Faced with Orochimaru, the Third Hokage had a few options to choose from.
He could agree to all of Orochimaru's demands and comply with his terms without hesitation.
He could simply turn around and leave, asserting the dignity of a Hokage, one who doesn't bow to anyone or allow themselves to be humiliated.
Or… he could eliminate Orochimaru right here and now, cutting off any potential future threats.
But to kill Orochimaru?
The drawbacks outweighed the benefits. Not only did the Third Hokage feel immense guilt toward Orochimaru, but he also lacked the confidence to face Orochimaru's current strength.
Even if he somehow managed to kill Orochimaru, the action wouldn't help Konoha's current predicament, it would only worsen the situation.
Killing Orochimaru wasn't an option. Neither morally nor logistically could he justify it.
Given the broken relationship between him and Orochimaru, the Third Hokage had prepared himself for all possible outcomes before arriving.
He didn't want to hand Konoha over to Orochimaru, but what choice did he have?
For the sake of Konoha, he was willing to lower himself and ask for Orochimaru's help.
Tsunade's faith that Orochimaru could save the village gave him a glimmer of hope. At this point, he had no alternatives.
Fortunately, aside from the matter of the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, Orochimaru's other demands were still manageable.
Although he couldn't understand how Orochimaru even knew about the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, this wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Orochimaru's threat had been crystal clear: if he arrived in Konoha and didn't see the Jinchūriki, he would destroy the village.
The Third Hokage couldn't take any chances. If he tried to hide the Jinchūriki by sending her away, Orochimaru could easily align himself with the villages attacking Konoha.
If that happened, Konoha's downfall would only accelerate.
Orochimaru's blatant grab for the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki left the Third Hokage powerless to resist.
Orochimaru's indifference toward him stung, but he couldn't blame his former student.
Because in the end, all of this was a consequence of his own decisions.
As Orochimaru's figure disappeared into the distance, the Third Hokage stood in silence, his thoughts a chaotic mess.
"Perhaps… I truly was never fit to be Hokage…" he murmured to himself.
"Tsunade, how did it go?"
As Orochimaru approached, Tsunade immediately rushed to him, her voice impatient.
More than anyone, she was desperate to know the outcome of the negotiation.
"Go ask him yourself. I'll be waiting at the foot of the mountain," Orochimaru replied nonchalantly, waving his hand dismissively. Without waiting for her response, he began descending the mountain.
He had no interest in explaining something so tedious.
Letting Tsunade become Hokage was always his plan, it was simply a matter of waiting for the right moment.
Now that the opportunity had finally arrived, everything had fallen into place.
Orochimaru's actions, sowing chaos among the ninja villages and dragging Konoha into turmoil had always been for two purposes.
The first was to force Hiruzen to abdicate and pave the way for Tsunade to take over.
The second was to weaken the major nations and manipulate the balance of power.
Once the chaos of a five-nation melee took hold, Orochimaru would have countless opportunities.
He could control smaller countries, undermine larger nations, expand his Edo Tensei army, and even seize one or two tailed beasts.
These objectives could only be achieved after leaving Konoha and once war broke out, he could act without restraint.
As for Tsunade? Her becoming Hokage would serve as a gateway to controlling Konoha indirectly.
Why? Because Konoha was the most powerful ninja village in the world.
It held vast intelligence networks and immense talent.
As Orochimaru had long understood, the best way to dominate wasn't through destruction but through control.
Conquering a village or nation meant you couldn't simply kill off its population, doing so would be meaningless.
Instead, you needed personnel to manage and enforce your rule.
While Orochimaru lacked the manpower for this, Konoha had plenty.
And though he couldn't use Konoha's resources directly due to his status as a traitor, his connection to Tsunade provided a convenient workaround.
For Orochimaru, the benefits of indirectly controlling Konoha far outweighed any potential drawbacks.
Would Hiruzen regret his decision?
A Hokage who prioritized the village above all else would eventually reconsider his promises once the crisis passed.
The agreement between them was verbal and private. There was no binding mechanism to hold Hiruzen to his word.
But Orochimaru didn't mind.
Once he secured the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, any attempt by Hiruzen to renege would have to be carefully calculated.
If Hiruzen dared to break his promise, Orochimaru would lose nothing but time.
Konoha, on the other hand, would lose its Jinchūriki and possibly its entire village.
Orochimaru was confident Sarutobi would understand which choice was more important.
Roughly half an hour later, Tsunade appeared at the foot of the mountain, breathless and emotional.
Before Orochimaru could react, she threw herself into his arms.
"Thank you, Orochimaru! Thank you for agreeing to help the village unconditionally!"
Her voice quivered, heavy with gratitude, and tears welled in her eyes.
"Unconditionally?" Orochimaru blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then a sly smile crept across his lips.
It seemed Hiruzen hadn't told Tsunade the full details of their discussion.
Which made sense. If Hiruzen had been transparent, it wouldn't have helped and might have even disrupted their cooperation.
"Tsunade, I think you misunderstood something," Orochimaru said, his tone amused.
"Misunderstood? What do you mean?" Tsunade pulled back slightly, wiping away her tears, confusion written across her face.
Orochimaru gently took her hand, his golden eyes gleaming. "I didn't agree to go back and help Konoha."
"I only agreed to provide assistance, not to return to Konoha," Orochimaru explained in his low, hoarse voice. "Do you really think I'm suited to fight alongside Konoha's shinobi again?"
"What's stopping you?" Tsunade pressed. "Your clones are strong, and wouldn't they be even more effective with the village's combat system backing them?"
"Clones?" Orochimaru smirked faintly. "Do you think I need clones to repel these villages? Are you underestimating me, Tsunade?"
A realization began to dawn on Tsunade, but she hesitated to voice it.
"That's right," Orochimaru said with a shrug. "My forces aren't suited to making a public spectacle in front of the five major ninja villages. So…"
He paused, letting his smirk widen.
"I'll be the one handling this. Alone."
"You're kidding… right?" Tsunade's voice faltered, disbelief etched into her features.
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