"Orochimaru's the real deal—when there's trouble, he acts."
Sasame felt a tinge of regret.
He hadn't been able to witness Orochimaru's battle against Shisui Uchiha firsthand.
It must have been spectacular.
In the original timeline, Orochimaru had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan, sparking an obsession with the eyes.
But since he couldn't beat Itachi, he'd shifted his focus to Sasuke instead.
Now, with this beating coming early, there was a high chance Orochimaru would set his sights on the still-young Itachi.
As for why Shisui had contributed Fate Points as well?
Sasame pondered and found it made sense.
Like Itachi, Shisui possessed ideals that transcended his clan, fully embracing the Will of Fire.
But he was even more naive and principled.
When the Uchiha clan had plotted their coup, Shisui hadn't turned against them. Instead, he'd sought help from Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzō Shimura—even revealing his Mangekyō Sharingan's ability.
The result? Predictable.
Danzō had immediately targeted him. To prevent his eyes from causing further strife, Shisui had taken his own life in despair.
His death had delayed the Uchiha rebellion by two years.
Then Itachi, awakened to the Mangekyō, had joined forces with the masked man behind the Nine-Tails attack—Obito Uchiha—and slaughtered the entire clan, sparing only Sasuke.
Right now, Shisui was already a firm believer in the Will of Fire.
And Orochimaru—Hiruzen's student, one of the Legendary Sannin—was, in the eyes of outsiders, a symbol of that very will.
Yet Shisui had just been attacked by him.
He was probably questioning his life choices. Unknowingly, his fate had shifted slightly.
Nineteen points.
What did that mean?
Not much. Shisui's ultimate fate likely remained largely unchanged.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, had contributed fifty-eight points—meaning his destiny had only been half altered, not completely rewritten.
Which made sense.
Orochimaru wasn't like Kimimaro or Kabuto. He was a man of ability and conviction.
Changing him entirely? Easier said than done.
"Sasame, I don't understand this problem. Can you teach me?"
A blushing little girl fidgeted as she spoke.
Sasame glanced at the question. "I don't know either. Ask Itachi Uchiha."
The girl froze. She'd picked an easy problem—how could he not know?
After a stunned pause, she stared at Sasame's handsome face and mumbled, "N-never mind. I'll ask someone else."
Itachi, due to his aloof nature, was somewhat isolated. And given that he was an Uchiha, the girl didn't dare approach him.
Sasame knew her real goal was to flirt.
Too young.
In every sense of the word.
Not like Tsunade—big where it counted.
Any sane man would know which to choose.
Sasame didn't hesitate.
After that minor interruption, his school day passed uneventfully.
The only difference was after class—today, Shisui wasn't the one picking up Itachi. Instead, it was Mikoto Uchiha.
This housewife's quite the looker.
Sasame lingered briefly, then witnessed Tsunade being chased by debt collectors—again.
This time, it was an old man.
He raised an eyebrow. Looks like I'll need to accelerate my plans.
Minutes later, the "old man" shed his disguise, reverting to Tsunade, and approached him.
"Anything interesting happen today?"
She pinched his cheeks, then slid her hand down to grip his.
"No."
Sasame shook his head. "Sis, did you go gambling again?"
"Just a few casual games."
Tsunade didn't deny it. After spending so much time together, lying was pointless.
"How's your gambling skill?" Sasame pressed.
"Well…"
She hesitated, then gave the high-IQ answer: "I have… unfortunate luck."
Unfortunate? More like cursed. You lose every single time.
Sasame didn't call her out. "Take me with you next time."
Tsunade frowned. "You're too young. Don't get hooked on gambling. Wait till you're older."
Her tone was earnest.
If Sasame didn't know she'd been gambling since childhood—taught by Hashirama himself—he might've believed her.
"I'm not going to gamble. I'm going to make money."
He explained, "Since you lose most of the time, if I just bet against you, I'll win."
Tsunade blinked. Then her eyes lit up with yen signs.
That's… genius!
Why didn't I think of that?!
She crouched, kissed his cheek excitedly, and said, "A reward for being so smart."
"All saliva." Sasame feigned disgust.
Tsunade laughed, her rebellious streak flaring as she licked him for good measure.
Sasame shuddered. Ugh. Wet.
Just you wait. In a few years, I'll pay you back—tenfold.
"Tomorrow's Saturday. I'll take you to Tanzaku Town, just outside the village."
Tsunade was already fantasizing. "With our sibling teamwork, we'll clean them out."
Of course, only Sasame could suggest this and live.
Anyone else would've gotten a fist to the face: "You dare doubt my gambling skills?!"
While Sasame happily basked in his "sister's" affection, Orochimaru had only one thought:
Pain. So much pain.
And not just physical—this agony was mental, relentless and inescapable.
That morning, Orochimaru had tracked down Shisui. Seeing the boy was barely a teenager, he'd ignored Sasame's warning.
Like One Piece's Jack, he'd thought: "Who do you think I am? Bring the ship closer!"
At first, Orochimaru's experience had given him the upper hand.
Then Shisui activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
Susano'o. Genjutsu. A full onslaught.
Orochimaru had barely held on.
Forced to reveal his identity, Shisui had frozen in shock—giving Orochimaru just enough time to escape.
Now, back in his hideout, he realized: Everything Sasame said was true.
From firsthand experience, the Mangekyō Sharingan was terrifying.
And Shisui was still young. In a few years, he'd be unstoppable.
"I must obtain those eyes."
Orochimaru licked his lips—only to taste blood as he coughed violently.
Nearby, Yūhi Mado's eyes widened in shock.
Orochimaru… injured?
Who in Konoha could do that?!
After a moment's thought, Mado turned and headed for ROOT. He needed to report to Danzō.
Orochimaru glanced at his retreating figure.
He'd noticed—but didn't care.
His mind was now fixated on the Mangekyō. It was time to force Danzō's hand.
ROOT Headquarters
"He was injured?"
Danzō's grip tightened on his cane, his face contemplative.
This was nearly unthinkable.
Even he couldn't wound Orochimaru without revealing his Wood Release.
"Any trace of 'Alpha'?"
"None."
Mado explained, "I didn't want to risk alerting Orochimaru, so I avoided deeper searches."
"Then let's pay him a visit."
Danzō stood, smiling. "As allies, we must show concern for his health."