The moonlight spilled across Konoha's silent training grounds, silvering the dew on every blade of grass. Orochimaru stood alone in the center, practicing a delicate sequence of hand seals. His golden eyes narrowed in irritation—this technique still lacked the precision he demanded of himself.
A soft rustle broke the quiet.
"Why are you here?" Orochimaru asked evenly, though suspicion sharpened his tone.
"I guessed you'd be training even when you're not on duty."
Danzo Shimura stepped from the shadows, his face calm, the faintest smile curling his lips.
The young prodigy's eyes flicked over him. Danzo rarely smiled. Interesting, Orochimaru thought, hiding the observation behind his usual cool expression.
Danzo studied him with something close to admiration. In the past, he had merely intended to invite Orochimaru into the hidden faction known as Root whenever it suited him. Now his ambition ran deeper. He wanted the boy to choose Root of his own accord, to prove that Danzo's ideology—and Danzo himself—were more suited to lead Konoha than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Orochimaru," Danzo said quietly, "I believe you will become a great shinobi—a pillar of this village who stands firmly on his own. If you ever need anything, you can reach me through this method."
He signaled with a subtle gesture. A masked Root operative rose silently from the earth and placed a small scroll at Orochimaru's feet before melting back into the ground as if he had never existed.
Orochimaru tilted his head, intrigued. "Danzo-sama, why do you think so highly of me?"
"I trust my own judgment," Danzo replied simply, his single eye gleaming. "I see your potential."
Behind that calm tone, another secret stirred. Through the Sharingan implanted in his right eye, Danzo could sense the extraordinary chakra coiled inside the boy—far beyond his peers despite the lack of any inherited bloodline. It was proof of frightening, innate talent.
"If you say so," Orochimaru murmured, bending to pick up the scroll. He broke the seal with a snap and read swiftly. Before he could finish a thought, the parchment ignited in a burst of heatless flame and disintegrated to ash between his fingers.
The prodigy arched an eyebrow. As expected of the old snake who trains the ANBU, he thought wryly. Even a message carries a built-in failsafe.
Danzo's satisfaction was palpable as he watched Orochimaru absorb the instructions. Hiruzen's reprimands might have forced him to soften his public training regimen, but his private plans for Root—and for Orochimaru—were far from finished. In Danzo's mind, tonight marked the first true step toward binding the boy to his cause.
---
The Hokage's Vigil
High in the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi exhaled a plume of smoke from his pipe, eyes fixed on the crystal ball before him. Within its glowing depths, the scene at the training ground unfolded: Danzo extending his invitation, Orochimaru reading the self-destructing scroll.
Hiruzen's jaw tightened until the pipe creaked in his teeth. Danzo, even after my warning… you dare.
His thoughts burned like the embers in his pipe. If you have time to meddle with my student, then you have time for more missions. I'll keep you too busy to breathe, old friend.
---
Mission to the Land of Iron
Days later, the Hokage's office smelled faintly of ink and fresh parchment when a new assignment was delivered.
The Land of Iron lay far to the north, bordered by the Land of Fire, the Land of Waterfalls, and the Land of Rice Fields, its mountains forming a natural barrier between the great nations. As a neutral country of samurai, it was both a strategic meeting point and a potential flashpoint.
Hiruzen had chosen a three-person team to carry sensitive but not top-secret documents to the fortress known as Crane Castle. Orochimaru was designated captain, joined by Tsunade and a young branch-family Hyuga named Mio.
The door opened with a soft knock.
"Apologies for the delay, Hokage-sama," a calm voice said.
Hyuga Mio entered, bowing with impeccable form. Her pale Byakugan eyes reflected the light like twin moons, while her long black hair framed a face of restrained beauty. A faint symbol—subtle but unmistakable—marked her forehead.
Orochimaru's keen gaze lingered on it. Branch family, he noted silently, recognizing the infamous Caged Bird curse seal.
"Orochimaru," Hiruzen said, handing him a sealed packet, "you'll lead this mission. Deliver these documents safely to Crane Castle."
"Understood." Orochimaru accepted with a polite nod. The assignment carried a C-rank classification—suggesting the contents, while confidential, were not of critical danger.
Tsunade crossed her arms and sighed theatrically. "Another C-rank? We've done a dozen of those lately."
"Do not underestimate any mission," Hiruzen warned, a vein pulsing at his temple.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." She waved a hand dismissively, though a playful grin curved her lips. "With Orochimaru around, nothing will go wrong."
Hiruzen shook his head, half-exasperated, half-amused. Students of the Sannin-to-be indeed.
