Orochimaru's sudden and strange request left Gui momentarily stunned.
He couldn't quite process it why would Orochimaru want him to stick out his tongue? And while walking no less? Did this kid have some odd hobby or quirk?
But seeing how much Danzo seemed to favor Orochimaru, Gui didn't dare refuse outright.
"Can I at least ask why?" Gui ventured cautiously.
Though both Root ninjas and the Hokage's ANBU were categorized as covert operatives, the truth was, their duties were different. Hokage's ANBU often handled missions targeting external threats, so while they wore masks to hide their identities during operations, they didn't have to be as secretive in their daily lives. When not on missions, they could be seen without their masks, walking openly in the village.
Root operatives, on the other hand, lived in the shadows. Most of them had no names, no families, and were expected to bury their emotions. Their work was far darker, sometimes involving tasks against their own people. Their faces had to remain hidden even more meticulously than the Hokage's ANBU, as secrecy was paramount to Root's operations. Many had worked together for years without ever knowing what the other looked like under the mask.
Orochimaru seemed to sense Gui's hesitation. "There's no particular reason, I just want to take a look. You can remove half the mask it's nothing serious."
Gui remained unsure.
"Don't worry," Orochimaru added, his voice calm yet unsettling. "If anyone questions you, you can put the blame on me. I'm sure Danzo-sama wouldn't hold it against you."
There was something about Orochimaru's tone that left Gui even more perplexed. Was this kid really confident enough to take responsibility for whatever might happen? Was he really that trusted by Danzo? Or was it something else?
Gui's thoughts swirled, but he knew better than to delay for too long. Orochimaru's request wasn't outrageous, just strange. And Gui didn't want to upset someone who seemed so close to Danzo.
After a moment of hesitation, Gui nodded. "Alright."
He pulled down half of his mask and reluctantly stuck out his tongue.
This bizarre request still had him on edge, but Orochimaru only glanced at his tongue for a second before turning away, satisfied.
"Good. That's all I needed."
Gui blinked, confused but relieved. He had half-expected Orochimaru to ask something even stranger, but nothing happened. Orochimaru had just wanted to check, and that was it.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, had confirmed his suspicions. As I thought.
He had suddenly stopped walking earlier because he recalled that Root operatives eventually had a curse mark placed on their tongues—a seal that ensured they could never reveal Root's secrets. However, when Gui showed his tongue, it was clear that the mark hadn't been implemented yet.
So the curse mark hasn't been created yet, Orochimaru mused to himself. Which means I'll likely be the one to develop it for Danzo in the future.
Orochimaru smiled to himself. Everything was falling into place.
---
The next morning dawned bright and sunny. The village of Konoha was alive with the usual sounds of laughter and bustling activity.
After getting up and going through his usual morning routine, Orochimaru headed to the Hokage's office to report in. Despite his secret dealings with Danzo, he still kept up appearances as a loyal student of Hiruzen.
And truthfully, Orochimaru didn't feel any guilt about working with Danzo. His loyalty wasn't rooted in personal attachments; it was in his desire for knowledge and power. As long as he wasn't directly betraying Sarutobi by trying to kill him, he saw no conflict.
He simply wanted to get what he desired whether that was from the Hokage or from Danzo.
Today, as usual, there were no missions that particularly interested him. Orochimaru had some pharmaceutical business dealings with smaller countries and was hoping for an overseas mission. Even though he had recently secured more resources through his partnership with Danzo, money was still something he could never have too much of.
"Orochimaru, about your earlier potion... there seem to be no side effects," Hiruzen remarked as they discussed the mission roster.
Orochimaru nodded. "Yes, Sensei. I've tested it extensively. No side effects have appeared."
It had been about a month since the initial field tests of the genetic enhancement potion. Given that potions designed to boost combat effectiveness usually showed side effects within hours, this potion had passed the test of time.
"Well," the Third Hokage continued, "the results have been promising. Can this potion be mass-produced?"
There was no hesitation in Hiruzen's voice. He wasn't asking out of curiosity, he was making it clear that the village needed this potion.
Orochimaru hesitated for a moment, feigning difficulty. "It's possible, but not easy. The process is far more complex than the recovery potion we developed before."
"Oh?" Hiruzen asked, his interest piqued. "What's the main issue?"
Orochimaru had already prepared for this. "First, the production process itself is far more complicated. It requires more precision than the recovery potions."
Hiruzen nodded thoughtfully. "And the second?"
"The medicinal ingredients are rare," Orochimaru explained. "The batch we created was only possible because of a few rare materials we found during that mission. But as of now, no one has been able to locate more."
The Hokage rubbed his chin. "Hmm. Why are these ingredients so rare?"
Orochimaru reached into his pouch and pulled out the two materials he had prepared in advance. One was a dried plant, and the other was the desiccated remains of an animal.
"These are the two key ingredients," he explained. "One is a rare plant, and the other comes from a specific species. Both are incredibly hard to find."
Hiruzen examined them carefully. "That shouldn't be a problem. If you tell me where you found these, I can send someone to locate more."
"On Taro Island, to the south," Orochimaru answered smoothly.
Taro Island, located to the south of the Land of Fire, was known for its rare medicinal herbs. The ninjas living there referred to themselves as "merchant ninjas," specializing in collecting and trading rare ingredients. It wasn't unheard of for Konoha ninjas to pass through the area on missions.
Sarutobi nodded. "I see. Well, how many doses do we have right now?"
"About fifty," Orochimaru replied.
"Fif—fifty?" The Hokage was visibly surprised. He had been expecting far fewer, maybe five at most. But fifty? That was an incredible quantity for something so rare.
Hiruzen, always measured in his emotions, couldn't help but show a flicker of excitement. He cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure.
"Orochimaru, you've contributed greatly to the village," the Hokage said solemnly. He reached under his desk and pulled out a box. "You deserve this ten million ryo."
He pushed the money box across the table toward Orochimaru.
He accepted the box with a quiet nod. "Thank you, Sensei."