Armor plating. Standard-issue long blade. Mask.
Dressed in full ANBU gear, Uchiha Shion looked at his reflection in the mirror. His height still wasn't quite there yet, but compared to his memories of Kakashi, he didn't look bad at all.
"How's it look? I've always thought ANBU gear looks way better than a jōnin vest. Well… aside from the back plate. Kinda feels like a turtle shell."
Behind him, the masked shinobi codenamed Kō tugged at the straps, clearly uncomfortable.
Shion turned to look at him. In his memory, this man would later be known as Yamato. Because of Shion's interference, Yamato had spent less time trapped in Root than in the original timeline. As a result, some of his personality quirks were already showing through — a bit more lighthearted, almost comedic at times. It seemed that even the codename "Tenzō" hadn't surfaced yet. But that wasn't a bad thing.
"Captain! The Hokage has ordered you to lead Squad Six on the mission."
"Understood. We'll move out right away."
Shion scratched his head from the side. "Already? I just got here, and there's a mission waiting?"
Kō smiled, handing him the mask. "That's ANBU for you. Sometimes there's nothing to do for days, other times, everything hits at once."
Once masked, the two joined up with the rest of Squad Six and headed for the Hokage's office.
"This is intel recovered from a previous ANBU investigation," the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, said as he handed a dossier to Kō. "Because of the individual's strength, I haven't sent anyone to the location yet."
Kō opened the report, and his eyes widened. "…Orochimaru?"
For a moment, he froze. Then he glanced at the Hokage, uncertainty flickering in his gaze. Was it really time to move against him?
Minato's firm nod gave the answer. Kō's fists tightened slightly.
Orochimaru. One of the Legendary Sannin. A name that had resounded across the shinobi world for years.
During the Third Great Ninja War, the three Sannin had been the pillars of Konoha's forces. Orochimaru in particular had racked up extraordinary achievements — he had even once been considered a prime candidate for the title of Fourth Hokage.
And yet… this was the same man who had once used Kō as a test subject.
For a moment, that pure, innocent face flickered through Kō's mind. That child was gone now.
All of the Wood Release experimental subjects had perished. Only he had survived.
"Minato," Kō said quietly, "does this mean…"
The Hokage's expression hardened. "A village without a future cannot endure. And the children of Konoha are its future."
"If it is confirmed that Orochimaru has engaged in human experimentation, he is to be dealt with as a traitor to the village. Terminate on sight — dead or alive."
"Of course," Minato added, "a Sannin is not easily defeated. You are authorized to retreat and request support at any time."
Kō bowed low. "Understood!"
Shhh—
Squad Six moved silently through the forest beyond Konoha's borders, their masked figures flickering from branch to branch.
Shion followed just behind Kō, lost in thought about Orochimaru.
Unlike Jiraiya, his fellow Sannin, Orochimaru was the shinobi world's foremost scientist. His genius wasn't merely learned — it was a natural gift, almost otherworldly.
And at this point in time, Kabuto was still in Konoha as well.
Still, while Orochimaru's experiments were dangerous, the value of his data now… wasn't particularly high.
The power of the Uchiha and Senju bloodlines — even if Wood Release didn't match the overwhelming might of the First Hokage — was already far greater than anything Orochimaru had managed to reproduce with Kō.
"Don't worry too much, Shion," Kō said reassuringly. "With Orochimaru's paranoia, it wouldn't surprise me if we arrive only to find an empty hideout."
But in his eyes, Shion glimpsed a deeper emotion.
As the sole survivor of Orochimaru's human experiments, Kō leading this mission carried meaning beyond mere orders. Perhaps it was Minato's way of entrusting him with closure.
"Captain," one of the ANBU asked, "if the Third Hokage's faction reaches him first, what do we do?"
Kō hesitated only briefly before replying. "We serve directly under the Fourth Hokage. Our orders are his orders — nothing else matters."
Shion nodded. "So if Orochimaru's involvement in human experimentation is confirmed… we're authorized to execute him immediately?"
Kō inclined his head. "Exactly. But don't underestimate him. He's one of the Sannin — a man with eyes like a serpent's. He's terrifying."
Shhh, shhh, shhh—
More than a dozen ANBU landed soundlessly. Shion and Kō followed them forward.
Six ANBU members stepped up, forming hand seals. A massive stone gate, concealed by seals, materialized out of nowhere. With a heavy groan, it swung open.
Kō entered first.
Tap… tap… tap…
Their footsteps echoed unnaturally loud in the underground corridor, despite the chakra barriers.
Creaaak…
They pushed open the only door lit ahead. A white snake slithered out, raised its head, and hissed.
Hisss…
It slipped back into the chamber.
Kō and Shion exchanged a glance. At Kō's signal, the members of Squad Six spread out to secure the perimeter, leaving the two of them to step into the doorway.
"I didn't expect the first ones here to be you two."
Orochimaru's voice was low, almost amused. He didn't even raise his head, his hands still busy working over the body on his operating table. "Kō… how has the Wood Release I gave you been treating you?"
Receiving no reply, he continued smoothly, "And Uchiha Shion, the clan's prodigy. To become a Tokubetsu Jōnin at such a young age and join the Hokage's personal ANBU… remarkable. The last time an Uchiha held such honor was Uchiha Kagami, if I recall. A shame… he barely lived into his twenties."
"To raise the Uchiha to such heights again… surely you understand my implication, don't you? Tell me, Uchiha Shion—"
"How long do you think you'll live?"
At last, Orochimaru turned, stripping off his gloves, a smile twisting his lips as if satisfied with the work on his table.
"Power. Authority. Wealth. The title of Hokage… in the end, they all become nothing more than dust."
"All life meets its end. Even the man hailed as the God of Shinobi, the First Hokage himself, could not escape age and death."
His golden, snake-like eyes gleamed as they fixed on Shion. "But what about you, wielder of the Mangekyō Sharingan? Why not come to my side? Only flowers that never wither can bloom forever. Eternal life… now that is the true power worth seeking."
His long tongue slithered from his mouth, snakelike, tasting the air.
Shion shuddered involuntarily, his voice coming out sharp. "I'll give you this much — your talent is impressive. But damn, you're disgusting!"
"???"
Orochimaru blinked, momentarily thrown off. After a pause, he retracted his tongue. "Immortality requires sacrifices. But compared to the reward, those costs are trivial."
"Shion-kun… join me."