Orochimaru's Defection

The Hokage Office.

In the oppressive atmosphere, the Third Hokage's powerful Chakra surged wildly in anger. At this time, he was not yet the frail old man he was during the Chunin Ninja Exams. The oppressive force of his powerful Chakra filled the ANBU Anbu secretly protecting him with pressure.

"You are suspended from your position as head of the Anbu Captain, effective immediately. The position will be taken over by the deputy head! Effective immediately!"

The Third Hokage's roar echoed in the office, and he angrily ripped off his Hokage robe, revealing the black, tight-fitting combat suit underneath.

In a fit of rage, the Third Hokage slammed his Hokage Hat onto the table and put on his combat hat, which featured green, layered armor plating on both sides and two extra-long straps at the back.

The combat uniform features silver protective gear that extends from the shoulders to the back, with the character "fire" inscribed on the back. It also has two vertical ninja tool pouches on the back, secured with a purple ribbon at the waist, and mesh wrist guards on the arms and calves.

The Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, donned his armor once again after the Nine-Tails Night, and the person he was loudly reprimanding in his office was the Anbu Captain, who was also his eldest daughter-in-law.

At this moment, his eldest daughter-in-law's face was filled with resentment, and she said aggrievedly, "Third Hokage, I! I did all this for Konoha!"

"Shut up!"

Enraged, Hiruzen Sarutobi roared, pointing directly at his eldest daughter-in-law and shouting, "Your ambition is too great! To actually cooperate with Root Danzo, I misjudged you!"

"You two come with me!"

In his rage, Hiruzen Sarutobi showed no respect for his eldest daughter-in-law, and with a shout at his two guards, the three of them vanished from the Hokage Office.

Watching the disappearing figure, the Hokage's Daughter-in-Law, wearing Anbu mask, had eyes filled with resentment. "Old man! Do you cherish your disciple more than your son? I'll ruin your disciple this time! Let's see how you show favoritism then!"

Jealousy drives people mad. The Third Hokage's favoritism towards Orochimaru filled her with jealousy. Instead of settling things peacefully, she went out and said to her trusted confidants in a deep voice, "Go! Expose the news that Orochimaru is secretly abducting village ninjas for Human Experimentation, and also expose Orochimaru's base..."

The departed Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, probably never imagined that this event would unfold in a way that exceeded his expectations and was beyond everyone's control.

In the dimly lit underground base, three figures appeared outside the secret chamber, seemingly appearing before the wooden door.

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi, clad in armor, had an extremely gloomy expression, and the sounds of operations inside could be clearly heard even through the wooden door.

Hiruzen Sarutobi squatted outside the gate with a solemn expression, gesturing with his fingers. Two Anbu guards nodded solemnly, ready to rush in.

In the research room, a small snake suddenly flicked its tongue and crawled over, slowly making a coded message on the table. When Orochimaru saw this, a hoarse smile appeared on his face.

"Hehe, it seems you teachers are ready to close the net."

Just then, with a loud crash, the wooden door behind them was kicked open, and two Anbu guards rushed in from the left and right with lightning speed, accompanied by the footsteps of the Third Hokage.

At this moment, master and disciple met again. Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the bottles and jars in the research room with an ashen face, and Orochimaru, his disciple, had his back to him.

The sight of lifeless figures on the operating table was undeniably visually shocking.

"They've finally been discovered."

The hoarse voice echoed in the research room. Orochimaru showed no panic, but instead turned his head slowly to look at his teacher with a calm smile.

"It's a pity."

Seeing Orochimaru's eerie smile, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked on in disbelief. "Orochimaru, what's going on?!"

Danzo had Orochimaru restart the Wood Release Project, but the things in this research lab had absolutely nothing to do with Wood Release. On the contrary, some of the odds and ends terrified him.

"Recently, people from the village, ranging from Genin to Chunin, and even Jōnin the Anbu, have been going missing one after another. In addition, there have been recent reports that your behavior is suspicious."

After a moment of shock, one of the Anbu guards slowly stated the truth, while another Anbu, somewhat incredulous, exclaimed, "Lord Orochimaru, why would a ninja like you do such a thing?"

The tone of these two Anbu reveals just how powerful Orochimaru's Prestige was in Konoha at that time.

