After the Third Kazekage was summoned, his attention remained fixed on Orochimaru. He failed to notice anything strange about himself at first.
It wasn't until the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, spoke that he realized sothing was amiss. When he turned to look, the person beside him was soone he instantly recognized.
"You… are you the Second Tsuchikage from the Land of Earth?"
"Do I have no presence?" Mu replied calmly, his tone laced with sarcasm. He then turned his attention to Orochimaru. "And you, boy standing over there. Which country do you hail from? How is it that you know this technique?"
His eyes narrowed, deep suspicion evident in his gaze. "If my mory serves right, this disgraceful jutsu was created by the Second Hokage of Konoha Village!"
"As expected of the Second Tsuchikage," Orochimaru said with a faint smile. "Your mory is impeccable."
Mu looked at his hands, studying his form. "Are you one of the Second Hokage's disciples?"
"No," interrupted the Third Kazekage. "This man's na is Orochimaru. He's a disciple of the Third Hokage."
"The Third Hokage?"
"Yes," the Third Kazekage said bitterly. "This guy's abilities are highly unusual. Not only does he possess the speed of the Second Hokage, but he also wields the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. I… I…"
His voice faltered as the mory of his death resurfaced, Flying Thunder God combined with a Mangekyo Sharingan ability. The sequence of events that led to his demise remained a point of frustration and confusion for him.
"The speed of the Second Hokage and the Sharingan?" Mu's eyes reflected a flicker of disbelief. "That's impossible."
As soone who had been contemporaneous with the Second Hokage, Mu was well-acquainted with his abilities, as well as the traits of the Uchiha. This pale-skinned figure before him didn't match either description.
"I didn't believe it either," said the Third Kazekage, his tone low and begrudging. "But that's how I died."
For a man of his stature, the sha of being killed in such a bewildering way weighed heavily on him.
Orochimaru listened to their conversation, a strange feeling stirring within him. Sohow, the more he watched the two forr Kage interact, the less sinister this technique felt to him.
Perhaps, under different circumstances, the Edo Tensei might not be a forbidden jutsu at all. After all, it allowed people to et those they had longed to see again and gave the dead a chance to say their final words, words they might not have had the chance to speak in life.
But Orochimaru quickly shook off such sentintal thoughts.
"Alright, you two," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "That's enough chatter. The only reason I summoned you was to test the perfection of this technique. Now that I've done so, you're no longer needed. Back to your coffins!" ⱤåＮȫ𝖇ЕS̈
The Third Kazekage and Second Tsuchikage both felt a force pulling them, compelling their bodies to move against their will.
"Damn it…" the Third Kazekage muttered angrily.
"This is infuriating…" Mu added, his tone grim.
Boom!
The coffin lids slamd shut, muffling their voices as they were sealed inside. Monts later, the coffins themselves disappeared without a trace.
Orochimaru stood in the now-empty clearing, his hand on his chin as he mused to himself.
"Their consciousness is recovering well, but their strength is still lacking. I'll need higher-quality sacrifices to take this further…"
---
The Edo Tensei, a jutsu that manipulates the dead, had earned its reputation as a despicable and sinister technique. Even Tobirama Senju, its creator, had not escaped the stigma attached to it.
But Orochimaru was unfazed by such labels. In the entire ninja world, no one suspected him of mastering this jutsu. Aside from Danzo, only Mu and the third kazekage were aware of its existence.
He was confident that by the ti anyone realized the scope of his plans, it would already be too late for them to intervene.
---
Back in Konoha, in the Land of Fire.
Orochimaru had returned to the village after completing his latest round of experintation.
He hadn't yet targeted Kumo or Kirigakure due to a lack of intelligence about their inner workings. Successfully infiltrating those villages would require more ticulous planning.
For now, his return to Konoha served two purposes: the journey from the Land of Rivers had been smooth, making it convenient for him to stop by, and he needed more of the First Hokage's cells to continue refining his clones.
---
"You're always running off sowhere, Orochimaru."
This was the first thing Danzo said upon seeing him.
The two were currently inside the Root headquarters, seated across from one another in the dimly lit office.
To Danzo, Orochimaru's frequent absences were nothing short of irritating. During peaceti, Orochimaru was practically impossible to track down, which Danzo, as his superior, found deeply unsatisfying.
"What's wrong?" Orochimaru asked, his tone disinterested.
"What do you an, what's wrong?" Danzo said sharply. "Your experints, of course! How can you conduct proper research when you're always running off sowhere?"
"Don't be so quick to judge," Orochimaru replied nonchalantly. "I've been traveling to gather ideas for new research projects."
Danzo frowned but didn't interrupt.
Orochimaru continued, "I've already completed the projects you've requested, genetic enhancent serums, Sharingan transplantation, First Hokage cell integration. I even helped Konoha develop the genetic repair fluid and the prototype for scientific ninja tools. So tell , what more could I possibly have left to work on?"
Danzo paused, considering Orochimaru's words. "Then, have you found any new research projects?"
"Not yet," Orochimaru admitted, his tone casual. "Finding new directions takes inspiration. These things can't be rushed."
Though Orochimaru's response was partly fabricated, it wasn't entirely untrue. Groundbreaking research often required a spark of insight.
Danzo mulled this over for a mont before speaking again. "If inspiration is what you lack, then focus on Wood Release research in the anti."
"Wood Release?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
"That's right," Danzo said. "Didn't you say before that it's possible to create Wood Release users even without my thod?"
Orochimaru nodded slowly. "Yes, it's possible. But the results are inferior to true Wood Release, and the process is ti-consuming."
"That doesn't matter. We'll find a group of children and train them to develop Wood Release as a backup force. Ti isn't an issue."
Orochimaru frowned slightly but kept his thoughts to himself.
After a mont, he relented. "Fine. But I don't have the ti to round up children myself."
"You don't need to concern yourself with that," Danzo said coolly. "I'll handle it."
Danzo's indifferent deanor sent a chill through Orochimaru.
In a world where human lives were often seen as disposable, experints on living subjects had beco disturbingly normalized. Even Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, had conducted similar experints during his lifeti.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Orochimaru nodded. "Very well. But the children used for this research should ideally be under five years old."
"I understand," Danzo replied with calm detachnt.
***
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