"Still have something to say?"
Seeing the other party step forward despite their fear, a trace of curiosity stirred in Orochimaru's heart.
"Actually..."
After mentally organizing his thoughts, Takeshi only now realized why Orochimaru was so tense.
Everything Orochimaru was doing right now had clearly been kept secret from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
If this went on, Orochimaru would definitely end up defecting from Konoha just like in the original story, and eventually come back at some point to stab his own teacher in the back.
That couldn't be allowed to happen. Not only was Sarutobi Hiruzen now his own teacher, but after several years together, Takeshi had developed a bond with him.
More importantly, Orochimaru's research had the potential to bring revolutionary change to the shinobi world, even allowing them to resist the Ōtsutsuki. For that alone, Takeshi had to find a way to keep this kind of talent in Konoha.
After all, no one wanted to be dragged out of retirement by the Ōtsutsuki when they were old and gray.
Besides, Takeshi still needed Orochimaru's help to realize his own ambitions.
"Orochimaru-senpai, why not sit down and talk things through with Sarutobi-sensei?"
At this moment, Takeshi had fully assumed the role of a 'talk-no-jutsu' specialist.
Talk—everything could be talked out.
"Talk about what?"
Orochimaru was nearly amused to the point of laughter by Takeshi's unexpected words.
"You didn't get Sarutobi-sensei's approval for your experiments, did you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have chosen such a remote place and set up such a crude lab."
Glancing at the debris on the ground, Takeshi braced himself and continued:
"Sarutobi-sensei may be stubborn and a bit old-fashioned, but he cares deeply about the people of Konoha. That's why there are differences between you. Why not just lay things out openly?"
Orochimaru didn't respond. He just stood silently, listening to Takeshi's explanation.
The oppressive aura around him eased slightly.
"Instead of doing these shady experiments in secret, why not have a serious talk with Sarutobi-sensei about your ideas and find a compromise that both sides can accept? I believe, knowing Sarutobi-sensei's personality, he absolutely wouldn't shut you out."
Takeshi was certain—if Orochimaru was willing to back off just a little, to stop using village comrades for human experimentation, then Sarutobi Hiruzen would absolutely support him.
Even in the original timeline, when Orochimaru's human experiments were exposed, Sarutobi—still in his prime—had wavered.
It wasn't until the Konoha Crush began, when the aging old man finally resolved to act decisively. And even then, he only took Orochimaru's jutsu away.
Orochimaru stared at Takeshi, his expression unreadable.
He was silently digesting Takeshi's words.
Did Danzo really tell his son everything?
Orochimaru wasn't surprised that Takeshi knew about the inhumane experiments.
After all, he was Danzo's son.
What he cared more about was the content of what Takeshi had said.
Right now, due to lack of funding and various other reasons, Orochimaru hadn't conducted that many unethical experiments. His humanity hadn't yet fully eroded.
Though he was used to seeing death and had his own views on life, he couldn't yet bring himself to completely abandon Konoha.
Otherwise, he wouldn't still be running around on various battlefields.
"This can count as my compensation for destroying your lab. If you're really willing to talk to Sarutobi-sensei, I'll definitely stand by your side and speak for you. He's mentioned wanting to see you more than once, but you always refuse."
Takeshi continued rambling on.
Orochimaru looked at him with an odd expression.
What good is your help gonna do me?
But he held his tongue and simply waved a hand to cut Takeshi off.
"Enough. You can go."
"Um—" Takeshi wanted to add something.
"I said you can go!"
"Alrighty then."
Seeing Orochimaru's chilling aura rise again, Takeshi didn't dare press further. To show just how eager he was to leave, he immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport back to his own tent.
"Hmph."
Only after Takeshi vanished did Orochimaru's expression finally ease. He stood alone, staring at the wreckage before him in a daze.
"The old man really wants to see me, huh..."
Orochimaru's emotions were a mess.
He did care about Sarutobi Hiruzen.
As a teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen had taught him a great deal.
When Orochimaru lost his parents at a young age, it was Sarutobi-sensei who had been there to comfort him.
It could be said that without Sarutobi Hiruzen's careful guidance, there would be no Orochimaru as he was today.
When did everything start to change...
Countless images flashed through Orochimaru's mind.
The death of Nawaki. The death of Dan. The death of comrades. The deaths of so many...
Why do shinobi have to kill each other?
What's the meaning of life?
Orochimaru wanted an answer.
That was why he aimed to learn every jutsu in the shinobi world, to become complete.
But humans were such limited beings.
Human lifespans weren't enough to master all jutsu. He would have to transcend humanity.
Which meant achieving immortality...
Right now, no one in Konoha supported his research.
Danzo kicking him aside had wounded Orochimaru deeply.
Just because he had a son, Danzo had changed. He was just a pathetic man blinded by his desire to be Hokage.
Even so, regardless of Danzo's motives, the fact remained—Orochimaru had no funding, no support.
Takeshi was right. Maybe it was time to talk to the old man.
So long as he played by the old man's rules, and if that brought him support, then it wasn't an unacceptable price to pay.
Now that he had seen the core of the issue clearly, Orochimaru let out a long breath and bent down to inspect the ruins before him.
Such powerful Ice Release, combined with Flying Thunder God...
Danzo really did have a good son.
Maybe he really could become Hokage someday.
Sighing over the damage Takeshi had caused to his lab, Orochimaru saw that nothing useful could be salvaged. He gave up on searching and incinerated the entire site with a Fire Release technique.
...
"Holy crap, that scared the hell out of me."
Elsewhere, the first thing Takeshi did upon returning to his tent was clutch his chest and try to steady his breathing.
He hadn't expected himself to be so bold—confronting Orochimaru head-on, even hinting that he knew about the human experiments.
He might've gotten himself silenced!
Thankfully, this was Konoha's main camp, with his own father in charge. His safety should be guaranteed for now.
"That bastard Obito, fleeing so fast! I'll get him back for that. And Jiraiya too—he lit the fire under Orochimaru and then ran off! He's not getting away either!"
Seeing that he was safe for now, Takeshi began mentally calculating payback, already planning to take revenge on Obito and Jiraiya when he got the chance.
And all of this was clearly overheard by Shisui and Itachi, who had just arrived at the tent.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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