Not long after, Tsunade and the Third arrived at the heavily guarded innermost part of the prison.
There was only one cell here, and the prisoner confined within was none other than Orochimaru, who had wreaked havoc in Hidden Leaf and nearly succeeded in killing his former sensei.
Entering Orochimaru's cell, Tsunade said, "Danzo has been arrested!"
Bound to a chair by various sealing techniques, Orochimaru's lips curled slightly upward as he spoke in his raspy voice, "Well, congratulations are in order!"
Tsunade frowned, "He's admitted to providing you with information and shelter."
Orochimaru chuckled, "So, what do you want to know?"
Tsunade pressed, "We want to know if you had any other collaborations with him."
Orochimaru replied, "Of course!"
Tsunade followed up, "What kind of collaborations?"
Orochimaru's face took on a mocking expression, "Like research on the Upper Moon Demon's physiology, research on Hiruko's 'Bloodline Fusion Ritual,' research on the Sharingan, research on the First Hokage's cells—anything that piqued our interest, we collaborated on! So, are you satisfied with that answer?"
Hearing Orochimaru's words, both Tsunade and the Third fell silent.
Orochimaru, once a high-ranking figure, had become a rogue shinobi precisely because his human experiments on village shinobi were exposed.
Now, it seemed that Orochimaru wasn't the only one involved in those experiments—Danzo likely had a hand in them too.
Orochimaru's gaze shifted to the Third's empty left sleeve, and he smiled, "Sensei, with the techniques I currently possess, I could craft you a far more perfect left arm and even reverse your aging, restoring you to your prime!"
The Third's eyes narrowed, his head lowering slightly.
Orochimaru continued, "And the reason I can do this is thanks to those human experiments you despise! Times have changed. Aging and death are no longer inevitable. I've already found the door to immortality!"
Tsunade snapped, "Immortality? Like the half-human, half-monster state you're in now? I analyzed your cell tissue—your genes have severely deviated from human. I don't even know if you can still be considered human!"
Orochimaru had injected himself with a transformative serum derived from the blood of an 'Upper Moon Demon,' so his body had been altered, now possessing partial demonic traits.
This was also why he could engage in taijutsu combat with Shinji, who had activated the Twelve Palaces.
Orochimaru said, "Tsunade, defining 'human' so casually—you're far too arrogant!"
Tsunade's face fell, "You're utterly unreasonable!"
Orochimaru laughed, "Let time be the judge! Ten, twenty years from now, you'll see who was right and who was wrong!"
The Third said gravely, "It seems you've already guessed our intentions!"
Orochimaru shook his head, "No, I'm just confident you can't kill me!"
He knew Tsunade wouldn't kill him, especially at this critical moment. With the Fourth Kazekage dead and the Fourth Mizukage severely injured, the five great shinobi villages were struggling against Akatsuki, so there was a high chance he'd be recruited back by the village.
After all, his status as an Akatsuki defector was no secret in the shinobi world. To some extent, he shared a basis for cooperation with the five great shinobi villages, as he was trustworthy when it came to opposing Akatsuki.
Facing the defiant Orochimaru, the Third said coldly, "There are many ways to kill you, Orochimaru. Don't be too confident!"
Orochimaru smiled, ceasing to argue verbally, though his eyes brimmed with confidence.
Clearly, he had immense faith in his developed 'Cursed Seal.' Indeed, even if he died or was sealed here, he could still revive through the 'Cursed Seal' implanted in others!
Seeing Orochimaru's demeanor, Tsunade sighed, ultimately unable to bring herself to propose recruitment.
After Tsunade and the Third left, Orochimaru's lips curled upward.
Danzo's imprisonment was somewhat unexpected, but he wasn't at a dead end yet, so he wasn't ready to accept Tsunade and the Third's terms.
With an inevitable clash between Akatsuki and the five great shinobi villages, he had plenty of opportunities to escape!
Elsewhere.
While Tsunade sent people to investigate Yakushi Kabuto's whereabouts, Kabuto and Jugo arrived outside one of the shinobi world's three sacred grounds, the 'Ryuchi Cave.'
Looking at the cave entrance, Jugo asked Kabuto, "Have you made up your mind?"
"Mm!"
Kabuto nodded.
Jugo said, "You know the consequences of failure, right? Almost every year, people stumble into this place, but not a single one who enters comes out alive!"
Kabuto countered, "Lord Orochimaru came out alive!"
Jugo replied, "But he didn't master Sage Mode!"
"I have no other choice!" After a pause, Kabuto looked again at the deep, dark cave entrance, "Only by mastering Sage Mode here can I rescue Lord Orochimaru!"
Jugo said, "I'll wait for you at the entrance. Be careful!"
Kabuto gave one final instruction, "If I don't come out alive, you must find a way to contact Kimimaro and have him seize any opportunity to rescue Lord Orochimaru!"
"I understand!"
Jugo nodded.
With Jugo's promise, Kabuto let out a breath of relief, then, with a mix of apprehension, stepped into the 'Ryuchi Cave.'
After Orochimaru's capture, Kabuto had been plotting his rescue, but Danzo had been dismissive, clearly unwilling to get involved.
Moreover, during the Chunin Exam battle, Orochimaru's identity was exposed, and the fact that he had implanted a 'Cursed Seal' in Sasuke became public, which also revealed the Sound Village, leading to an elite assault by the five great shinobi villages. As a result, Kabuto had lost the support of the Sound Village's forces.
Left with no options, he had no choice but to take a gamble at the 'Ryuchi Cave.'
He was well aware that even Orochimaru had failed here. The odds of him successfully mastering Sage Mode in the 'Ryuchi Cave' were slim. His only advantage was his exceptional expertise in medical ninjutsu, which he believed gave him a decent chance of at least surviving the ordeal, even if he didn't succeed.
If he did manage to master Sage Mode, his strength would take a significant leap forward.
At that point, he'd have the leverage to negotiate with Danzo. Additionally, he could use his newfound power to coerce colleagues like Guren, who only followed Orochimaru's orders, into joining the effort to rescue him.
In short, only by advancing his strength could he hope to rescue Orochimaru. Otherwise, no matter how much he tried, it would all be in vain.