Orochimaru's mind raced.
He had been thinking the entire way here, yet he still could not figure out what Hiruzen Sarutobi was planning.
It had been years since they'd had a private conversation.
And now, with a single summons, he was invited straight to his teacher's home for dinner?
What kind of play was this?
He did not know the phrase "Hongmen Banquet," but the suspicion in his heart was much the same.
After stepping inside, he relaxed slightly.
Biwako Sarutobi greeted him warmly. The air carried the scent of apples and eggs, his favorites.
But when he heard that Hiruzen had gone to the training ground, curiosity stirred.
The old man had been buried in paperwork for years. Did he still train daily?
Judging by the exhaustion that had once etched his face, it seemed unlikely.
Standing at the entrance, Orochimaru stared at the fierce figure moving across the training field, vibrant and powerful, as if time had reversed.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Was this even the same person?
Had ten years just been shaved off him?
"You're here early. Didn't I say to come at dinner time?"
Hiruzen rested a steel staff casually on his shoulder and grinned. "Hungry already? Eat a couple extra bowls later. Your teacher's wife made quite a spread."
His tone was homely, almost fatherly.
Orochimaru blinked, studying his teacher's body with careful eyes.
"Teacher… what happened to you?"
"Work pressure caught up to me. I fell seriously ill."
Hiruzen spoke calmly, even wistfully.
"When you're sick, you're forced to slow down. When you slow down, you start thinking. Once the mind lightens, the body follows. I tried refining some techniques Lord Tobirama left behind. Figured out a few things myself. Looks decent, right?"
Orochimaru nodded seriously.
"Very decent. I almost thought you had begun cultivating the Yin Seal."
Under that gentle atmosphere, he slipped back into the old nickname without thinking.
He had planned the opposite on his way here. If the conversation turned sour, he would coldly address him as "Hokage."
For someone as ruthless as Orochimaru, only the three members of Team Hiruzen could draw out that almost childish side.
"Not even close. But I am considering it."
Hiruzen sighed. "A strong Hokage inspires more confidence than a frail old man."
A sharp light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes.
That pleased him.
His teacher understood the terror of aging and was willing to use ninjutsu to solve it?
As the so-called Professor of Ninjutsu, had he finally awakened?
Ninjutsu existed to solve problems.
"Teacher, you should have thought this way long ago. I can assist you."
It was as if a fresh wind had swept through the old Hokage's body and mind, reviving what Orochimaru had assumed would slowly decay.
"Sounds like you've learned plenty these past two years."
Hiruzen smiled. "Care to show your teacher?"
Orochimaru's heart stirred.
Long ago, whenever he learned a new jutsu, he would demonstrate it before Hiruzen.
And Hiruzen would patiently watch, then offer meticulous guidance.
"Those days…"
The breeze stirred Orochimaru's teal magatama earrings.
"Teacher, will you guide me once more?"
The jutsu he had been researching recently was unsuitable for display.
Immortality Jutsu.
A Forbidden Jutsu that allowed one to seize another's body.
But putting that aside, a proper spar with a revitalized teacher was something he wanted.
He wished to see just how much Hiruzen had changed.
"Guide you? You might be stronger than me now."
Hiruzen chuckled. "But if my student asks, I can't refuse."
"Teacher, perhaps be a little serious?"
Orochimaru's tongue flicked out instinctively as he licked the corner of his mouth.
"I'll notify the Anbu?"
Excitement aside, he was cautious.
If they truly let loose, the disturbance would be enormous. Without the Anbu maintaining order, chaos would follow.
Hiruzen laughed and formed hand seals swiftly.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
Thick earthen walls surged upward, sealing the training ground.
The space was large, but neither of them were ordinary ninja. Once heated, the impact range would be unpredictable.
"Very thorough, Orochimaru. You've had a Hokage's mindset since childhood."
Hiruzen praised him generously. "No need to notify anyone."
"I was dissatisfied when Kushina Uzumaki was abducted by the Hidden Cloud."
"This time, no notice, no preparation. Just you and me on the scene. Let's see how the village responds."
Orochimaru nodded slightly. The anticipation in his eyes deepened.
Being told he had a Hokage's mindset. Seeing his teacher test Konoha's reaction speed so boldly.
It thrilled him.
Not like that overly cautious old man he had grown used to.
Hiruzen rummaged through his ninja pouch and pulled out a slightly rusted copper bell.
"Teacher, are we stealing bells again?" Orochimaru laughed softly. "I'm not a genin anymore."
"Recognize it?" Hiruzen said. "You three used this bell as kids. I kept it."
Orochimaru's heart skipped.
He had kept it all this time?
A faint, unfamiliar warmth flickered in his chest.
Hiruzen smiled.
He had actually placed the bell in the pouch only recently. He had planned to reveal it casually someday to bridge the gap.
The opportunity had come sooner than expected.
To be fair, the old Hiruzen had loved his three students deeply.
But the weight of being Hokage had suffocated him. He became cautious, restrained, bound by old shinobi ideals. He rarely expressed affection openly.
Teacher and student like father and son.
Silent. Reserved.
Easy for distance to grow.
Over time, those small gaps built into walls.
Better to be a steady, emotionally generous father.
