Half a month later, Konoha's reinforcements arrived. The border stabilized, though the smaller nations continued to prod at the edges of the great powers—testing, provoking, and hiring stray shinobi to stir trouble.
Deep within the jungle, far from any patrol route, a narrow fissure in the ground led into darkness. Below, the screams of test subjects were swallowed completely by layered sound-barrier seals.Above, sunlight filtered through green canopies, birds chirped freely, and not a hint of agony rose from the earth.
On the surface, it was a peaceful glade.Underground, it was a place Konoha would pretend never existed.
"Hmm… Yoru-kun, I didn't expect you to handle medical ninjutsu this well."
Orochimaru's voice echoed softly, silk wrapped over steel.Beside him, Uchiha Yoru removed a pair of surgical gloves, exhaustion fogging the edges of his smile.
"Shisui once told me a shinobi should never reveal all his cards," Yoru replied lightly. "But gaining your trust, sensei… that's a card worth using."
Orochimaru studied the boy's face, lips curling into his familiar serpentine grin."Fifteen years old, and already capable of Mystical Palm Technique… impressive."
Yoru blinked. Then remembered: Naruto had been born during the Nine-Tails attack—ten ten—meaning the calendar had rolled again. He was indeed fifteen now.
Orochimaru looked pleased.For him, the explanation was simple: the Uchiha were investing heavily in him. Money, influence, medical support… even a talented assistant. Everything lined up neatly in the snake-sage's mind.
He had no idea Yoru himself was manipulating both sides, feeding Konoha's most ambitious Sannin and the Uchiha Clan their own assumptions.
Two feasts from one pot, Yoru mused inwardly.And neither side realises it.
Neither clan nor Sannin wanted their motives exposed, especially in these unstable years. The Uchiha needed a future Hokage's favor; Orochimaru needed funding the Council wouldn't give.Both sides preferred silence.
"Sensei," Yoru said, rubbing a hand across his brow, "we're running low on viable subjects."
Even with boosted medical experience—the kind he bought rather than trained—Yoru could only follow instructions, not innovate. Medical ninjutsu demanded instinct, insight. He had neither.
Orochimaru walked past tanks where pale bodies floated in corrosive fluid. Limbs, organs, serpentine mutants. His golden eyes glinted in the dim.
"In that case… Yoru-kun, I'll trouble your clan's covert squad again."He paused, savoring the words."This time, I require something different."
Yoru stiffened.
Orochimaru held up a list.
"One hundred male children. No older than five. Preferably with shinobi lineage."
Yoru's heart clenched. "Children…?"
Orochimaru's smile sharpened. "Exactly as you're imagining."
He tapped the edge of a file.
"Your information about the Wood Release specimen hidden in Root was invaluable. It confirms my theory—the early experiments weren't failures. They simply required the correct genetic framework."
Yoru exhaled slowly. Too slowly.
What Orochimaru was requesting was… dangerous. Not merely for the children. For the Uchiha. For political leverage. For everything.
But Yoru kept his tone controlled."Sensei… acquiring shinobi children isn't simple. It will take time."
"For those with talent," Orochimaru murmured, "I'm patient."
He meant it.People who produced results? Orochimaru never broke them unnecessarily.
"Speaking of talent," Orochimaru added offhandedly, "your Clan Head arrived today. He brought his eldest son. And several of your elite units."
Yoru forced a tight grin. "Of course he did. Everyone wants their prodigy noticed by you, sensei."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed with amused understanding, but he said nothing.
Yoru bowed slightly. "I'll ensure no one disturbs your work."
The Sannin nodded. Yoru turned to leave, but paused when he saw Orochimaru staring at a cluster of charts, his expression darkening.
"The animal-fusion trials still fail," Orochimaru muttered. "Side effects unacceptable. Stability nonexistent."
This facility had been dedicated to merging animal traits with human physiology, searching for long-lived templates. But every subject broke apart—body, mind, or both.
"Sensei," Yoru said carefully, "what about… summoning creatures?"
Orochimaru's pupils tightened into serpentine slits.
Yoru continued, "Most animals lack human-level cognition. That's part of the rejection. But summons—real summons—they're intelligent. Comparable to us."
Orochimaru's lips curled upward, slow and hungry.
"Interesting… Summons are indeed closer to humans in awareness. Their physiology is unique. Their chakra more elastic…"
He fell into thought, fingers tapping against the tank glass.
Rare. Difficult.Irresistible.
Yoru watched the spark ignite behind those golden eyes.
Good.If Orochimaru focused on this avenue next, several of his most dangerous early experiments might be delayed—or abandoned entirely.
"I'll consider it," Orochimaru said at last, voice thick with fascination. "Yes… this warrants exploration."
The laboratory hummed, and somewhere deep below, another scream was smothered by seals.