In front of them stood Orochimaru, wearing the green vest uniform of a Jonin from Konoha. He had long black hair, golden snake-like eyes, purple eye shadow extending to the sides of his nose, and pale skin. He looked at the two Uchiha clan members in front of him with interest and licked his lips. With his hoarse yet magnetic voice, he spoke, "I have received the Uchiha's goodwill. After you go down, someone will arrange things for you."
Uchiha Yoru looked at Orochimaru and noticed that he didn't care about others' opinions. If human experimentation could be justified as a means for gaining power or out of personal interest, it seemed that Orochimaru's mindset had truly expanded by now, even extending to a female body.
Uchiha Shisui smiled upon hearing Orochimaru's words. It seemed that Orochimaru had perfectly understood the Uchiha's intentions, and his task was complete. He respectfully nodded and said, "Thank you, Orochimaru-sama."
As Shisui was about to leave, he noticed that Yoru, who was standing beside him, hadn't moved. He was about to remind him, but Yoru gave him a look, leaving him somewhat puzzled. Eventually, he decided to leave on his own.
Now, only Uchiha Yoru remained in the tent. Orochimaru's sandpapery laughter echoed through the air, a sound possibly caused by the snakes constantly moving in his throat.
"Hehe, what brings you here, Yoru-kun?"
Orochimaru was undeniably polite. Although Yoru was aware of the course of history, having survived in this world for so many years, he knew that his current strength as a Chunin couldn't change much. He had to focus on strengthening himself first and, within his capabilities, redirect the minds of the two Uchiha kids.
"Orochimaru-sama, Yoru is here on behalf of the elder."
With this sentence, Yoru clearly stated his position. Shisui's earlier gesture had represented the goodwill of the entire Uchiha clan, and now it was Yoru who was acting on behalf of the elder.
"After the Nine-Tails incident, the Third Hokage regained power to stabilize Konoha. Orochimaru-sama has become the Fifth Hokage, as desired by the people."
Yoru respectfully admired the legendary ninja, Orochimaru, who had once been a formidable contender for the position of Fourth Hokage. Orochimaru's devilish smile was always calm and exuded a unique charm.
Orochimaru became even more interested as he observed the Uchiha Chunin before him. He was particularly intrigued to hear the intentions of the Uchiha elder. It was quite amusing, wasn't it?
"Orochimaru-sama, at the peak of your prime, you are hindering the secret observations of certain individuals. If you were to become the Fifth Hokage, those individuals would lose hope before they even had a chance. Moreover, the Sarutobi clan does not want the Third Hokage to step down again, nor do the higher-ups of the village."
After finishing his words, Yoru respectfully admired the legendary ninja Orochimaru before him. Orochimaru was surprised at first, but then a smile appeared on his face. He licked his lips and let out his signature hoarse laughter.
"Interesting, very interesting. I didn't expect you, Yoru-kun, to not only be an Uchiha prodigy but also the confidant of the elder."
At the age of fourteen, a Chunin who had just awakened his Sharingan was considered a prodigy, but in Orochimaru's eyes, he was just an ordinary one. However, the fact that he had caught the attention of the Uchiha elder intrigued Orochimaru. Being a Chunin at the age of fourteen was already quite impressive, especially with the awakened bloodline. A bright future awaited Yoru. Asuma Sarutobi became a Chunin at twelve, Kurenai Yuhi at thirteen, and Mitarashi Anko at twelve (according to the records).
Seeing that Orochimaru, one of the three Sannin, wasn't moved by the information he provided but instead became interested in him, Uchiha Yoru felt a chill in his heart. Damn it, this can't be happening.
"Because of this face!"
Uchiha Yoru quickly explained, not wanting to cause misunderstandings. It would be too late if something went wrong.
His face? Orochimaru, although a genius, was still a bit confused upon hearing those words. Uchiha Yoru put on a friendly smile and nodded, pretending to be innocent. "It's because of Orochimaru-sama's disciple, Anko. We are classmates."
Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's interested expression froze for a moment. It wasn't that he wasn't clever, but he was momentarily caught off guard. His interest in Yoru diminished, and he even let out a bored and slightly disdainful laughter.
After all, the Uchiha clan excelled in manipulation, and deception was a ninja's specialty. One could use their handsome appearance to deceive others, especially female ninjas. Seduction was not unheard of, and there were quite a few cases. Some did it to complete missions, some as spies, and others for political alliances. In short, it was all for personal gain.
Yoru secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Orochimaru's waning interest. As long as you lose interest in my body, that's fine. But you really can't lose interest in him. Although contradictory, he had to rely on some information to gain benefits for himself. Deep inside, he silently apologized to the elder.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
At this point, Yoru's face turned serious, and his Sharingan eyes revealed a tomoe pattern as he glanced around. Witnessing this scene, Orochimaru's interest was piqued once again. He couldn't help but lick his lips and let out a hoarse laughter. "Yoru-kun, you are indeed a cautious person. Rest assured, there's no one here, not even my people."
As a frontline commander, Orochimaru naturally had subordinates, especially as a strong contender for the Fourth Hokage position in the past. He had a loyal following in the village, and there were certainly no shortage of sensory ninjas.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Yoru also breathed a sigh of relief. This time, he had to reveal a big secret. He had to achieve two things: first, make Orochimaru aware that he was a trusted confidant of Uchiha's elder; second, showcase Uchiha's intelligence-gathering capabilities.
"Human experiments!"
After uttering these four words, Yoru fell silent, and even the air seemed to carry a suppressed atmosphere.
After a long moment, Orochimaru's hoarse laughter echoed from within the tent, accompanied by an indifferent aura. It seemed that he had never cared about the fear of being discovered.
"Mokuton!"
When these two words were spoken, Orochimaru's golden snake-like eyes suddenly contracted. A fleeting killing intent filled the air, causing cold sweat to break out on Yoru's back, with his every hair standing on end.
"Hehe, it seems that Uchiha knows a lot, Yoru-kun."
At that moment, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes and silently analyzed the situation. It was impossible. Human experimentation might be difficult to hide from a perceptive individual, but Mokuton was only known by him and Danzo, along with a few Root members. He had never considered Root since Danzo had a grudge against the Uchiha. It was impossible for Danzo to reveal it. There was only one possibility: Uchiha's covert intelligence-gathering abilities far exceeded his imagination. A smile appeared on his face, and his curiosity grew even stronger.
~~~
Notes:
(Mokuton / Wood Release)