How Orochimaru chose to act didn't concern Natsuhiko in the slightest. What he cared about was the outcome—nothing more.
That said, a certain level of assistance wouldn't be out of the question. For instance, he could ease the pressure on Orochimaru from within the ANBU, or even step in personally at a critical moment if necessary.
Of course, that intervention would only happen under one condition—if Uchiha Fugaku truly possessed the Mangekyō Sharingan. If not, then there would be no need for Natsuhiko to involve himself at all.
And if Fugaku didn't even have the Mangekyō, yet Orochimaru and his faction still failed to defeat him…
Then Natsuhiko would have to seriously reconsider whether Orochimaru was even qualified to cooperate with him at this stage.
The Orochimaru of the future might be someone who grasped the truth of the world—but the current Orochimaru was far from that level.
At least in Natsuhiko's eyes, his value right now was… rather limited.
Setting those thoughts aside, Natsuhiko shifted his full attention back to the cultivation of his seeds.
Perhaps it was because his strength had grown too rapidly, but when it came to intermediate seeds, their growth speed had reached a level that even surprised him.
Back in the day, cultivating a single intermediate seed would take at least half a year—often longer. And when he had pushed himself recklessly by managing multiple at once, it wasn't unusual for the process to drag on for several years.
But now?
From the moment he planted them, only a few days had passed—and their maturity had already reached twenty percent.
And that was without affecting his combat strength in the slightest.
On top of that, he had planted several at once.
"Looks like once you get strong enough, even these seeds stop giving you trouble," Natsuhiko mused with a faint chuckle.
By his estimation, it would only take about a week for them to fully mature.
When that time came, he could use the fruits to conduct experiments and verify whether his theories held true.
Stretching lazily, Natsuhiko turned his gaze toward the window. The weather was pleasant, and Konoha still appeared as peaceful and harmonious as ever.
But beneath that calm surface… a terrifying undercurrent was quietly gathering.
Konoha. The Uchiha. The ANBU. Root.
Danzō. Orochimaru.
And Natsuhiko himself.
All of them were about to be swept into a silent storm—one that would leave a profound impact on everything.
Now, Natsuhiko was curious to see how it would all unfold.
Would Danzō emerge as the fisherman who reaped the benefits?
Or would Natsuhiko claim everything for himself?
Under normal circumstances, Natsuhiko believed his chances were overwhelmingly high.
After all… a leopard never changes its spots.
He didn't believe Danzō was capable of making any truly meaningful change.
"So in the end… I'll most likely take it all," Natsuhiko murmured, a faint smile forming on his lips as his fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
He had every confidence in that outcome.
At its core, Danzō's weaknesses were far too obvious.
As for what came next, Natsuhiko was certain he could control the situation—and control it well.
"Commander."
At that moment, Renge and Sora entered the office together.
The instant Natsuhiko saw them, he quickly reined in his emotions. Until everything was set in stone, he had no intention of letting any stray thoughts or expressions give him away.
Especially not when this matter involved Uchiha Fugaku—and both Uchiha Sora and Uchiha Shisui were part of his inner circle.
"Today's paperwork?" Natsuhiko asked, tilting his head slightly. "Looks like a lot. Something troublesome?"
"There are quite a few matters that require your decision," Sora replied with a gentle smile as she placed a stack of documents on his desk.
After a brief pause, she added softly, "It's about Kumogakure. There's been some unusual movement in that village."
"Kumogakure?" Natsuhiko raised a brow, clearly surprised.
He hadn't expected this situation to involve them as well.
"What are they up to now?" he asked. "If I remember correctly, their Fourth Raikage was consolidating power. Has he already finished that?"
The name of the Raikage in Kumogakure had apparently always been the same—passed down from the First Raikage onward as "A."
Whether there was any deeper meaning behind it, Natsuhiko neither knew nor cared. What he did know was that Kumogakure and Konoha had never actually signed a true peace treaty.
What existed between them was merely a "ceasefire agreement"—one that could be torn apart at any moment, allowing both sides to once again plunge into war.
Because of this, Konoha had always kept a close watch on one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages separated from them only by the Land of Hot Water—the most violent and warlike of them all.
Since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, the Fourth Raikage had been steadily consolidating power. With ruthless decisiveness, he eliminated many aging but power-hungry officials within the village, restructuring Kumogakure into a far younger political system.
Natsuhiko remembered that in the original timeline, before the Five Kage Summit, each village had its own situation.
Konoha, while also relatively young, still retained figures like Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.
As for Iwagakure and Kirigakure, there was no need to mention them—Ōnoki and the Genji were both old enough to be the fathers, even grandfathers, of most of those present.
