"Clam?"
Hiroki froze, completely thrown off.
He'd already prepared himself for what Orochimaru might do after catching him in his home—forcing him to reveal secrets, tying him up and dissecting him like a frog, or maybe using some unspeakable jutsu to bind his body and mind.
But this?Orochimaru asking him to hand over the Second Hokage's knowledge?
What the hell did that have to do with anything?
…Well, maybe not entirely unrelated.
Hiroki mentally ticked off what he knew: the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama—creator of the Shadow Clone and Flying Thunder God techniques, founder of the Ninja Academy, inventor of the Three Body Technique, architect of the Eight Gates system… and, honestly, the most suspiciously "time traveler–coded" man in the entire shinobi world.
But was that really what Orochimaru was after?
Hiroki couldn't deny or confirm anything. He couldn't even tell the truth.In almost every Naruto fanfic he'd read, no one who admitted to being a time traveler ended up well. Not one.
He wasn't one of those slick protagonists who could talk their way out of danger. He was just an ordinary programmer—low social skills, no girlfriend before time travel, and definitely not trained for psychological warfare with the human embodiment of a snake.
So what the hell was he supposed to do?
Hiroki manually ended the [fear.exe] process again. This time, it took longer to cool down.
Still, Orochimaru's absurd misunderstanding gave him a chance to breathe.Alright, let's review the situation.
Known condition one: The Second Hokage—Tobirama Senju. The inventor of countless forbidden jutsu, a maniac for infrastructure, and someone who definitely had Uchiha-related trauma—was the original source of Orochimaru's current scientific and forbidden knowledge.
So it's reasonable to assume that Orochimaru thought Hiroki's "knowledge" was just another legacy from Tobirama's era. That might even explain why the Third Hokage didn't press Hiroki harder after the Academy exam—he probably believed Hiroki's talents were part of Konoha's heritage.
Known condition two: Orochimaru wanted this knowledge. But he didn't use the Yamanaka Clan or other interrogation experts. That meant two things—either he was afraid Hiroki's "data" might self-destruct, or he simply didn't want anyone else to know about it.
Which meant… Orochimaru wanted it for himself.
So now came the key question:Can I agree?
If Hiroki said yes, he'd be exposed immediately. He knew nothing about the Second Hokage's labs or research. His cover would crumble faster than a poorly written script.
But if he refused… Orochimaru might resort to less pleasant methods.
After all, this was Orochimaru. Negotiation was not his strong suit.
…Unless you count "negotiating" with corpses.
But maybe—just maybe—he could play for time.
Agree a little. Deny a little. Never confirm, never reject.Like a professional scumbag.
If Orochimaru asked, he'd just say, "I don't have that information yet."
Who could predict the future, right?
The most important thing now… was survival.And strength.
If he had the power of a Kage—or even a Tailed Beast—would Orochimaru dare to talk down to him like this? If he had that kind of power, he could just do what Itachi did: look him dead in the eye and say, "Behave."
Because, in this world, weakness is the original sin.
Hiroki exhaled slowly.
Alright, he thought. From today on, no more mediocre programmer mindset. Time to level up.
He silently promised to write today's humiliation in a little mental notebook and pay it back tenfold later.
Then he looked up at Orochimaru—calm, no more trembling.
"I don't know…" he said.
"I don't know what you mean by the Second Hokage, and I don't understand what you're talking about."
Orochimaru frowned. Still defiant? Pointless.But before he could speak, Hiroki continued.
"However," he said evenly, "there's definitely a lot of knowledge in my head that doesn't belong to me. I don't know why it's there, or why I have these abilities. But if you're willing to help me develop them… I'd be grateful."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed. That calm, almost fatalistic tone—like someone who had realized the futility of struggle but still tried to bargain with fate—actually impressed him.
Yes. That was the kind of reaction he expected from a subject torn between fear and curiosity.Smart enough to adapt, naïve enough to be molded.
And just like that, Orochimaru's suspicion began to cool.
Helping Hiroki "develop his abilities"? In other words, gaining unrestricted access to his mind and knowledge.Perfect.
"A wise choice," Orochimaru said at last, his voice low and pleased.
"But you don't have to fear me, Hiroki-kun." His tone softened like a serpent's hiss, smooth and dangerous. "You'll soon realize—I'm your best partner."
He began pacing around Hiroki, his golden eyes gleaming with predatory interest."For example, I could help you refine your muscle growth experiment. We could even test on human subjects. And I assume you're still interested in learning more… ninjutsu?"
"I recall your ability to copy ninjutsu through contact. But after the Kumogakure incident, you haven't copied anything. Why is that?"
"I can provide you with new samples," Orochimaru said, lips curling into a grin. "Cloud ninja, Stone ninja, Mist, Sand… even a few traitors from our own village. From now on, you don't need to hide. Unleash your potential."
He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper."Perhaps you're wondering why your contact genjutsu failed on me—or how to improve it. Believe me… there's nothing I can't do. In Konoha, no one knows more than I do."
Hiroki exhaled quietly. He didn't like being at a disadvantage, but for now, he had no choice but to play along.
Fine. Eat the loss today, survive, and plan later. Let's eat first.jpg.
He just needed time—and a plan.
"Do I still need to go to the training ground tomorrow?" Hiroki asked after a pause.
"If you wish," Orochimaru said. "I'll leave a clone to train the little girl in basic Chūnin skills. But if you'd rather skip it, come with me to my lab. I'm sure you're eager to explore your abilities further."
Basic Chūnin training?Tree climbing, water walking… maybe some elemental ninjutsu?
Hiroki was still thinking when—
Knock, knock, knock.
Both he and Orochimaru turned toward the door at the same time.
"Hiroki! Hiroki!" a voice shouted from outside."I know how I can get stronger! I want to become the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki!!!"