From the corner of her eye, Mio watched the easy rapport among the Hokage's favored disciples. A trace of envy flickered across her otherwise serene face. As a branch member of the Hyuga, her fate had been sealed at three years old when the Caged Bird seal was etched into her skin. Her life belonged to the main family, to be sacrificed at a whim.
Orochimaru, ever observant, did not miss the momentary shadow in her eyes.
---
Departure
The next morning, the three met at the village gate. With their packs secured, they slipped into the dense forest, leaping from branch to branch as sunlight lanced through the canopy.
"I've heard the Land of Iron is full of samurai," Tsunade said, excitement brightening her eyes. "I've never actually seen one."
"They say those samurai can channel chakra through their blades," Orochimaru replied, scanning the surroundings. Then, with a glance to their scout, "Mio, check the area."
"Yes, Captain." Mio's Byakugan flared, veins rippling around her eyes. "Targets at ten o'clock and three o'clock—five individuals. They don't appear to be shinobi."
"After our cargo, perhaps?" Tsunade murmured, shifting into a ready stance.
---
Ambush in the Mist
From behind a distant trunk, a rough voice whispered, "Three kids? Is Konoha out of real ninja?"
Another chuckled darkly, running a tongue over the curved blade of his kusarigama. "Easy pickings. And information on Konoha sells high on the black market."
"Move in."
Purple smoke grenades hissed through the trees, enveloping the team in a thick, acrid fog. Chains clattered as two attackers hurled weighted kusarigama while three more charged with swords drawn.
Lightning flared—a sudden blue-white flash that illuminated the forest. Electricity raced along the chains, sending a violent shock through the assailants and forcing them back with screams.
Before the smoke cleared, Tsunade and Mio launched forward.
With a roar, Tsunade drove her heel downward. The ground split with a thunderous crack, shockwaves toppling nearby branches.
"Gentle Fist!" Mio followed, striking an enemy's chest with pinpoint precision. The man collapsed, organs ruptured before he even hit the ground.
A second attacker barely raised his sword before Tsunade's kick hurled him deep into the forest, his weapon clattering uselessly.
When the smoke dispersed, Orochimaru stood calmly, lightning still crackling faintly around his hands. He released the broken chain he'd seized, his expression unreadable.
"Everyone intact?" he asked.
"We're fine," Tsunade said, brushing soot from her sleeve.
Mio nodded silently, though her wide eyes betrayed a mix of awe and relief. Orochimaru's sudden Lightning Release and Tsunade's overwhelming strength far exceeded what she had imagined.
"Then we continue," Orochimaru said, voice cool as ever.
---
Campfire Reflections
Night settled quietly around their forest campsite, the fire's glow casting shifting patterns on their faces. They would reach the Land of Iron by midday tomorrow at their current pace.
Mio felt Orochimaru's steady gaze and finally asked, "Captain Orochimaru, why are you staring?"
"I've heard of the Hyuga's division between Main and Branch families," he said lightly. "The Caged Bird curse mark interests me."
Mio stiffened, a flicker of anger flashing across her features. "Captain, I advise you not to speak of that mark to a branch member." Her voice trembled despite her attempt at control. The seal was the source of her family's deepest pain—an unhealed wound passed through generations.
Tsunade frowned, vaguely recalling whispers of the Hyuga hierarchy but unable to place the details.
Orochimaru, undeterred, leaned forward slightly. "Why does the clan divide itself so? I know the official reason, but I'd like to hear it from you."
Mio's hands tightened into fists, knuckles whitening. Veins around her eyes bulged as her Byakugan threatened to flare again. "To protect the Byakugan from theft," she said at last through clenched teeth. "The Main Family holds the true inheritance. We of the Branch exist to guard them, to serve them—bound by a seal that can end our lives at their command."
"If the goal is to protect the bloodline," Orochimaru asked quietly, "why are Main Family members not sealed as well? Wouldn't that be safer?"
The question struck like a blade. Mio's breath hitched, anger and helplessness warring within her. For a moment she could not speak.
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with a curiosity bordering on hunger. The Caged Bird intrigued him. If he could understand it—perhaps even break it—it could become a key in his future experiments. He said no more, but the thought lodged firmly in his mind.
---
By the time the fire burned low, Mio had retreated into silence, staring into the embers as if they might swallow her anger. Tsunade stretched lazily and yawned, while Orochimaru sat perfectly still, the faintest smile curving his lips as the night deepened.
Danzo's scroll was only the beginning, he mused. There are so many secrets in this world waiting to be unraveled.