"Tenya-kun, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Orochimaru looked at Tenya with a smile, his appreciation for Tenya undisguised.
Seeing Orochimaru's interest in him, Tenya was not surprised at all.
When he participated in the Chuunin Exam, Tenya had already prepared himself mentally.
Moreover, with the impressive combat prowess he displayed during the Chuunin Exam, it was inevitable that he would attract attention.
He originally thought that Danzo would be the first to approach him and invite him to join the Root, and he had already prepared a reason to refuse.
Unexpectedly, it was Orochimaru who found him first.
"You are Orochimaru-sama?"
Tenya looked at Orochimaru with some surprise and responded politely.
"Good that you recognize me!" Orochimaru chuckled and said, "Are you interested in working under me? I have a direct Jounin position available."
Is this... a recruitment?
Tenya's eyes flickered slightly, his thoughts racing through his mind.
Now that he already had the strength of a regular Jounin, further rapid improvement in role-playing progress wouldn't be so easy. Apart from learning high-level sword techniques, the only option left was to complete trigger missions.
However, trigger missions were too random and not easy to encounter frequently.
The only reliable way to quickly improve his role-playing progress was to learn high-level sword techniques.
In all of Konoha, apart from Danzo, Orochimaru had the richest collection.
Among his collections were not only forbidden techniques recorded in sealing scrolls but also numerous techniques in ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu.
Becoming Orochimaru's direct Jounin would give Tenya access to more high-level sword techniques.
With this thought flashing through his mind, Tenya had already made his decision.
Compared to Danzo, Tenya was undoubtedly more inclined towards Orochimaru.
Although working under Orochimaru had its risks, it was still more suitable for him than joining Danzo's Root.
"If I become your direct Jounin, what benefits would I get?"
Tenya didn't hide his thoughts and directly expressed his attitude to Orochimaru.
For someone as clever as Orochimaru, beating around the bush would only cause unnecessary suspicion. It was better to get straight to the point.
And as it turned out, Orochimaru appreciated this approach.
As long as you showed your value, Orochimaru would generally not refuse your requests.
"Oh?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, showing interest. What benefits do you want?"
This was the first time someone dared to ask him for benefits, and Orochimaru found it amusing.
"I'm only interested in sword techniques. If you can give me some high-level sword techniques, I will become your direct Jounin!"
Seeing that Orochimaru wasn't angry, Tenya directly stated his desire.
"Hehe, no wonder your swordsmanship is so profound. It turns out you are so obsessed with it," Orochimaru said with a smile as he took out a scroll and handed it to Tenya, "I do have some high-level sword technique scrolls, but I can't give them all to you. This depends on your performance in the future. If you agree to become my direct Jounin now, I can give you this A-rank sword technique scroll for free!"
"From now on, I am your direct Jounin!"
Tenya's eyes lit up as he eagerly took the A-rank sword technique scroll, his face full of joy.
After putting away the sword technique scroll, Tenya asked directly, "Orochimaru-sama, do you have any orders for me now?"
Orochimaru waved his hand and said, "There's nothing for now. When I need you, I will have a summoning beast notify you."
After saying this, Orochimaru left without looking back.
Tenya fell into deep thought.
Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's push, Konoha had begun the selection process for the Fourth Hokage.
Among the candidates, Minato Namikaze and Orochimaru had the highest support.
Tsunade and Jiraiya, who were also qualified, had directly given up the fight for the Fourth Hokage position.
Currently, Minato Namikaze was too young, and in terms of achievements and seniority, he couldn't compare to Orochimaru.
For now, Orochimaru had a significant advantage.
If Orochimaru were to become Hokage, he couldn't handle everything on his own.
He would need his own trusted force.
Only with the support of his loyalists could he secure his position as Hokage.
Now, Orochimaru inviting Tenya to be his direct Jounin undoubtedly had the intention of building his loyal force.
Orochimaru's idea was good, but whether he could truly ascend to the Hokage position remained uncertain.
Tenya, knowing the original story, was very clear that Orochimaru never stood a chance.
Because the candidate Hiruzen Sarutobi had chosen for the Fourth Hokage was always Minato Namikaze, Orochimaru was at best a runner-up.
To pave the way for Minato Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, both openly and covertly, gave Minato immense support. Combined with Minato's excellent performance in the Third Shinobi World War, Minato's achievements and seniority quickly caught up with Orochimaru and even had the momentum to surpass him.
Moreover, Minato had good relationships with members of various clans in Konoha and enjoyed high prestige among the common people.
Support for Minato Namikaze becoming the Fourth Hokage was growing, making him the people's choice.
In contrast, due to his personality, many in Konoha feared Orochimaru.
Furthermore, Orochimaru's arrogance strained his relationships with the various clans.
If Orochimaru succeeded in becoming Hokage, Konoha would likely undergo a brutal purge, squandering the favorable situation.
This was not something Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to see.
Only with Minato Namikaze's ascension could Konoha's prosperity be maintained and ensure long-term stability.
Weighing the pros and cons, Minato Namikaze was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate for the Fourth Hokage.
After Orochimaru failed to become the Fourth Hokage, he and Hiruzen Sarutobi gradually drifted apart.
Perhaps it was only in hindsight that Orochimaru realized Hiruzen Sarutobi's true intentions. Someone as proud as Orochimaru couldn't stand being manipulated by his respected teacher.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi had directly told Orochimaru to give up the Fourth Hokage candidacy, Orochimaru would have been displeased but wouldn't hold such a grudge.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose the way Orochimaru could least accept, causing his defeat in the election.
This was like slapping Orochimaru hard in the face.
Someone as proud as Orochimaru couldn't accept such an outcome.
The split between the teacher and student became inevitable.
Later, Orochimaru cared less about Konoha and devoted himself entirely to human experiments, even going as far as targeting his fellow ninjas.
In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to deal with Orochimaru personally.
After a fierce battle, with Hiruzen Sarutobi intentionally holding back, Orochimaru managed to escape from Konoha.
Would the original story's plot repeat itself?
Watching Orochimaru's departing figure, Tenya remained silent for a long time.
He didn't care who became the Fourth Hokage.
What he cared about now was how to enhance his strength quickly.
For now, the ninja world was relatively peaceful.
But this peace wouldn't last long.
Once the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure was secretly killed by Sasori, the Third Shinobi World War would officially begin.
Tenya didn't know when Sasori would act and couldn't influence him.
What he could do now was to focus on improving his own strength to ensure he had the ability to protect himself in the upcoming war.