Orochimaru pushed open the door silently, slipping inside.

And immediately froze.

His golden snake eyes narrowed, heart thudding once in alarm.

Across the room, sitting with Tsunade, were two figures he knew all too well.

One was tall, broad-shouldered, with wild white hair and an infuriatingly easy grin.

Jiraiya, His dumb old teammate.

The other was more dangerous still. Leaning casually against the wall, his eyes half-lidded in lazy watchfulness, was Hatake Kakashi.

No mask covering his face now, a symbol of how things had changed for him, but Orochimaru didn't need it to recognize the cold calculation behind that relaxed posture.

Orochimaru inhaled sharply through his nose, tasting the air like a snake.

Dangerous.

And Tsunade…

She was smiling at Kakashi, a rare, open smile that made something cold settle in Orochimaru's gut.

They're close. Too close.

This wasn't just a political alliance, Tsunade had bonded with him. Which meant his persuasion would not work.

Which meant… any attempt to pressure her here would end in blood.

And he was alone. Without Kabuto's swift hand to protect him. Without Kimimaro's unbreakable shield.

Orochimaru slowly stepped back, blending into the shadow of the doorway.

No one noticed, not yet. Good. He still had time.

His mind raced.

If I make a move now, I'll be crushed. Jiraiya alone would have been a problem.

But Kakashi… Kakashi with this new strength…

Even Orochimaru could recognize the suicide in such a move.

'Another time,' he thought bitterly.

He would find another way.

Maybe when Tsunade was isolated. Maybe by creating a situation where she needed him more than she needed Kakashi.

But today was not the day.

Orochimaru allowed his lips to curl into a thin, humorless smile.

This world was built on patience.

And few had patience like a serpent waiting to strike.

He turned away from the tavern without a sound, slipping once more into the busy streets.

As he moved, he pondered.

Konoha had grown stronger under Kakashi's quiet leadership.

Stronger than he had anticipated, perhaps it was foolish to think the village would crumble without Sarutobi-sensei's hand to guide it.

No.

It had simply adapted.

And Kakashi, young though he was, had already begun weaving his influence through it.

'Even Jiraiya…' Orochimaru thought with disgust and Jiraiya seemed content to support him.

A dangerous alliance.

A foolish alliance.

But still…

Orochimaru was nothing if not adaptable.

He had lost a battle, not the war.

Another host body could be temporarily found, Another way to heal his hands would present itself.

Tsunade's healing was only one path of many.

There were other options.

Orochimaru found himself walking toward the outskirts of Tanzaku, where the forest swallowed the town's edges.

The shadows grew longer here, darker.

He paused under the boughs of an old tree, letting the heavy shade envelop him.

His hands throbbed inside his sleeves, a constant reminder of his weakness.

He clenched them as tightly as he could, barely able to move his fingers, and hissed softly in frustration.

No matter what he would wait. He knows that he will grow stronger and will outlive them all.

He had no village, no teammates, and no loyalty to anyone.

Only goals, only ambition.

And one day…

One day, when Kakashi grew complacent, when Jiraiya looked away, and when Tsunade's attention faltered…

He would strike.

And then Konoha would fall before him like all the rest.

For now, he would slither back into the dark.

Waiting, Planning, and Smiling.

Because snakes always waited for the perfect moment to sink their fangs.

And Orochimaru was very, very patient.

As Orochimaru walked deeper into the shadows of the forest, his mind churned, still stewing with anger.

Danzo. The thought of that man made his blood boil.

He had never liked Danzo, a man too obsessed with control, too eager to mold the village in his own vision, too blind to understand that power came from strength, not manipulation.

Yet, it was impossible for Orochimaru to ignore the fact that the elder had been the closest thing Konoha had to a true rival for power. Until now.

But today… Today, Danzo's failure was glaring. How weak, Orochimaru thought bitterly. Even with all his machinations, he couldn't secure the Hokage position.

Danzo had been so sure of his ability to outsmart the others, to maneuver his way into the seat of Hokage, using his connections and his cold, calculating ways.

And yet, all it took was the collective will of Konoha's Jonin, and Kakashi's influence, to undo him.

Pathetic.

Orochimaru's lip curled in disgust. Danzo just like him had underestimated everything: Konoha, its shinobi, the strength of the bonds between them.

Most importantly, he had underestimated the resolve of the one person who had the potential to change everything, Tsunade.

But Kakashi, Kakashi had seen this. He had seen the deeper, more intricate patterns at play. And he had placed his support behind Tsunade, guiding the village away from Danzo's ambition.

'How does it feel, Danzo?' Orochimaru thought cruelly. To have your plans laid bare by a mere boy?

In the darkness, a sinister chuckle escaped Orochimaru's throat. Konoha's future lies in the hands of Tsunade, he mused, and Kakashi, two people Danzo couldn't control.

But that was fine. One failure didn't erase the entire game.

No. Danzo was still a player, but a sidelined one for now. Orochimaru would bide his time. It wasn't over, not yet. He would find another way.

He'd find another way to bring down Konoha.