Naruto Dream Fulfillment Master!

Late at night.

The lights in Sunagakure Village gradually went out, and the rock walls, which had been scorched by the blazing sun all day, finally cooled down a bit in the night breeze.

Inside the sealed room, an oil lamp flickered.

Gaara lay flat in the center, his eyes closed.

His breathing was steady and long, and his usually tense brows were completely relaxed, but he showed no signs of waking up.

Maki glanced at the hourglass by the wall; most of the sand had already fallen. He had been guarding it for several hours, but the documents delivered by the Wind Shadow Building were still piled up outside, and many things were waiting for him to make a decision.

So he said, "Elder Chiyo, there are still many things in the village that I need to take care of, so I'll leave this to you."

"Go."

Chiyo sat cross-legged on a futon not far away, her cane resting across her knees. Her gaze never left Gaara. She sighed and said, "This old woman will be here to guard this place."

Maki nodded, glanced at Gaara again, and then turned and left.

……

in the audience.

When Kankuro opened his eyes, he rubbed them groggily, wondering who would be in his dream this night. But then a familiar figure suddenly appeared in his peripheral vision.

She has short red hair and a prominent "love" character etched on the left side of her forehead.

Gaara was sitting properly next to him, looking down at his hands, his face also showing an unusual blankness.

Kankuro jolted awake, his drowsiness instantly vanishing, and he almost jumped up from his seat.

"Gaara? What are you doing here?"

He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly realized something and said, "Wait, you're asleep?"

Gaara raised his hand, looked at his palm, and then subconsciously pressed it against the seal on his abdomen.

For others, falling asleep is just an ordinary little thing.

For him, truly losing consciousness meant that Shukaku could take over his body at any moment.

In the past, whenever I relaxed my mind even slightly, the monster's roar would immediately surge up from the depths of my consciousness.

But now it's eerily quiet.

There was no Shukaku's maniacal laughter, no sound of claws scratching at the cage, and even the malice that had been suppressed deep in his consciousness for years seemed to have been suppressed by something.

"I have no idea."

Gaara frowned, trying hard to recall what had happened earlier.

"I remember I was patrolling the west side of the village, and then..."

My memory ends here.

When he opened his eyes again, he was already sitting in the audience.

What he couldn't understand even more was that he did fall asleep, but Shukaku didn't take the opportunity to steal his body.

Kankuro's nerves tightened as he looked at Kankuro's hand on the seal: "Where's Shukaku?"

"It's very quiet."

This answer did not put Kankuro at ease; instead, it made him pause for a moment.

Just as the two brothers were looking at each other in bewilderment, soft light began to emanate from the seats next to them.

Sasori, Deidara, and Obito's figures gradually solidified in the light and appeared one after another in the audience.

When Kankuro saw Sasori, the doubt on his face was immediately replaced by surprise.

"Senior Scorpion, you've arrived too!"

Sasori nodded slightly in response, then sat down not far from Kankuro.

Judging from Kankuro's completely unconcerned attitude, the old woman at least didn't reveal the matter of the Third Kazekage.

Whether Chiyo told Maki or other high-ranking officials the truth is still uncertain.

At least there is still room for maneuver.

Gaara noticed Kankuro's attitude towards Sasori and his eyebrows twitched slightly.

While Kankuro in his memory wasn't exactly unruly, he was certainly not the type to easily show such admiration to anyone.

This man not only made Kankuro address him as "senpai" repeatedly, but he also had red hair that was very similar to Kankuro's.

Gaara lowered his voice and asked, "Kankuro, who is this?"

Upon hearing his younger brother's question, Kankuro immediately straightened up, his expression revealing a hint of pride and smugness.

"Gaara, you haven't met him yet, have you?"

Kankuro raised his hand and gestured towards Sasori, solemnly introducing him: "This is the legendary puppeteer who stands at the pinnacle of Sunagakure puppetry, Sasori of the Red Sand. The crow and the black ant were both made by Sasori when he was a child."

"Not only has Sasori returned to the village, but he has also helped the village a lot. Just yesterday, he sent over ten human puppets with Jonin-level combat power. Maki-sensei said that with those puppets, the village's current shortage of manpower can be alleviated. People like Sasori are the hope for the revitalization of Sunagakure."

Gaara was momentarily speechless.

Sasori of the Red Sand... one of the most talented puppeteers in the history of Sunagakure, and also a dangerous rogue ninja who left the village many years ago.

What exactly happened in the village these past few days?

Gaara is not good at small talk and doesn't know how to treat Sasori.

After a brief pause, he nodded earnestly, still addressing Kankuro as such.

"Senior Scorpion."

Sasori stared at Gaara's overly serious face, slightly taken aback.