Sunagakure, on the other hand, was almost excessively young—rebuilt from the ground up, Gaara only had a handful of truly reliable subordinates he could trust.
But Kumogakure was different.
Natsuhiko had hardly seen any elderly figures there at all. It was essentially a village ruled entirely by its prime-aged shinobi.
Moreover, the Fourth Raikage's authority within Kumogakure was absolute. His dominance was on full display, and with the intelligence channels available to someone in control of ANBU, Natsuhiko was well aware of the internal situation in the village.
It didn't take much to deduce that anyone who opposed him or clung too tightly to power had likely already been swept away.
"That should be about right," Renge said at that moment, her expression as calm and cool as ever. "While ANBU doesn't have authorization to infiltrate other villages directly, we do have enough intelligence sources."
"According to reports from field operatives, Kumogakure has already begun redeploying and training its border defense forces. Iwagakure has also started responding."
"Ōnoki has always been on guard against Kumogakure," Natsuhiko chuckled lightly, though his expression soon grew more serious.
"I understand. I'll go through the documents properly later. Kumogakure is… a very dangerous village."
He would never forget that Kumogakure and Konoha would eventually clash again in the future—an invisible confrontation that would end with Konoha, or more precisely, Hiruzen Sarutobi, suffering a crushing defeat.
But now things were different. Natsuhiko's interests were deeply tied to Konoha's as well.
He couldn't allow Konoha to lose—but there was no problem if Sarutobi Hiruzen was the one who lost.
"Still, that's a matter for the future. Even if it does happen, it will require careful planning."
With that thought, Natsuhiko shifted his focus back to the documents on his desk.
Rather than worrying about distant matters, it was better to deal with what was right in front of him.
And at this stage, the most important thing… was creating the right opportunity for Orochimaru.
In fact, Natsuhiko already had a rough idea of how to do it.
Ironically, he had himself to thank for it. If not for the rather interesting ANBU vacation rotation schedule he had implemented, he might not have had such a convenient opening.
Yes—Natsuhiko's attention had turned to the ANBU's rest schedule.
Every ANBU member had their own vacation period, and those schedules were deliberately irregular. Especially for squad leaders and division commanders, there was absolutely no fixed pattern to rely on.
This system was not something Natsuhiko had personally devised; rather, it had been proposed by Renge and Sora together.
Their reasoning was simple: to prevent individuals with ill intent—those who had infiltrated ANBU without being discovered—from easily grasping the timing of when the village's elite forces would be off duty, thereby reducing the risk of coordinated attacks or internal sabotage.
Aside from the two of them, only Natsuhiko, as ANBU commander, was fully aware of the entire structure.
But they likely never imagined that the one to exploit this system… would end up being the true de facto ruler of ANBU itself.
"Why do I feel like I'm the emperor plotting rebellion against himself?"
After finishing the Kumogakure report, Natsuhiko's gaze drifted to the vacation roster, and he couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
As expected, the easiest place to betray one's own interests has always been at the top of any organization.
Just look at how Danzo operated, or how Hiruzen Sarutobi handled things after the end of the Third Great Ninja War when negotiating with Iwagakure.
Sir Humphrey was right after all—if a ship leaks, it doesn't start from the bottom. It always starts from the top.
"Before I realized it… I've kind of ended up playing the role of Danzō myself."
Natsuhiko stretched lazily, then slowly stood up. He had finished reviewing today's reports, and a plan had already begun to take shape in his mind.
Kakashi's vacation schedule and Pakura's were staggered, but that didn't affect his decision in the slightest.
He intended to inform Orochimaru. After that, everything would depend on Orochimaru's performance.
No matter how Orochimaru tried to persuade Danzō or manipulate the situation, Natsuhiko would not involve himself further. All he wanted was for Orochimaru to make his move at the designated time.
"Still… after Orochimaru makes his move and leaves Konoha, I'll need to prepare something on my end too. Looks like I'll have to find someone interesting."
Once Orochimaru left Konoha, he would essentially be outside of Natsuhiko's direct control.
Even if he remained within the Land of Fire due to needing protection, not being inside the village meant Natsuhiko could no longer monitor him as closely.
So someone would need to stay by Orochimaru's side—whether as a spy, an assistant, or simply a messenger. Someone who could relay information back to him.
That was absolutely necessary. It would also serve as a subtle warning to Orochimaru not to act recklessly.
Finding such a person, however, was not easy. They would need to be loyal to him, willing to leave Konoha, and—if possible—capable of assisting Orochimaru directly.
Those conditions alone eliminated most candidates.
But Natsuhiko wasn't without options.
