"Political struggle? Orochimaru was a scapegoat?" Sora blurted out.
That was the only explanation for why Konaha would drive someone like Orochimaru away as a rogue ninja over such a minor matter.
In truth, the so-called use of living humans for technique research was not considered a major issue in the ninja world.
Many organizations, nations, and ninja villages carried out similar experiments frequently.
While such actions were officially forbidden, the rules often depended on who was involved.
For a Kage-level expert like Orochimaru, as long as the village's core interests were not harmed, such matters were often ignored.
Unless it became entangled in a struggle for power.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru had become a victim of that struggle.
This was also one of the reasons Orochimaru often said that Konaha had become corrupt.
"Yes," Tsunade said calmly.
"If Orochimaru had become Hokage back then, with the support of Jiraiya and myself, combined with his own strength, prestige, and achievements, and the backing of the Third Hokage, he would have become unstoppable within Konaha.
No one would have been able to stop him from doing anything. That would have been a complete monopoly of power."
She paused before continuing.
"How could something like that possibly be allowed to happen in Konaha Village? At the very least, certain people would never permit it.
Especially those who had been secretly planning to obtain the Hokage position themselves. If Orochimaru succeeded, the Third Hokage's faction would control everything in Konaha.
No one would dare to disobey their orders, not even the great clans."
Tsunade let out a quiet breath.
"In fact, after my grandfather and granduncle passed away, Konaha no longer allowed power to remain in the hands of a single person.
After they were gone, the Hokage could no longer decide everything alone. Do you see the Third Hokage making every decision by himself now?"
"No."
"He must consider the interests and opinions of many different groups. He can't rule the village the same way the First and Second Hokage did, when no one dared to disobey a single command.
Power is no longer concentrated in one person's hands. The Hokage cannot simply do whatever he wants."
"Root," Sora said coldly.
"Exactly," Tsunade replied.
"Orochimaru became a victim of the conflict between Root and the Third Hokage. More precisely, he became a victim of the struggle between the great clans of Konaha and the Third Hokage.
People from the great clans only care about their own interests. The Uchiha were like that. The Hyuga are like that. And many others are the same.
If Orochimaru had become Hokage, his prestige and power would have been unmatched. It would have been very easy for a monopoly of power to appear again.
How could those people allow that to happen? With Root manipulating things from the shadows, Orochimaru could only become the sacrifice of political conflict."
Tsunade sighed softly.
"What truly made Orochimaru want to kill the Third Hokage, what turned his feelings into hatred, was that the Third Hokage chose to compromise.
Between his disciple and the stability of Konaha, he chose the latter. For the Third Hokage, Konaha is everything. For the sake of the village, he is willing to sacrifice anything, even himself.
And so Orochimaru was destined to end up like this."
She looked toward the battle taking place in the distance.
"Driving Orochimaru away simply because of human experimentation is nothing more than a joke.Even if he had used ninjas from this village for experiments,
as long as the Third Hokage had spoken on his behalf, Orochimaru could easily have switched to using prisoners from other villages.
With Orochimaru's strength, and considering that it was wartime back then, no one would care what happened to enemy prisoners.
Do you really think someone like Orochimaru would be expelled from the village for that reason alone? Orochimaru's hatred is as deep as his love once was.
He trusted the Third Hokage and believed that his teacher would stand by his side. What he never expected was betrayal.
The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred. Especially for someone as sensitive and extreme as Orochimaru, walking down this path was almost inevitable.
I understand the grudge between them, and so does Jiraiya. That is exactly why we cannot interfere."
Tsunade's tone grew colder.
"Konaha, Danzo, and the great clans are truly terrifying. On the surface, it looks like they drove a wedge between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage.
But in reality, they destroyed the bond between the Sannin and the Third Hokage. They broke the possibility of a monopoly of power forming.
That was the true goal of Root and the great clans of Konaha. Orochimaru was nothing more than a sacrifice from the very beginning."
Her words were chilling.
If even someone as powerful as Orochimaru, who had contributed so much to Konaha, could be sacrificed like this, then it was not difficult to understand why he had chosen the path he now walked.
Seen from that perspective, the appearance of the Konaha Crush operation was almost inevitable.
"So, Sora," Tsunade said quietly, "I have always believed the Hokage position is filthy, and that anyone who becomes Hokage is a fool.
It's not only because my loved ones died because of it, but also because of the reasons that pushed the three of us onto our current paths.
You must remember this. Kage-level experts may be the highest combat power in the ninja world, but that does not mean they are omnipotent or free to act without restraint.
If you truly want to act without restraint, you must reach my grandfather's level, or even surpass him. After all, even someone as powerful as my grandfather eventually died in battle.
So you must surpass them. Only then can you avoid becoming someone else's sacrifice or stepping stone."
Tsunade's voice trembled slightly with emotion.
"I will," Sora said firmly as he reached out and held Tsunade's hand, conveying his determination and confidence.
A gentle expression appeared on Tsunade's face.
"I believe you will. Before that day comes," Tsunade continued softly.
"I will eliminate any danger that might cause you to die before reaching your potential. No matter who it is, I will not allow them to stand in your way. No one can.
I, Tsunade, swear in the name of the Senju of the Forest that I will never lose you. Anyone who tries to take you away from me will become my enemy."
There was one final sentence she did not say aloud, yet it echoed repeatedly in her heart.
Even if that enemy is the entire ninja world.
"Hmm?" Tsunade suddenly turned her gaze toward the battlefield. "The One-Tails jinchuriki has gone mad."
Gaara had been injured.
Under the combined attacks of several Konaha genin and a few chunin, Uchiha Sasuke had finally found an opportunity to strike him with Chidori.
However, such a wound meant almost nothing to a jinchuriki, especially one with Gaara's defensive abilities.
Instead, it completely triggered the ferocity and killing intent of Shukaku.
"I didn't expect Kakashi to actually teach Chidori to the last Uchiha," Tsunade said as she looked at the lightning flashing in Sasuke's hand.
"It seems that in Kakashi's heart, the Fourth Hokage's child is not as important as the surviving Uchiha."
"That's something only Kakashi himself can answer," Sora replied calmly. "But it is a fact that he never taught Naruto any techniques.
In truth, the most pitiful person in Konaha is Naruto. If he had not encountered Jiraiya, he would have relied on the self-taught Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu from beginning to end.
Konaha's control over him has always been extremely strict."
Whether Sora's words were mocking or sympathetic was difficult to tell.
However, his gaze was fixed firmly on Gaara.
His instincts told him that the power hidden inside Gaara was about to erupt.
...
Author's Note:
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