Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

"Haha, everyone, you're too kind..."

Handsome Scorpion's father was all smiles as he was surrounded by people. It wasn't that he was too old to win; his mother would definitely disagree. He even wanted to write a retirement letter to Luo Sha immediately so he could personally teach this girl who was still unsure whether she was his granddaughter or grandson.

We absolutely must not let his older brother teach him anymore; his precious son is a prime example...

"Hehe, she's a very cute little girl."

Not long after, Chiyo came out smiling, holding a baby. Her eyes were almost closed. This was the happiest day she had had since her beloved grandson passed away.

"What a lovely little girl! Look how much she resembles Aunt Chiyo when she was young. The next generation of the flower of the ninja world has been chosen, and she has a strong vitality, inheriting the excellent bloodlines of both families. I predict that this girl will be amazing in a dozen years..."

Looking at the wrinkled little baby, Masato shamelessly flattered Chiyo, making her old face bloom with even more smiles.

Looking at the few stray red hairs on the girl's head, without any genetic conflicts or mutations, it must be Karin without a doubt. Sasori's genes are only average compared to the top-tier genes of the Uzumaki clan. I just used Observation Haki to detect that this child's vitality is strong. Although her bloodline is somewhat diluted and she can't match her mother's, it's not far off. It's estimated that Sasori's ordinary genes couldn't overcome the top-tier genes of the Uzumaki clan. In the struggle for dominance, what should have been a fierce battle ended with Sasori being wiped out in one fell swoop. Therefore, this child inherited over 90% of her mother's genes...

This was just his personal speculation. Although the future protagonist was also a hybrid of Uzumaki and an ordinary person, Minato Namikaze was Kishimoto's eldest son, so his genes must be incredibly powerful. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the Uzumaki clan's genes to be diluted to the point that even the top horse resembled his father.

"..."

Everyone stared at the sky speechlessly. Did this even need to be calculated? Handsome Sasori was already an exceptionally talented individual, and Uzumaki Shuri was a member of the top bloodline of the Uzumaki clan. Anyone with eyes could see that the little girl was guaranteed to be a double-flower red stick in the future, right?

"Didn't Scorpion come?"

Chiyo was laughing when she suddenly thought of something. She looked around but couldn't find her beloved grandson. Her eyes dimmed.

"I asked Miss Slug to inform him. He might come in a couple of days. By the way, have you thought of a name yet?"

After offering a few words of comfort, Masato immediately changed the subject. Unlike the birth of Sasori, he didn't fight for the right to name her. Sasori's father was also middle-aged. Although he had a low status in the family, he still had the right to name his granddaughter. Otherwise, he would have really become depressed.

But speaking of handsome Scorpion...

Damn it, he had Miss Slug notify handsome Sasori a month in advance. The ninja girl worked so hard to give birth to his child. It's one thing for her to go out and have fun normally, but at least she should come back to see him at a time like this. But this little bastard hasn't shown up yet.

If it weren't for his stunningly handsome face, he would have loved to kill this little bastard...

761. Minato: Don't let the Third Hokage get hurt.

In Konoha Village, Minato Namikaze and Hiruzen Sarutobi sat facing each other in the Hokage Building. Minato, sitting in the Hokage's seat, was engrossed in his work, constantly flipping through the endless files.

The work of the village chiefs in peacetime is roughly the same for everyone. However, behind the prosperity of Konoha, the largest village in the ninja world, there are also many trivial matters.

Today, this grandma's kitchen knife went missing, and she's terrified some mischievous kid will find it and use it for some serious business. The day after tomorrow, that uncle's daily magazine will go missing, and he's afraid some ignorant kid will pick it up and take it home to corrupt the next generation... These are just some of the countless trivial matters that need to be dealt with every day, yet Minato Namikaze never complains and handles every document with meticulous care and patience.

Sitting opposite him, Hiruzen Sarutobi was quite pleased with his perfect grand-disciple's work attitude. Occasionally, he would touch the few remaining strands of hair on his forehead. Looking at his perfect grand-disciple working diligently in front of him, he felt as if he had returned to the past and was seeing his younger self.

This is a heartwarming scene.

How times have changed! Those dashing and talented young men of Konoha are now just a memory...

"boom!"

"Third Hokage, Hokage, a large number of people have been found to be missing in the village over the past year, and we have discovered that they are related to Orochimaru."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was reminiscing about his past as a romantic and talented man, an Anbu member hurriedly burst through the door, disregarding manners. He seemed to have discovered something extraordinary and, seeing both Hokage present, quickly spoke up.

"puff!"

"What?! This is related to Orochimaru? What exactly happened?"

Before Minato Namikaze could even speak, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already disregarded the director's instructions and started stealing the spotlight.