In his memory, there was exactly one person who fit this role perfectly—highly intelligent, extremely adaptable, and destined in the future to become a hidden mastermind-level figure.
Most importantly, that person had a deep emotional bond that could guarantee the loyalty Natsuhiko needed.
That person was Kabuto Yakushi.
In truth, Natsuhiko had long since wanted to recruit Kabuto. A talent like that was not something he was willing to let slip away.
However, at first his status wasn't high enough to act. And after becoming ANBU commander, he had been overwhelmed with responsibilities and completely forgotten about the child in the orphanage.
Now that he had remembered, there was naturally no way he would let Kabuto slip through his fingers again.
Strictly speaking, the boy was already eight or nine years old.
If not for Natsuhiko's interference, Kabuto and Yakushi Nonō would already have been pressured by Danzō, Orochimaru, and Aburame Tatsuma into joining Root—beginning a tragic path as living tools of darkness.
But things were different now.
Tatsuma had already died. Danzō had been stripped of his position. And Orochimaru was now on the verge of defection.
In a sense, Natsuhiko had indirectly changed their fate—even if no one would ever know.
But change was change. Natsuhiko was not the type to ignore what he had set in motion. And now that he remembered, there would naturally be a "return" for his intervention.
Letting Kabuto avoid all those twisted experiences and instead send him to Orochimaru while feeding intelligence back to him—this would count as compensation for altering his fate.
"I'm such a good person."
Standing not far from Konoha's orphanage, Natsuhiko silently admired his own actions for a moment before finally walking forward.
At the entrance, a group of children were happily playing. But the moment they noticed him, they all stopped almost simultaneously.
What surprised him slightly was the clear wariness in their eyes.
It was obvious that over the years—especially during times of constant conflict—these children had not been left in peace.
Whether it was the village or the clans, many had a habit of selecting promising orphans and sending them off to places like Root for training as disposable weapons.
Right now, these children would likely tremble the moment they saw a stranger. After all, the companions who had once been taken away by unfamiliar adults had never returned.
Thinking of that, Natsuhiko instinctively put on a gentle smile—but the next second, his expression stiffened.
Because instead of calming down, the children before him became even more alert and frightened at the sight of his smile.
This was the first time something like this had happened to him. His usual approach—one that had always worked without fail—was completely ineffective against them. Why?
"…Are children really that sensitive?" he wondered.
After thinking it through, that was the only conclusion he could reach. Children's instincts were often far sharper than adults gave them credit for. They didn't analyze who a person was; especially when they didn't recognize someone, they relied almost entirely on instinct.
It was likely that the killing intent clinging faintly to him—along with the lingering traits he had picked up from years in ANBU—was exactly what made them instinctively wary.
"Hello, Mr. Shinobi."
At that moment, a woman with blonde hair and glasses hurried out from inside the orphanage.
She first glanced at the children behind her, then gave Natsuhiko a slight bow.
"I'm sorry for being late. May I ask what brings you here, sir?"
Natsuhiko calmly observed her. He already knew who she was—and her reaction was quite interesting.
Almost subconsciously, she positioned herself in front of all the children, while carefully maintaining a safe distance as she moved slightly closer to him. It was a subtle but deliberate stance—drawing his attention onto herself while shielding the children behind her.
A simple yet clever approach. And at that distance, it was more than enough to handle an average shinobi.
More importantly, the chakra within her body wasn't ordinary. She was clearly not just some civilian caretaker.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Nonō," Natsuhiko said calmly and politely. "I am Natsuhiko Senju. Please forgive the intrusion."
His tone remained as gentle as ever. Even if his identity alone was enough to command obedience here, even if he had just been rejected by the children moments ago, his demeanor did not change in the slightest.
However, the moment he introduced himself, the woman's expression shifted instantly.
It was clear she recognized him. Whether it was the name "Senju" or the weight carried behind "Natsuhiko," she understood exactly what stood before her.
"…So it's the ANBU commander," Yakushi Nonō said with a bitter smile, shaking her head before bowing respectfully once more.
"I am Yakushi Nonō. It is an honor to meet you, Commander."
"Oh? You know me?"
Natsuhiko raised a brow, genuinely intrigued. This was the first person who had immediately recognized his identity upon meeting him.
That made sense, though. Yakushi Nonō was not an unknown figure in Konoha's shinobi system—especially within ANBU circles.
The "Wandering Miko (Nun)" was practically a legend among intelligence operatives. When Natsuhiko first entered ANBU, he had already heard plenty of stories about her.
It was unfortunate that she had once chosen the wrong path—and from that single mistake, her fate had spiraled beyond recovery. In the original timeline, even her wish to leave the shinobi system had been denied.