According to the intelligence that Akatsuki had gathered earlier, this One-Tailed Jinchuriki was violent and bloodthirsty, a monster that could go out of control at any time.

Although Sasori had observed Gaara from a distance over the past few days and knew that he was quite different from the old information, it was still difficult for him to completely reconcile the taciturn boy in front of him with the madman in the information when he saw him face to face now.

More importantly, Gaara appeared here.

This means that he is now truly asleep.

Sasori immediately turned to look at Obito, who was sitting on the other side.

"Ah Fei, did you let him fall asleep?"

Obito looked up, and from behind his mask came his usual exaggerated tone: "Oh dear, Sasori-senpai found out!"

"Pain sent me here to help suppress One-Tail. Senior Sasori was only focused on chasing people, and Tobi just happened to pick up this kid from outside. Since I already had him in my hands, I might as well give it a try."

He spread his hands nonchalantly and said, "I didn't do anything, just quieted down the raccoon inside so it could get some sleep. It's nothing serious."

"What do you mean by 'picked up from outside'?" Kankuro's smile vanished instantly. "Who took Gaara out of the village? And what exactly did you do to him?"

"Don't be nervous, I didn't hurt him," Obito quickly waved his hand and said, "If you don't believe me, ask him himself, isn't he perfectly fine now?"

Kankuro wanted to press for more information, but Gaara glanced at Obito first.

His gaze lingered on the orange swirling mask for a moment before returning to his abdomen.

Shukaku was indeed unusually quiet, and showed no signs of discomfort.

This seemingly comical man was actually able to suppress the One-Tailed Beast through the seal.

The nonchalance on Scorpion's face faded.

Ah Fei actually did it.

Making a Jinchuriki lose consciousness isn't difficult; the real problem is that Shukaku didn't take the opportunity to seize control of Gaara's body after he fell asleep.

The facts are clear: Tobi didn't just happen to put Gaara to sleep; he also suppressed the One-Tailed Beast deep within the seal.

At this point, even Sasori had to admit that Payne had his reasons for sending this fool.

Ah Fei's skills may not lie in direct combat; at least in Scorpion's previous assessment, this guy was better at escaping and hiding.

But based solely on his ability to suppress tailed beasts, his value within the organization goes far beyond simply running errands and filling vacancies.

When Tobi brought Gaara back from Orochimaru, Sasori was more inclined to believe Deidara's explanation that it was a lucky coincidence.

Now it seems that even Gaara's slumber was not a coincidence, then this guy who pretends to be crazy all day is probably more unfathomable than he thought.

The Akatsuki organization, as expected, doesn't tolerate idlers!

Two more lights shone on the other side of the audience seats.

The figures of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura appeared one after the other.

The two old men had just sat down when they looked at each other at the same time.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze lingered on Danzo for a moment, his expression indescribably complex.

Danzo snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Hiruzen, what's with that expression? Are you disappointed to see I'm still alive?"

Before Hiruzen Sarutobi could answer, the screen in front of him lit up.

The audience fell silent.

Kankuro had no choice but to put aside his questions for the time being and turn his attention to the screen.

……

In the scene, Orochimaru opens his eyes.

The room that comes into view is a spacious and bright conference room.

The emblem of the Land of Fire hangs in the center of the wall, and a long conference table sits in the middle of the room.

The windows were closed, and a dozen or so people were sitting around the table.

"Heh heh, I've entered this dream again."

Orochimaru calmly scanned his surroundings and quickly identified the people present.

The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the conference table was dressed in a magnificent robe and held a folding fan in his hand; he was none other than the daimyo of the Land of Fire.

To the left of the daimyo sat several high-ranking officials from the Land of Fire. To the right were the Konoha side, with the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing a divine robe, at the forefront, followed closely by Danzo.

Next up are advisors Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, as well as Sakumo Hatake, who has just returned to Konoha from the front lines of the Land of Rain.

Orochimaru's gaze swept over each of them, finally settling on his own position.

The last seat on the Konoha side.

Even though it was only the last seat, Orochimaru still raised an eyebrow.

In reality, although he was one of the Legendary Sannin and made great contributions in the Third Shinobi World War, he did not have a permanent position in Konoha's decision-making body.

Unless specifically summoned to report, he usually wouldn't have the chance to sit at the table and participate in discussions at meetings like this one, where the daimyo of the Land of Fire personally presides over the decision of the village's future.

No matter how famous the Legendary Sannin are outside, within the Konoha system they are still just people responsible for solving problems.

The real decision about where the village should go has always been made by a small group of people sitting around this table.

Now, the dream version of myself has not only been summoned, but is also sitting with important officials of the Land of Fire and high-ranking officials of Konoha, which is a very clear signal in itself.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with amusement.

With such a lineup, it's not hard to guess what they're going to discuss.

