"I'm not the only genius, Tsunade; you and Jiraiya are geniuses too."
Orochimaru smiled gently and stepped closer to Tsunade. Extending his hand with careful precision, he applied the Mystical Palm Technique to her wounded hands, which had been strained by overusing Lightning Release.
"Tsunade… Jiraiya? That pervert who sneaks into the women's bathhouse—what kind of genius is he? Don't lump me in with him!"
Tsunade's cheeks puffed out in irritation as she shot him a glare. Her lips trembled slightly with annoyance, but seeing the sincerity in Orochimaru's eyes lifted her spirits. She tried to hide her smile, though it twitched at the corners.
Mount Myōboku was one of the three legendary sacred lands, where hermits blessed only those with exceptional talent. Jiraiya may have been irresponsible at times, but his skill was undeniable. Without his talents, Hiruzen Sarutobi would never have accepted him as a disciple.
Orochimaru watched as the wounds on her hands healed quickly under his touch. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. His mastery of the Mystical Palm Technique was improving—and this realization gave him a subtle sense of pride.
It wasn't a bad feeling to grow stronger relying purely on his own talent, without depending on external systems or tricks.
He smirked to himself. There must be some connection between these so-called perverts and the fact that Hiruzen Sarutobi took Jiraiya as a student.
Resentment stirred quietly in Tsunade's heart.
"By the way, Orochimaru," she said cheerfully, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, "come over to my house for dinner tonight! Grandma Mito always talks about you."
The two of them stood like close friends. Orochimaru looked at her with mild amusement, but also curiosity.
"Aren't you uncomfortable with this?" he asked.
"Uncomfortable? What could I possibly be uncomfortable about?" Tsunade asked, tilting her head with a puzzled expression.
"The first time you invited me over, you slammed me into the floor… Last time you broke a teacup. And once you smashed a dessert plate with your fingers! What are you going to destroy this time?"
Orochimaru extended a finger and counted her past outbursts as though listing precious family heirlooms.
"It's not my fault!" Tsunade's face turned bright red. "It's all Grandma Mito's fault for always saying strange things!"
Blushing furiously, she waved her hands to dismiss the misunderstanding. It wasn't easy being around someone like Orochimaru—so composed and unbothered by chaos.
Whether it was her age or something else, Grandma Mito had always loved telling embarrassing childhood stories. How could she not feel awkward and clumsy hearing them?
Her toes nervously traced patterns against the stone floor, as if carving out Hokage Rock itself.
"For dinner, it's still too early. Come over to my house and help me process these fish."
With a swift motion, Orochimaru lifted a fish using a steel wire, holding it in the air. He silently hoped these tortured fish would still be edible despite the ordeal.
---
Chapter 23 – Painting a Bigger Picture for Danzo
That night, under the cool light of the crescent moon filtering through the leaves, dappled shadows danced across the ground.
Deep within the Underground Training Area Zero, Orochimaru stalked silently behind Danzo Shimura, carefully observing his surroundings.
Would building an underground training facility lead to health problems from the lack of sunlight? Not to mention the psychological toll—living in darkness for long periods could dampen one's spirit and personality.
"Orochimaru, this is the ANBU Training Division. I am its head and the one designing the training plans. The ANBU are direct subordinates of the Hokage—shadow warriors who protect Konoha in the shadows, unsung heroes."
"Unsung heroes?" Orochimaru repeated, puzzled as he looked at the figure ahead of him.
"After an ANBU dies, they leave no body behind. That prevents enemies from gathering intelligence."
Danzo glanced at him with thoughtful eyes. Though faced with such a brilliant genius, he remained patient. In time, he would reveal the existence of Root, encouraging Orochimaru to join voluntarily.
His decision wasn't simply because Orochimaru was a student of Hiruzen Sarutobi. More than that, Danzo recognized Orochimaru as someone with extraordinary talent—far surpassing most clans' geniuses, leaving them dull in comparison.
"Many of the ANBU's tasks are unpleasant," Danzo continued. "They eliminate threats to the village's peace. Within the village, ordinary people fear and distrust the ANBU."
His tone remained calm as he monitored Orochimaru's reactions. The young genius's face gave nothing away; Danzo could barely tell what he thought.
"Still, the ANBU are a necessary existence. Some tasks must be done."
Orochimaru didn't reject the concept of the ANBU but felt uneasy at the thought of being their target. It felt similar to being hunted by a police officer without knowing why.
In the original story, the ANBU mostly appeared as background characters or fodder. But living in this world, Orochimaru realized their importance. The Hokage's office, where much of the village's affairs were monitored, relied heavily on the ANBU's network to stay informed and detect threats in time.
The ANBU handled all the dirty and difficult tasks—whether in this world or the Ninja World, such a group was indispensable.
Danzo paused briefly, eyes reflecting a slight surprise. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to grasp the importance of the ANBU so quickly. Admiration grew within him—but he also understood that a mind as calculating as Orochimaru's must already be planning something. Convincing him to join Root wouldn't be easy.
"Orochimaru, have you been studying Medical Ninjutsu lately? Why not focus on ninjutsu instead? Why shift to medicine?"
"Lord Danzo," Orochimaru replied smoothly, "I do have some ideas, but my medical knowledge is incomplete. Studying Medical Ninjutsu is merely a side project."
His eyes sparkled with excitement, as though discussing something dear to him.
Could Danzo Shimura be my angel investor? How long would it take to build my own lab with earnings from writing books?
"Aah, what kind of ideas are those?" Danzo asked, curiosity piqued.
Following him closely, Orochimaru continued.
"The formula for the soldier pill isn't a secret in the Ninja World. I've studied it. It combines various medicinal herbs to give users energy, fatigue resistance, and recover chakra quickly. But excessive use leads to serious side effects. I want to improve its formula—and for that, I need medical knowledge."
