Unrivalled Attack and still research Wood Release... Sarutobi Kanenosuke wouldn't happen to be your alt-account, would he?
Konoha has treated you well, and you're the Third's disciple. How could you use an alt-account to harm your Konoha comrades?
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(Chapter End)