"Heh, I'll kill you too!" Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely at the Anbu's questioning, his golden snake eyes coldly staring at the two as if he were speaking casually.

However, upon hearing these words and seeing Orochimaru's cold, serpentine eyes, the two Anbu were instantly jolted.

"Orochimaru! So it really was you! What are you doing here?!"

Even though it was already confirmed, Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but question it; all of this was beyond his control.

At this moment, facing his teacher's questioning, Orochimaru seemed to have shed all pretense and revealed a relaxed smile.

"Now that I've been discovered, there's no use pretending to be a good person anymore. As you can see, I'm developing Ninjutsu!"

Develop Ninjutsu!

The four large characters echoed in the dim space. The Third Hokage's pupils contracted, and the two Anbu, upon hearing this, were not only shocked but also filled with rage. Was it really necessary to attack their own comrades in the village just to develop Ninjutsu?

At this moment, the Third Hokage was shocked, and his suspicions were confirmed! Forbidden Technique! Danzo actually gave such a dangerous Forbidden Technique to Orochimaru, damn them!

Orochimaru, what exactly are you trying to do?!

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi glared angrily at Orochimaru, as if he were seeing his disciple for the first time. How could he be researching such a dangerous Forbidden Technique? Didn't he know that researching Forbidden Technique without permission was against the village rules?

"Everything!" Orochimaru's face gradually revealed a fanatical and perverse smile in response to Hiruzen Sarutobi's question. "I want to master all Ninjutsu and understand all the truths of this world, just like the first person to blend yellow and blue together and create a new color that he named green."

"I just want to do the same thing. If blue is Chakra, then yellow is the seal, and green is Ninjutsu. Just like the infinite variety of colors, there are thousands or tens of thousands of Ninjutsu in this world. But to master all Ninjutsu and the truth, one must spend a long time, a long period of time. Only those who understand everything are qualified to be called the ultimate individual."

"For me, the lifespan of the physical body is too short, too meaningless."

At this moment, Orochimaru seemed to be reciting his own Nindo, his face filled with a strange smile that the world could not understand, while he himself was intoxicated and excitedly spreading his arms.

Even if you are called Hokage, it's all over once you die.

Seeing Orochimaru's crazed and intoxicated expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi contracted in shock. He knew that Orochimaru had truly gone astray this time.

"Haha, you guessed right, it is indeed the Immortality Jutsu!" Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, Orochimaru roared even more frantically this time, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted to see?"

Isn't it just a way for you to find a reason, like White Fang, to damage your reputation and completely lose your eligibility for the Hokage position, so as to achieve your goal of a peaceful village?

Seeing Orochimaru heading towards madness, Hiruzen Sarutobi with both rage and boundless fury. How could this be! How could such a delusion exist!

"Orochimaru! You have strayed into darkness. This is Ninjutsu that is simply impossible to complete!"

With a furious roar, Hiruzen Sarutobi swiftly Hand Seals and slammed his fist together. Instantly, a burst of spiritual white smoke flashed, and the Monkey King, Enma, made his appearance.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's mind, any Ninjutsu that claimed immortality was utter nonsense, impossible. It was nothing more than a dark and seductive art. If such Ninjutsu truly existed, how come even the Sage of Six Paths disappeared? And the God of Shinobi —he had personally witnessed the existence of that power, yet even such a powerful figure was eroded by the passage of time.

Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage of the Five Great Ninja Villages, his knowledge was always limited to what was already known. Just as Orochimaru said, people only accept green, which is the fusion of yellow and blue, once it appears. When this color (Ninjutsu) is not present, no one will believe it exists.

Orochimaru's Nindo has gone from nothing to something, completely exceeding what the normal Shinobi World can accept.

"Teacher Sarutobi! Are you going to stop me?"

As Orochimaru laughed maniacally, his hands rapidly Hand Seals. Instantly, an invisible wind blade swept through the secret room, shattering all the bottles and jars inside, while blood splattered onto the walls.

In the dimly lit secret room, beneath Hiruzen Sarutobi's struggling face, he realized that it was all because he had indulged Orochimaru and Danzo that Danzo had come to this. He watched in agony as Orochimaru cruelly murdered two Anbu.