He asked the underling in the secret service with great emotion.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, who dominated the ninja world for decades, was most proud of not being the village chief of the largest village for decades, nor having one more son than that short, red-nosed Onoki, nor even having a wife who was prettier than Onoki's wife. Rather, it was the fact that he had trained three top disciples: Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. Among them, Orochimaru was the disciple he was most proud of. Tsunade and Jiraiya each had their flaws, one being a gambler and the other a womanizer. Only Orochimaru, the great scientist who succeeded his second teacher, was his true pride.

Although Orochimaru has become somewhat corrupted and unsuitable to be Hokage due to his close friend's influence over the past decade or so, it does not diminish his status as a beloved disciple in his eyes.

He was aware of the frequent news from the villagers over the past year, but he never connected it to his beloved disciple. Firstly, although his disciple liked to study all sorts of strange things, he had always been very measured over the years and would never do anything to harm the village. Even when researching the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan, it was his good friend who did the work, and Orochimaru was just passively researching it.

He even suspected that his best friend, with whom he had been inseparable since childhood, had never doubted his beloved student.

But he never expected that this matter would be related to his beloved disciple. This was a serious crime that could land him in jail for life, much more serious than his best friend's crime of embezzling public funds to secretly trade the Seven-Tails with the Golden Lion, causing the Seven-Tails to go berserk in the village. He couldn't protect him!

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few nitroglycerin pills to calm himself down, but he was still incredibly nervous, staring intently at his Anbu subordinates. What if the Anbu really found evidence linking him to his beloved student...?

"We discovered a large number of experimental subjects in one of Lord Orochimaru's laboratories, many of whom were villagers."

The ANBU underling had excellent composure. Despite being closely watched by his former and current bosses, he remained remarkably calm and spoke. After all, Orochimaru was a meritorious figure in Konoha, having protected the village for decades since the rise of the ANBU during World War II. Such a person wouldn't dare to report without substantial evidence.

"boom!"

"This traitor... what is this traitor doing! Minato, leave this to me."

Upon hearing the report from his ANBU subordinate, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly and without warning slammed his hand down on the table beside him, smashing it to pieces. This startled Minato Namikaze and his ANBU subordinate, who were still reeling from the shock. From the force of his blow, it was clear that although the Third Hokage was old, he was still incredibly strong...

Then, Hiruzen Sarutobi tossed aside his dowdy Hokage robe, revealing his signature combat gear: a fire poker that could grow larger and longer, known as the strongest summoning beast, which he slung over his shoulder. If one ignored the age spots beginning to appear on his face, he truly looked like a majestic and awe-inspiring Buddha.

With tears welling up in his eyes, he looked at his perfect grand-disciple with a mixture of anger, disappointment, sadness, and pleading, as if he had aged twenty years in an instant.

"...I'm sorry to trouble you, Third Generation Lord."

"Go and inform Lord Sakumo... don't let Lord Sanhok get hurt..."

Minato Namikaze, seeing his teacher who looked twenty years older, couldn't bear to refuse. Although he was furious that Orochimaru had done such a thing, and even wanted to take action himself, Orochimaru was his teacher's friend in terms of seniority. Besides, the Third Hokage had spoken, so he couldn't refuse. However, he worried that the Third Hokage, now twenty years older, might not be able to defeat Orochimaru, who was still at his peak—a man who could even poison the physically imposing Third Raikage. So, after Hiruzen Sarutobi left with his henchmen on his "Seven-Colored Cloud Flight," Minato quickly ordered his underlings to find bodyguards for Hiruzen. Orochimaru's life or death wasn't important; the kind-hearted Minato didn't want to see the Third Hokage, who had cared for him since childhood, injured. Before his underlings left, he even said it directly, fearing they might misunderstand his meaning…

"Lord Danzo, the Third Hokage has been brought to Orochimaru's laboratory."

Just as Hiruzen Sarutobi was leading his underlings, Danzo, who had been monitoring the Hokage Building at the Root base, returned to report to Danzo, who was sitting on the "dragon throne" above.

"Haha! Very good, you guys go and help him out. Get those corpses out. Even if Orochimaru doesn't die this time, he won't be able to stay in Konoha."

Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Danzo laughed smugly, exuding an air of absolute confidence. He was savoring the intellectual superiority that came with a successful plan, a feeling that was hard to describe, like entering a warm, moist world, brimming with vitality, and utterly irresistible...

762. Orochimaru defected.

For many years, from youth to middle age, and then from middle age to old age, spanning decades, he had watched helplessly as his best friend's position as Hokage became increasingly secure after losing the competition to become Hokage. First, he had the help of the super genius Sakumo Hatake, and then he took in three disciples. As the three disciples grew up, his best friend's position became even more stable. Over the years, he had challenged for the position of Hokage more than once, but each time he failed, and could only watch as his best friend's power grew stronger and stronger.

