"Hanzo? That man's strength was considerable, especially his mastery of poison. How could he..." Orochimaru paused, clearly surprised. He hadn't anticipated that the upheaval in the Land of Rain stemmed from Hanzo's death.
But then another thought occurred to him.
"Kenichi, how do you know this?" Orochimaru turned his gaze to his disciple. Despite the difference in height due to his reincarnated form, his eyes were as sharp and oppressive as ever.
He hadn't heard a single whisper about Hanzo's demise. Even Amegakure wouldn't publicize the death of such a powerful figure lightly. Hanzo was a symbol of fear and strength. His death would be a vulnerability—an open invitation for other villages to strike.
Kenichi raised his hand, revealing a ring inscribed with the kanji 玉 (jade).
"I joined an organization there. The leader—he calls himself Pain—told me about it."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
"An organization? A leader?"
"Yes, sensei. I thought you'd be interested. This Pain... his eyes—they're the eyes of legend. Rings within rings. The Rinnegan!"
The moment he said the word, Orochimaru's expression shifted. The Rinnegan was something he had only seen in ancient texts and murals, often associated with the Sage of the Six Paths. He had long thought it was myth or metaphor.
"You saw the Rinnegan with your own eyes?"
Kenichi nodded. "He said he was bringing peace... but his methods were ruthless. Still, those eyes... they were real."
Orochimaru fell silent for a moment, then molded chakra and used Earth Release to create two simple stone chairs. He sat down, motioning for Kenichi to do the same.
"Tell me everything about your mission," he said, his curiosity now fully piqued.
Kenichi nodded, recounting the events in detail. Still, as Orochimaru sat casually, seemingly unconcerned about his posture, Kenichi struggled to maintain eye contact. His thoughts drifted, flustered by his teacher's unbothered demeanor.
Stop it. She's—he's Orochimaru. Not some girl from the academy. He literally lives in a lair full of snakes.
Kenichi shook the thought from his head.
"Akatsuki…" Orochimaru mused aloud. "I've heard of that name before. Years ago, it was just a small idealistic group in the Land of Rain. Peace and cooperation... such foolish dreams."
He smirked coldly.
"I believe Jiraiya mentioned them once. One of his old pupils, wasn't it?"
Kenichi blinked. "You know about that?"
Orochimaru waved it off. "I make it my business to know these things. But tell me—why would this Pain be interested in me?"
Kenichi reached into his pouch and produced a ring identical in design to his own, then offered it.
"They want you to join."
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with intrigue as he accepted it.
"How quaint." He slipped the ring onto his finger.
Kenichi scratched the back of his head, realizing how strange the moment looked—almost like proposing. He quickly dismissed the thought.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, was thinking several steps ahead. He had planned to found his own organization in a minor nation, but this Akatsuki—led by someone with the Rinnegan—was far too interesting to ignore.
Power, secrets, and ancient eyes of legend? How could he resist?
"You've done well, Kenichi. Didn't you say you needed certain materials? I've left them for you in Lab Three. Consider it a reward."
Kenichi smiled, though he still felt a little weird about how casually his teacher had accepted the ring.
But that was Orochimaru—driven not by sentiment, but by curiosity. And the Rinnegan had just opened a new door for him.
This disciple of hers had performed admirably, and Orochimaru was genuinely pleased. She had originally sent him out merely to assist with preparations for her Impure World Reincarnation technique, never expecting such a fruitful outcome.
To further test his loyalty, Orochimaru had intentionally appeared before Ryujin Kenichi in her original form—her old body—curious to see whether her disciple would show hesitation or hidden ambition. So far, he had shown none. No disrespect, no probing of her current power. That alone was worth noting.
"Thank you, Sensei!" Kenichi's eyes lit up with excitement. He had asked Orochimaru for certain materials before—highly specialized components, the kind that could be used in the creation of thermobaric bombs. He never imagined she'd actually procure them.
Those materials weren't cheap, nor were they easy to acquire.
"It's nothing," Orochimaru said smoothly, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. "By the way, Kenichi, you've seen this body of mine, haven't you?"
"I have, Sensei. But… what exactly is this?" Kenichi asked, feigning ignorance. Though he had already guessed the truth, he knew better than to reveal that. Orochimaru didn't ask such questions lightly.
Orochimaru smiled, enigmatic and cold. "This is the result of one of my greatest achievements—Impure World Reincarnation. A forbidden jutsu, originally developed by the Second Hokage, but vastly improved by me. If you're interested, I could teach it to you one day."
Kenichi's mind reeled. He hadn't expected her to speak of the technique so openly. Still, he remembered the experiments he had inherited—fragments of notes, data logs, and one chilling line that stood out in particular:
[Post-transfer, the fusion of soul and vessel may result in severe degradation of both entities.]
"Thank you, Sensei," Kenichi replied, maintaining a polite smile. "But I'm still young. I'd rather not tamper with souls just yet."
He suspected Orochimaru was testing him again—perhaps even that the note he'd found in one of Konoha's facilities had been planted by her, a deliberate trap to gauge his reaction.
For clarity, "she" is used here to refer to Orochimaru due to the character's current form. This is purely for distinction—no other meaning is intended.