At that moment, Orochimaru appeared behind Hiruzen Sarutobi. The two stood back to back, neither looking at the other.

The golden snake eyes turned, giving its teacher a wicked look, and a single, unidentified tear slid down its cheek. "Teacher Sarutobi, isn't this all something you tacitly agreed to?"

At that moment, Orochimaru seemed to sever his last remaining attachment to Konoha. Then, the Sannin Orochimaru, wearing Konoha Jonin vest and Forehead Protector, disappeared into the dimly lit tunnel without looking back.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, closed his eyes in agony. Enma, standing nearby, roared, "Sarutobi, you'll regret letting Orochimaru escape like this!"

Upon hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly opened his eyes, trembling. He took a deep breath and stared at the cruel laboratory, muttering to himself, "Orochimaru, you have gone astray. To lay a hand on a fellow villager is unforgivable."

From the moment Orochimaru unleashed his Ninjutsu and killed two Anbu right before his eyes, he knew that Orochimaru was not coming back; this completely severed the bond between them, master and disciple.

The initial plan was merely to damage Orochimaru's reputation, much like White Fang did, but how did it escalate to this point! Orochimaru actually severed everything in pursuit of this evil Ninjutsu! He chose to defect!

Orochimaru has already made everything clear. He chose not to resist the bond between master and disciple. "Your superiors told me to do research, so I will do research. I will bear the infamy, and I will not fight for the title of Hokage. I have also severed all ties with Konoha."

At that moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi roared in anguish, "Danzo!"

All of this was caused by his indulgence; Danzo and the others were causing trouble behind the scenes, completely beyond his control.

A large crater lay in the forest, and amidst the echoing footsteps, Orochimaru emerged from the tunnel. He was now wearing Jōnin green vest and Forehead Protector, and his face was covered in a few drops of blood.

However, Orochimaru, who had just escaped from the tunnel, suddenly stopped. Looking at the four figures that appeared in the dark forest before him, an evil smile appeared on his face.

"Teacher Orochimaru!"

It was Uchiha Yoru, Uchiha Shisui, Hatake Kakashi, and Might Guy who rushed over. The four of them stared in shock at Orochimaru's panicked escape, a sight that completely overturned their understanding of the world.

"Heh, so these are my students and my subordinates. Are you also going to ambush me?"

Orochimaru's wicked smile was masked by a hint of madness in his snake-like eyes. Having experienced such a thing, he too was at the peak of his emotions.

The term "subordinates" is also correct. Shisui, Kakashi, and Might Guy all served in the Seventh Division, so they were naturally Orochimaru's subordinates.

"Teacher! How! How could this happen!"

Uchiha Yoruro, who had arrived late, looked on incredulously shocked, while Orochimaru chuckled hoarsely and evilly, "How could this be? Shouldn't it be like this? The ending was predetermined from the beginning. Just like White Fang, those who possess immense power yet are uncontrollable must naturally be restrained."

White Fang!

When this name echoed in Kakashi and Might Guy's ears, they were both shocked and incredulous. Why!

They knew perfectly well that while Lord Orochimaru's research was cruel, it was also carried out under orders. How could this happen!

Orochimaru, holding Orochimaru Kunai, stared at the four with his manic snake eyes, exuding a dangerous aura. At that moment, a python that had been summoned from around the secret base for vigilance slowly slithered down from the treetop, its tongue flicking.

Slowly climbing onto Orochimaru's body, unaware of his surroundings, he instead gripped the Kunai in his hand and laughed wickedly, "As you can see, the evil research has been discovered. Justice is about to descend, and naturally, evil will be driven back. Isn't that how it has always been throughout history?"

However, at that moment, the python suddenly opened its mouth, revealing the Explosive Tag inside. Orochimaru's pupils shrank, and before he could react, a loud bang rang out, and blood splattered onto the faces of the four men.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

As the smoke from the explosion dissipated, Orochimaru's waist was covered in crimson blood, and he couldn't help but laugh, though this time his smile was even colder.

"The Third!"

Clearly, this move was a trap set by the Third Hokage when he infiltrated the base, using Genjutsu to confuse the giant snake. It was a truly deadly move, delivered when the snake was most vulnerable.