"Yes," Nonō replied with a bitter smile. "I used to be a Root shinobi."
There was no point in hiding it. Natsuhiko had already addressed her by name the moment he arrived, which meant he had clearly done his research beforehand.
Any attempt at pretense would only be self-deception. It was far better to be honest—both for herself and for the orphanage she protected.
"Very honest. I like that," Natsuhiko said with a slight nod. Then, though he already knew the answer, he still asked, "You understand why I'm here, don't you?"
"Yes…" Yakushi Nonō let out a deep, weary sigh. Her hands hidden beneath her sleeves had already clenched into fists. "You're here to recruit ANBU shinobi… or perhaps to recruit me."
"And what do you think?" Natsuhiko asked with mild interest, his gaze lingering on her. At that moment, his eyes shifted slightly—and when he noticed a boy with silver hair, similar to his own, also wearing glasses and standing among the children, the faint smile on his lips deepened just a little.
"They're still just children…" Nonō bit down hard on her teeth. Her voice trembled slightly, but her resolve was unmistakable.
She didn't finish the sentence, but Natsuhiko understood perfectly what she meant.
They are still children. They need Nonō's care. They should not be exposed to the darkness and suffering of ANBU. They should not have their humanity erased in the process.
Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly. It was clear that Yakushi Nonō genuinely embraced her role as the orphanage's caretaker. She truly loved these children.
Because for her, whether they were taken by clans and trained into disposable tools, or recruited into ANBU as proper operatives, neither outcome was something she was willing to accept.
At the same time, if she left, the orphanage would lose its protection. After all, she was the "Wandering Miko (Nun)"—her presence alone forced many people to think twice before acting.
But that identity held no value to Natsuhiko.
That was why she had no choice but to remain cautious and humble in front of him.
"I understand," Natsuhiko said at last, studying her for a long moment before nodding. "Sorry. The truth may be harsh, but I'm afraid there's no helping it… don't you think?"
He paused briefly, then stepped forward, moving to stand beside the silent Nonō.
His gaze swept across the group of anxious, frightened children before he leaned slightly closer and spoke in a low voice.
"They are all pitiful children. Without parents to rely on, this place is their home."
"But don't forget—this place belongs to Konoha. And so do they."
"Some of them will eventually have to serve Konoha in order for this orphanage to continue receiving support and resources."
"In the end… they are simply making a choice."
After saying that, Natsuhiko fell silent for a moment himself.
For some reason, he suddenly felt like he was becoming more and more suited to hanging himself from a streetlight.
Even though everything he said was true, stating it so bluntly did feel… unnecessarily harsh.
Especially considering that ever since he had sent Minato Namikaze to Mount Myōboku, obtained Hiruzen Sarutobi's fatal weakness, and repeatedly caused massive upheavals in Sunagakure and Kirigakure, his personality had become noticeably more assertive.
If it were in the past, he might not have spoken so directly. But now, he hadn't even considered softening the wording.
Perhaps he really had changed.
Both strength and authority had been slowly reshaping him without him even noticing.
Still, it wasn't necessarily a bad change.
At the very least, he no longer needed to act cautiously, bowing and scraping just to read the room and adjust to everyone else's expectations.
Now, he could simply raise his head—and no one could force him to lower it again, whether through power or authority.
After all, what Natsuhiko said wasn't wrong.
The village—or more precisely, people like the Third Hokage and Danzō—would never support these children without expecting something in return.
If they wanted more people like themselves to survive, then something had to be paid.
In truth, Konoha's finances were more than enough to fully support this orphanage.
But unfortunately, the village needed these "rootless drifters" to contribute. They needed them to take on more dangerous tasks.
And these orphans had no real right to choose. Their only options were to wait for death… or obediently follow orders.
"I understand…" Yakushi Nonō's body trembled slightly. After a long silence, she finally managed to steady herself. "I'll go with you. Please… don't make things difficult for these children."
"No, you've misunderstood."
Natsuhiko shook his head.
He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, his voice as calm and composed as ever.
"You stay. The children need your care."
"I only need one person. The mission I have in mind is dangerous, but someone intelligent enough will be able to survive it."
"Besides, if you stay here, you can continue looking after these children. ANBU can support you—and in return, you'll also help ANBU."
"This world isn't as peaceful as you'd like to believe. Everyone has to pay a price. So why don't we choose a different way to cooperate?"
"What do you say… Miss Miko?"
In the end, Natsuhiko had softened.
That was why he came up with the idea of cooperation between the orphanage and ANBU.
ANBU would provide funding so the orphanage could live better, while Yakushi Nonō would help present ANBU in a more favorable light to the children and guide their willingness to join.
