Diarmuid was still tinkering with his tobacco, while Orochimaru prepared tea off to the side. Both were busy with their hands, but their conversation flowed without pause.
"So, in truth, you had the opportunity, the time, and the ability to save Minato, correct?" Orochimaru finished brewing the tea, placed a cup beside Diarmuid, and asked as he took a sip for himself.
Diarmuid didn't look up, continuing to mess with his tobacco leaves. "You could say that."
"Then why didn't you save him?" Orochimaru asked, curious.
Diarmuid said nothing. He offered no response.
Orochimaru watched Diarmuid in silence for a moment. Seeing that the man truly didn't intend to speak, he asked tentatively, "Did you want to use this opportunity to push Danzo into the spotlight?"
Diarmuid: ???
Diarmuid looked up with a strange expression, staring at Orochimaru. "What on earth are you talking about?"
Orochimaru was slightly surprised. Diarmuid's confusion wasn't feigned. If that had been his plan, he would have admitted it upon being called out; after all, it wasn't exactly an unspeakable motive.
"You never thought of it?" Orochimaru frowned, finding it odd.
"No. According to you, if Minato is dead, Danzo actually has a chance to become Hokage this time?" Diarmuid asked curiously.
He was stuck in a bit of a fixed mindset. In his memory, after Minato died, Hiruzen simply took the stage again. It had nothing to do with Danzo, who remained Konoha's "King of Scapegoats," responsible only for taking the blame.
But according to Orochimaru, there seemed to be a real opening?
"Of course. As long as Danzo isn't an idiot, he shouldn't miss this chance. Minato hadn't been the Fourth Hokage for long. According to the Old Man's logic, there isn't a second person in Konoha currently suited to be Hokage. If Minato met a sudden end, a long-scheming man like Danzo has a distinct possibility of becoming the new Hokage. After all, he is better prepared than anyone, and he is indeed of the Hokage lineage. Look around, does Konoha have any other candidate who can compare to him right now? Not a single one," Orochimaru said with a smirk.
Diarmuid thought it over carefully, rubbing his chin. "It seems you're right..."
Had he missed something? No, it wasn't too late. Maybe he could squeeze something out of Danzo?
"What did you come back for? Where's Sasori?" Diarmuid looked up and asked.
"That guy is still out collecting intelligence," Orochimaru replied. "I came back because it was on the way, and I happened to hear about the incident in Konoha, so I came to ask you about it."
"And next?" Diarmuid asked.
"I plan to go to Konoha," Orochimaru said with a smile.
Diarmuid immediately spoke up. "Konoha is already in such a miserable state, and you still want to go there? Do you have any humanity left? You can't beat Hiruzen right now, so don't go looking for trouble. Konoha has a fire burning in its gut with nowhere to vent. Anyone who sticks their head out right now is going to face the village's accumulated, heaven-shaking wrath. If you don't want to die, don't go causing trouble in Konoha at a time like this..."
Orochimaru: ???
"Is that the kind of person I am in your eyes?" Orochimaru asked after a silence.
"What do you think?" Diarmuid said bluntly.
Orochimaru felt a bit helpless. Am I really that pathologically wicked? After a pause, Orochimaru continued, "Don't worry, I'm not going to cause trouble for Konoha. I'm going to find myself an assistant, that's all."
"An assistant?" Diarmuid was somewhat surprised. "Who? Are you planning to recommend him for the Yorozuya?"
"It's not out of the question. Although his current strength isn't particularly brilliant, he's not weak. Later, Sasori and I will likely focus our energy on research, so our intelligence gathering will inevitably weaken. That's why I thought of that fellow. He's a natural at intelligence work, a professional. Sasori and I will leave those tasks to him. What do you think?" Orochimaru asked.
What do I think? I don't even know the guy's name. However, Diarmuid had already guessed who it was. It had to be Yakushi Kabuto.
"Doesn't matter. You guys make the call. If you think he's worth recommending, let him join the Yorozuya and become one of us," Diarmuid said.
As for Kabuto, he wasn't exactly good, but he wasn't purely evil either. His loyalty to Orochimaru was unquestionable for a long time. Moreover, Orochimaru could definitely keep him under control.
That was enough. After all, the Yorozuya didn't operate on the basis of "absolute loyalty." Did Sasori have absolute loyalty to Diarmuid? Impossible. Did Orochimaru? Nothing to say there.
Kakuzu had a bit, and perhaps the last to join, Jūzō, was actually the most loyal to Diarmuid.
So, for the Yorozuya, loyalty didn't matter. They didn't pursue it; they pursued the value of mutual interest and cooperation. Beyond that, Diarmuid's absolutely overwhelming strength ensured they wouldn't dare betray him lightly.
Finally, there was the pleasant atmosphere within the Yorozuya. There were no real constraints, they could achieve win-win cooperation, and they were surrounded by powerful partners. It seemed loose, but it was precisely because of these reasons that the Yorozuya stayed united. There was no benefit in leaving, plus, one might have to face Diarmuid's pursuit. Staying offered nothing but advantages. Diarmuid didn't force anything; it was all partnership.
