The next morning, before Orochimaru even woke up, there was a thick stack of documents sitting on the table in his living room.
There was no need to guess who had sent them.
"Dropping off materials in my living room without permission, huh?" Orochimaru muttered to himself, eyeing the stack. "I'll have to address this later. If someone sees something they shouldn't…"
Stretching his arms, he casually walked over and began flipping through the materials. He knew they had come from Danzo, sent without so much as a warning.
The documents contained data from Konoha's previous experiments on the First Hokage's cells, attempts to replicate the legendary Wood Release. While some of the information wasn't particularly useful to Orochimaru, it did contain details he hadn't known before. So, he took his time reading through it carefully.
After about half an hour of reading, Orochimaru tossed the stack aside, realizing it would take much longer to go through everything. He washed up, dressed, and decided to head to the Hokage's office.
After all, Hiruzen was still his teacher, and for now, he had to keep up appearances and check in with him regularly.
Hiruzen, of course, had no idea that Orochimaru had already met with Danzo.
With no missions to undertake that day, Orochimaru spent his time wandering the village streets. Tsunade was off spending time with her younger brother, slowly recovering from the emotional toll of losing their family. Jiraiya, having accepted that his pursuit of Tsunade was hopeless, threw himself into training even harder. On days without missions, he'd often disappear to Mount Myoboku using reverse summoning, seeking solace in his training.
This pattern continued for the next half month.
Then, late one evening, Orochimaru once again made his way to the headquarters of Root.
When Orochimaru arrived, Danzo nodded in satisfaction. "Orochimaru, have you finished reviewing the materials I gave you?"
"I've gone through them."
"Good. Tell me, in your opinion, why did those experiments fail?"
Danzo's question was surprisingly direct, especially considering that Orochimaru was only thirteen years old. No one in their right mind would expect a child to offer insight on such a complex matter. Danzo didn't actually expect a real answer; he just wanted to gauge Orochimaru's thinking process and measure his potential.
But Orochimaru didn't flinch.
"According to the data, it's because the First Hokage's cells hold immense power, too much for an ordinary human body to withstand."
Orochimaru spoke calmly, explaining the potential causes of cell rejection, detailing the complications the subjects faced.
Danzo's eyes widened, though he quickly masked his surprise. How could he understand this much just by reading the reports for half a month? he thought to himself.
It had only taken him a short time to not only comprehend the data but to identify the core problem of the experiment.
Danzo, always one to hide his emotions, quickly regained his composure. He knew Orochimaru had been immersed in self-study for years, starting from the age of six. Six or seven years of focused learning, paired with an extraordinary natural talent, had turned Orochimaru into an expert in scientific research at an astonishingly young age.
Calming himself, Danzo continued with his usual air of authority. "You've got keen insight, Orochimaru. But now that you've identified the problem, do you have a solution?"
Though Danzo had asked, he doubted Orochimaru could answer. The question was even more difficult than the last. Still, Danzo couldn't help but feel that perhaps this boy might surprise him again.
Orochimaru was unfazed. "According to the data, there are three potential solutions."
Danzo's heart skipped a beat. Three solutions? He could hardly believe his ears.
This kid's only been reading for half a month, and he's not only figured out the cause of the failure, but now he's suggesting solutions?
"Go on," Danzo urged, doing his best to contain his rising curiosity.
"The first method is to dilute the First Hokage's cells. By weakening their power, it could make them compatible with the average ninja's body."
Danzo nodded thoughtfully. "But if you dilute the cells too much, you lose the strength that made them valuable in the first place."
"Exactly," Orochimaru agreed. "It might only retain one percent of the original power, so it's not an ideal solution."
Danzo nodded again. "And the second?"
"The second method would be to strengthen the host's body, enhancing their physical endurance until they can withstand the First Hokage's cell energy."
"We've considered that as well," Danzo responded. "But it's nearly impossible. Even with the strengthening potions you've developed, no one's body could reach that level."
"Perhaps," Orochimaru said, a sly smile crossing his face. "Which brings us to the third method."
Danzo leaned in, intrigued. "What's the third method?"
Orochimaru raised a single finger. "You balance the power of the cells with another form of energy."
Danzo's eyes narrowed. "Go on…"
"As you know, chakra is composed of both physical and mental energy. The First Hokage's cells contain immense life force, or physical energy. The problem lies in the imbalance, ordinary ninjas don't have enough mental energy to control that overwhelming life force."
Orochimaru paused for a moment, letting the idea sink in before continuing. "If we were to implant a source of spiritual energy strong enough to match the power of the First Hokage's cells, they could balance each other out. The two forces could stabilize, creating a perfect equilibrium."
Danzo was stunned. Orochimaru was suggesting something no one had even considered, a method to harness the immense power of the cells by balancing them with another source of energy.
"But," Orochimaru added, "this method is extremely risky. Achieving and maintaining that balance would be incredibly difficult. One mistake, and the subject could die."
Danzo's breath caught in his throat. "Orochimaru, you're… you're a genius."
The way Danzo said it wasn't just flattery, it was the truth. Orochimaru's understanding of the situation and his ability to think of such advanced solutions at his age was nothing short of extraordinary.
Orochimaru smiled faintly. "I'm glad my insights are helpful, Danzo-sama."
Danzo, for his part, tried to mask his excitement. He had always known Orochimaru had potential, but this? This was far beyond what he had expected.
Both men knew they were entering dangerous territory, but at the same time, each understood how much they stood to gain.
In this game of mutual advantage, it would all come down to who could use the other more effectively.
Danzo grinned. "With your brilliance, Orochimaru, we'll be able to achieve great things… for Konoha, and for ourselves."