Orphans were one of the largest groups in this world.
After all, the ninja world had never truly known peace.
Perhaps the great nations and major villages could feel an illusion of stability, but for small countries, minor villages, and places without any ninja infrastructure at all…
This world was suffocating in its despair. Survival itself was an unimaginable burden.
That was why Natsuhiko came up with a workable solution.
Konoha's orphanage would continue to gather these children.
Their basic indoctrination—building identification with Konoha and ANBU, while also screening for enemy spies—would be handled by Yakushi Nonō.
As a former Root operative, she was more than qualified for such work.
Once a sense of belonging was established, many of these children would willingly join ANBU. This would create a stable and highly loyal pipeline of talent for the organization.
And with ANBU's backing, other clans would think twice before trying anything against them. The ANBU name alone carried enough weight.
Of course, if any of the children chose to pursue a more "proper" civilian career, Natsuhiko would not stop them either.
After all, not every child had the talent to become ANBU.
"Think about it carefully. At the very least, in the future you'll only have to face us… rather than the pressure of the entire village."
With that, Natsuhiko's attention shifted completely to another child—Yakushi Kabuto.
"This child, I'll be taking him with me. I believe he can fulfill exactly what I need."
"You'll have one month to consider my offer. Don't exceed that limit."
Before leaving, he added one final remark.
"Remember this—joining ANBU isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all…"
He paused slightly, as if recalling something interesting, then smiled faintly.
"We walk in darkness, serve the light. All things are illusion. All things are permitted."
—
Deep within the forest behind the Uchiha clan compound, Orochimaru and members of Root lay in silent ambush.
To deal with Uchiha Fugaku, they had truly gone to great lengths in preparation.
They had mapped his movements, planned every angle of a surprise attack, calculated the timing of the strike, and even accounted for potential surveillance from ANBU.
Every single factor had to be considered. Every variable had to be included.
Because if even one link in the chain failed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Orochimaru lay motionless at the front, his eyes fixed on a distant lake, waiting in silence.
Choosing to act today was, in a sense, a gamble.
Just a few days earlier, Natsuhiko had sent a message through his little lizard informing him of one crucial detail: Kakashi, who had been monitoring them, would soon enter a period of leave. Within this entire month, that brief window would be the only relatively safe opportunity for Orochimaru to make his move.
Even though other ANBU operatives were still keeping watch, none of them possessed a Sharingan like Kakashi. None of them could track Orochimaru as effectively as he could.
But the timing was still tight—too tight, in fact. More importantly, there was no guarantee that Uchiha Fugaku would even appear here during that window.
This place was where Fugaku often brought his son, teaching young Uchiha Itachi some of the clan's jutsu.
From Orochimaru's perspective, however, it still wasn't an ideal location. It was too close to the Uchiha clan's main compound. Any disturbance here would allow reinforcements to arrive almost instantly.
But there was no choice. Natsuhiko had only granted a three-day window. If they failed to act within that time, ANBU surveillance would tighten around them once again.
"…Why hasn't he come yet?"
Orochimaru muttered under his breath.
Waiting had always been irritating.
Even for someone like him, with his patience and composure, spending two full days hidden here had begun to wear on his nerves.
He had already investigated Itachi's performance at the academy—so exceptional that there was almost nothing left for the teachers to teach him. Because of that, Fugaku would often take time personally to train his son. Despite the increasingly tense situation within the clan, Fugaku placed great importance on his family.
"…Don't tell me we came for nothing again."
Another hour passed.
The midday sun hung high in the sky, blazing brilliantly overhead. Its light was dazzling, almost oppressive in its intensity.
Yet no matter how bright it was, it could not dispel the irritation building in Orochimaru's heart.
Being manipulated to this extent, completely unable to resist or change the situation—this feeling was truly unpleasant.
If he had a choice, he would never have allowed himself to end up like this. But unfortunately, there were some things beyond his control, some problems he simply could not resolve at will.
"…Hm?"
At that moment, Orochimaru's expression shifted slightly.
He sensed movement.
Silently shifting his gaze toward the source, he spotted a group of figures approaching—shinobi dressed in black with masks covering their faces.
The moment he saw them, a thin, almost cruel smile curved across Orochimaru's lips.
These were not ANBU.
They were bodyguards—loyal retainers of Uchiha Fugaku, men who would willingly give their lives for his protection.
Their appearance meant only one thing.
Uchiha Fugaku was coming.
"The materials are here… and the target is on his way."
A flash of greed and excitement flickered in Orochimaru's snake-like yellow eyes.
"Then… it's time to begin."