Considering the time frame of this dream, only the candidate for the Fourth Hokage would warrant the presence of the Daimyo, high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire, and the Konoha leadership.

Regarding the final choice, he had already heard one opinion.

During his last viewing, he learned from conversations between Sakumo Hatake and Yahiko that both of them were on the shortlist for the Fourth Hokage, and that Orochimaru had a better chance of winning from all aspects.

In reality, Hiruzen Sarutobi ultimately bypassed his own disciple and chose Minato Namikaze, Jiraiya's disciple.

Even though the old man of this world had told him with a gratified tone that he had placed far greater expectations on him than ever before, Orochimaru still did not believe that history could be changed so easily.

Minato is no longer on the final candidate list, so the person who seems most like the answer is naturally Sakumo Hatake.

Minato Namikaze's performance in the dream was not particularly outstanding, while Sakumo Hatake had a distinguished record of military achievements and an astonishing reputation.

No matter how you look at it, the old man's choice of Sakumo at the last moment is more in line with Orochimaru's understanding of him than his actual choice of himself.

Thinking of this, Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint, cold smile, and he was ready to observe this election from the sidelines.

Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up.

His hands rested on the table, his gaze sweeping over the daimyo of the Land of Fire and everyone present, before he solemnly declared:

"Regarding the selection of the Fourth Hokage, I hereby formally propose to Your Highness in the name of the Third Hokage."

"I recommend my disciple, Orochimaru, to succeed me as the Fourth Hokage."

Orochimaru's pupils suddenly contracted.

He had guessed the topic of the meeting correctly and had long heard his own assessment that he had the best chance of winning, but he still did not expect that hearing those words from the old man would feel like this.

The old man actually chose him!

……

in the audience.

The reactions of the crowd upon seeing this scene were even more dramatic than those of Orochimaru himself on screen.

Sasori stared at Orochimaru on the screen, who rarely showed such a surprised expression, and said disdainfully, "That stinking snake as Hokage? Is Konoha out of people?"

Deidara glanced at him from the side, his lips moved, but he ultimately didn't say the words that were already on the tip of his tongue.

Danzo's eyes widened as well.

He had considered making Orochimaru the Fourth Hokage.

Precisely because the two had worked together for so many years in real life, he knew Orochimaru's abilities and ambitions better than anyone else.

In the past, Danzo even believed that, given enough resources and support, Orochimaru would be a more suitable and easier person to cooperate with than Minato Namikaze.

The problem is that many of the real-world human experiments, forbidden techniques development, and other activities that cannot be brought to light were tacitly approved by Danzo, who even personally provided the personnel and venues.

Orochimaru still carries the marks of Root, and there are times when he needs to rely on Danzo.

Orochimaru on the screen lacked nothing in terms of battle achievements, reputation, and skills. He also had Hiruzen Sarutobi and the Senju lineage standing behind him. He didn't need Root, nor did he have any leverage that Danzo could hold over him.

Once Orochimaru successfully takes over, the Hiruzen faction will complete a perfectly stable power transfer.

By then, what position will Shimura Danzo hold in Konoha?

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not much of a surprise.

He understood the dream better than most people in the audience.

In the dream, Orochimaru not only made great contributions in the Third Shinobi World War, but also used his amazing wisdom to help the village rediscover the Wood Release technique of the First Hokage.

More importantly, although Orochimaru also entered the dangerous field of human modification and Wood Release experiments, he always adhered to his bottom line.

Participants in the experiment did so voluntarily, and safety and survival were prioritized over the research findings.

He did not waste the lives of innocent people, nor did he betray the most basic principles of a ninja in order to satisfy his own desires.

This is a hero with extraordinary talent, who has made countless achievements in battle, and even brought back the First Hokage's Wood Release to Konoha.

It was only natural for the person in the dream to recommend such a disciple to succeed as the Fourth Hokage.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Orochimaru's bewildered face on the screen, a sense of regret suddenly welled up inside him.

If the real Orochimaru had been willing to stick to that line and use all his intelligence on the village and his comrades, why would he have chosen Minato over his own disciple?

As a teacher, it should be the most natural thing to personally help a student who is someone you can be proud of to become Hokage.

……

on the screen.

"I object!"

Danzo suddenly stood up and said, "Hiruzen, are you senile? Although Orochimaru has many military achievements, he has long focused on research and the battlefield and has no experience in managing the affairs of the entire village. There are clearly more senior and experienced people in the village."

"Being Hokage is not a game. You can't hand over the entire village to someone who hasn't proven their leadership abilities just because he's your disciple. That's favoritism!"

Danzo spoke with great righteousness, every sentence talking about experience and seniority, but the only person he really wanted to put in front of everyone was himself.

Faced with his old buddy's aggressive approach, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not back down as he usually did.

