Chapter 251 – Has He Gone Mad?
Several kilometers away from the blazing forest, Orochimaru staggered forward, pale-faced, one hand clutching his chest.
His condition was far worse than in the original timeline, when he had only suffered a brush with explosive tags during his retreat.
Now, he had been wounded by the terrible blade of Susanoo, and tainted by chakra so evil it chilled the soul.
He was weak—truly weak. In his state, even a single ANBU operative might be enough to bring him down.
Perhaps. Only perhaps.
After all, few in Konoha truly understood the depths of Orochimaru's abilities.
"…Such terrifying power." His thoughts churned as he trudged on.
"The power of the Uchiha… enviable and admirable. A pity—it was only a pair of eyes. If only I had an entire Uchiha to study."
Regret lingered, but he knew better than to indulge it. Even attempting to abduct a clan member now would trigger dire consequences. And given his current state, he was in no shape to even consider it.
The Sharingan he had acquired from Kei was already enough to fuel countless experiments.
Some might think trading Hashirama's research for just a pair of eyes was a disastrous loss. But Orochimaru did not. He had seen their potential with his own eyes. For him, this was no loss—it was an investment.
And it told him something about Uchiha Kei as well: this boy was ambitious. Dangerously ambitious. Orochimaru was certain their paths would cross again.
What unsettled him more was the casual way Kei had produced a pair of two-tomoe Sharingan. Did that mean Kei had already been doing something inside the Uchiha clan itself?
"I wasn't mistaken about you, Uchiha Kei." Orochimaru's tongue slid across his lips as a thought slithered into his mind. "That fire in the Uchiha compound… was that your handiwork?"
He didn't slow his pace. Tonight hadn't gone as planned—he'd intended Jiraiya to receive his "gift," but Kei had claimed it instead. Even so, the rest of his preparations were complete.
His core followers were already waiting outside the village. As for the rest? He'd left them behind.
People had value. Those with value would follow him into the unknown. Those without… let them stay and face their fate.
With Minato as Hokage instead of Hiruzen, he knew the punishment wouldn't be as brutal. They might lose their status as shinobi, but they wouldn't be executed. In a twisted way, leaving them behind was sparing their lives.
Better that than being dragged into his exile.
---
Back at the underground lab, Kei stood at the entrance, meeting the gaze of the gathered crowd.
"Let's talk about Orochimaru," he said calmly. "He's already left. I wasn't able to pursue him—after all, I'm no match for Lord Orochimaru. But…"
Kei paused deliberately, turning his eyes toward Jiraiya. "He did leave something behind. A gift, meant for you."
"…For me?" Jiraiya blinked. "What kind of gift?"
"Kenta. Take Lord Jiraiya down. Show him."
"Yes, Captain." Imai Kenta gave a short nod. "This way, Lord Jiraiya."
"Wait!" Shimura Danzō's voice cut in, sharp and grim. "My men will accompany you."
Suspicion gnawed at him. He felt it in his bones—something was off. Hiruzen felt it too. Kei was too calm. Too composed.
Had he really obtained something that could expose them?
This "gift" Orochimaru supposedly left for Jiraiya—what if it was evidence? Proof that would drag everything into the light?
Danzō couldn't allow that.
If necessary, whoever went down there might need to destroy the lab entirely—burying every secret forever.
But Kei's answer was immediate and icy.
"I refuse."
His sharingan flared crimson, locking onto Danzō. "I said this site is under my jurisdiction. You may have had reasons before, but now? You have none."
"You go too far, Uchiha Kei!" Danzō's face was dark enough to drip venom. "The Police Force still serves Konoha, you—"
"Do as Captain Kei says."
Minato's voice cut through the air. The Fourth Hokage's gaze was firm as steel.
"Kei's position as Captain was my decision. This raid was my order. And don't forget…" His tone hardened. "I am the Hokage."
"You—!" Danzō ground his teeth, words catching in his throat.
Hiruzen's expression was no better, his face shadowed and grim. Has it really come to this? Has it all broken down?
Did I raise a white-eyed wolf into this village?
And what of Orochimaru? What had he been doing in secret? Could it be…
Hiruzen forced himself calm. Panic served no one. He had to remain steady, for his own sake and for those who still followed him.
He could only hope Orochimaru hadn't gone too far… and that he still remembered he was once Sarutobi Hiruzen's student.
Still, his eyes flicked to Minato. The boy he had elevated to Hokage. A pawn chosen to cover up Orochimaru's sins. A pawn who has now turned against me.
Yet even failed moves plant seeds… and sometimes, those seeds yield unexpected fruit.
---
"While Jiraiya inspects Orochimaru's so-called gift," Kei said smoothly, his tone light but his eyes sharp, "let's review what our Police Force uncovered before tonight. Ayaka, give your report—honest and exact. No embellishment."
