Orochimaru had defected, diverging from the course of the original timeline by almost a decade. As of now, only a select few are privy to this information. Even his name wasn't added to the Bingo Book.

Due to his diminishing presence in the past years, Orochimaru's departure from the village had gone unnoticed. Even Tsunade, his fellow sannin hadn't anticipated that Orochimaru's visit to Tatsuya some time ago would mark their final encounter.

It had been a complete month since that encounter.

Good news arrived from the Uchiha clan—Uchiha Fugaku's wife, Uchiha Mikoto, was with a child. This information had reached Tatsuya through Nawaki.

"Uchiha Itachi..." Tatsuya mused inwardly.

To be candid, Tatsuya felt disinclined to pass judgment on the man. Uchiha Itachi illustrated the complex tapestry of human nature. Nevertheless, Tatsuya fervently hoped that if he were to have a son in the future, the child wouldn't have Uchiha Itachi as his idol. In such a case, Tatsuya had no qualms about reprimanding the child.

Meanwhile, just as Uchiha Fugaku celebrated the impending arrival of his son, his thoughts converged on the prodigy from his clan—Shisui.

He harboured aspirations of grooming Uchiha Shisui into a deputy capable of supporting his son.

"I thought it appropriate to keep you informed, Fugaku."

Facing Uchiha Fugaku's inquiry regarding Uchiha Shisui, Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a heavy sigh, furrowing his brows. "Unfortunately, Shisui... he passed away. Orochimaru was the responsible party. By the time our investigators arrived, he had already defected!"

...

...

In the serene outskirts of Konoha, a massive wild boar, rivalling the proportions of a hippopotamus, was skewered upon a wooden fork. Its succulent meat sizzled and crackled over a campfire.

Tatsuya replenished the firewood, cynically contemplating that Uchiha Fugaku was likely experiencing joy and sadness at the same moment.

Abruptly, a figure emerged from the woods behind him.

It was none other than Orochimaru, branded by Konoha as a "Rebellious Ninja."

"Seems old man's political manoeuvres are more potent than anticipated. He subtly directed Uchiha's animosity toward me."

Even Orochimaru's tone couldn't fully suppress the tinge of resentment as he made this remark.

"What's the status?" Tatsuya, extracting a pork leg from the roasted boar, turned to face Orochimaru, casually inquiring.

"Did Akatsuki take you in?"

"Unexpectedly, those three brats Jiraiya adopted back then have matured somewhat."

"However, luck wasn't on your side this time, Tatsuya-kun. They declined my proposal. After all, my current persona is that of a rebel, and I did suggest to kill them back then."

"Remarkably, one of those youngsters possesses the very eyes of the Sage of Six Paths."

Orochimaru, now bearing the mark of Konoha's rebel shinobi, had been recommended by Tatsuya to join Akatsuki upon his departure. Yet, Orochimaru appeared to have fallen short of success.

Nevertheless, this outcome wasn't entirely surprising.

The helm of Akatsuki's organization was still firmly in Yahiko's grasp, with Nagato yet to succumb to the darkness.

Indeed, accommodating Orochimaru, who had now turned rebellious and harboured intentions of eliminating them, was out of the question.

"A regrettable circumstance, undoubtedly. However, could you, in that case, assist me in monitoring Akatsuki?" Tatsuya tossed the final bone to the hungry ninjas nearby before shifting his attention to Orochimaru. "They will eventually become the agents of change in this world."

"Haha, even without your words, the fact that the red-haired kid possesses the Rinnegan has piqued my intrigue entirely," Orochimaru remarked, his tongue grazing his lips.

Abruptly, Orochimaru pivoted and inquired, "On a related note, Tatsuya-kun, when do you plan to execute your 'Konoha collapse' plan? I can hardly contain my impatience any longer."

In the original timeline, when Orochimaru's motives behind attacking Konoha were queried, Tatsuya hadn't discerned the answer.

Apart from the price of a pair of hands to end Sarutobi Hiruzen's life, Orochimaru had taken actions that shook the very foundation of Konoha. But not a single Anbu or Shinobi clan stopped him. The motives behind these actions remained shrouded.

However, his current intent was unmistakable—to dismantle Hiruzen's and the elders' control over Konoha. Despite his cold, serpent-like demeanour, he was still human, not a snake. He was driven by a need for retaliation, being played without retribution would run contrary to Orochimaru's essence.

"I know how you feel, but this is a matter of patience. You who worked with the Danzo and Hiruzen understand the gravity more than I do," Tatsuya retorted.

Amused, he added, "Hehe, if you get the chance to bestow some 'gifts' upon sensei do remember to inform me."

With a couple of sneers, Orochimaru receded into the forest, vanishing from view entirely.

In a single day, a piece of news rippled through the streets and lanes of Konoha Village.

As one treads the thoroughfares, both ordinary villagers and shinobi alike bore expressions oscillating between panic and disbelief.

When Minato, accompanied by Kakashi, Obito, and Asuma, returned to the village after concluding a C-level mission, they were immediately inundated by village chatter. "Has Master Orochimaru truly defected?" "The Uchiha clan's prodigy is no more!" "Who will be the Fourth Hokage now?" Such discussions reverberated.

"Hey, what's transpired?" Obito's voice trembled with disbelief. "We were only gone a day—what could have occurred?"

Kakashi shared his incredulity. "Orochimaru-san...defected? A rebel?"

Asuma's brows furrowed though his gaze searched for Kurenai in vain.

Minato's countenance was unusually sombre. Once he disbanded his squad, he wasted no time, hastening toward the Hokage tower.

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