After the Third Kazekage was summoned, his attention remained fixed on Orochimaru. He failed to notice anything strange about himself at first.
It wasn't until the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, spoke that he realized something was amiss. When he turned to look, the person beside him was someone he instantly recognized.
"You… are you the Second Tsuchikage from the Land of Earth?"
"Do I have no presence?" Mu replied calmly, his tone laced with sarcasm. He then turned his attention to Orochimaru. "And you, boy standing over there. Which country do you hail from? How is it that you know this technique?"
His eyes narrowed, deep suspicion evident in his gaze. "If my memory serves me right, this disgraceful jutsu was created by the Second Hokage of Konoha Village!"
"As expected of the Second Tsuchikage," Orochimaru said with a faint smile. "Your memory is impeccable."
Mu looked at his hands, studying his form. "Are you one of the Second Hokage's disciples?"
"No," interrupted the Third Kazekage. "This man's name is Orochimaru. He's a disciple of the Third Hokage."
"The Third Hokage?"
"Yes," the Third Kazekage said bitterly. "This guy's abilities are highly unusual. Not only does he possess the speed of the Second Hokage, but he also wields the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan. I… I…"
His voice faltered as the memory of his death resurfaced, Flying Thunder God combined with a Mangekyo Sharingan ability. The sequence of events that led to his demise remained a point of frustration and confusion for him.
"The speed of the Second Hokage and the Sharingan?" Mu's eyes reflected a flicker of disbelief. "That's impossible."
As someone who had been contemporaneous with the Second Hokage, Mu was well-acquainted with his abilities, as well as the traits of the Uchiha. This pale-skinned figure before him didn't match either description.
"I didn't believe it either," said the Third Kazekage, his tone low and begrudging. "But that's how I died."
For a man of his stature, the shame of being killed in such a bewildering way weighed heavily on him.
Orochimaru listened to their conversation, a strange feeling stirring within him. Somehow, the more he watched the two former Kage interact, the less sinister this technique felt to him.
Perhaps, under different circumstances, the Edo Tensei might not be a forbidden jutsu at all. After all, it allowed people to meet those they had longed to see again and gave the dead a chance to say their final words, words they might not have had the chance to speak in life.
But Orochimaru quickly shook off such sentimental thoughts.
"Alright, you two," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "That's enough chatter. The only reason I summoned you was to test the perfection of this technique. Now that I've done so, you're no longer needed. Back to your coffins!"
The Third Kazekage and Second Tsuchikage both felt a force pulling them, compelling their bodies to move against their will.
"Damn it…" the Third Kazekage muttered angrily.
"This is infuriating…" Mu added, his tone grim.
Boom!
The coffin lids slammed shut, muffling their voices as they were sealed inside. Moments later, the coffins themselves disappeared without a trace.
Orochimaru stood in the now-empty clearing, his hand on his chin as he mused to himself.
"Their consciousness is recovering well, but their strength is still lacking. I'll need higher-quality sacrifices to take this further…"
---
The Edo Tensei, a jutsu that manipulates the dead, had earned its reputation as a despicable and sinister technique. Even Tobirama Senju, its creator, had not escaped the stigma attached to it.
But Orochimaru was unfazed by such labels. In the entire ninja world, no one suspected him of mastering this jutsu. Aside from Danzo, only Mu and Rasa were aware of its existence.
He was confident that by the time anyone realized the scope of his plans, it would already be too late for them to intervene.
---
Back in Konoha, in the Land of Fire.
Orochimaru had returned to the village after completing his latest round of experimentation.
He hadn't yet targeted Kumo or Kirigakure due to a lack of intelligence about their inner workings. Successfully infiltrating those villages would require more meticulous planning.
For now, his return to Konoha served two purposes: the journey from the Land of Rivers had been smooth, making it convenient for him to stop by, and he needed more of the First Hokage's cells to continue refining his clones.
---
"You're always running off somewhere, Orochimaru."
This was the first thing Danzo said upon seeing him.
The two were currently inside the Root headquarters, seated across from one another in the dimly lit office.
To Danzo, Orochimaru's frequent absences were nothing short of irritating. During peacetime, Orochimaru was practically impossible to track down, which Danzo, as his superior, found deeply unsatisfying.
"What's wrong?" Orochimaru asked, his tone disinterested.
"What do you mean, what's wrong?" Danzo said sharply. "Your experiments, of course! How can you conduct proper research when you're always running off somewhere?"
"Don't be so quick to judge," Orochimaru replied nonchalantly. "I've been traveling to gather ideas for new research projects."
Danzo frowned but didn't interrupt.
Orochimaru continued, "I've already completed the projects you've requested, genetic enhancement serums, Sharingan transplantation, First Hokage cell integration. I even helped Konoha develop the genetic repair fluid and the prototype for scientific ninja tools. So tell me, what more could I possibly have left to work on?"
Danzo paused, considering Orochimaru's words. "Then, have you found any new research projects?"
"Not yet," Orochimaru admitted, his tone casual. "Finding new directions takes inspiration. These things can't be rushed."
Though Orochimaru's response was partly fabricated, it wasn't entirely untrue. Groundbreaking research often required a spark of insight.
Danzo mulled this over for a moment before speaking again. "If inspiration is what you lack, then focus on Wood Release research in the meantime."
"Wood Release?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.
"That's right," Danzo said. "Didn't you say before that it's possible to create Wood Release users even without my method?"
Orochimaru nodded slowly. "Yes, it's possible. But the results are inferior to true Wood Release, and the process is time-consuming."
"That doesn't matter. We'll find a group of children and train them to develop Wood Release as a backup force. Time isn't an issue."
Orochimaru frowned slightly but kept his thoughts to himself.
After a moment, he relented. "Fine. But I don't have the time to round up children myself."
"You don't need to concern yourself with that," Danzo said coolly. "I'll handle it."
Danzo's indifferent demeanor sent a chill through Orochimaru.
In a world where human lives were often seen as disposable, experiments on living subjects had become disturbingly normalized. Even Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, had conducted similar experiments during his lifetime.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Orochimaru nodded. "Very well. But the children used for this research should ideally be under five years old."
"I understand," Danzo replied with calm detachment.