"Was the liquid earlier the poison you made for it?"
"Yes," Kagetsu nodded.
"So, what about its body suddenly expanding? Is that a characteristic of the creature itself?" Orochimaru asked, shaking his head in confusion. "No, this kind of expansion feels familiar."
"It's the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Technique," Kagetsu said honestly when he noticed Orochimaru's confusion.
"Multi-Size Technique?" Orochimaru's interest grew stronger. Kagetsu's answer quickly solved his doubts.
Orochimaru knew about the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Technique. During wartime, he even had members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio among his subordinates. From what he had sensed earlier, it was quite similar to the Multi-Size Technique he knew.
What surprised Orochimaru was that this technique of the Akimichi clan appeared on an insect that seemed to have no intelligence, only instincts!
The Ino-Shika-Cho trio had different physical traits. The Akimichi clan could rapidly digest large amounts of food and store it as fat in their body, releasing or exploding it when needed. This process was very much like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon.
If someone else wanted to learn the Akimichi clan's Multi-Size Technique, even with training methods, they would struggle with mastering Yang Release and their physical traits.
Could it be that this insect's body is capable of adapting to the changes in the Multi-Size Technique?
Does it possess Yang Release?
Orochimaru felt a sudden interest. The famous Wood Release and physical traits of the Senju clan, in strict terms, also belong to Yang Release.
Life forms with Yang Release naturally have strong recovery abilities and can possess more chakra and endurance than ordinary ninjas.
Now that he was seeking immortality, Orochimaru was naturally interested in Yang Release.
Of course, Yang Release is a general term. For Orochimaru, the Senju clan was the most worth studying and pursuing. The Akimichi clan also had Yang Release, but its effects and power were far inferior to Wood Release. It wasn't worth his time.
However, this insect and the research notes he had made Orochimaru curious about Kagetsu. The familiar trait on him made Orochimaru silently decide something.
"Let's go. Next time we meet, I'll give you a gift you need," Orochimaru said without asking further questions. After closing the research notes he had been flipping through, he took his leave.
Kagetsu escorted him back to the front yard and, along with his parents, saw Orochimaru off from the Nara clan's residence. After Orochimaru's figure disappeared into the night, Kagetsu returned home.
In the house, Nara Shikakichi asked Kagetsu about his meeting with Orochimaru but didn't inquire further. He told Kagetsu to rest well.
Shikakichi only wanted to understand Orochimaru's intentions. From the questions, he could tell that Orochimaru didn't harbor any obvious ill intentions toward Kagetsu. Realizing this, Shikakichi felt a great sense of relief.
Although reluctant to see his son becoming too close to Orochimaru and potentially being influenced by him, as the leading candidate to succeed the Fourth Hokage, Orochimaru's reputation in Konoha was indeed formidable.
If he were to have any ulterior motives regarding his son, there would be little that could be done about it.
---
Inside the Third Hokage's house.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was somewhat surprised to see Orochimaru visiting him late at night.
Recently, he had sensed growing distance and coldness from his disciple. He had thought this state of near-cold war between them would last for a while, but he didn't expect Orochimaru to show up suddenly tonight.
Could it be Jiraiya?
Sarutobi Hiruzen thought to himself that it might be due to Jiraiya, who had just returned to the village. According to the ANBU reports, Jiraiya had recently met up with Tsunade and Orochimaru after coming back, and they had a private meeting.
"It's been a long time since you've come to see me on your own," Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked, looking at his favorite disciple.
Orochimaru looked at his now somewhat aged teacher in silence. The passage of time had left its mark on him, and the teacher he once admired was slowly becoming a source of disappointment.
Besides the deaths of his apprentice, Nawaki, Tsunade's lover, and the numerous lives lost in the war, the increasingly aged and unfamiliar appearance of Sarutobi Hiruzen was also a burden that contributed to his disillusionment.
He couldn't imagine himself becoming as weak and indecisive as Sarutobi Hiruzen when he reached the Third Hokage's age. A Hokage who continuously compromises was no longer worthy of his admiration.
He needed a new pursuit—one that would interest him and help him avoid ending up like his teacher.
But could he share these thoughts with his teacher now?
Impossible.
His teacher's thinking had become too outdated. Even if he was willing to communicate, they would only end up arguing over their differing views, which would further damage their relationship.
With this in mind, Orochimaru quickly withdrew his previous impulse.
"I came to tell you that I want to become a team leader," Orochimaru said.
"A team leader?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's right hand, holding his pipe, froze in mid-air. His cloudy eyes looked at Orochimaru with surprise.
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen had considered making Orochimaru and Tsunade team leaders before, but neither showed any interest in leading kids.
Jiraiya had at least Minato Namikaze to show for himself, but Orochimaru and Tsunade?
Tsunade's despair was due to the deaths of her brother and lover. Orochimaru, on the other hand, had lost his motivation to be a team leader after failing to protect Nawaki, which led to his death.
"I've found an interesting kid," Orochimaru said, licking his lips as he remembered the traits of Nara Kagetsu, which reminded him of himself in some ways.
"Who is this lucky child?" Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled. In his eyes, Orochimaru was the one who truly embodied the definition of a genius—talented, intelligent, and with exceptional insight and learning ability in ninjutsu.
Compared to Jiraiya's obsession with a vague prophecy and Tsunade's despair, Orochimaru represented a significant part of his expectations.
"It's a child from the Nara clan," Orochimaru paused before naming Nara Kagetsu.
"Shikakichi's child?" Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately recalled information about Kagetsu and the performance he had seen on the day of the examination.
If someone else, like Minato Namikaze or Jiraiya, wanted to become Kagetsu's team leader, he might have hesitated. But with Orochimaru as the candidate, these concerns could be ignored.
"He is indeed a talented kid, much like you. As long as you gain Shikakichi's approval, I agree," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "Are there any other candidates?"
"Add Mitarashi Anko to the list," Orochimaru suggested, including a former subordinate of his.
****
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