Orochimaru's Secret History

Zi Xu was equally bewildered by being transported to this unfamiliar place. His eyes immediately locked onto the man staring at him—pale skin, pupils like a snake's, exuding a cold, sinister aura that blended perfectly with this eerie, dark location, as if this person appearing here was the most natural scene imaginable. The situation was momentarily awkward.

Taking advantage of the man's puzzled gaze fixed on him, Zi Xu quickly surveyed his surroundings. The terrain was typical karst landscape, or rather cave topography. He seemed to be at the entrance of a cave, with stalactites and stalagmites of bizarre shapes scattered across the ground and the cave mouth.

Water droplets were still pattering down from the stalactites above, the sound of splashing echoing continuously through the cave. Countless snakes of indistinct forms slithered across the ground or over stalagmites, producing a rustling friction against the stone, accompanied by hissing tongues that made Zi Xu's scalp crawl.

The man who had been observing Zi Xu finally made a move. He crossed his arms over his chest and spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"It seems my Summoning Technique wasn't at fault. So where did you come from? There are limited ways to reach Ryūchi Cave. Some fool once used that method to summon himself to Mount Myōboku. You must have used a Reverse Summoning Technique..." The man stated unhurriedly, his tone cold and flat, like a researcher delivering a scientific report.

Zi Xu felt a twinge of unease at having his method of arrival guessed in just a few words, but he was ready to counterattack at any moment. He had already dispelled his Shadow Clone, and now his Chakra reserves were at full capacity. The power of the Silent Fruit had also returned to his main body—he was in his prime.

But even so, he didn't have half, no, not even a tenth of a chance of winning. Just standing there, that man exuded an overwhelming pressure. His gaze was like that of an ancient snake that had become a spirit; even locking eyes with him brought a tangible sense of oppression.

"Red hair, hmm, a descendant of the Uzumaki Clan. The clothing style should be from Konoha. Konoha no longer has any Uzumaki Clan members, so it's highly likely you were adopted by Konoha for various reasons. You know Summoning Techniques, so you probably just graduated from the Ninja Academy..." The man continued unhurriedly, his interest in Zi Xu growing. He extended his tongue, revealing a forked tip like a snake's.

"He saw through that much in just a few glances... Sharp observational skills. My chances in a direct fight are low. He's analyzed my information pretty thoroughly—at least he knows I'm from the Uzumaki Clan, that I have plenty of Chakra, and that my ninjutsu follows Konoha's system. Though my real strengths lie elsewhere, I know nothing about him..." Zi Xu analyzed calmly in his mind. He needed to find a way to avoid a direct confrontation. Though he deeply regretted giving in to the temptation of card-pulling and accepting the system's mission, this was no longer the time to dwell on that.

"That's right, I'm a Konoha ninja. I don't think killing me is a wise decision, since I don't want to become the spark for a war. The Third Hokage isn't someone to be trifled with..."

"Oh? Trying to fish for information? That's interesting too. At least it'll help me pass the time. Telling you a few things won't hurt..." The man across from him seemed intrigued, as if he wanted to see the faith of this little brat crumble. Without further ado, he stood there, propping his chin on one hand, watching Zi Xu's expression with amusement.

"Konoha won't stick its neck out for an ordinary Genin. Back then, Hizashi Hyuga was sacrificed to internal politics. Think about it—why would Konoha start a war over you? Hiruzen Sarutobi was younger back then than he is now. Do you think he lacked the ability to stop all this?"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi is a qualified politician. He's quite skilled at scheming. Think about Konoha's founding history: the First and Second Hokage conquered the land, ending the Warring States Period. The Fourth Hokage sacrificed himself to save the village on the night of the Nine-Tails' rampage. Which of those three Hokages didn't participate in wars? Which of them didn't die protecting the village?"

"But Hiruzen Sarutobi? During his tenure, he never joined a single war. He was also there when the Fourth died, so why didn't he step in to save him? How interesting..." The man observed Zi Xu's expression and, as expected, saw looks of "unbelievable" and "denial." Zi Xu's acting was spot-on; he even retorted with a tone full of anger.

"Impossible! That incident was clearly Lord Hizashi Hyuga's voluntary choice to die protecting the village. It was his own request. Lord Third Hokage has been protecting Konoha in his own way. What would an outsider like you know!"

Zi Xu felt he could give his acting a solid 80 out of 100. He almost believed his own words himself, and he even managed to probe the other man's identity.

The man didn't care about Zi Xu's little probing trick—or rather, he didn't care about the tricks of someone he saw as a future test subject. He generously admitted his identity.

"Oh? I'm probably more familiar with Konoha than anyone else, at least more than Hiruzen Sarutobi. Because I am the disciple of the Third Hokage you so revere—Orochimaru..."

