Orochimaru's sudden call caught Hirofumi Ito off guard. The guy barely ever talked to him! These days, Orochimaru had been holed up in his experiments, completely obsessed.
Hirofumi had previously shared all sorts of ideas and rough principles with him—stuff from another world. Orochimaru was blown away, calling it revolutionary. So, Hirofumi had summoned a ton of experimental materials into the summoning space, and Orochimaru had been tinkering away ever since…
Aside from his research, Orochimaru had only interacted with Minato and Kushina Namikaze, plus Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. So, what could he possibly want with Hirofumi now?
Had he invented something new?!
Hirofumi had mentioned things like guns and ammo before, and Orochimaru had whipped them up like it was nothing. The Naruto world already had some hot weapons, though they weren't quite like what Hirofumi described. But he hadn't stopped at firearms—he'd gone on about nuclear bombs, hydrogen bombs, intercontinental missiles, satellites, aircraft carriers, fighter jets, you name it. Had Orochimaru actually made one of those?!
And it wasn't just weapons. Hirofumi had also brought up things like smartphones, computers, and the internet…
Those had left Orochimaru absolutely fascinated.
Hearing Orochimaru's call, Hirofumi gathered his chakra in the summoning space. "What's up, Snake Uncle? Got some new toy to show off?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Not quite… Research isn't that simple. You know your summoning space is completely different from the outside world! I still can't figure out how this space of yours even works… Some experiments just can't be done here. The rules in the ninja world and your summoning space are totally different.
For example, that satellite you mentioned? It only works with the ninja world's parameters. Same goes for the internet, mobile networks, all that stuff. Those can only be set up out there."
"So, what's this about, Snake Uncle?" Hirofumi asked, puzzled.
Orochimaru gave a creepy grin, his long tongue flicking across his face. "I've got an idea!!!"
Hirofumi froze. Why did that sound so familiar? Was Orochimaru about to become the Hidden Leaf's idea guy?!
"What are you getting at, Snake Uncle?"
"The Hidden Leaf Collapse Plan! I know your ambitions, your dreams, and what you're trying to achieve. I can help you…"
Hirofumi's interest was piqued. Even with the storyline and anime diverging so much, Orochimaru still came up with the Hidden Leaf Collapse Plan…
"That sounds kinda interesting, Snake Uncle! Spill the details!"
"Heh heh heh… I knew you'd be into it. You want control of the Hidden Leaf, but the Third Hokage is a boulder in your path. You've got to move that boulder to take over. As the First Hokage's disciple and someone who sees the Leaf as your future power base, you can't do it yourself… But I can! I'm a rogue ninja of the Leaf and the Third Hokage's former student. I'm the perfect guy for the job!
Of course… I've got my own motives. I want to give my teacher a grand exit, let him leave as a hero of the Leaf, as the Third Hokage!"
Orochimaru spilled a lot in one go.
Hirofumi got the picture. In the original story, some fans speculated that Orochimaru's Hidden Leaf Collapse Plan wasn't really about destroying the village. Now it seemed like Orochimaru just wanted to clean up some of the Leaf's issues while giving his teacher a glorious send-off. After all, if the Third Hokage kept going the way he was, he'd likely end up disgraced.
It was hard to say whether Orochimaru was a dutiful student or a rebellious one. In the anime, after the Collapse Plan, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, went from a controversial figure to a redeemed hero…
Hirofumi nodded. "Alright, Snake Uncle! How do I help you pull this off?"
"No need for much help… This plan's guaranteed to work! Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Fugaku Uchiha, and Mikoto Uchiha are all on board with my idea. The five of us are more than enough. All you need to do is summon us to the outside world. And don't worry—the First and Second Hokages already know about this. They didn't object. We're not trying to destroy the Leaf, just send the Third Hokage off. Plus, with you here, we can even bring him back at his peak strength…"
Hirofumi didn't keep tabs on everything happening in the summoning space, so he hadn't realized Orochimaru had already cleared things with the First and Second Hokages.
"Sounds good. When are you guys moving out?"
Honestly, Hirofumi was curious to see this version of the Hidden Leaf Collapse Plan. It was wildly different this time. For one, the Fourth Kazekage wouldn't have to die! And instead of Orochimaru using the Edo Tensei to summon the First and Second Hokages, it'd be Minato, Kushina, Fugaku, Mikoto, and Orochimaru himself carrying out the plan.
Hirofumi couldn't help but feel a bit of whiplash. Would the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, thank him for not having to die this time?
Just then, Minato, Fugaku, Kushina, and Mikoto walked over. Clearly, the five of them were ready.
"Uncle Minato, Uncle Fugaku! So… I'll summon you guys out soon?"
Minato and Fugaku nodded.
"Yeah… some things have to be done sooner or later," Minato said.
"Exactly," Fugaku added. "We also want to see what the new Hidden Leaf looks like."
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