From Sakumo Hatake back then to the Legendary Sannin and now Minato Namikaze, these super geniuses all sided with their best buddy. On his side, the only truly interesting one was Ryoma Aburame, and after Ryoma's death came Torune Aburame. The difference between the two sides was simply too great.

So much so that he couldn't see any hope of becoming Hokage. He dreamed every day about weakening his best friend's power, but he failed every time. This time... this time he finally succeeded!

At this moment, only Danzo knew how difficult his journey had been, but he suppressed his excitement and did not show it, as he had to maintain his status as the boss.

Given his indecisive nature towards his best friend, and considering Orochimaru's position in his best friend's heart, he was certain that his best friend wouldn't kill Orochimaru. If Orochimaru left, then Jiraiya, who had a deep bond with Orochimaru, would definitely leave as well. At that point, all three Sannin would be gone, and his best friend would only have Sakumo Hatake, who had now left the Anbu and was powerless but possessed great fighting power. Minato Namikaze was too inexperienced and not worth considering. Sakumo Hatake was no longer the head of the Anbu. Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were his teammates back then.

Although he had become a military officer, the old friendships remained. A few bowls of chicken soup from Mitokado Homura were enough to win him over, and even an older spinster like Utatane Koharu was no problem for him; they had plenty of young and strong men among them…

.....

"boom!"

Orochimaru's laboratory door was blasted open with tremendous force, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was the first to rush in. He saw dozens of children being put into instruments in the laboratory, their fates unknown. He recognized several of the children; weren't they the children that he had called "Grandpa Hokage" to him last month?

At that moment, a wave of sadness washed over me.

"Orochimaru, do you know what you're doing? These are living, breathing beings! What are you doing this for?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's sorrowful yet disappointed expression, tinged with a sense of utter frustration, infected his underlings, who clenched their fists tightly, glaring fiercely at Orochimaru as if they wanted to devour him.

"Hehe, teacher, haven't you already seen it? No matter how strong a person is, they can't escape the passage of time. Look at how old you, the once-powerful Ren Xiong, have become."

Orochimaru's effeminate face, coupled with the sinister way he licked his tongue, and the surrounding background, sent chills down the spines of those around him...

"Is this your excuse for using the lives of villagers to satisfy your desire for immortality? Orochimaru, you've gone mad!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was filled with grief and indignation. Looking at his disciple, whom he had once been proud of, how could he have become like this? Was immortality really that important?

Hmm... seems pretty important....

"Hehe, it's been many years since I've sparred with the teacher, but this isn't the place to spar."

Orochimaru remained remarkably calm. He had long been aware of Danzo's underhanded tactics, but simply ignored them. His research project had reached a bottleneck after so many years; he was too restricted within the village and had grown weary of it by the Third Shinobi World War. Tsunade had already left, and Orochimaru felt nothing but envy, jealousy, and resentment towards her current life...

He wanted that kind of life too.

After Orochimaru left, Hiruzen Sarutobi, along with a group of ANBU henchmen, caught up with Orochimaru. The two fought fiercely, and for a battle of this caliber, the ANBU henchmen could only stand on the sidelines as cheerleaders, cheering on their Third Hokage.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi looks old, he's only in his fifties. Despite spending most of his time in the office, he's maintained a good condition and his strength is still top-notch. Onoki, who's over sixty, could still take on Madara in a five-on-one fight. Hiruzen Sarutobi, in his fifties, could easily take on Orochimaru if he uses his ultimate move to save his life. Plus, he has a fire stick that can change size and become incredibly hard. He's still going strong against Orochimaru, showing that he's still vigorous despite his age, giving off a feeling of returning to his peak.

Orochimaru's other ninjutsu, besides snake ninjutsu, were all taught by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Orochimaru's snake ninjutsu attacks are unpredictable, but when it encounters Hiruzen Sarutobi's complex ninjutsu, it is all blasted into snake soup.

From the perspective of the situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who possesses the powerful technique of composite ninjutsu, has been suppressing Orochimaru. However, even the toughest man, the Third Raikage, who is even more formidable than Hiruzen Sarutobi, couldn't do anything to Orochimaru. It would be even more impossible for Hiruzen Sarutobi. Every time he sees his beloved disciple, who is like a snake shedding its skin and instantly regaining full health under the onslaught of his composite ninjutsu, Hiruzen Sarutobi feels a sense of pride, like watching his son grow up.

Finally, when Hatake Sakumo arrived with his short sword, Snake Uncle, who had been playing with snakes and shedding their skin with Sarutobi Hiruzen, left gracefully amidst Sarutobi Hiruzen's disappointed gaze. Perhaps out of pity, after all, he was the child he had raised, Sarutobi Hiruzen still did not go after him with Sakumo.

