Chapter 10: Shadow of Glory

Chapter 10: Shadow of Glory

Orochimaru's facial features were somewhat cold and harsh. With his pale white skin and casually disheveled long black hair, he gave off a dark and sinister impression at first glance, making it difficult to feel any warmth towards him.

"You're just like Rin!" Anko exclaimed in frustration.

"Lord Orochimaru, please don't be angry. He didn't mean to-" 

"Anko," Orochimaru interrupted her as she was about to scold Shin and make excuses for him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Do you remember what I asked you to get from the hospital yesterday?"

"Yes!"

"Go fetch some more for me today."

"Oh, alright!" Anko nodded instinctively, then realized something was off. "You mean right now?"

"Yes."

Anko glanced suspiciously at Shin, her face scrunched up in worry. She wondered what would happen if this guy angered Lord Orochimaru again.

"Are you concerned about what I might do to your friend?" Orochimaru asked.

"No, I'm going right away!" Anko immediately ran out, thinking she should hurry back as soon as possible.

Only Shin and Orochimaru remained in the sparsely furnished living room. Orochimaru walked over to a chair and sat down. The courtyard outside looked old, with leaves piled up under the trees. A breeze blew into the room, making Shin feel uncomfortable and a bit chilly.

Shin knew what he was doing, but facing someone like Orochimaru still put him under pressure.

"Who's behind you?" Orochimaru asked directly.

"What do you mean, Lord Orochimaru?"

"Such a grand gift - what does the giver want from me in return?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're implying, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru scrutinized the young boy before him and said, "I can turn on you in an instant. If you don't come clean, I may stop playing along very soon."

Shin still shook his head: "Lord Orochimaru must have misunderstood something."

Hearing this, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. His penetrating gaze intensified the pressure.

He changed the subject: "You said Minato will be the next Hokage?"

Shin replied, "I didn't say that - it's what everyone in the village thinks."

After saying this, he looked at Orochimaru with feigned surprise: "Don't tell me you want to be Hokage too, Lord Orochimaru?"

Shin's repeated denials had made Orochimaru somewhat suspicious, but at this moment he finally understood - this little brat was putting on an act in front of him.

Instead of getting angry immediately, he found it rather interesting that someone dared to play such tricks before him.

Shin continued, "The Hokage should be someone who brings hope to the villagers, someone bathed in countless rays of light."

Orochimaru sneered, "You think I can't be Hokage?"

Shin didn't answer his question, but instead went off on a tangent: "I suddenly remembered a story. Would Lord Orochimaru be interested in hearing it?"

Orochimaru's eyes flickered slightly. He wondered if this kid was sent by the Hyuga clan to test him. But who from the Hyuga clan could it be...

"Go on," he said.

Shin began narrating slowly: "Once upon a time, in a certain country, an old king wanted to pass his throne to one of his two sons..."

[The story continues, drawing parallels between the princes and Orochimaru/Minato's situation]

After Shin finished the story, Orochimaru stared at him intently and asked, "Aren't you afraid of death?"

Shin looked surprised and said, "Lord Orochimaru, you're not thinking of killing me, are you?"

Orochimaru was speechless.

A thought suddenly occurred to him - was this kid always so brave? Usually, people were both respectful and fearful in his presence. But this boy seemed completely unfazed by the killing intent he had just released.

What gave him such confidence?

"But if you want to be Hokage, how could you kill a fellow villager?" Shin continued.

"So if I don't kill you, I can become Hokage?" Orochimaru sneered, taking the words out of context.

Shin chuckled, "If you don't kill me, Lord Orochimaru, I can find a way to make you Hokage."

"You?" Orochimaru said disdainfully. But thinking of the boy's earlier behavior, his mind raced.

This kid...

"Why would you do this?" he asked.

Shin paused, then calmly said to Orochimaru, "Does Lord Orochimaru understand what's going on with my eyes?"

Eyes...

Orochimaru had learned from Anko about this anomaly in the Hyuga family. He found it quite intriguing at first - an outsider gaining the Sharingan, and now a Hyuga with ordinary eyes.

"I'm just from a branch family. If I were to have the Byakugan restored, it would mean being subjected to the Caged Bird Seal by the main family again."

Hearing this, Orochimaru instantly understood everything, including the information about the Byakugan that had been passed to him through Anko.

There was no one behind this kid - it had been him all along. He had gone to such great lengths just for this.

A weak individual, frantically jumping around in front of him, all to attract his attention and seek his protection?

If he had revealed his identity and pledged allegiance from the start, Orochimaru would have thought this kid incredibly arrogant and foolish.

Now, he realized this kid was indeed very arrogant!

"What made you think earlier that I would accept those Byakugan?" Orochimaru suddenly asked.

Shin responded, "Because the eldest son is proud and arrogant, there's nothing he wouldn't dare to do."

Orochimaru said calmly, "You also mentioned the eldest son's fate. As someone who doesn't have the people's support, shouldn't I just wait and support Minato's succession as Hokage?"

Shin replied, "That was just a story, one I made up. Stories need logic to be convincing, but reality is often more fantastical and illogical than stories."

"Besides, apart from the position of Hokage, those Byakugan should be out of Lord Orochimaru's reach, right?"

Orochimaru's interest was piqued. He wanted to become Hokage because the position would bring him many conveniences.

But things like the Byakugan were what truly fascinated him.

Shin had indeed given him a reason that was hard to refuse. The Hyuga clan's strict control over the Byakugan had left Orochimaru curious about its power but unable to do anything about it.

After hearing about Shin's claims from Anko, he had taken action despite knowing it could be a trap.

After pondering for a long time, Orochimaru slowly said, "Tell me about your method first."

By saying this, he was essentially acknowledging Shin.

"Why is Lord Orochimaru staying at home during wartime?" Shin asked.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, "You want me to compete with Minato on who can kill more enemies?"

Shin replied, "Lord Orochimaru only needs to demonstrate the ability to turn the tide of battle, doesn't he?"