"Orochimaru? How credible are the words of a Rogue Ninja who abandoned the village? How do I know you're not lying to me?" Playing the role to the end, Zi Xu pressed on with the question.

Orochimaru spread his hands, his tone still calm, without a trace of emotional fluctuation.

"Believe it or not, that's up to you. I'm just stating facts. How you interpret them is your business." He paused, thinking back to where he'd left off, then continued.

"I am indeed a Rogue Ninja. What did Konoha write as the reason for my defection? Researching forbidden techniques and conducting inhumane experiments? Jealousy over Minato Namikaze becoming the Fourth Hokage? Or that my parents were persecuted to death by Hiruzen Sarutobi? Heh, at least I still respect the Fourth Hokage—he was worthy of the title. As for the human experiments from researching forbidden techniques?"

"Do you know the 'Root' organization? It doesn't matter if you don't. Back then, Danzo, under Hiruzen Sarutobi's direction, hinted for me to research forbidden techniques. When he saw that my results exceeded his control, he promptly declared me a Rogue Ninja. Among those projects was the First Hokage's cell transplant plan that Danzo and I worked on together..." A heap of secrets spilled out of Orochimaru like they were worthless. After a short breather, he wore a reminiscent expression.

"Konoha originally had four great clans: the Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, the Uzumaki Clan, and the Hyuga Clan. Now only the Hyuga Clan remains. You've probably heard about the Uchiha Clan's annihilation. But during Hiruzen Sarutobi's reign, it wasn't just the Uchiha Clan—even the Senju Clan of the First Hokage and the Uzumaki Clan of the First Lady were wiped out. Don't you find that strange? What do you think will happen to the Hyuga Clan next?"

Orochimaru's words were like the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, each syllable luring Zi Xu toward the abyss of corruption. If Zi Xu truly believed in the Will of Fire, he would probably be utterly crushed right now. Unfortunately, he wasn't, so he could only play along, showing a shocked expression. In truth, most of that shock wasn't faked—he genuinely didn't know some of the things Orochimaru mentioned.

Seeing Zi Xu's shocked expression, Orochimaru nodded with some satisfaction. He still enjoyed watching those who deeply believed in the Will of Fire suffer as their faith crumbled.

"That's enough chatter to pass the time. The journey to Ryūchi Cave is quite long, and I'm a bit tired. But because of your Reverse Summoning Technique, the Summoning Beast I was supposed to call seems to have gotten lost. Could you take its place and scout the surroundings for me?"

Orochimaru spoke politely, without the arrogance of a superior even toward a child. In his eyes, everyone could be experimental material. And who would harbor too many emotions toward a test subject? The essence of politeness was extreme indifference.

Zi Xu thought to himself, Here it comes, and tensed his muscles, ready to counterattack the moment Orochimaru made a move.

"What do you want me to do? I'm not doing anything suicidal. If that's the case, I'd rather fight you to the death. At least I could cause you some trouble and waste more of your time..."

As Zi Xu said this, he seemed to sense something. The muscle lines in his legs twitched slightly, and the stone floor beneath him cracked under his force, sending gravel flying high. His figure appeared beside a stalactite ahead of him as if by teleportation. This wasn't the Body Flicker Technique—it was a purer, more fundamental Taijutsu.

Orochimaru had already launched an attack while he was speaking. Zi Xu couldn't help but feel grateful for his battles with the water snakes in his dreams, which had made him highly sensitive to snake movements. At the spot where Zi Xu had just stood, several small snakes with unusually long bellies had appeared. Looking closely, these snakes seemed to extend from beneath Orochimaru's hand, which he had swapped out—a sight that was somewhat unsettling.

"Oh? Good reflexes. Your physique far exceeds that of an average ninja your age. Interesting. You're a fascinating specimen worth studying. The Uzumaki Clan and the Senju Clan are somewhat related, so perhaps you can withstand the backlash of the First Generation Cells and master a more perfect Wood Release..." Orochimaru flashed a dangerous smile at Zi Xu, his tongue extending as if appraising a novel toy.

Zi Xu caught several key words from Orochimaru's mouth: First Generation Cells, Wood Release—terms that made it hard not to think of Tenzo. But that could wait for later. He didn't want to be caught and sliced up for research by this mad scientist. Getting rid of him quickly was the priority.

Zi Xu dodged with difficulty. The gap in practical combat experience between him and Orochimaru was enormous. The latter had been tempered on the battlefield and mastered countless forbidden techniques. Despite Zi Xu's best defensive efforts, Orochimaru still found an opening.

As Orochimaru closed in to a certain distance, his neck suddenly stretched unnaturally, like a snake's boneless body, rapidly approaching the defenseless Zi Xu. He extended the sharp fangs from his mouth and bit toward Zi Xu's neck...