Orochimaru's Defection (Part 1)

Konoha.

An old residence.

Under the tranquil night sky.

Bright moonlight scattered across the ground.

Orochimaru sat quietly on a straw mat, wearing a white kimono with his chest exposed, his mind immersed in the cultivation of his soul.

Ever since Ao pointed out the flaw that Living Corpse Reincarnation causes damage to the soul, he had made it a non-negotiable routine to spend two hours every night nourishing his soul after splitting it.

He was tending to the wounds of a soul forcibly torn apart by forbidden techniques.

The results were obvious.

At the very least, the location where his soul had been torn no longer throbbed with pain while he slept.

The faint, rustling sounds in the surroundings did not affect Orochimaru's cultivation.

He performed every step with focus and seriousness.

It was as if he were conducting a piece of research.

Suddenly.

There was a commotion at the courtyard gate.

Then, Orochimaru heard the movements of over a dozen people surrounding the entire courtyard.

Orochimaru slowly opened his eyes, his vertical pupils emitting a pale yellow, eerie glow in the darkness.

"Teacher... you've come, and with such a grand display... could it be that you're too old to walk on your own? Do you really need so many people to accompany you here..."

Orochimaru chuckled softly. He casually picked up two teacups in front of him, placed them down, and lifted the teapot to pour two cups of tea.

"I don't have enough tea here for all of you to drink..."

There was only one pot of tea.

Just enough to host one person.

"Orochimaru, come back with me!"

"As long as you leave with me, I can help you cover up everything you've done in the past. Let bygones be bygones!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in a black combat uniform, pushed open the wooden door, walked up to Orochimaru, and looked down at him.

"Teacher, do you think I would go back with you? You know... I have no interest in the affairs of the village, otherwise... Namikaze Minato wouldn't have been the one to succeed to the position back then."

Orochimaru pushed a cup of tea forward, revealing his true thoughts.

He hoped his teacher could understand.

What they pursued was not the same.

"Have a drink, Teacher... perhaps this is the last time I will call you that while in the village."

The tea had turned slightly cold.

Sarutobi Hiruzen paused, bent down to pick up the tea from the low table, and brought it to his lips for a light sip.

The tea was very strong.

Slightly bitter.

Not fragrant at all.

"How long has it been since you brewed tea? You can't even control the water temperature anymore."

Sarutobi Hiruzen commented.

His fingers gripped the edge of the teacup, his knuckles turning white.

Orochimaru picked up his own cup, examined it carefully before his eyes, and said with a hollow gaze: "Teacher, it is because you arrived late, and as you know, I don't like brewing tea..."

"This tea was brewed for me once by one of my disciples, and that is how I learned."

"A disciple? Anko... she wouldn't know how to brew tea."

"Another one I recently took in, his name is Ao. He once told me..."

"Tea... as long as it serves to refresh the mind, spending effort to learn it is just a waste of precious time."

"All these trivial matters can be left for him to handle. As for me, I only need to focus on doing the things I enjoy."

Speaking of this, a smile spread across Orochimaru's face.

"You value this disciple very much!"

"Is he truly worth such high regard from you?"

"Anko told me that it was he who incited you to conduct those experiments..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that the Orochimaru before him was extremely unfamiliar; it seemed that ever since Nawaki died, Orochimaru had never smiled again.

It had been a long time since he had seen such a smile on this disciple's face.

A trace of curiosity toward the grand-disciple mentioned by Orochimaru stirred within his heart.

"Teacher."

"That is something I wish to do; it has nothing to do with anyone else."

"In my eyes, you are still as fond of meddling as ever, interfering with others' thoughts, and imposing your own will upon them... You are nearly a dead man... stop worrying so much and leave the position of Hokage to the young!"

"If you do that, you might at least live a few more years."

After saying this, Orochimaru paused, his gaze falling upon his teacher's aged face and graying temples.

Time had quietly carved its marks upon his face when no one was looking.

Although his teacher hid it well.

He still clearly sensed that his teacher's aura had become somewhat unstable.

His strength had also begun to gradually decline.

His body was no longer capable of keeping up with his will.

Teacher.

He was getting old.

Death was not far away.

"Death is not the end, Orochimaru! As long as what one does has meaning, even death is not to be feared."

"If one harms important people or endangers the safety of the village just to stay alive, then it would be better to die right now!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen set down his teacup, his tone filled with a threatening edge.

