Orochimaru darted through the forest at high speed.
Following the map in his hand, he quickly arrived at the location where Danzo had prepared the materials for him.
This time the materials should be living people.
Orochimaru licked his lips in excitement—what was power compared to immortality?
Just mastering every jutsu in Konoha would take centuries, to say nothing of the many techniques scattered across the Ninja World that the village had never recorded.
With a human's fleeting lifespan, learning every jutsu is impossible; even using ninjutsu to extend life has limits, and death erases everything.
To obtain it all… Pondering this, he stepped into the room.
The Root agent (code-named He-3) who had been waiting lay collapsed on the floor.
Inside stood a Hyuga clansman wearing a forehead protector.
"Who are you?"
A dangerous glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, yet he did not strike immediately.
The stranger stood there boldly—either it was a trap, or the man had come specifically for him.
"Hyuga Masahiko."
Using the Transformation Jutsu to take on the appearance of his cheap father, Aoran introduced himself.
News of his father's death had only just reached the clan; Orochimaru could not possibly know.
Whether the Sannin would discover the truth later was a problem for another day.
"Hm."
Orochimaru gave a nasal grunt and looked Masahiko up and down.
Masahiko simply stood there, showing no sign of defense or attack.
Ignoring the Root operative on the ground, Orochimaru asked, "Waiting for me?"
"Exactly. I've come to propose cooperation with Lord Orochimaru."
Aoran cut to the chase; the Orochimaru of the mid-story was indeed twisted and terrifying.
But right now Orochimaru had only just begun pursuing the Sharingan—he had only recently taken an interest in Itachi's body and eyes.
He was still someone who could be reasoned with.
A flicker of curiosity crossed Orochimaru's eyes; after all, the Hyuga Clan's strict branch-and-main-house structure made it impossible for outsiders to interfere in internal affairs.
The Hyuga were famously insular.
Yet here was a branch-house member seeking his cooperation—Orochimaru's interest was piqued.
"Interesting. Let's hear it."
Aoran glanced at the infants behind him. "We'll discuss cooperation afterward. Right now, Lord Orochimaru, you're in considerable danger."
"Danzo is preparing to report everything to the Third Hokage. If you continue using villagers for human experiments, your only option will be to flee as a rogue."
"Oh? And how do you know this?"
The news did not unsettle Orochimaru; he knew exactly what sort of man Danzo was.
Still, he had not expected Danzo to sell him out so directly, and he needed to gauge the source of this information.
Aoran did not answer; instead he countered:
"Surely Lord Orochimaru has seen through Hiruzen Sarutobi by now?"
Back when the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, took office…
Orochimaru and Danzo had discussed: "The Third's real goal is to use Minato as a puppet so master and apprentice can control Konoha together."
Even then Orochimaru had partially seen through Hiruzen.
But not completely.
Aoran intended to win Orochimaru over fully before the Sannin defected.
"The Third's resignation was mere pretense; his immediate return after Minato's death proves it."
"Danzo has always been the blade in Hiruzen's hand. Whenever he grows too powerful, the Third slaps him back down."
Orochimaru understood Aoran was referring to Danzo's impending betrayal.
The smartest man in the Ninja World lacked political experience, but once Aoran spelled it out, everything clicked.
Orochimaru's expression darkened.
"Your information is valuable. I agree to cooperate."
Aoran raised a finger. "First I need a clansman to fake his death. How can we forge a corpse?"
He did not know what Aoran was planning, but for Orochimaru it was trivial.
'Face-Melting Jutsu' can peel off a person's entire skin; we just need another body.
Orochimaru glanced at Aoran's forehead protector. "If it's a Hyuga Branch member, you'll need a Branch corpse."
Aoran knew the issue was the Byakugan; after a moment's thought he realized only his cheap father had died recently—sorry, old man.
"We'll discuss the rest next time. Lord Orochimaru, deal with the current situation first."
"This is a perfect chance to strike back."
"Hm? Let's hear it."
…Aoran, scroll in hand, leapt out of the hidden underground base.
Maintaining his transformation, he sped back to the Hyuga Compound.
He had given Orochimaru the method and the idea; how the Sannin handled it was no longer his concern.
He checked the sky—dawn had broken.
He had been out all night; would the clan send people to search for him?
Looking around, he saw no sign of the Root ninja who had abducted him.
He released the Transformation and reverted to the appearance of a thirteen-year-old boy.
He walked to the lake and looked at the water's surface.
Sure enough, after acquiring the Hyuga bloodline fragment, his right eye had become a Byakugan, though his left eye remained unchanged.
Frowning, Aoran realized that with the Hyuga Main House's obsession, even a single Byakugan would be marked with the Caged Bird Seal.
He would have to disguise it.
He formed a hand sign: Transformation Jutsu!
Poof!
When the smoke cleared his clothes were unchanged, but his eyes had reverted to their pre-awakened state.
In the Transformation Jutsu, the greater the difference between the target and the user's original form, the more Chakra it consumes.
By merely altering his eyes, Aoran used almost no Chakra.
As long as he did not sleep or lose consciousness and thereby release the jutsu, no one would notice.
After tidying up, stomach rumbling, he found a spot in the Hyuga Compound where he could be seen and lay down… Hyuga Branch House.
Hyuga Hayato, trusted retainer of Hyuga Hizashi, was reporting:
"Lord Hizashi, four more infants have vanished in the village."
"But the ANBU took their families away; the village has completely suppressed the news."
Hearing this, Hizashi's expression sharpened. Was the Third Hokage hunting someone, or setting a trap?
Could it be…?
Mind racing, Hizashi asked Hayato, "Any word on Aoran?"
"Not yet."
After answering, Hayato immediately asked:
"Lord Hizashi, could Aoran have been taken too?"
Hizashi's face was gloomy. Aoran was not talented—he was practically a failed hybrid.
Yet he carried blood from both the Uchiha and Hyuga, two illustrious clans; if anything happened to him…
Both clans would raise an uproar for the sake of face.
What gave Hizashi a headache was that Hayato's guess was probably correct.
Rubbing his brow, he said:
"Keep investigating. If we still can't find him by this afternoon, I'll report to the Main House."
"Understood, Lord Hizashi. I'll go at once."
Hayato hurried off.
Hizashi touched the Konoha forehead protector covering the Caged Bird Seal on his forehead.
Aoran's birth had once caused an uproar between the Hyuga and Uchiha.
A child with Uchiha blood could never become Main House.
Conversely, the Hyuga could not casually brand Aoran with the Caged Bird.
Fortunately, the clan's examination showed the child had poor aptitude and a frail body.
He might not even live to adulthood, let alone awaken the Byakugan.
Indeed, Aoran had been sickly and had long passed the age when the Byakugan would manifest; he could not qualify even as a scout.
Both clans set the matter aside.
Now it seemed someone with ulterior motives had exploited the situation.
Deep in thought, Hizashi stepped out—and nearly collided with Hayato, who had rushed back.
"Lord Hizashi! We found Aoran!"
"And… he can speak!"
Stunned, Hizashi—who had already written Aoran off—felt the situation take a sudden turn.
"Take me to him at once!"