Konohagakure, a modest-sized private residence.
This was the home of the jōnin Hiruko—much like the life he believed he himself had led: neither outstanding nor insignificant.
He had grown up alongside Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. The four of them were of the same generation, raised together. But as their lives diverged along different paths, Hiruko gradually drifted farther and farther away from them.
It was not that the Sannin looked down on him. Rather, Hiruko felt that he could no longer even see their backs. Even if he forced himself to stand among them, they no longer belonged to the same circle…
Why invite resentment for no reason?
At times, he would think to himself that he was clearly a jōnin—one of the village's rare talents, one in a hundred—and that he ought to be content.
Yet whenever he thought of the achievements his peers had attained, the fame they enjoyed, the reverent gazes they received within the village…
He could not calm his heart.
In the end, he could only immerse himself in the development of ninjutsu, losing himself in the sea of research to numb his own mind.
Because of this, Hiruko still maintained a certain degree of contact with Orochimaru.
A knock sounded at the door.
Hiruko frowned, closed the research notes in his hand, and put them away.
Recently, he had been studying the field of cellular fusion. After finally having a spark of inspiration during his leave, he was interrupted by this sudden visitor.
How annoying.
Hiruko opened the door. Seeing Orochimaru standing there with a faint smile, he tugged at the corner of his mouth in an unnatural expression.
"Orochimaru, huh—so the busy man finally has time to come see me?"
Although Hiruko comforted himself by focusing on research and being content with a simple life, in reality he kept a high-intensity watch on the village's movements, dissecting the affairs of every major figure and shifting current.
To put it a bit dramatically, he spent twenty-four hours a day studying the trending gossip and the Sannin.
So of course, he also knew about the rumors of the "Konoha Committee."
In Hiruko's view, Orochimaru would definitely be selected—perhaps he might even rise to a higher level in the future…
Coming here this time, it was probably to show off, wasn't it?
"I'm not the one looking for you. The Hokage is."
Orochimaru took in Hiruko's expression in full, and gave a cold little chuckle to himself.
This old friend of his—his awkward temperament really was unpleasant…
If not for the fact that they were both research types, and had grown up together since childhood, Orochimaru wouldn't even bother to give him a hand…
"I was talking with Sensei about Konoha's research talent these days, and your ideas came up. He said they were very interesting."
"Looking for you might also be about this 'Konoha Committee' matter."
Orochimaru waved his hand. "I've delivered the message. What you do is up to you…"
Hiruko's heart jolted.
So the selection of elites that had been circulating among the jōnin lately—its official name was "Konoha Committee"?
That bastard Orochimaru—he had known about it long ago!
Hiruko felt a sour sting in his chest, but then his pupils suddenly tightened.
Wait a second!
He'd been so caught up thinking about Orochimaru…
Did what he said mean that he, too, had a chance to squeeze into the "Konoha Committee"?
Watching the faintly teasing look in Orochimaru's eyes, Hiruko suppressed the turmoil in his heart and put on what he believed to be a calm, unruffled expression. "I understand."
After closing the door, Hiruko listened to Orochimaru's footsteps fade away. He then changed into his cleanest, most neatly pressed jōnin uniform at top speed, washed his face, and tidied himself up in front of the mirror.
"Could this be my chance?"
A flicker of timidity rose in Hiruko's heart. Could the Hokage really understand scientific research?
The Third Hokage had indeed been pushing reforms aggressively of late, giving people a refreshing sense of change…
But as the leader of an entire village, with so many affairs to handle, would he really have the energy to learn about research matters? Especially when the area in which he produced results was a niche one—biological engineering…
Was it more likely that he had simply had an animated chat with Orochimaru and called him over for a cursory look, just to get a rough idea?
Hiruko kept lowering his expectations, yet the instant he pushed the door open, the unease in his heart only grew stronger.
At that moment, Orochimaru was hidden at a street corner, sizing up Hiruko in his new uniform, his face stiff with tension, and broke into a grin full of mischievous amusement.
"Putting on an air of indifference, but actually on full alert? Interesting…"
"I wonder if he'll be able to pass Sensei's test," Orochimaru mused.
If Hiruko became part of the "Konoha Committee," then as someone whose strength lay in research, he would naturally stand on Orochimaru's side—gaining him another ally.
Put another way, it would also be lending a hand to his childhood friend. Why not?
"Have I changed a little myself?" Orochimaru shook his head with a wry smile, but did not dwell on it.
For someone who believed that "change itself is a good thing," he was, naturally, also part of that change.
...
Konohagakure, the Hokage Building.
Hiruzen held Tobirama's research notes in his hands, reading them with undiminished interest.
Ever since he had learned what was actually contained within that mysterious black jar in the sealed archive…
These fragmentary research notes seemed to be brimming with stories, stirring endless imagination.
Hiruzen could not help but sigh with emotion. No wonder some people enjoyed listening to bits of unofficial history, or indulging in those inexplicable rival pairings…
Unofficial history might be wild, but it really was fascinating.
Especially since the research notes themselves contained a great deal of useful knowledge, touching on many lines of scientific thinking.
As Hokage, Hiruzen did not expect himself to become proficient in research within a short period of time. That was not something one could achieve merely by reading Tobirama's notes; it required extensive hands-on practice and accumulated experience.
But some general knowledge, basic logic, and operational frameworks were things he absolutely had to understand.
If he understood nothing at all, he could easily end up like Danzō, being completely fooled by his subordinates when it came to funding…
Some projects had clearly not even begun the approval stage, yet people were already claiming they were underway, demanding funds all the same.
Even though the relationship between Hiruzen and Orochimaru could be described as familial, that was no excuse to let his guard down.
A Hokage's laxity was, in effect, an invitation for others to give rise to the temptation to make mistakes.
...
After a cautious knock and receiving permission, Hiruko took a deep breath outside the door and slowly walked in. "Hokage-sama!"
"Hiruko is here? Sit."
Hiruzen casually closed the notes in his hands. "I heard from Orochimaru that you've done some research on cells?"
Hot tea was poured from the pot into the cup placed before him.
Hiruko hurriedly stood up. "I'll do it, I'll do it… thank you, Third-sama!"
Holding the cup of hot tea, the warmth in Hiruko's palms still could not compare to what he felt in his heart.
What was this supposed to mean?
He was just an obscure jōnin—yet the Third-sama had personally poured him tea!
Watching Hiruko's reaction, Hiruzen smiled inwardly.
Orochimaru had spoken with him about this man's temperament, summing it up in a single phrase: "a craving for recognition."
Clearly a talented shinobi, yet trapped beneath the halo of his peers, with a reference frame for self-worth set a little too high…
His problem was precisely the sort that the "Konoha Committee" system was best suited to address.
But suitable was one thing...
Hiruko still had to produce real substance. Hiruzen would never place an empty-headed fool onto the "committee" list simply because of Orochimaru's recommendation.
"What I study is cellular fusion. I have a rough line of thinking like this…" Hiruko explained his ideas cautiously, deliberately keeping his language as concise as possible to ensure the Hokage could understand.
This was not condescension; it was simply the reality that different fields were separated by vast gaps.
Yet Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
This might—be of tremendous help in perfecting the private collection of a certain Hokage whose name he was unwilling to disclose!
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