In the shadowed forests behind Konoha, Gen stepped into the hidden research base through a concealed passage, his movements calm and unhurried.
At the end of the passage, Orochimaru awaited.
Dressed in his familiar black attire and flak vest, his long hair hung loosely around his pale face, golden serpentine eyes gleaming faintly beneath the dim light. A pair of jade-blue earrings swayed slightly as he stood with hands clasped behind his back, exuding a chilling, oppressive aura.
Gen, in contrast, wore a black suit beneath a striped cloak. His dark hair was slightly tousled, his features sharp yet relaxed, with the Kusanagi sword resting at his hip. He carried himself with easy confidence, handsome and unruly.
"Orochimaru-sensei." Gen offered a faint smile and a respectful bow.
Orochimaru's lips curved into a cold smirk.
"Hehe… it seems you've shed quite a lot of blood on this trip."
Startled, Gen followed as Orochimaru turned, leading him into the lounge.
"I suppressed my killing intent as much as I could. Even so, you could sense it?"
"I am… sensitive to such things." Orochimaru's voice was low and silken. "Your restraint is far from perfect. Later, I'll teach you how to better bury your murderous aura."
"That would be invaluable," Gen admitted.
They entered the lounge. The air carried a faint, refreshing fragrance. A set of tea, freshly brewed, steamed gently on the table.
Orochimaru knelt with his usual grace, while Gen dropped into the seat opposite in a more casual manner.
After sipping the tea, Gen asked, "How much remains after purchasing the equipment?"
"Not counting the gold and jewels, there are eighty million ryō left."
"Then we split it evenly, teacher and student."
Orochimaru accepted without hesitation. "Convenient. I've been… short on funds."
"Oh? Trouble?" Gen raised a brow.
"Danzo has been pushed into retirement. Root is under my care, though it still dances on Danzo's strings. Without Konoha's funding, its coffers are nearly dry. My research has suffered as well."
Gen chuckled. "Tsk, the Fourth Hokage moves quickly."
"It wasn't Minato's direct hand, my own teacher pressed the matter. But Minato's rise forced it."
Gen smirked. "Danzo must be fuming."
"You're bold, calling him by name." Orochimaru's smile was edged.
"And you? You don't?" Gen countered calmly. "He's Hokage now, not some rising star."
"Hehe… Danzo is, of course, dissatisfied. He urges me to hasten the Wood Release experiments. If they succeed…" Orochimaru trailed off, his golden eyes glinting as they met Gen's.
The implication was clear.
But Gen already knew the truth. Even with Yamato, the results were far from the legendary power of Hashirama Senju.
If Orochimaru had truly replicated that strength, Danzo would have already gambled everything to seize power.
Still, the path was not entirely wrong. With time and deeper study, who knew?
"Sensei," Gen said softly, "you still harbor dreams of the Hokage's seat."
Orochimaru's smile thinned. "It was once my dream. Perhaps a fragment of it lingers. But more than power, I desire my research to be… unhindered. And if the Hokage were one of us, imagine the freedom."
Gen leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp. "And if the Wood Release project truly bore fruit, would you really entrust the results to Danzo?"
"Hmph, you assume much."
Gen did not press further.
Orochimaru was his teacher, after all. Best to give him face. Instead, he shifted the subject.
"How progresses your training with the Spiritual Transformation Technique?"
Orochimaru's gaze flickered. "And you?"
"I've already made progress," Gen answered vaguely. "By next year at the latest, I expect to succeed."
Some truths belonged only to himself. Just as Orochimaru had secrets, so did he.
A ninja's wariness was not mistrust but survival.
"Then when you succeed," Orochimaru leaned in, eyes shining with hungry curiosity, "you must allow me to study your soul and body."
"Impossible." Gen's refusal was immediate, firm. "The soul and body are the most private sanctuaries of a shinobi. Not even you, Sensei, may examine them."
Orochimaru chuckled darkly, almost pouting. "Tsk… what a pity."
Yet almost immediately, his expression shifted, excitement sparking in his gaze.
"I've not mastered Spiritual Transformation. Perhaps I lack the talent. But it granted me something greater, an insight into immortality. More reliable than any path I've pursued before!"
"Oh?" Gen prompted, feigning interest.
"The Nidaime Hokage once entertained the same idea. He, too, envisioned transferring the soul into a new vessel, extending life and defying death." Orochimaru's voice grew fevered.
"And?"
"He failed… but not completely. He left behind a half-finished jutsu. I suspect he developed it for the Shodaime, whose body waned after his battle with Uchiha Madara. Had Tobirama lived longer, perhaps he would have perfected it."
Gen's eyes narrowed.
The Second Hokage, a genius, innovator and inventor of countless forbidden arts; dabbling in soul transference, in human experiments… It was hardly far-fetched. Perhaps he had even tested on Uchiha before Konoha was founded.
"Orochimaru-sensei," Gen asked evenly, "do you believe you can finish what he could not?"