Hiruko and Orochimaru arrived together.
The two chatted and laughed along the way.
Hiruko no longer wore that gloomy expression he used to carry. His pale complexion even seemed flushed with color. He looked like a man refreshed by good fortune.
After all, he was no longer invisible among the jonin.
He was one of the future Konoha Commissioners, personally selected by the Hokage, a shinobi polished like gold.
Even if he could not match Orochimaru's luck, being taken in early as a disciple by the wise and far-seeing Third, he had not wasted too many years.
Not bad at all.
He was standing in the same circle as the three of Team Hiruzen again.
Orochimaru, for his part, was quite satisfied with the current state of affairs.
His teacher strongly supported his research and had almost made it clear that he was the most likely candidate to become the next Hokage, provided no one outshone him.
The people had to be convinced, of course.
Orochimaru had no objections. He did not believe anyone could truly compete with him.
Danzo Shimura?
He might look imposing and perhaps had grown a bit sharper, but in the end, he was nothing more than a stray dog lurking in the shadows.
Hiruko, too, was one of the pillars Orochimaru was preparing for his future reign as Hokage.
The Land of Fire lay across wide plains. In theory, there were no mountain strongholds.
In reality, when enough people gathered together, factions formed naturally.
The two of them could easily be called the research faction.
"Hokage-sama."
"Good. Sit. I'll keep this brief."
Hiruzen Sarutobi handed a copied scroll of Mito Uzumaki's sealing jutsu to Hiruko.
"This is a sealing technique developed by Mito-sama. It creates a special environment that reduces the repulsion between cells and Chakra."
Hiruko's eyes lit up.
Mito Uzumaki? That Mito Uzumaki?
A name alone was enough to cast a shadow. Just hearing it stirred his anticipation.
He also felt, more clearly than ever, the level of support one received after entering the village's inner circle.
It had only been a few days since he submitted his research results.
"This should help refine your ideas. The village has long hoped for breakthroughs in reattaching severed limbs, for the sake of those shinobi left disabled on the battlefield."
"And to reduce casualties if war comes again."
Hiruko listened with a solemn expression.
Strangely enough, ever since learning he would become a Konoha Commissioner, he had begun looking at the genin and chunin with new eyes.
Perhaps that was how identity reshaped one's stance. Authority and responsibility were bound together.
"Hokage-sama, please rest assured."
His voice turned steady. "I will contribute everything I can to Konoha."
"Good. Go on."
After Hiruko left, Orochimaru casually poured himself a cup of hot tea. His tone relaxed.
"And mine, sensei?"
When others were present, he addressed him by title.
When alone, it was teacher.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and pointed at the empty cup before him. "Not for you. If you want it, submit a report and copy it yourself from the archives."
Orochimaru's lips curved upward. He poured Hiruzen another cup of tea and complained lightly, "What a biased teacher."
Yet he understood perfectly.
This was proof that Hiruzen did not treat him as an outsider.
"This is an excerpt from Tobirama Senju's research notes."
Hiruzen handed him another scroll, took a sip of the sweet tea, and his expression grew serious.
"This is top secret."
"It records an interesting phenomenon. The cells of the Senju and the Uchiha Clan seem to suppress each other to some extent. However, the cause, mechanism, and details were never fully developed."
"I'm leaving this to you, Orochimaru."
"This might be the opportunity we need to apply Hashirama Cells on a broader scale."
Orochimaru's pupils sharpened into thin slits, a telltale sign of genuine interest.
As a genius devoted to research, aside from immortality, he loved difficult and unusual problems like this.
And the immense vitality within Hashirama Cells was not unrelated to longevity.
"I understand your thinking, sensei."
He took the scroll swiftly and began analyzing. "You want to use Uchiha Clan cells to suppress the activity of the First's cells, to temper their violent nature?"
The difficulty of transplanting Hashirama Cells lay in their overwhelming life force. That vitality carried an almost devouring quality. Recipients often could not control it and were drained of their own Chakra instead.
"Exactly. Cases like Yamato's are far too rare."
"I'm considering a two-pronged approach. Extract potential antibodies from Yamato that resist the First's cells, while also searching for a method to weaken their intensity."
"In some ways, Wood Style resembles the Nine-Tails. In their complete forms, both are powers the village cannot fully control."
"Power that cannot be controlled is not power at all. It becomes a destabilizing factor."
"So we need not obsess over whether weakened First-generation cells can still pass on Wood Style. Even stripped of that, the Chakra reserves and vitality they provide hold enormous strategic value."
Hiruzen laid out his reasoning carefully, while quietly concealing another objective.
Limb regeneration and research into Hashirama Cells were real goals. As Hokage, he genuinely wanted them for the village. If both succeeded, Konoha's shinobi would see massive breakthroughs in survivability and overall Chakra levels.
At the same time, these technologies were crucial to perfecting that experimental body.
Severed limbs meant damaged meridians.
Senju and Uchiha meant fully integrating their cells and Chakra.
"Interesting. Very interesting. And practical."
Orochimaru gave a light clap. "Sensei, it's a pity you aren't a researcher. Being Hokage might not even be your greatest talent."
"I only provide ideas. Those who bring them to life are the real talents."
Hiruzen smiled faintly. "Like you."
Teacher and student exchanged compliments, and laughter filled the office.
Yet in Orochimaru's mind, another technique surfaced. The Immortality Jutsu.
If his teacher learned of it, would he still show such tolerance and care?
Transferring one's soul into another body held almost no practical value for the village. It clashed sharply with the Will of Fire, which emphasized inheritance and passing the torch.
But…
Hiruzen had clearly noticed his research into the soul.
He had given him portions of Tobirama's notes related to the soul and had questioned him about it more than once. That alone proved it.
Orochimaru believed his teacher's capacity for acceptance had grown stronger.
Yet the enhanced Immortality Jutsu was astonishingly effective.
A preliminary form of immortality was within reach.
I wish this moment could last forever.
The thought slipped through his mind.
Even if telling sensei is risky, I still want him to know.
Compared to hiding the Immortality Jutsu and fabricating excuses to brush Hiruzen off, Orochimaru felt a peculiar obsession.
As a once-in-a-generation genius in research, the bond between mentor and father figure meant something different to him.
He wanted his teacher to understand him. To accept all of him.
It was impulsive, yet the result of rational consideration.
How long could he keep it hidden?
If sensei saw through him later, the fracture in trust would be far worse.
Especially now, when Hiruzen had taken the initiative to reconcile, had granted him resources, and offered full trust.
The desire to conceal it grew weaker by the day.
Even if sensei cannot accept it, perhaps that is not so bad.
It would prove that bonds are shackles, and I would gain absolute freedom.
He told himself that.
But deep down, he knew what he truly wanted was complete recognition.
At that moment, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado knocked and entered. Their expressions were grave.
"Hokage-sama, something's happened. Danzo is already on his way."
"The Hidden Cloud Village has discovered our retaliatory action and issued a furious condemnation against the village."