However, not long after Orochimaru left, another traitor arrived.

"Old man, why did Orochimaru defect?"

Jiraiya had clearly just received the news, and rushed over to give Hiruzen Sarutobi a good scolding.

"Jiraiya, Orochimaru has gone mad! Didn't you see how many children he killed? They were just children!"

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi had just faced the betrayal of his beloved disciple, and now he was being verbally abused by another traitor. Even the strongest person would break down in tears. Pointing at the lifeless corpses that the Anbu had brought out, Hiruzen Sarutobi, even with his strong will, was overcome with emotion and tears streamed down his face.

Men don't easily shed tears, except when they're truly heartbroken. To have a beloved student, on whom he placed so much hope, reduced to this state—only he could truly understand the pain he felt...

"Damn it! I'm going to capture Orochimaru!"

Jiraiya watched as his teacher gritted his teeth, tears streaming down his face, and angrily chased after Orochimaru in the direction he had left.

"Why...!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched Jiraiya's departing figure, sighed dejectedly, as if all his strength had been drained away, and silently disappeared into the night sky, the events of the evening leaving him utterly exhausted...

763. Handsome Scorpion is known for his erotic exploits.

Fifty years into the history of Konoha, the ninja world, which had enjoyed two years of peace after the Third Shinobi World War, was once again shaken by a massive upheaval. Konoha, the largest village in the ninja world, produced a rogue ninja. Generally speaking, the emergence of rogue ninjas is not unusual; it's like how every village has a few Danzos. And what village doesn't have a few rogue ninjas?

Even back when White Fang and Golden Lion led the ANBU of various villages in their battles, rogue ninjas still emerged one after another. People strive for higher positions, and water flows downhill. Especially in Konoha, where geniuses are as plentiful as dogs and rising to the top is extremely difficult, there are countless ninjas who cannot resist temptation and defect. These people are like carp crossing a river, impossible to stop. Or take Sasori, the Super Third Hokage of Sunagakure, who was declared a rogue ninja by Sunagakure last month. Did he have a screw loose? A perfectly good Super Third Hokage should have just quit and come out to show off his commoner status. So, generally speaking, the emergence of a rogue ninja is not big news. Even Sasori, who was declared a rogue ninja by Sunagakure last month, only made the headlines for a little over a week because of his unparalleled appearance. After that, it became commonplace.

However, the rogue ninja who has appeared in Konoha now is different. He is Orochimaru, the cold-blooded one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha, who was a disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and had a distinguished record of battle!

Although Orochimaru's status in Konoha is far higher than Sasori's in Sunagakure, the two are simply incomparable. Although Sasori debuted as a child star and has both good looks and a powerful background, those were all built by his family ancestors. He himself has not made any significant contributions to Sunagakure. Therefore, although his status in Sunagakure is high, his position is far inferior to that of Orochimaru, who has made numerous contributions to Konoha. These days, Orochimaru is much more famous than Sasori.

Orochimaru's achievements, whether it was the Sannin's battle against the Salamander during World War II, his solo fight against the Four-Tails Jinchuriki and poisoning the Third Raikage, or his solo fight against the Third Raikage during World War III to prevent the Cloud Village army from advancing, were all astonishing feats in the ninja world. As for Sasori, everyone knows that he has an incredibly strong talent for puppetry. He studied the basic techniques at the age of three, independently created puppets at the age of four, and by the age of seven, he had already mastered the White Secret Technique of the puppet master Chiyo. After that, his fame was largely due to Shiki spreading his beautiful photos, and there weren't many combat achievements to refer to.

So when Konoha announced Orochimaru's defection, the entire ninja world was shocked, feeling a sense of absurdity.

However, after accepting this, some people were shocked, while others sat on small stools with melon seeds, happily watching Konoha's joke.

For example, Onoki, the short, red-nosed idiot in the Iwagakure office, was overjoyed when his underlings reported that Orochimaru's defection was indeed true. They had already suffered heavy losses in the Third Shinobi World War, and after Minato Namikaze, whom he had praised to the skies, became the Fourth Hokage, he was even more troubled. Konoha was just too damn strong, with three generations of Hokage, all holding the title of Red-Haired Servant. Last month, when Sunagakure announced that Chiyo's beloved grandson had defected, he realized that Sunagakure's strength had surpassed that of Iwagakure. Not counting the Jinchuriki and Chiyo, who was a generation older than him and no longer at her peak, Sunagakure had three Red-Haired Servant: the first generation, Shiki, Chiyo's son, and the current Fourth Kazekage. In contrast, Iwagakure only had him, not counting the Jinchuriki. The key point was that Sunagakure's Shiki was particularly powerful.