Orochimaru: Help Me Up, I Can Still Keep Going!

The shock on Orochimaru's face lasted less than half a second before the coldness rising in his eyes swallowed it whole.

He retreated into the shadow beside the paper door, tucked his hands into his wide sleeves, and silently completed the opening signs for the Summoning Technique.

A gray-brown venomous snake slid down his forearm, its flickering tongue brushing the Kunai he held backward in his palm.

The blade was coated with a lethal dose of venom that glimmered icy blue in the gloom.

All that group of ANBU had to do was step half a pace through the door.

Within a tenth of a second, the Kunai would open their captain's artery.

The sound of wooden clogs stopped outside.

Orochimaru tightened his grip on the hilt and quietly held his breath.

Then—

"Knock, knock."

There was no ninjutsu blast as he had expected. No one kicked the door down.

Instead, there came two knocks so considerate they were almost polite.

Orochimaru's hand froze around the poisoned blade, suspended in midair for several seconds.

Then came the dull sound of armor striking stone.

The ANBU Captain leading the squad had actually dropped to one knee outside the door.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

"Lord Fourth Hokage has issued a top-secret order!"

The murderous intent in Orochimaru's golden slit pupils visibly faltered.

"You are hereby appointed to take charge of the S-Rank Independent Research Institute as Konoha's chief scientist!"

"Your research funding has no upper limit! The entire village will supply whatever materials you need!"

"Please proceed to the Hokage Building at once to meet the Fourth Hokage!"

When the last word fell, the basement went utterly silent.

Orochimaru stood rooted to the spot, his poisoned Kunai still poised to strike.

He looked down at the blue-glinting blade in his hand, then at the