Orochimaru didn't know much about Uchiha Kaito, only having heard of the infamous tale of the Uchiha clan's 'foolish son' who died under a telephone pole.
As someone well-versed in the art of faking death, the Snake Sage immediately recognized that story as fabricated.
Beyond that...
He knew very little. For instance, what was that golden, glowing pagoda?
And what exactly did terms like 'Cultivation of Immortality,' 'Sect,' and 'Alchemist' mean?
However, there was one thing he could confirm for sure.
Uchiha Kaito... was truly... extraordinary.If it weren't for the treasure tower Kaito had just thrown out earlier, Orochimaru's evaluation would likely have revolved around terms like 'idiot,' 'brain,' or 'mental state.'
Orochimaru was deeply puzzled.
For a moment, he thought the leader of the Akatsuki Organization had quietly changed both the group's name and its members' titles during his years of disappearance.
Leaving aside what an 'Alchemist' meant...
When exactly had he changed his title???
Uchiha Hikari tilted her head, raising her right hand to cover her face—and block that man's gaze—as if this could somehow distance her from Kaito.
Konan was in a similar situation, equally unwilling to engage with Kaito.
Rumor had it Orochimaru had a penchant for abducting children. If possible, she truly wished Orochimaru would take this Uchiha away and spare Nagato from further torment in Amegakure.
Nagato, now bestowed with the title of 'Sect Leader,' kept his head lowered, his gaze fixed intently on his shoes as though searching for something.
Though his expression showed no embarrassment, it was clear that even a seasoned chuunibyou like Nagato struggled to adapt to such situations.
"Exactly."
"I'm going to the road! You've come to the right place!"
Kaito shouted in a bizarre, heavily accented voice, gripping Orochimaru's hand even tighter.
Faced with the boy's fervent gaze, Orochimaru felt an inexplicable unease. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, only to find the boy's grip as unyielding as a vice—no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
What was even more unsettling...
He couldn't use his ninjutsu!
Orochimaru stared at this peculiar brat before him, then glanced up at the distant tower. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steel himself for something.
"Let go of my hand first."
"Alright, esteemed Alchemist. I'll prepare the materials for your elixir right away."
Orochimaru: "..."
From the moment they met, the two had never been on the same wavelength.
Of course, Konan also felt she couldn't sync with this kid...
Orochimaru knew his reputation in the Shinobi World wasn't great.
Especially among those who didn't know him—his name alone was enough to make people shudder in fear.
The world called him cruel, cold-blooded, inhuman, and worse.
He was described with the vilest words imaginable.
Yet even so...
Orochimaru found himself overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness in front of this brat.
One moment they were exchanging greetings, the next the kid was shouting about preparing materials and brewing some elixir??
"So that's how it is."
Nagato, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke up, breaking the strange atmosphere. He gave Orochimaru another scrutinizing look before pulling a scroll from his pocket and tossing it toward him.
Seeing the Sect Leader take action, Kaito couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
As expected.
Nagato wouldn't let him fight alone.
"...?"
Konan and Hikari once again questioned their existence, their expressions toward Nagato now beyond description.
Their faces seemed to scream...
Wait...??
How on earth did you manage to follow Kaito's train of thought???
Orochimaru reflexively caught the sealing scroll but remained utterly bewildered.He looked somewhat bewildered at Nagato, then glanced at the kid in front of him before finally fixing his gaze on the scroll in his hand. His lips moved several times as if he wanted to say something, but when he saw the fanaticism conveyed between Kaito and Nagato's expressions, he pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Hikari covered her face, sighing countless times.
She had originally thought that snake-like man would pose a threat to someone, and had even stepped forward intending to protect that idiot...
For a brief moment, Uchiha Hikari desperately wished Orochimaru would strike and kill both of them on the spot.
Konan looked at Orochimaru, her face stiff and twitching.
Just a second ago, she had put on a stern and authoritative expression to warn Orochimaru not to cause trouble under her watch.
Yet, not only did Orochimaru show no signs of misbehaving, it was Kaito and Nagato who started acting recklessly, even showing hints of intent to bully him.
This was utterly embarrassing...
What sane person could possibly understand the thought processes of these two??
However, just as Konan and Hikari were feeling utterly exhausted, Orochimaru glanced at the pile of unfamiliar herbs before him and grinned.
"You want me to research 'alchemy'?"
Hikari: !?
Konan: !!?
Unlike the two who were questioning their lives beside them, Nagato, upon hearing Orochimaru's words, slowly crouched beside him, his previous grievances against the man vanishing in an instant.
This Orochimaru... had a connection with their Sect.
"Correct."
Nagato affirmed Orochimaru's words, pointing at the herbs on the ground, his expression softening slightly.
"Orochimaru, I'm starting to appreciate you."
"An Alchemist's insight is indeed remarkable."
Kaito, standing between the two, placed his hands on their shoulders and continued explaining to Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, feel free to use these herbs."
"If you need anything else, just let us know."
Nagato nodded in agreement, signaling to Orochimaru that Kaito's words were his own as well.
For some reason, Orochimaru stared at the herbs for a long time. The usually talkative Lord Orochimaru seemed uncharacteristically silent in front of these two.
After about three minutes, Orochimaru's gloomy voice finally spoke.
"Could you at least tell me first..."
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
The fact that Orochimaru hadn't already pulled out two giant snakes from his sleeves to bite these two to death on the spot was a testament to his remarkable patience.
All this talk about 'use the materials freely' and 'ask us if you need more'...
But you haven't even said what you're trying to make??
Orochimaru had initially thought that with his years of experience dealing with children, he might barely keep up with these two's thought processes.
But in the end...
After racking his brain and straining every nerve, all he could grasp was that they wanted him to research the herbs.
After a moment of contemplation upon hearing Orochimaru's question, Kaito and Nagato gathered the herbs and led Orochimaru toward the base of the pagoda.
Nagato didn't understand what Kaito was trying to make Orochimaru comprehend, as he knew the boy had no knowledge of alchemy.
Kaito found a relatively flat area near the Magical Artifact, then pulled out a pressure cooker, rice cooker, and various other pots and pans.
He lit the fire, boiled water, casually grabbed a handful of herbs to mash, and tossed them into the pots.
Nagato and Orochimaru stood dumbfounded as they watched him cook for half an hour, only to see Kaito pull out a blackened lump from the pressure cooker, mix it with honey, and roll it into pills.
"This is alchemy."
Kaito held up one of the pills, which slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. After searching for it a few times, he finally picked it up.
Even he felt something was off, scratching his head awkwardly with a grin before waving his hand dismissively at the two.
"Ah well, the principle is roughly the same."
Orochimaru fell into deep thought at this, but Kaito noticed his pale skin visibly reddening at an alarming rate.
"Are you mocking me?"
...