That persona was far more likable.
The faint lift of Orochimaru's lips confirmed it.
"If it's just me stealing the bell, that works."
"Orochimaru, you've always been the student I'm most proud of."
The bell chimed softly in the breeze.
Orochimaru let out a hoarse laugh.
"Teacher, why say that now?"
"Didn't I always say it when you were young? Not used to it? My fault. You grew up and I stopped saying it."
Hiruzen tossed the bell toward him.
"How about today I steal it? Let me see if your shoulders are strong enough."
Orochimaru caught it instinctively, tension flickering through him.
Teacher stealing the bell?
What did that imply?
Am I overthinking this?
Hiruzen began circulating his chakra. His gaze sharpened.
He had several reasons for taking the offensive.
First, even though combat instincts were nearly integrated, attacking was easier than defending. Fewer flaws to expose.
Second, it signaled his faith in Orochimaru and raised his goodwill. He needed this research prodigy back.
Third, this spar was the perfect stage to reassert authority.
Once large-scale jutsu erupted, speed aside, Anbu, the Uchiha Clan Military Police Force, and others would rush over.
It had been too long since the Hokage had displayed overwhelming strength.
Authority required spectacle.
"My chakra reserves have increased. No need to conserve. Make it grand. Make it fierce."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
Something felt off.
Moments ago, he thought this was a test.
Now it felt like he was walking into a setup. Like his teacher wanted an excuse to thrash him.
"But a changed teacher is fascinating."
Orochimaru licked his lips.
"Dangerous, perhaps. But let's add some fuel."
He cleared his throat and deliberately reversed the dynamic.
"Teacher, do you remember what you told us during the bell test?"
"You said we should attack with the intent to kill."
"Perhaps today, you should think that way too."
Hiruzen's eyes lit up.
He had been wondering how to strike the right balance.
If he went too hard unprompted, it might create distance.
But if Orochimaru asked for it…
That changed everything.
Seeing that gleam, Orochimaru suddenly felt uneasy.
"Five minutes, Teacher."
"If you can't break through in five minutes, I win."
Hiruzen laughed.
"Deal!"
Before the final word settled, his hands blurred through seals.
He inhaled deeply.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
Chakra surged out without restraint.
A dragon-shaped blaze roared forward, engulfing the training ground.
The flames reflected off the Mud Wall, casting wild shadows.
"Reddish-white flames… and that range…"
This was the Sarutobi clan's signature Fire Style, not overly complex, yet its chakra nature transformation was anything but basic.
"Good. Let's revisit the five basic nature transformations."
Orochimaru responded in kind.
"Fire Style: Dragon Fire Technique!"
The two infernos collided, twisted, then exploded into a towering fire vortex spiraling into the sky.
Like a massive firework bursting overhead.
"Teacher's Fire Style is refined. The temperature…"
Orochimaru retreated swiftly, drawing blood with his thumb and slamming both palms to the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Rashomon!"
A demonic gate rose from the earth, splitting the incoming blaze.
The red-white flames flowed around it, slamming into the Mud Wall, which began to melt.
"Teacher, have your fundamentals improved again?"
Standing atop Rashomon, Orochimaru glanced into the distance.
"People will be arriving soon."
"Then show them your strongest side!"
Hiruzen's voice rang out. "If you fall short, train harder. Same for me."
"This stage belongs to us."
Orochimaru smiled.
To fight Hiruzen to the death? He lacked confidence.
But hold for five minutes?
With his techniques and mobility, it would be easy.
Across the shinobi world, who could boast stranger jutsu or greater survivability?
He worried only that if Hiruzen failed to subdue him publicly, it would damage the Hokage's prestige.
Instead, his teacher embraced the raw clash.
It felt good.
"I rarely use body modification techniques openly."
"Teacher has always been sensitive to that."
"Let's reveal a little. If he turns hostile, better to know now."
"Summoning Jutsu: Fivefold Rashomon!"
Five colossal gates erupted, joining the first.
They formed a labyrinth across the field.
That was Orochimaru's strategy.
Within that maze, he would move like a slippery serpent.
Hiruzen and Orochimaru waited.
Moments later, the Anbu arrived.
Sakumo Hatake came first, followed by Shinnosuke Sarutobi.
Both were Anbu captains.
Shinnosuke stared, stunned.
"Father, what are you…"
"Response speed is acceptable, though slower than expected."
"Sakumo, you take control. Maintain order. Record arrival times."
"Yes, Hokage."
Hiruzen gave Sakumo a brief nod.
Loyal.
His gaze returned to Orochimaru.
At that moment, Orochimaru's lower body transformed into a serpent's form.
He met Hiruzen's eyes.
"Eh?"
There was no displeasure there.
Only curiosity.
The same curiosity Orochimaru himself felt toward any jutsu.
"Show me more, Teacher."
Orochimaru slipped into the Rashomon maze. Hissing filled the air as countless snakes lurked within.
"Old man, I'm not feeling pressured yet. Show me more."
Hiruzen's lips curved.
What a fascinating student.
The Uchiha Clan arrived next.
"Perfect timing."
"Guerrilla tactics? Then I'll melt the entire area."
"Let's see what this body can do."
The Hokage's chakra exploded outward.