Orochimaru's Motives

Deep beneath Konoha, at the Root Base.

The air was cold and damp. A pale, slender figure moved soundlessly through the passage, making no noise as he walked, like a ghost melded with the shadows.

Beneath his hooded cloak was almost sickly pale skin, and a pair of golden, slit-pupiled eyes that glimmered faintly in the dimness.

It was Orochimaru.

He pushed open the heavy stone door at the end of the corridor. The hinges groaned dully.

Inside the room, Shimura Danzō sat upright in his seat.

"The mission is complete, Lord Danzō." Orochimaru's voice, with its distinctive rasp and rich timbre, echoed through the empty stone chamber, betraying no hint of emotion.

Danzō didn't so much as raise an eyelid.

"Report," he rasped.

"Yes!" Orochimaru bowed gracefully. The shadows of his hood concealed most of his expression, revealing only his pale chin and the faintest hint of a smile.

"Kushina Uzumaki was exactly as expected," Orochimaru began his report, his words precise and objective, as if reading from an experimental report. "She has an enormous chakra reserve and astonishing vitality. She's a perfect candidate to become the Nine-Tails' vessel."

It was a completely useless platitude, merely repeating what was already in the reports from Root and Anbu.

Danzō raised his head. His one uncovered eye fixed on Orochimaru. "Get to the point."

"Ah..." Orochimaru fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. She's stronger and more talented than I expected."

Danzō gave a slight nod.

But what Orochimaru said next was quite unexpected.

"But that's all. She's a fairly ordinary prodigy, with almost no development of her Kekkei Genkai. She only tried to attack me with the Three Basic Jutsu, attempting to defeat me the way she defeated Jiraiya."

"She's merely a good talent. Not someone who can replace the Uchiha."

Danzō listened in silence, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the tabletop.

He was thinking—considering whether Orochimaru's words were true. Based on what Danzō knew, there didn't seem to be anything unusual in Orochimaru's report.

But... there was something wrong with the way Orochimaru spoke. He'd never before tried to temper his praise with criticism. He was resisting telling the truth.

"I tried to attack her with Genjutsu," Orochimaru continued. "At first, she was quick to notice it, but then she performed terribly. Against high-level Genjutsu, she could barely resist at all. She even made all sorts of moves that went against the textbook."

"And the result?" Danzō asked, watching Orochimaru.

He didn't believe a single word Orochimaru had said.

"She didn't try to dispel the Genjutsu as the textbook instructed. She relied on her Kekkei Genkai instead, so naturally she was left under my control, unable to move," Orochimaru replied softly.

Silence.

The stone chamber fell quiet for a long time. Only the crackling of the torches and the steady drip of water could be heard.

Danzō stared at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru met Danzō's gaze without fear.

Danzō said nothing.

Orochimaru remained silent as well.

The two of them simply stared at each other.

Until...

Danzō gave up trying to find anything of value in Orochimaru's eyes.

He turned away, unwilling to let Orochimaru see his expression, then suddenly asked, "So do you think she passed?"

"...More or less," Orochimaru answered quietly.

Danzō scoffed.

More or less?

What kind of answer was that? Either she'd passed or she hadn't.

So had she passed or not?

"You seem to be holding something back, Orochimaru." Danzō suddenly turned to look at him again, his single eye like a blade, piercing into Orochimaru's heart. "But don't make it so obvious."

"Everyone has their own selfish motives. That's exactly why we've gathered here."

"Do you want to betray Konoha?" Danzō asked in a low voice.

"Of course not," Orochimaru replied quietly. He smiled, then licked his lips, meeting Danzō's gaze without fear.

"Good." Danzō nodded, unsurprised by the answer.

After all, Orochimaru was a child he and Sarutobi had watched grow up with their own eyes. He'd also lived through the war-torn final years of the Warring States period and the early days of the village.

No one wanted to return to an era when clans waged war against one another.

"Your curiosity and your research are your own business. I give you authority and resources, and I can even turn a blind eye to some of your... more extreme actions."

"How much her talent surprised you, how much stronger she is than I imagined, how much potential she has... I don't care."

"I only want one result."

"Turn her into a blade. One sharp enough, resilient enough, and obedient enough."

"As long as she can ultimately serve Konoha and give everything she has for the village, she'll be a good blade."

Orochimaru bowed deeply. The shadow of his hood completely concealed his expression, leaving only a soft, submissive reply.

"As you wish, Lord Danzō."

With that, his figure once again became an indistinct shadow, silently withdrawing from the stone chamber.

Danzō didn't move. He remained where he was, looking at the place where Orochimaru had disappeared.

This was the first time Orochimaru had disobeyed him.

But Orochimaru had been raised to become the next leader of Root, his successor. Of course Danzō could tolerate his disobedience.

It was just that Danzō had thought Hiroki's Kekkei Genkai only allowed him to copy and read memories, which was already strategically valuable enough...

But now, it seemed there was more to it?

Then... what kind of talent could make Orochimaru defy him so brazenly?

Danzō couldn't imagine.

After thinking it over, perhaps he could only look for a clue in his own teacher, the Second Hokage.

Meanwhile, Hiroki finally returned to his little house.

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the window lattice, casting long shadows across the old wooden floor.

He let out a long breath, expelling all the mental exhaustion from the test. Kushina had run off for some inexplicable reason at the end, but Hiroki hadn't paid it much mind.

It was always hard to figure out what children were thinking.

Besides, after the Cloud Village incident, he hadn't heard anything about Kushina Uzumaki disappearing again.

As his taut nerves began to relax, a pleasant ache spread through his limbs.

He opened the door, planning to pour himself a glass of water and then carefully review his "Data Defense and Offense War" with Orochimaru. It was a rare chance to get back to working overtime in the Shinobi World, racing to write programs and code.

Besides, there had been several things in today's battle worth noting.

Especially that forced "WiFi Connection." There had to be something important hidden in it that he didn't yet understand.

But the moment he stepped into the room, he abruptly stopped.

An indescribable chill shot up his spine and straight to his crown.

A pale, slender figure stood quietly before his workbench, smiling at him and idly playing with a large, muscular rat.

It was Orochimaru!????