It came as no surprise.
When Senju Yukika stepped into the Hokage's office, Orochimaru was already inside.
The three-day respite following graduation was over. What lay ahead now was the true life of a shinobi.
Orochimaru's expression remained unreadable as always.
But the coldness in his eyes revealed that these past three days hadn't been pleasant for him.
And it was no wonder.
It had been Orochimaru who officially announced Yukika's graduation. As his teacher, he had personally declared to everyone that he was satisfied with Yukika's talent and strength.
But that decision had clearly cost him.
He had offended his superiors—and his own mentor.
Orochimaru saw through people easily. He could often grasp the core of any situation.
And the moment he took in a member of the Senju clan as his student, he immediately sensed the fury radiating from Danzo.
Which led him to question:
What did the village truly stand for? What was the real purpose of Konoha?
The First Hokage once said that for the sake of Konoha, he would strike down anyone—even a dear friend or a family member.
If that was what they called the Will of Fire...
Then what should one call these present efforts by the higher-ups to erase the Senju clan from history?
Weren't the Senju part of Konoha too?
Orochimaru's sharp instincts uncovered the filth hidden beneath the village's ideals.
And yet, in Senju Yukika, he found someone like himself—someone who chose to fight back against that filth.
Senju Yukika.
My student.
Where will the wind of your path ultimately blow?
His gaze softened as he walked up to Yukika.
"Senju Yukika. Senju Nawaki."
"Orochimaru will explain the mission details to you on the way."
The Third Hokage puffed on his pipe. With Tsunade present, he preferred not to say too much in front of her.
But a perceptive woman like her could spot the truth even from the smallest cues.
And what she saw in Orochimaru's eyes made everything clear.
"Lord Hokage, are you really sending them to the battlefield?"
She didn't call him "Teacher Sarutobi" like she used to.
She called him Hokage.
The distance between them had grown—and deliberately so.
It wasn't hard to understand.
Looking back at the original story, it was clear that Tsunade didn't initially know Nawaki had gone to the front lines. The guilt Orochimaru expressed after Nawaki's death supported that.
After the war, her attitude toward Sarutobi Hiruzen changed drastically. She started calling him "Old Man" without respect—and he didn't seem to mind.
That alone spoke volumes.
Sarutobi had wronged Tsunade. That was the truth.
And Tsunade had begun to uncover the rot at the top.
So, after Nawaki's death and the total collapse of the Senju clan, she left the village in bitter disappointment.
But now, things were different.
Senju Yukika's existence had awakened her sense of resistance. The distrust she held toward the upper echelons—and toward her former mentor—was rising to the surface early.
Sending both of her ten-year-old brothers to the battlefield?
She had suspected it might come to this, but now that it was actually happening, the fury swelling inside her was impossible to contain.
"Precisely because they carry the Senju bloodline," the Third Hokage replied calmly, "they should contribute their strength to the village."
"The First Hokage once said that the Senju must lead by example and charge into danger before others. That is not only their duty but a reflection of the First Hokage's resolve—a spirit that should be emulated by all, even his descendants."
He took another slow puff from his pipe.