He was attempting to awaken that sliver of devotion to Konoha still buried within Orochimaru's heart.

"Come with me! Stop your research, hand over all your findings, and the village will grant you a dignified life."

This was the greatest sincerity he could offer.

He was risking impeachment from his position as Hokage and the resulting criticism from the village.

He wanted to give this disciple one last chance.

"It is already too late, Teacher..."

Orochimaru downed the tea in his cup, a bitter taste surging into his throat.

He did not know if it was the tea that was bitter or his heart.

"I can no longer turn back!"

This time, thanks to the warning from Uchiha Ao, he had already made thorough preparations.

Just before leaving.

He would bid his teacher a proper farewell!

Smack!

The expression of the Third Hokage shifted; he slammed his hand onto the table, the gentleness on his face vanishing, replaced by a fierce and cold look.

If they could not reach an agreement, then he would have to use force to capture Orochimaru!

Bang!

The teacup shattered against the floor.

Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could even react.

Orochimaru had already made the first move; he suddenly raised his arms, his hands already having completed the hand seals hidden within his sleeves.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

In an instant, the tea table exploded, and over a dozen venomous snakes swarmed out from Orochimaru's sleeves, lunging straight for Sarutobi Hiruzen's face.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen had been prepared; the moment the snakes reached him, an earthen wall rose up to block them.

He then gestured with his hand.

"Summoning: Enma!"

White smoke erupted from the ground, and a dark shadow emerged from the mist, instantly transforming into a black iron staff that landed in Sarutobi Hiruzen's grip.

Sarutobi Hiruzen swung it casually.

The swarm of snakes rushing in from all sides was crushed into pulp in an instant by the black iron staff in his hand.

Along with them, Orochimaru's body was also crushed.

However, the moment the mangled flesh scattered, it suddenly burst into thin, shed snake skins.

Shedding?

He is so fast!

Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned deeply, a sense of unease rising within him. He turned and rushed out of the room, noticing the figure of Orochimaru just as he emerged in a corner of the courtyard.

"Sarutobi... why are you attacking Orochimaru!?"

Enma had not yet grasped the situation and questioned him in surprise.

"You two master and apprentice haven't sparred in over a decade. At your age, are you still testing your student's combat skills? Or perhaps, you've finally decided to hand over the position of Hokage to Orochimaru..."

Enma was very familiar with Orochimaru; back before Sarutobi Hiruzen became Hokage, he had often sparred with Orochimaru and taught him how to fight.

It could be said that Orochimaru's early combat style shared many similarities with that of Sarutobi Hiruzen.

It was only later that Sarutobi Hiruzen stopped fighting as often.

After Orochimaru formed a contract with Ryūchi Cave, he incorporated more snake-like combat styles into his repertoire.

"Enma... Orochimaru has defected!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen could only offer a brief explanation to make Enma take the matter seriously.

Before Enma could react, new movement erupted in the courtyard!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Orochimaru struck again.

The fireball he spat from his mouth was over ten meters wide, instantly engulfing the entire house. The flames washed over the wooden walls, drowning Sarutobi Hiruzen inside the room!

BOOM!

A deafening roar echoed out.

The Adamantine Staff in Sarutobi Hiruzen's hands suddenly elongated, sweeping through and collapsing the entire building.

The next second.

A black figure burst forth from the ruins.

In a mere instant, he appeared right in front of Orochimaru.

CLANG!

Orochimaru's right hand emerged from his long sleeve, and a cold, glinting longsword lunged forward.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was well-prepared.

A pair of black hands suddenly manifested on the Adamantine Staff, gripping the blade of the Kusanagi Sword directly.

However, Orochimaru's left hand transformed into a large black snake, sinking its fangs into Sarutobi Hiruzen's calf.

At the same time, the black Adamantine Staff expanded several times in size, slamming into Orochimaru's body and sending him flying over a hundred meters until he crashed into a stone wall and came to a halt.

As Enma released his grip, blood trickled down, and the Kusanagi Sword zipped back to its master.

Orochimaru pried his body out of the wall and used his left hand to wipe the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, pale red blood staining his white clothes.

CRACK...

He twisted his right foot slightly, snapping the broken bone back into place.

"Teacher, your taijutsu seems to have slowed down. Could it be that you really are getting old?"

Orochimaru said softly, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.