"Two honored guests, please come in." Yakushi Nono stepped aside with a calm smile, her warm composure never faltering.
"Orochimaru-sensei," Gen murmured, his gaze flicking to the boy with silver-gray hair and round glasses, "do you know him?"
Gen already knew the answer. Kabuto Yakushi was no ordinary orphan as his talent rivaled the greatest shinobi born without divine bloodlines.
For a 'normal' ninja, Kabuto stood at the ceiling of possibility.
Minato. Guy. The Third Hokage. Jiraiya. Orochimaru himself. Kabuto would one day stand among that rare handful.
Orochimaru's yellow eyes narrowed briefly on the boy. "This child once treated my injuries. He has learned medical ninjutsu well."
"Oh?" Gen tilted his head, lips curling. "To earn your praise at that age… gifted indeed. A pity to waste his talent in a place like this orphanage."
Though only a few years older, Gen was already half a head taller thanks to proper training and nutrition, standing eye-level with Nono herself.
Kabuto's hands clenched. "Big brother, I haven't wasted my time. Helping the director and everyone here… it makes me happy. It matters."
Gen let the boy's protest roll past him. His eyes stayed on Orochimaru. "Strange. Sensei, it's unlike you to let such a gem slip away."
"He refused," Orochimaru said simply. "Gifted, yes but too young, and still lacking much."
Had Kabuto been under Orochimaru's wing from the beginning, perhaps the tragedy between mother and son would never have unfolded.
Nono's unease deepened with every exchange, though her smile stayed fixed. "Lord Orochimaru. This young lord. Please, sit."
Inside, they were served steaming cups of water. Nono bowed politely. "The orphanage struggles with funds so our hospitality is plain. Forgive me."
"Details," Orochimaru waved it off. "We came to speak of something more important, Wandering Miko."
Even called by her Root codename, Nono's smile never wavered. "What matter could require the help of a weak woman like me?"
"Don't leave, boy," Gen called casually to Kabuto as the child moved to slip away. "This may concern you, too."
Kabuto froze, glancing at his dean.
Nono's expression hardened. "Lord Orochimaru. Whatever you require, I beg you, leave Kabuto out of it."
Gen chuckled. "Some things can't be avoided by running. Facing them head-on… that can change everything. Right, Sensei?"
Orochimaru's thin smile curled. "Mm."
"Danzo has his eye on you, Nono," Gen continued, his voice turning sharp. "Within days he'll come. At most a week. He wants you in Iwagakure; to dig into their military plans and lurk there long-term."
Nono's eyes flickered.
"You know what kind of man he is," Gen pressed. "Escaping Root once was a miracle. This time? He'll use the orphanage as chains. Do you think you can refuse him?"
She shook her head. The children here were everything.
"Then it's decided... you'll be a spy. But who will you truly serve?" Orochimaru's gaze bored into her.
Nono instantly understood. They wanted her as a triple agent. Disgust curled in her stomach.
She'd grown tired of the endless masks, the kills, the paranoia of a spy's life. But she had no choice. Danzo could crush the orphanage on a whim… and so could the man in front of her.
Her smile slipped into steel. "What will I gain?"
"Dean, don't!" Kabuto pleaded.
Nono reached to reassure him, but Gen cut in first, eyes sharp. "What's your name, boy?"
"…Yakushi Kabuto," he muttered.
Gen smirked. "She cares for you. That much is obvious. And you heard my teacher, I wasn't bluffing. Wait and see. If you side with us, the orphanage gains more than protection. You'll have funding, security and Futures for the children here. Danzo will keep you alive at the edge of starvation. We'll give them meals, books, and a real chance at life."
He leaned back, voice hardening. "On the honor of the Uchiha clan, I swear it."
In this age, clan honor still meant something.
Nono's gaze sharpened on Orochimaru. "Is what he says true?"
"Of course." Orochimaru's tongue brushed his lips. A little money was nothing compared to his research. His apprentice's generosity amused him but it also served his own ends.
Nono exhaled slowly. "If you can keep that promise… I will serve you."
"Heh… loyalty is well and good," Orochimaru drawled. "But I want more. I want him."
Nono stiffened. "No. Not Kabuto..."
"I will!" Kabuto blurted, eyes blazing with sudden resolve.
Nono stared, stricken.
Gen's voice slid in again, calm but firm. "You worry too much, Dean. Sensei doesn't want Kabuto as a spy. He'll be trained as a medic. As a researcher. With you and this orphanage in our hands, betrayal isn't a concern. Isn't this an opportunity for all of you?"
Relief flooded Nono's face. Unless pressed beyond reason, she would never drag Kabuto into the shadows she'd endured.
"…I see. Then I accept. Thank you, my lords."
Kabuto's eyes flickered with hope. "If I follow Lord Orochimaru… will the Dean be able to return here soon?"
"Heh… that depends on your performance," Orochimaru whispered. "Show your worth that surpass hers. Then, she can return."
Kabuto's fists clenched. "I'll do it. I'll work hard."
"Good. Remember that."
Orochimaru rose. Gen left a neat stack of money on the table far more than Danzo ever provided.
Together, master and disciple stepped out into the fading light, leaving Nono and Kabuto frozen in silence.