"Zuru zuru..."
I slurped up the last bit of my ramen and placed the empty bowl down with a satisfied sigh.
"Uncle, one more bowl!" I called out.
"Coming right up," the man behind the counter replied with a smile.
I turned to Kakashi, who was sitting beside me. "You sure you don't want another one?"
We were at Ichiraku Ramen. It wasn't the famous spot it would become years from now, but people in the village knew about it. It had been around for a few years now and was slowly gaining regulars.
Kakashi shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. I'm full."
I nodded and leaned back a little, glancing casually at the ramen guy behind the counter. For a moment, I found myself zoning out.
There were some weird theories I'd read in fanfictions in my last life. About the ramen guy being an Ōtsutsuki.
Hell, some even made him Kaguya's father.
I nearly chuckled at the thought. Clearly nonsense, but still funny to think about.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow at me. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," I said, waving it off. "Just random stuff."
My second bowl arrived, and I grabbed the chopsticks again. "Let's just eat. We've got a lot of training ahead."
But just as I was about to dig into my second bowl, a cheerful voice made me pause.
"Minato, let's get some ramen!"
"Alright, let's go."
I froze, chopsticks halfway to my mouth.
Minato?
I turned slightly, just enough to sneak a glance without making it obvious. Sure enough, the first thing I noticed was the unmistakable blonde hair. And right next to him, bright red.
Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
I lowered my eyes back to my bowl, keeping my expression neutral.
The future Golden Flash of Konoha and the current Nine-Tails jinchūriki.
My mind started racing with questions I couldn't push aside.
Did Hiruzen know they were here?
Is he watching us?
Is this some kind of test? For me? For the Uchiha?
Is Minato part of it?
It could be coincidence. But nothing in this village ever truly is.
"Minato, is that lecherous toad back?" Kushina's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Minato let out a quiet sigh. "Yeah, Sensei's back. And please don't call him that."
Jiraiya's returned, huh?
Not surprising really. The border tensions are getting worse, so it's only natural the Sannin are regrouping. But that word. Sensei...
He's already Jiraiya's student?
Forget it. Trying to match everything to what I remember will only give me a headache.
"He is what he is," Kushina said bluntly.
Can't argue with that. Jiraiya is a man of culture.
But the one I like the most has always been Orochimaru.
Out of all the characters in the Naruto universe, he's the one who fascinates me the most.
Throughout the entire series, from the original to Shippuden and even into Boruto, Orochimaru consistently stands out. While others chased after ideals like peace or power, he pursued knowledge. Forbidden, twisted, dark knowledge, but knowledge nonetheless.
He didn't want to protect the village or destroy it. He wanted to understand everything. To live forever, to master all jutsu, to break every limit.
Sometimes I wonder. Is Orochimaru actually the hidden protagonist of the Naruto-verse?
While others were bound by loyalty and emotion, Orochimaru was free. A monster, yes, but one of the few who was never a hypocrite.
Even when he attacked the village, I don't think it was just about destruction. From my perspective, he wanted Hiruzen to leave the world with the same respect he built throughout his life, with a legacy that wouldn't fade into political stagnation.
Of course, revenge played its part. The death of Nawaki. Being denied the Fourth Hokage seat. Being forced to abandon the village he bled for. Branded a traitor. A missing-nin.
But even with all that, Orochimaru never truly intended to destroy Konoha. Not the Konoha he grew up in, fought for, and once believed in.
Maybe Jiraiya understood that. Maybe even Hiruzen did. Otherwise, why didn't Jiraiya try harder to stop him? Why didn't Hiruzen cancel the Chūnin Exams the moment Orochimaru was spotted?
Because, deep down, everyone understood. It was time. Time for the old leaf to fall. So the new could rise.
Jiraiya and Tsunade were the ideal successors. But Jiraiya? His character would never allow him to become Hokage. That left only one true candidate. Tsunade.
Granddaughter of the First Hokage. Grandniece of the Second. Student of the Third. One of the Legendary Sannin. She had the legacy, the strength, the bloodline, the title.
But she wouldn't return. She wasn't a fool. She saw the slow death of the Senju clan. She knew whose hands were stained in that silence. So she distanced herself. From the politics. From the rot beneath the peace.
Only when Hiruzen died did she come back. Not for the council. Not for the position. But for Konoha. Because she wouldn't let the village crumble. Not when it was her family's legacy.
Everyone understood this. Jiraiya. Hiruzen. Orochimaru. The clan elders. That's why Hiruzen's death was inevitable.
And Orochimaru? He was simply the one chosen to carry it out. To end an era and spark the beginning of the next.
Because in the end, Hiruzen died with honour. Just like the Hokage before him. A sacrifice remembered, respected, and retold.
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Reincarnator suggestions ( female )