Chapter 90: Turning into Hiruzen Sarutobi in a Hot Spring?
Land of Fields – Underground Laboratory
Orochimaru studied the scroll in his hand, his expression somewhat strange.
"More Wood Release samples, along with a few Sharingan… in exchange for investigating Hanzō of the Salamander?"
Others might be clueless, but having once infiltrated the Akatsuki, Orochimaru understood the situation better than most.
He knew exactly what kind of monster lurked in the Land of Rain. He had once tried to steal those Rinnegan eyes—only to be instantly countered and nearly killed. That experience alone had pushed him to join the Akatsuki, even if Itachi Uchiha had quickly forced him out not long after.
"With a monster like that around… there's no way Hanzō is still alive."
Orochimaru casually tossed the scroll aside. The old man had been inside Amegakure—his survival was impossible.
"Danzo, that fool, is practically handing me free resources."
Now that he had the intel, Orochimaru was in control. And with Danzo footing the bill, there was no reason to refuse. Especially now, with the establishment of the Sound Village, he needed more funding than ever.
Sure, exploiting an ally might be unethical—but Orochimaru knew exactly what kind of man Danzo was.
A moral black hole.
And besides—he didn't have morals to begin with.
"I'll have to make him pay even more. Information on Hanzō won't come cheap."
The title of "Sannin" wasn't something Orochimaru saw as glorious. After all, back then, he, Jiraiya, and Tsunade had fought Hanzō together—and still couldn't defeat him.
The only reason Hanzō spared them was because of their status, and because the Rain Village had already fallen. Killing the trio would've made things even worse.
Thus, the title "Sannin" was born, and with it, a ceasefire between Konoha and the Rain Village.
Orochimaru didn't necessarily see the title as a disgrace. It was a reminder—a scar. Proof of failure. A lesson to remember and correct moving forward.
And he never forgot Hanzō of the Salamander.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
Suddenly, a hacking cough echoed behind him, causing Orochimaru to frown slightly.
"Kimimaro, didn't I tell you to rest? Stop wandering around."
"I'm fine, Lord Orochimaru."
Kimimaro slowly walked in, bowing slightly.
"I want to take on more missions. If I continue lying around like this, I'll never be worthy to become your vessel."
Orochimaru sighed. With that body condition, how could he possibly serve as my next vessel?
Ever since the battle with Jiraiya, Kimimaro's health had only worsened. Using the Dance of the Seedling Fern had pushed his body past its limits.
And according to Jugo's report, that kid they faced wasn't just powerful—he was…
"Clever?"
The boy had used Earth Style: Earth Wall, carving his own face into it—leaving Kimimaro no clear target, only to be ambushed right after.
Orochimaru couldn't decide whether to be angry or amused.
"But this can't go on…"
Looking at Kimimaro's calm but resolute expression, Orochimaru frowned, deep in thought.
Kabuto had decent medical skills, but he was still in Konoha. And even he couldn't solve Kimimaro's condition.
Orochimaru had been conducting his own research, but this illness defied all his knowledge. The stronger Kimimaro grew, the faster his life drained away.
At this rate, he wouldn't survive more than a few years—killed by his own Shikotsumyaku.
"Maybe… there really is someone who can help."
Suddenly struck by a thought, Orochimaru rubbed his chin and began considering seriously.
After a long moment, he made up his mind. Turning to Kimimaro, a rare smile curled on his lips.
"Looks like we're going to make a move. There might still be a chance to save you."
---
Konoha – Root Headquarters
Back in Konoha, Shimura Danzo waited patiently for Orochimaru's reply. He'd even preemptively leaked certain information to build political momentum.
If he wanted to gain more reputation, he had to take risks.
Besides, only a handful of people knew the leaked details. If Orochimaru refused, he could always send Jiraiya after him anyway.
"Still… this is a bit much. Why is he asking for so many materials?"
Danzo frowned at the documents in his hand. Sometimes he wondered if Orochimaru was just an "expense siphon."
They had worked together for years, and Danzo had poured an uncountable amount of resources into his research—only to see many of them end in failure.
"…Well, not all of them were failures."
Glancing at his right hand, Danzo sighed. Orochimaru's skill was undeniable.
He'd seen the terrifying power of Wood Release firsthand. Back then, only one subject—"Kinoe"—had survived the experiment. All the others had died.