"Yes, Captain." Hyūga Ayaka stepped forward with a faint smile. Her eyes briefly brushed her clan head, Hiashi, before she addressed the crowd.
"A few months ago, Captain Kei and Kenta discovered signs of missing persons. They launched a raid into the forest…"
As Ayaka recounted the findings, Jiraiya and Kenta descended into Orochimaru's lab.
The corridors reeked of death, littered with corpses.
Jiraiya's face darkened. He recognized the marks: Gentle Fist, kenjutsu, Water Release. They matched the styles of Ayaka and Kenta.
"These were mindless weapons, Jiraiya-sama," Kenta explained quietly. "And here—look closer. Some bodies are sprouting wood."
He gestured toward twisted corpses, their limbs fused with living bark.
"They were Konoha shinobi once. A comparison will confirm it."
Jiraiya's jaw tightened. He didn't reply immediately. He understood too well. The implications were sickening.
Further in, they found the documents—meticulous, clinical, and damning. Names, dates, procedures. Consent forms… or the absence thereof.
And signatures.
Danzō. Hiruzen. Others.
Each name a life snuffed out. Each record a stain on Konoha's soul.
Even Jiraiya, who had fought in countless bloody battles, felt his stomach churn.
These were their own people.
Anger simmered. He forced himself calm, but the fire in his eyes didn't fade. He understood Orochimaru a little better now. Understood why he would abandon the village that birthed such darkness.
"…Kenta. What does your captain intend for these files?"
"If it were up to him, he'd hand them all over." Kenta's tone was careful.
Jiraiya frowned. "And what do you think?"
"…Some experiments required Hashirama's remains. Lady Tsunade is your teammate. And not all subjects were volunteers." Kenta's voice was pointed. "You know that better than I do."
Jiraiya faltered. He had no answer.
He sighed, heavy and bitter. "These must be dealt with. But not carelessly. The Hokage's title cannot be tarnished so recklessly. Minato will decide—and I will persuade him."
Kenta studied him, surprised at the sharpness of Jiraiya's mind. Perhaps there was more to the man than his carefree mask.
Finally, Jiraiya closed the folder. "I've chosen what can be revealed publicly. The rest… will require careful judgment."
---
Aboveground, Ayaka concluded her "report," spinning it just enough to stall. She wove details from mission logs and her own perspective, her delivery measured, even persuasive.
Some listened in shock, others in silence. A few glared openly, unwilling to believe a word against Hiruzen.
"That's it?" Danzō's eyes were ice. "Pathetic. No evidence, only slander. Enough to throw you in prison, girl. Think carefully."
"I—" Ayaka began, but Kei's voice cut across her.
"You dare threaten my subordinates in front of me?" His Sharingan glowed as his voice turned cold.
"Danzō, elder or not, remember—we serve Konoha. You think your rank places you above us all? Don't forget—I am Captain of the Police Force."
"Impudent!" Danzō roared, turning on Minato. "Fourth Hokage! This is the man you chose to lead?"
Minato Namikaze frowned, his expression betraying clear distaste for Danzō's overbearing tone.
But no matter how much he disliked it, Danzō was still a village elder. Minato had no choice but to swallow his frustration—for now.
After listening to Ayaka's explanation and Kei's earlier statements, however, Minato realized the situation might have shifted dramatically.
His mission had technically failed, yet Orochimaru seemed to have taken an unexpected turn.
From Kei's words, Minato sensed a startling possibility: Orochimaru had discovered his former master's secret, and in the end, he had left behind evidence—framed as a "gift"—for Jiraiya.
And then, as if to sever ties completely, he abandoned Konoha.
Of course, Minato and Jiraiya were both giving Orochimaru far too much credit. They had no knowledge of the deeper calculations and darker motives driving his decisions.
Minato sighed, preparing to say something to Danzō, when a sudden movement at the underground lab's entrance caught his attention.
Kei and Ayaka noticed it too. Both turned their heads sharply—
And there, emerging from the shadows, were Jiraiya and Imai Kenta.
Each carried the corpse of a shinobi on his shoulder, and in their free hands, stacks of documents.
The bodies were grotesque—mutated. Their flesh had sprouted branches, pale shoots of wood twisting grotesquely out of human frames. The one Jiraiya bore had a branch nearly a meter long jutting from its torso.
In silence, they carried the corpses forward and set them heavily upon the ground.
The clearing went utterly still.
Every eye locked on the grisly display.
Danzō and Hiruzen froze, their eyes wide, disbelief etched across their faces.
Impossible.
How could this be?
Orochimaru… what on earth had he been doing?
Had he truly lost his mind?