Orochimaru's Laboratory.
When Jiraiya and Tsunade arrived, they found the door locked. They couldn't get in. There was simply no way in.
More importantly, there wasn't even a place to unlock it.
Jiraiya stood outside and shouted a couple of times, only to find it useless. The thing seemed to be exceptionally soundproof.
With no other choice, Jiraiya and Tsunade could only wait outside.
Half an hour passed.
Tsunade was on the verge of exploding and was about to smash her way straight through the door.
Just then,
Beep-
After a soft sound, the Alloy Gate slowly opened.
Looking at the fully automatic door before her, Tsunade was slightly surprised. Jiraiya watched the marvelous door slide open by itself with curiosity, then peered inside.
Standing just inside was a boy around nine or ten years old.
Kabuto froze for a moment when he saw them.
He recognized them, too: Jiraiya and Tsunade, the two Sannin whose fame rivaled that of his teacher, Orochimaru.
Silence hung in the air for two seconds.
Jiraiya ventured, "Orochimaru?"
Kabuto: ?
"Are you looking for my teacher? He's doing an experiment, so this probably isn't a good time."
Once Jiraiya confirmed that the Kabuto before him wasn't Orochimaru in a new body, he dropped his probing manner and nodded at Kabuto with a cheerful smile.
"What do you mean, not a good time? Orochimaru and I go way back!"
Jiraiya strode inside.
Tsunade followed behind him.
"Hey, hey!"
Kabuto still wanted to stop them from disturbing his teacher's experiment.
But neither of them paid him any attention.
"Sigh..."
Kabuto sighed quietly.
Forget it. I should just get on with my own business.
The Sannin's affairs were beyond his control anyway.
He had come out because he was going home for dinner tonight. It had been