Plus, they had Diarmuid's protection. Everyone was a wanted criminal, but no one dared come here to make an arrest. Konoha knew perfectly well Orochimaru was here, but did they dare try to snatch him from under Diarmuid's nose? They didn't. After Jūzō arrived, Yagura didn't say a word.
So why betray? If there is no betrayal, there is naturally no need for loyalty.
"Fine," Orochimaru agreed without surprise.
Diarmuid then shifted the topic back. "Since you're going to Konoha, that works out. You'll likely see Danzo, right? Tell him I've already helped him once. Let him see if he can seize the Hokage seat this time. But whether he succeeds or not, he owes me payment. If he doesn't pay, I'll come to his door and collect it myself."
Orochimaru: ???
How exactly did you 'help him once'? If I hadn't brought it up, you wouldn't have even realized, would you?
And you call that helping?
Orochimaru felt like he had inadvertently screwed Danzo over. Sending Diarmuid to his door for "payment" was a death sentence. As for whether Danzo would dare refuse... Orochimaru figured he wouldn't.
"Your skin is getting thicker and thicker," Orochimaru said after a silence.
"How is that 'thick'? I'm just reasonably claiming my reward, aren't I? Danzo should feel lucky. I said I'd support him for Hokage, and look, I took practical action. Shouldn't that be enough to make him happy? As for whether he actually gets the job, that's his own business. Either way, he has to give me the payment," Diarmuid said shamelessly.
"Your logic is so sound I find myself unable to argue," Orochimaru quipped, then asked, "So? What is the reward you want?"
Diarmuid was just acting on a whim. If Orochimaru hadn't spoken, he wouldn't have realized he'd "helped" Danzo. He hadn't thought about a reward at all. Besides, the Scroll of Seals was already in his hands, and he had made off with a huge stash of miscellaneous Konoha ninjutsu scrolls. He didn't need Danzo to provide any forbidden techniques.
After thinking it over, Diarmuid said, "Decide for yourself. Or ask Kakuzu and the others if there's anything they want. If there's something you want, just ask Danzo for it. If he doesn't give it, I'll deal with him."
Orochimaru chuckled. The Yorozuya environment truly suited "villains" like them.
"Fine, I understand." Orochimaru nodded, then asked, "So, what about the Scroll of Seals?"
"You want it too?" Diarmuid grinned, looking at Orochimaru.
"Naturally. I had my eye on it before, but I never managed to get my hands on it," Orochimaru said calmly. As a research obsessive, how could he not be interested in the Scroll of Seals?
Diarmuid performed a Summoning Jutsu, and the massive scroll appeared before them.
"Go ahead and make a copy for yourself. Leave the original with me; I want to study the things in there too," Diarmuid said magnanimously.
Orochimaru didn't stand on ceremony. He rolled open the scroll, which was densely packed with ninjutsu formulas and diagrams. Mostly, they were either devastatingly powerful and difficult to master, or forbidden techniques.
"There are... a massive number of Uzumaki clan Sealing Jutsu recorded here!?" Orochimaru said, surprised.
Diarmuid took it as a matter of course. "What's there to be surprised about? How could the Scroll of Seals not have Sealing Jutsu?"
Orochimaru looked at Diarmuid blankly. "That joke isn't funny at all..."
After a pause, he continued, "When I was young, the Old Man let me see parts of the scroll. I'm certain there were no Uzumaki techniques in it then. They must have been added by Konoha after the fall of Uzushiogakure."
Diarmuid had looked through the scroll earlier, and the techniques recorded did not disappoint him. It included, but was not limited to, the Reaper Death Seal, Four Symbols Seal, Reverse Four Symbols Seal, and Adamantine Sealing Chains. There was also the famous Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, as well as Reanimation Jutsu and Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags.
Some entries were recorded recently, with fresher ink; those were likely composite ninjutsu mastered by Hiruzen. The man truly lived up to his title as "The Professor"; his newly developed techniques proved he was the real deal.
Of course, the technique Diarmuid cared most about, the Flying Raijin Technique, was indeed there. Even a fragmented version of the Eight Inner Gates was recorded, likely noted by Tobirama. However, Might Duy's completed version hadn't been recorded before Tobirama died. Because Hiruzen didn't understand it well or simply forgot, it hadn't been updated.
That was a bit awkward. If Diarmuid had to fill in the gaps... he wasn't sure he could complete it.
The Flying Raijin Technique was one of Diarmuid's primary goals, and the fragments of the Eight Inner Gates were a pleasant surprise. However, after studying the Sealing Jutsu for a while, Diarmuid realized that they might actually provide the greatest help.
He seemed uniquely suited for these Sealing Jutsu. Uzumaki clan techniques all scaled with the amount of Chakra; the more you had, the more powerful they became.
For example, the Adamantine Sealing Chains. Even at the brink of death, Kushina's burst of Chakra allowed this jutsu to suppress the full Nine-Tails. One could imagine its power.
"The Sealing Jutsu in here are excellent and suit you well. Don't just keep your eyes on the Flying Raijin; study these more," Orochimaru advised.
Though Diarmuid had realized this himself, he appreciated Orochimaru's goodwill. He didn't argue, simply smiling and saying, "I know."