"Danzo wants my research?"
Orochimaru's expression didn't change much, but a dark shadow passed over his face.
"How does Danzo know I've made a breakthrough with Edo Tensei?"
That's right—Naruto had said to him:
"Lord Danzo is aware of your recent progress with the Edo Tensei technique. He requires your latest research data."
"So he's after my work, is he?"
Orochimaru licked his lips and, without hesitation, responded:
"Impossible."
What a joke.
This was Edo Tensei—one of Orochimaru's trump cards.
Danzo couldn't just demand it like he was placing an order at a shop.
---
"Is that so…"
Naruto wasn't bothered by the refusal.
He knew Orochimaru's "no" wasn't final—it just meant the bargaining chip wasn't good enough yet.
So, Naruto slowly pulled out a glass vial from his robes and casually waved it in front of Orochimaru's eyes.
"Not even for this?"
He smiled temptingly.
"Lord Danzo specifically mentioned you'd be very interested in this item."
---
When Orochimaru got a clear look at the contents of the vial, his breathing visibly quickened, and his pupils contracted sharply. Despite his exceptional composure, he nearly lunged to snatch it on the spot.
His killing intent leaked out uncontrollably, enough that the two Root shinobi at Naruto's side immediately stepped forward and positioned themselves defensively in front of him.
Inside the bottle—resting quietly—was a single-tomoe Sharingan.
Exactly the thing Orochimaru currently craved more than anything.
It was a gift from Naruto—well, technically from Danzo's collection, secretly retrieved by Yamanaka Fū at Naruto's request.
In Root, nothing was hidden from Naruto.
Danzo's treasures were effectively Naruto's treasures.
---
Naruto, unlike others, wasn't especially tempted by the Sharingan.
By conventional logic, implanting one might someday allow him to awaken the Rinnegan—but frankly?
If he wanted to, Naruto could already fire laser beams from his eyes.
They were faster and stronger than most ninjutsu anyway.
So to him, the Sharingan was a "nice to have", but hardly necessary.
---
"Relax, Lord Orochimaru," Naruto said gently, putting the vial away.
"This is yours—sooner or later."
Only once the Sharingan was out of sight did Orochimaru regain his composure. He also finally recognized the two Root shinobi standing beside Naruto:
Yamanaka Fū. Aburame Torune.
> "Danzo actually sent his two right-hand men..."
"So this kid really isn't just some random messenger…"
Seeing those two confirmed it: Naruto was a carefully cultivated operative within Root. The irritation Orochimaru had felt toward Danzo began to subside.
Though he wasn't exactly wrong—Naruto was trained by Danzo, just not… quite in the way Orochimaru imagined.
---
Then Naruto dropped another bomb.
"Lord Danzo also wishes to express his regret about your arm."
Orochimaru: ?!
"How the hell does he know about that?!"
> "Does Root have someone inside Akatsuki? Could it be... Itachi?"
Dozens of thoughts shot through Orochimaru's mind in an instant.
He racked his brain, trying to piece together the truth.
But the information was too fragmented. No matter how sharp his intellect, he couldn't find a clear answer.
---
Behind his mask, Naruto narrowed his eyes, flashing a foxlike grin.
Like he could see right through Orochimaru's confusion.
"Yes, Lord Orochimaru. Just as you're thinking."
Orochimaru: "???"
"What exactly did I think? Was it… Itachi?"
Before he could voice the question, Naruto opened his arms dramatically, his voice rising with exaggerated reverence:
"There is almost nothing in this world that can be hidden from the all-knowing, all-seeing Lord Danzo."
His theatrical gesture and tone—like that of a high priest preaching to followers—immediately made Orochimaru label him:
A Danzo fanatic.
---
Powerful shinobi often attracted devoted followers—it wasn't unusual.
Orochimaru had his own share of fanatics.
But a Danzo zealot… inside Root?
Now that was unexpected.
"All-knowing, all-seeing Danzo? Really?"
---
Then came the final blow.
"Lord Danzo is quite pleased with the arm you gave him."
"He also asked me to pass on a question: 'How is that young boy doing?'"
---
Danzo's right arm had been a gift from Orochimaru—a limb infused with Hashirama's cells and studded with Sharingan.
It had originally belonged to Shin, one of Orochimaru's experimental subjects with an incredibly rare condition: zero transplant rejection.
It was one of Orochimaru's deepest secrets.
Not even Kabuto knew about Shin.
Only Orochimaru and Shin himself were supposed to know.
Now—
Orochimaru's eyes constricted, the golden irises narrowing to vertical slits.
"Even Shin…?"
One coincidence could be brushed off.
Two? Absolutely not.
Too many secrets exposed, too many cryptic comments—Naruto's words were full of implications. Even someone with Orochimaru's monstrous composure felt rattled.
His mind raced, analyzing, calculating, and re-examining old conversations, grasping at any possible thread.
---
Then it hit him.
A small, insignificant detail from one of his past meetings with Danzo flashed into his mind.
"So that's it…"
And suddenly, everything clicked into place.
In that moment, Danzo's image in Orochimaru's mind grew far more mysterious and terrifying.
"As expected of the Shadow of the Leaf…"
"I underestimated him."
"He's hidden far deeper than I imagined."
---
"Actually," Naruto said casually, "Lord Danzo doesn't mind your little side projects either."
He paused, as if thinking aloud:
"If not for that arm, the next step might've been much harder."
Then, softly—perhaps to Orochimaru, perhaps to himself—he added:
"The time is nearly ripe."
---
"Time? What time?"
"The time… to become Hokage?"
As someone who had worked with Danzo for years, Orochimaru knew exactly what Danzo desired—the Hokage's seat.
But…
"He's hidden so much… for just that?"
"Seems like a bit much, doesn't it?"
---
Naruto didn't say anything further.
Too many words led to too many mistakes.
He had said enough. The rest he'd leave Orochimaru to figure out.
And with that genius-level intellect (INT: 10), Orochimaru was bound to "guess" a perfectly satisfying answer on his own.
"Right, Orochimaru?"
---
One hour later.
Naruto flicked the scroll in his hand, thoroughly satisfied, and left with Root's two most elite operatives—Torune and Fū—in tow.
Orochimaru remained behind, lost in thought.
As for the subordinates he'd brought with him?
They wouldn't be seeing the sunrise.
Too many secrets had been revealed tonight.
Orochimaru made his move.
Two massive pythons coiled around them, slowly devouring their corpses.
A moment later, both serpents vanished into summoning smoke.
---
What conclusions would Orochimaru draw?
To be honest—Naruto was curious too.
After all, as the "incarnation of the Nine-Tails," wasn't it perfectly natural to… stretch the truth a little?
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