He spoke sincerely, but in truth, he was sketching out a bigger picture for Danzo.
Overconsumption of the soldier pill harms the body. Every medicine, whether tonic or something else, carries toxicity if used excessively.
The idea to improve the soldier pill had come purely by chance.
But raising it now allowed him to gain access to rare books—and with Danzo's support, he wouldn't lack funding. The shrewd old man in front of him was no longer just a calculating elder!
He was like Dora Danzo A Dream, granting wishes at will!
And a premium version, capable of supplying money at a whim!
"Improving the soldier pill, huh… If successful, it'd be beneficial for the village's ninja."
Danzo suppressed his astonishment, smiling kindly. "Orochimaru, if you ever need help, let me know. With your talent, I believe you'll achieve great results."
This is Lord Danzo?!
The guards around him briefly registered the flicker of shock in his eyes. Though expected to be stoic, they felt a twinge of fear.
"I need more books on medicinal herbs, Lord Danzo. If possible, I hope you can support my research financially. Please trust me—I'll deliver satisfying results."
Orochimaru stared seriously at Danzo, a hint of anxiety on his face as he gripped his robes tightly.
"Alright, Orochimaru. I believe in you."
Danzo didn't want to miss such a good opportunity to win over someone like him.
Besides, he didn't think Orochimaru's research would be too expensive.
If the research succeeded, Danzo would gain credit when the improved soldier pill was praised by the ninja who consumed it.
Why not gain prestige with a bit of money?
Whether Orochimaru's research succeeded or failed didn't concern him.
If it failed, he'd still win—Orochimaru would feel indebted and easier to manipulate.
In other words, whether successful or not, Danzo stood to gain.
From the beginning, it was a win-win situation!
The next day, Orochimaru stood before the piles of medical books in his house, a sly curve tugging at his lips.
Root's operations were moving incredibly fast!
The research funds came quickly too. In a show of trust, Danzo sent two million Ryo directly—double the usual amount for an S-ranked mission, which normally only paid one million.
With that amount, Orochimaru was confident he could embezzle a portion and still produce results for Danzo.
Two million Ryo wouldn't be enough to fully improve the soldier pill!
---
Chapter 24 – The Prophecy
"Orochimaru, Assistant Hokage Danzo Shimura isn't an easy man to deal with."
Tsunade leaned toward Orochimaru's ear and whispered cautiously. She glanced around before lowering her voice even further. "I'm telling you—Grandma Mito doesn't even like him."
The reason was likely that Grandma Mito, being a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, could sense Danzo's thoughts—good or bad—beneath his respectful exterior.
A person capable of discerning good and evil would inevitably feel the darkness in his heart, no matter how polite he appeared.
Orochimaru's expression settled into one of understanding. Calmly, he replied, "Perhaps it's because Lord Danzo oversees the ANBU Training Division? Spending so much time in the shadows must have its effects."
"Tsunade, let's go train."
"Alright, let's go train!"
Tsunade opened her mouth to say more but froze when she heard Orochimaru's training invitation. She brushed aside her thoughts and followed him.
---
Training Ground
Pat!
A flash of lightning crackled around Tsunade, her hair standing on end from the chakra of Lightning Release. Her fist struck the rock, leaving a deep dent even without using her full strength.
Orochimaru stood nearby with a book in hand, silently observing her training.
Since Tsunade had succeeded in Medical Ninjutsu, she should have some understanding of acupuncture points. Even if she couldn't release chakra like the Hyuga Clan, what if she stimulated specific points using Lightning Release chakra?
A scene of Might Guy using the Eight Gates flickered in Orochimaru's mind. The Eight Gates controlled the chakra flow through eight major acupuncture points. If he could stimulate those with Lightning Release chakra, what sort of power might be unleashed?
No—it would damage the body too much. Also, the Eight Gates formation wasn't suitable for Tsunade.
Training to open the gates wasn't easy. Both Guy and Lee were exceptional in Taijutsu, dedicating their time entirely to it. Continuous opening of the gates demanded immense effort.
Given Tsunade's terrifying strength, a full-powered strike could easily cripple or kill anyone it hit—unless they were an abnormal specimen.
Thus, stimulating acupuncture points to accelerate chakra flow, while far inferior to the Eight Gates, would still be enough for her.
With that thought, Orochimaru waved at her. "Tsunade, come over here for a minute. I need to tell you something."
---
"Orochimaru, what's wrong? Did you see something confusing?"
Tsunade pulled her fist from the rock, the lightning surrounding her dissipating as her breathing steadied. She wiped sweat from her brow with a towel and walked toward him.
"Since you've succeeded in Medical Ninjutsu, I have an idea. Maybe you can create your own Lightning Release ninjutsu."
"My Lightning Release?" Her hazel eyes sparkled with excitement. "You mean… you'll help me develop it?!"
"I'm not helping you develop it. You'll be creating it yourself—one that only someone like you, skilled in Medical Ninjutsu, can use."
Orochimaru smiled at how excited she became. Perhaps his mental age far exceeded hers, allowing him to patiently handle Tsunade's exuberance.
"My idea is this…"
He explained the concept tailored to her abilities.
"Stimulating acupuncture points with Lightning Release chakra? That would require a profound understanding of human anatomy. One wrong move could easily cause irreversible damage."
Tsunade listened intently, understanding why only she could wield such a technique.
"This Lightning Release ninjutsu would be extremely dangerous."
"Exactly. That's why you're the only one qualified to complete and use it. I'm only responsible for sharing the concept—the rest is up to you."
Orochimaru smiled faintly at her. "I believe you'll master it quickly."
In the original story, Tsunade's achievements in Medical Ninjutsu earned her legendary status. Orochimaru believed her talents extended far beyond healing.