Hidden deep within Konoha, inside a sealed research chamber, the dim light of flickering candles painted long shadows across the walls.
Orochimaru stood alone, holding an enormous scroll in his hands. His pale face twisted with an almost unhealthy excitement, golden slit pupils narrowing as he read line after line. A hoarse, low chuckle slipped from his throat, slow and delighted, as if he had just uncovered a buried truth.
"So that's how it works," he murmured. "Perhaps… this technique truly can touch immortality."
The laughter had not yet faded when his snake-like eyes suddenly sharpened. He looked toward the door.
A moment later, a knock echoed softly.
Creeeak.
The wooden door opened, and Uchiha Yoru stepped inside. The sight before him was familiar by now: Orochimaru standing in near darkness, clutching a scroll with an expression that bordered on obsession. Yoru paused for half a second, clearly used to this scene, though no less exasperated by it.
It was strange. Orochimaru's laboratories were spotless, bright, almost clinical. Yet his study and bedroom were always dim and cold, as if the gloom itself were part of the research.
"Oho," Orochimaru said, turning with a thin smile. "Yoru-kun. Have you brought me good news this time?"
A full year had passed since the Nine-Tails disaster. And yet the village leadership continued to pretend nothing was amiss, refusing to even discuss the matter of a Fifth Hokage. It was as if they intended to let the Third rule until his last breath.
Yoru smiled calmly. From within his robes, he produced a scroll and offered it forward with both hands.
"Orochimaru-sensei," he said evenly. "These are techniques reserved for Uchiha shinobi who have awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan."
Among the Uchiha, reaching three tomoe meant more than raw talent. It marked someone as a full jonin-level combatant. The techniques that followed were not limited to ninjutsu alone, but extended to genjutsu, shuriken mastery, and specialized combat methods.
There was a reason the Uchiha were called Konoha's foremost clan.
With the Sharingan awakened, an Uchiha shinobi became frighteningly complete. Genjutsu surged to another level, even capable of countering illusion specialists directly. Their dynamic vision compensated for any gap in taijutsu, allowing them to read movements and seize openings others would miss. As for throwing weapons, under the Sharingan's guidance, few could rival them.
And ninjutsu needed no explanation. Even setting aside the Sharingan's copying ability, the Uchiha were famous for their mastery of elemental techniques.
A three-tomoe Uchiha was a threat in every sense of the word. That was why the shinobi world carried an unspoken rule: in a one-on-one fight, if you faced the Sharingan, escape was often the wisest choice.
Orochimaru let out a soft laugh.
"Then I suppose congratulations are in order," he said, licking his lips slowly. "Three tomoe already… you truly continue to surprise me."
In just one year, Yoru had gone from awakening his Sharingan to fully evolving it. Even Orochimaru, who had seen countless prodigies, found it impressive.
What surprised him even more was this.
Yoru had handed over clan techniques without hesitation.
It was the kind of thing most bloodline clans guarded jealously. The Uchiha and Hyūga, in particular, were infamous for their closed traditions. Yet here Yoru was, offering them freely.
Orochimaru was broad-minded, but sincerity was still something he valued.
"I hope these techniques can give you some inspiration, sensei," Yoru said with a genuine smile.
For a moment, the bond between teacher and student felt… real.
Orochimaru unrolled the scroll. The techniques were impressive, but to him, they were tools best used with the Sharingan itself. Valuable, yes, but not priceless.
Still, the gesture stirred something rare in him.
"You always have interesting thoughts, Yoru-kun," Orochimaru said. "Come. Take a look at this."
With a low chuckle, he slid the massive scroll he had been studying across the table.
Yoru stepped closer, curiosity flickering in his eyes. At first glance, the scroll was packed with dense notes. This was not a completed technique, but an ongoing project.
As he read further, his expression slowly changed.
Experimental logs. Failed trials. Radical hypotheses. Half-formed theories.
By the time he reached the latter half, his scalp tingled.
Yoru looked up sharply. The shock on his face was unfiltered, entirely genuine.
Orochimaru noticed immediately and smiled, that familiar unsettling smile returning.
"When I first read this forbidden research," Orochimaru said hoarsely, "I reacted the same way. But read it carefully."
For the first time, there was a trace of uncertainty behind his eyes. He was watching Yoru closely, waiting.
Would this student recoil in disgust? Reject it outright? Or… understand?
This research had ignited something deep within Orochimaru. A thought he had suppressed for years now burned brightly.
It's possible.My pursuit was never wrong.
"This is…" Yoru muttered as he finished scanning the scroll. His voice tightened. "This is all forbidden experimentation."
Orochimaru leaned forward, eyes shining.
"Then tell me," he asked quietly, anticipation clear in his tone. "What do you see in it?"
For all his brilliance, Orochimaru was still not the man he would one day become. He had not yet severed himself completely from the village, from judgment, from others.
He wanted understanding. And he feared rejection.
Yoru drew in a deep breath. When he spoke, there was no hesitation.
"Immortality," he said. "I see the possibility of immortality."
For a heartbeat, Orochimaru froze.
Then his entire body trembled.
A single tear slipped from the corner of his eye, catching the candlelight as it fell. It was the tear of someone who had finally been understood.
"Hahaha…!"
The laughter that followed was wild, unrestrained. Orochimaru's snake-like gaze locked onto Yoru, sharp and blazing.
"Outstanding," he hissed. "Absolutely outstanding, Yoru-kun!"
In that moment, he felt it clearly.
A kindred spirit.