But Orochimaru had found a workaround: suppressing the wild chakra of Wood Release with the power of the Sharingan. The fusion of these two abilities had given Danzo immense strength.
That was why he kept supporting Orochimaru—bottomless pit though he was.
"Fine. As long as he's willing to act, it's worth it."
Danzo shook his head, no longer concerned about the "disappearing budget." The money was spent—what else could he do?
More importantly, Orochimaru's cooperation was a win:
He'd get intel on Hanzō,
He could use Orochimaru to manipulate Jiraiya,
And Orochimaru always had a way to escape—Danzo trusted that.
"With this, my intel is secured. I'll learn the truth about Hanzō… and maybe even deal a blow to Jiraiya in the process."
A plan with triple returns. Danzo smiled faintly.
This… was the safest move.
At the gates of Konoha, Kitagawa Gen stood reluctantly, watching a blond figure fly away.
"Kitagawa Gen! You better listen up—I'll be back!"
Deidara shouted from atop a giant white clay bird, waving flamboyantly at him.
With a final scolding from Kitsuchi, he flew off and disappeared from view.
"Finally gone."
Gen muttered under his breath. Jiraiya chuckled beside him.
"Honestly, that kid helped us out a lot. We've confirmed quite a few things."
"That's true, but unfortunately, Iwagakure doesn't know much about the Akatsuki. Their info is limited."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. At least now they had a name for the mysterious group they'd been chasing:
The Akatsuki—a group operating near Iwa's borders, accepting both war contracts and black-market jobs.
Their members were powerful, enigmatic, and ruthlessly efficient. No matter how difficult the mission, they could always complete it.
Getting more intel on them would not be easy.
"At least they've lost a client," Gen said, thoughtful.
"And with the Deidara incident, Iwagakure probably won't let them off easy now."
"That's for sure. We've also roughly narrowed down their activity zone."
Jiraiya tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Most likely somewhere in the smaller nations nearby—but there are too many around Iwa: the Land of Hot Water, Grass, Rain, Birds, Bears, and Demons. The range is just too wide."
"Yeah... and the Land of Rain has Hanzo, and the Land of Waterfalls has the Seven-Tails. The Akatsuki probably wouldn't mess with either, right?"
Congratulations, you just ruled out the correct answer.
Gen chuckled awkwardly, but he knew Kakashi's logic was sound.
The Akatsuki had stayed hidden for so long because of Hanzo's overwhelming reputation.
No one took on the "Demi-God" lightly, and Amegakure was so sealed off from the world that even entering it was difficult—let alone gathering intelligence.
"Forget it. Let's focus on our current mission first."
Jiraiya patted his face, trying to shake off his tension. He knew the value of good intel—rushing in blindly wouldn't help.
And this mission wasn't his alone—Hiruzen wouldn't allow him to act solo.
"Let's get what we need done first. The old man thinks bringing Tsunade back is crucial."
"She probably won't agree easily, but it's worth a shot. And hey, we've all been wound up for so long—it's time to relax."
"So let's treat this mission like a vacation. I, the Great Jiraiya, shall take you two out for some fun!"
"Really?!"
Gen's eyes lit up with excitement, grinning from ear to ear.
He didn't have any bad intentions—he just wanted to become the Emperor of Hot Springs! Was a soak too much to ask for?
"Sure, sure. But whether they let you in... that's not my responsibility."
Jiraiya grinned, glancing at Kakashi who rolled his eyes.
"If they kick you out, well... rules are rules."
"Understood!"
Gen nodded quickly—then turned toward Kakashi.
"Don't worry! My Transformation Jutsu is top-notch. Even Uchiha Obito didn't see through it. I'll just transform into you, Kakashi-sensei!"
"?!"
"And if that doesn't work, I'll turn into the Fourth Hokage! I do know Flying Thunder God, after all."
"…"
The two older shinobi were stunned into silence.
They exchanged looks—each one blaming the other for failing to properly raise this chaotic genius.
After a long pause, Jiraiya finally spoke with a sigh.
"Gen… here's a suggestion. Why not just transform into the Third Hokage?"
"?!"
Gen and Kakashi both stared at him in shock.
Jiraiya continued calmly.
"He won't know... and he probably won't hold it against you, right?"
"…"