Orochimaru

After Uchiha Fugaku left the Hokage Office, the room briefly fell quiet again, with only the faint occasional hiss of the pipe. Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice to the empty corner, "Go. Invite Orochimaru over."

"Yes." A blurred shadow swept past, and the Anbu member left with the order.

Before long, the door to the Hokage Office was pushed open without a sound. A tall, thin figure with a pale face walked in. He wore Konoha's standard ninja flak jacket, his long black hair falling loosely around him, and his golden, slit-pupiled eyes held an inhuman coldness and curiosity. It was Orochimaru, one of the Sannin.

"Teacher Sarutobi, you called for me?" Orochimaru's voice was hoarse, with a unique magnetism. He bowed slightly, his manner seeming respectful, but there was little warmth in those snake-like eyes, only a stronger curiosity about the reason for this sudden summons.

"Mm. Orochimaru, sit." Sarutobi Hiruzen pointed to the chair opposite him, his tone carrying his usual attitude toward his disciple, though now with a trace of complexity mixed in. He watched Orochimaru sit, then went straight to the point. "There's something I want to discuss with you. Fugaku, the clan head of the Uchiha Clan, came to see me just now."

Orochimaru's snake eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of interest flashing through them. Uchiha? At this point in time, what had the Uchiha clan head come to the Hokage for?

Sarutobi Hiruzen continued, "He hopes that a young junior in his clan, a genin named Uchiha Narong, can enter under your tutelage to study."

"Oh?" Orochimaru let out a meaningful syllable, a half-smile appearing on his face. "The Uchiha... want to place their precious Sharingan seed in my hands? What an interesting proposal." His tongue unconsciously licked over his lips, like a snake discovering intriguing prey.

Sarutobi Hiruzen observed his disciple's reaction and said slowly, "Fugaku claims this is the Uchiha Clan's attitude of wishing to strengthen their ties with the village's core. What do you think?"

At that moment, thoughts spun rapidly through Orochimaru's mind. Refuse? The first thing that came to him was not refusal. On the contrary, this proposal made his eyes light up.

Recently, he had been obsessed with a top-secret line of research—the cells of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju. This research was the foundation of his cooperation with Shimura Danzo. Danzo longed to obtain the power of Wood Release and find a safe method to transplant Hashirama's cells, ultimately to use on himself; as for Orochimaru, he was purely fascinated by that mighty power derived from the Senju of the Forest, a power that could be called the pinnacle of life. He wanted to unravel the mysteries of Wood Release, and even... claim it for himself.

Danzo provided funds and "materials"—a batch of orphans sent over from Root, among whom a child codenamed "Kinoe" had shown fairly good adaptability. Although the current test subject still had some mild rejection reactions, true transplant experiments were already not far off.

And right at this juncture, a Uchiha boy who possessed the famed kekkei genkai of the ninja world—the Sharingan—had delivered himself to his door? This was practically like a precious new sample appearing on the experiment table all on its own.

At this time, Orochimaru was interested in the Sharingan, but more so regarded it as one of many powerful kekkei genkai, much like his mindset toward researching Wood Release, Dust Release, and other bloodline abilities. It was still far from the almost obsessive craving he would have after the Nine-Tails' attack in the original story, once he had witnessed the power of the Mangekyo.

Observing it at close range, and even having the chance to study the secrets of the Sharingan, held no small temptation for Orochimaru, who was engrossed in exploring the essence of life and power. This would not only enrich his database of kekkei genkai; perhaps through comparison, it might even bring him new inspiration for his research into Hashirama's cells.

"Heh heh heh..." Orochimaru let out a low laugh. "The Uchiha's Sharingan? It is indeed a very special 'talent.'" He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen, a searching light flickering in his golden snake eyes. "Teacher Sarutobi hopes I'll agree?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe, his gaze behind the smoke hard to read. "That depends on you, Orochimaru. Taking on a disciple is your personal affair. But I believe this may be an opportunity to ease relations between the village and the Uchiha. Of course, the premise is... normal guidance." His last sentence carried a faint, barely perceptible note of warning, implying he was not entirely unaware of Orochimaru's recent research.

Orochimaru seemed not to understand his teacher's warning, or perhaps he simply did not care. The corner of his mouth curved. "Since it is Teacher Sarutobi's expectation, and the subject is a Uchiha with considerable potential... I am rather interested in meeting this child."

He had made his decision, but still maintained a scientist's prudence. "However, taking on a disciple is ultimately a matter for both parties. Tomorrow, have that little brat called Uchiha Narong come meet me at my training ground. I need to see for myself whether he possesses... the 'qualifications' worth my time."

He needed to confirm with his own eyes whether this Uchiha Narong was merely an ordinary political bargaining chip, or truly had value enough for him to spend his energy "researching" and "guiding."

"Very well." Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. Orochimaru's reaction was within his expectations. As long as Orochimaru agreed to make contact, whatever his purpose, Hiruzen's political intent had already been achieved.

"Then, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave first, Teacher Sarutobi." Orochimaru rose, inclined his body slightly, then left the Hokage Office as silently as he had come.

In the corridor, Orochimaru licked his lips, the interest in his eyes deepening. A Uchiha boy with the Sharingan... he wondered how long the boy could last in his "lessons." Without a doubt, this had added an exciting new variable to his research.