He glanced at Danzo and said bluntly, "Does seniority necessarily make someone suitable to be Hokage?"

"The Hokage is a leader who leads the village to prosperity, not an award given based on seniority. Danzo, who exactly is this more senior and qualified candidate you're talking about?"

"Everyone here knows exactly what that person did for Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War."

"you--"

Danzo felt a lump in his throat, unable to believe his ears.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't give him a chance to interrupt and continued, "The Hokage's duty is not to sit in that position and be supported by others, but to become Hokage by being supported by others. What Konoha needs is someone who can quell the chaos, help the village recover from the war as soon as possible, and lead Konoha to continue to prosper."

Orochimaru's achievements in the Third Shinobi World War are undeniable. He stabilized the most dangerous battlefield, saved countless Konoha ninja, and brought back Wood Release to the village.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Danzo and asked, word by word, "Does someone like that not deserve to be Hokage?"

Danzo was so angry that his face turned pale, but for a moment he couldn't find any words to overshadow these achievements.

At the end of the conference table, Orochimaru's gaze remained fixed on Hiruzen Sarutobi.

That's really unexpected.

In Orochimaru's memory, the old man always yielded to Danzo, and could even be described as indulgent.

Even if the two disagree, they rarely confront each other in front of outsiders, and usually resolve the issue privately.

Today, the old man in the dream refused to back down an inch in front of the daimyo of the Land of Fire, all in order to promote him.

Orochimaru hadn't experienced such blatant favoritism in a long time.

Before Danzo could reorganize his offensive, Koharu Utatane adjusted her glasses and took over the conversation with a serious expression.

"Hiruzen is right. His achievements in the Third Shinobi World War speak for themselves. Orochimaru single-handedly stabilized the most dangerous main battlefield. In terms of seniority and merit, no one in the village has the right to criticize him."

Mitomon Homura cleared his throat and then stated his position: "Military achievements are only one aspect. Post-war reconstruction tests command, coordination, and research and development capabilities even more, and Orochimaru's performance in these areas over the past few years has also proven his abilities."

"What Konoha needs right now is a Hokage who can quickly restore the village to its former glory and continue to stand at the top of the ninja world. Orochimaru has that ability."

"you……"

Danzo suddenly turned his head to look at the two of them.

These two old guys, who always liked to maintain a balance, actually sided with Hiruzen today. Don't they understand that once Orochimaru successfully takes over, Hiruzen Sarutobi's influence in Konoha will be completely solidified, and Danzo Shimura will have no chance to rise again?

Sakumo Hatake, who had been silent until now, also raised his head at this moment.

As another Hokage candidate, he simply said, "I have no objection. If we take into account the Third Shinobi World War and the post-war reconstruction, Orochimaru is indeed more suitable for this position than I am."

Even Sakumo Hatake, who was most qualified to compete with Orochimaru, took the initiative to express his support, so Danzo's previous argument about qualifications and experience could no longer stand up.

"Heh heh, the people of Konoha are right."

A minister from the Land of Fire chimed in with a smile: "Lord Orochimaru's name is equally renowned in the Land of Fire. Young and promising, he acts cleanly and efficiently, truly a rare talent. If he were to lead Konoha, we could all sleep more soundly."

This statement quickly garnered the approval of several ministers.

The daimyo of the Land of Fire remained seated in the main seat, listening quietly to the debate between the two sides.

Only when the voices of the crowd gradually subsided did he put down his teacup, pick up his folding fan, and gently tap his palm.

"Since Hiruzen personally recommended him, I naturally have nothing to complain about."

He paused here, a satisfied smile spreading across his face: "And speaking of which, those bottles of potions that Konoha presented a while ago, weren't they developed under Orochimaru's supervision?"

"The effect is indeed surprisingly good. Since taking it, I have felt refreshed and energetic. Even my wife said that I have regained some of my youthful vigor."

The prince snapped open his folding fan and said with a good mood, "It would be against the natural order not to use such a meritorious official. I also have high hopes for him."

Orochimaru sat at the end of the table, looking at the approving faces around him, and for a moment he couldn't quite describe his feelings.

Apart from Danzo, everyone was on his side.

The old man formally nominated him, and the two advisors successively defended him. Even Sakumo Hatake, who was a competitor, took the initiative to express his support.

The high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire praised it highly, and the daimyo himself expressed his opinion.

Beyond the shock, there was also a feeling that this had finally come to fruition.

It turns out that everything I've done in this world has truly earned the trust of these people.

Sakumo Hatake's initial comment, "Your chances of winning are greater," was not merely a consolation or a polite remark.

Orochimaru never imagined that one day he would be chosen by his teacher, recognized by his comrades, and have everyone place their hopes on him.

How could this world treat him so kindly?