A certain damp and dark underground cavern.
The beloved Snake Sannin made a dazzling entrance, licking his lips as his gleaming eyes fixed greedily on the figure within the apparatus before him.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
The bespectacled young man, Kabuto, appeared behind Orochimaru. He spoke respectfully, bowing his head.
"What is it?" Orochimaru didn't turn around, his eyes dripping with greedy anticipation as he gazed at the figure before him.
It was Gen'yumaru—or more accurately, the pseudo–Three Tails formed when Gen'yumaru's body fused with the massive amount of chakra Orochimaru had obtained from Shinnō.
By using this counterfeit version, Orochimaru could accelerate the true Three Tails' emergence. His plan was to take over Gen'yumaru's body, use his natural connection to the Three Tails, and then absorb its power—transforming himself into a human-shaped tailed beast.
"Kirigakure has already set up a sensory barrier around this area," Kabuto reported. "If we go outside, they'll definitely detect us. In addition, it seems both Akatsuki and Konoha shinobi have arrived."
At this point, Kabuto still had no thoughts of surpassing Orochimaru. He merely viewed himself as Orochimaru's finest tool.
"Akatsuki being here is unexpected," Orochimaru murmured, licking his lips. "But Konoha shinobi... they usually prefer to stay out of such idle affairs. For them to appear here—aren't they afraid of provoking Kirigakure's hostility? Oh, that's right. I forgot that Tsunade now possesses Wood Release. She's no longer the Tsunade I remember..."
If it hadn't been for the shocking news that Tsunade had awakened Wood Release, Orochimaru wouldn't have abandoned his plan to take Sasuke's body, opting instead to enhance himself with tailed beast power.
Sasuke's potential was immense, but he was still too weak.
To ensure that he wouldn't get smashed into paste by Tsunade's fist while training Sasuke, Orochimaru had decided to strengthen himself first. It was, after all, only logical.
"Once I obtain this body," he said, "I'll be one step closer to unlocking the true potential of the Uchiha bloodline!"
"But Tsunade has never shown any signs of such a reversion before. How did she suddenly awaken Wood Release? Kabuto, what do you think?"
Faced with Orochimaru's question, Kabuto pushed his glasses up and replied calmly, "Kekkei genkai can be either innate or acquired. For example, the Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki's Dust Release can be achieved through training. However, as far as I know, no one has ever successfully fused Wood Release. Though it's a combination of earth and water chakra natures, others who attempt it can only produce Lava Release. True Wood Release remains unattainable... meaning there must be a secret hidden within the Senju genes."
"In addition," Kabuto continued, "for Tsunade-sama to awaken Wood Release at such an age, it must have been triggered by some form of external stimulus. If Orochimaru-sama wishes to obtain Wood Release, this could be the path to follow."
A simple yet sharp analysis—it proved once again how much sharper Kabuto's mind was than most.
Orochimaru's lips curved into a pleased smile.
"Not bad, Kabuto. Your understanding has already surpassed most of the shinobi world."
Orochimaru was genuinely satisfied.
Though he sometimes kept his guard up around Kabuto, seeing his growth filled him with a twisted kind of pride.
The pursuit of science was a lonely path. Finding a worthy successor was no small feat.
"Thank you for your praise, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto said with a polite bow. False modesty had no place before Orochimaru.
"The power of the Three Tails is even more fascinating than I expected," Orochimaru mused. "Speaking of which, I recall having once collected one of the Eight Tails' horns. When I return, I'll try fusing the two and see whether I can create something stronger than a tailed beast itself."
"If it's you, Orochimaru-sama, I'm certain you'll succeed," Kabuto replied without hesitation.
"Science demands rigor," Orochimaru said, eyes gleaming with fanatic light. "I hadn't spent much time studying the tailed beasts before—but perhaps that was a blessing. It seems I've found a new path forward."
He thought back to Akatsuki's obsession with the tailed beasts—how they had mobilized nearly their entire organization to capture them. Whatever their goal was, it must hide a tremendous secret.
If Akatsuki's ultimate aim is to gather all the tailed beasts, Orochimaru speculated, then they must have a vessel capable of withstanding their combined power. Among their assets, only the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path remains truly mysterious. If that statue serves as a vessel... could it hold the chakra of all nine tailed beasts?
Orochimaru knew full well how terrifying a tailed beast's power could be. He had ignored it before because a jinchūriki was not what he sought.
But now—with Gen'yumaru's body as his experimental material—he couldn't resist the urge to study. If he could combine scientific research with the mastery of tailed beast power... perhaps he could achieve a different form of immortality.
The thought made him chuckle softly.
"Science truly brings me happiness," he whispered.
---
Akatsuki Camp
Obito vanished without a sound. As the space rippled closed, Uchiha Itachi opened his eyes briefly... then shut them again.
"Itachi-san, what do you think of this Tobi?" Kisame suddenly asked.
"He was sent by the leader," Itachi replied evenly. "That alone is reason enough. His affairs are none of my concern."
His voice was calm, detached—untouched by emotion. No one could tell what truly stirred within him.
Kisame smiled faintly, understanding. He admired Itachi for that very reason: a shinobi in the purest sense—ruthless, composed, and unshakable.
"Honestly, if Leader didn't come himself, it should've been either Sasori or you in charge. But this 'Tobi'... even if you two didn't want the role, I wouldn't have minded leading myself!" Deidara suddenly chimed in with a grin.
His words drew various reactions: eyes opening one by one. Even Sasori's amber core flickered slightly, indicating he was awake.
"Forget it," Hidan snorted. "If you were in charge, the Three Tails would've been blown to pieces before we could even seal it."
"Enough," Kisame cut in. "If you're not resting, at least be considerate. Itachi-san needs rest."
'...Kisame,' Itachi thought silently. 'Are you sure that's helping?'
The others looked over at Itachi—his pale face framed by deep, dark circles under his eyes.
They all fell silent.
Sasori finally spoke, his tone weary. "Let's all get some rest."
Deidara glanced at Itachi with mock pity. 'Man, those eye bags... Don't tell me he's suffering from kidney deficiency? If so, I'll find you a good doctor, senpai. Haha!'
Beside him, Hidan absently rubbed his side and nodded solemnly.
'Praise Jashin—eternal life, endless vigor. Ever since I joined your faith, my back doesn't ache, my legs don't hurt, and I walk with strength again!'
Sasori regarded the group with a hint of disdain. 'Foolish mortals... worrying about such trivial fleshly matters. Unlike you, I can just replace a broken part. Itachi, you've fallen far indeed.'
Feeling their collective gaze, Itachi closed his eyes once more, suppressing the impulse to summon Susanoo right then and there.
He couldn't attack them. Not yet. They were still... useful.
----
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