Kiyosuke fell silent, staring at Orochimaru's pale hand extended toward him.
Following Orochimaru could definitely bring a lot of benefits. And more importantly, it meant he could use his power without constantly hiding it.
The power of a Devil Fruit wasn't something that made sense in this world. He'd kept it secret all along because he was afraid the village would discover it. Then he'd end up strapped to an operating table, dissected by some experimental team trying to unlock the secrets of his body.
Orochimaru was dangerous. Everyone knew that. But if he could hold onto this man's leg tightly enough—at least until he defected from the village—he'd be safe. By that point, as long as he made a name for himself on the battlefield and earned merit, he could live without fear.
High risk, high reward.
Clenching his jaw, Kiyosuke reached out and gripped that cold, snake-like hand.
"I don't want to be treated like a monster by the village," he said. "So please, Orochimaru-sama—help me."
"You've made the right choice, Kiyosuke-kun. Come with me."
Orochimaru let go and turned to lead the way.
As they walked, Orochimaru asked about his abilities. Kiyosuke answered honestly—though he didn't mention the term "Devil Fruit." It wasn't like Orochimaru would know what that meant anyway.
When he heard that Kiyosuke could transform into elemental fire, Orochimaru's eyes lit up. They hadn't even reached his hideout before he exclaimed, unable to contain himself,
"Quick, let me see your flame form!"
Flame form? Why don't you just call it cremation while you're at it…
Kiyosuke sighed to himself, unsure if this was the right decision after all. But still, he said, "Alright."
"Alright?"
Seeing no changes in his body, Orochimaru quickly understood. He pulled out a kunai and sliced open Kiyosuke's arm.
No blood flowed from the wound—only flames.
"It doesn't hurt?" he asked.
"No pain at all."
"Can you control it freely?"
"Yes. When I'm not in elemental form, my body's just like a normal person's."
"I see." Without hesitation, Orochimaru took a blade and chopped off Kiyosuke's hand.
The severed limb hit the ground, instantly turning into fire and vanishing into the air. Flames danced around the stump where the hand had been, and before long, a new hand regenerated in its place. Kiyosuke's face, however, turned pale.
Clearly, this transformation took a toll on his chakra.
"A body that can transform into fire at will and even regenerate… It's very similar to the Hydrification Technique of the Hōzuki clan from Kirigakure."
"Hydrification Technique?"
Orochimaru explained, "It's a secret technique passed down through the Hōzuki clan, allowing them to liquefy their bodies and become immune to physical attacks. Their weakness is Lightning Release. By contrast, your weakness should be Water Release—at least when you're in your flame form."
"Well, it's not like fire is ever immune to water."
"You're mistaken. Fire and water don't have an absolute counter relationship. It all comes down to volume and temperature," Orochimaru said. "A flame the size of a fist can be easily extinguished by a bucket of water. But if it's a Great Fireball Jutsu, it could evaporate that water instantly. It's about intensity and scale."
"You'll likely find that using Fire Release will be far more effective for you. In fact, as long as your chakra holds out, you may be able to use any Fire Release technique."
With that, he added, "You have great potential. The more I see, the more I want to uncover the secrets of your body. You're just too slow."
Without warning, Orochimaru grabbed Kiyosuke by the collar. The scenery around them blurred into a high-speed rush of motion. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a modest-looking wooden cabin.
He pushed open the door, and a wave of cold, damp air swept over them. Orochimaru led Kiyosuke into a room that served as one of his less-important laboratories.
The shelves were packed with jars and flasks filled with strange liquids. Inside them floated various specimens—some were snakes, others unrecognizable creatures.
Suddenly, Kiyosuke felt a sharp pain in his arm. Orochimaru had picked up a syringe and was drawing his blood without even saying a word.
Seriously? Is this even sanitary? What if you used that on some mutant monster before?
After collecting the blood, Orochimaru handed Kiyosuke a cotton swab.
"Hold it there."
He immediately placed a drop of blood under the microscope. After a brief observation, he frowned.
"There's nothing visibly unusual about your blood compared to normal humans."
But these things took time. For now, he shifted his attention back to Kiyosuke—who was curiously eyeing one of the snake specimens soaking in a jar.
"What's wrong? Interested in these?"
Kiyosuke nodded. "Yeah… Orochimaru-sama, is this snake soaked in alcohol or something?"
"No, it's in a special preservative solution to prevent decomposition. It's a research subject."
"Oh. That's too bad."
Orochimaru: "???"
What's with that disappointed face? Why would you expect it to be soaking in alcohol? You think this is some kind of medicinal liquor? And even if it were, that's not how it works!
"Kiyosuke-kun, your focus is… rather unusual. I'd like to test your ability a bit more. Come with me."
"Alright."
He had already mentally prepared himself to be treated like a lab rat. As long as Orochimaru's curiosity was satisfied, there would be benefits in the end.
They arrived in the backyard.
"Now," Orochimaru said, "attack me with your ability. Don't hold back."
Kiyosuke hesitated. "If I go all out, it might get messy."
"You don't need to worry," Orochimaru replied confidently. No matter how strange the ability, he was certain he could handle it.
"Then here I go. Orochimaru-sama, please be careful. Fire Fist!"
In an instant, Kiyosuke's arm transformed into fire, swelling in size like a gust-fed blaze. It became a massive flaming fist the size of a banquet table, and he threw a punch straight at Orochimaru.
A wave of scorching heat swept through the air. Orochimaru estimated the temperature—it might even be hotter than a Great Fireball. And it had concussive force, too.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall!"
As a disciple of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Orochimaru had no shortage of powerful jutsu at his fingertips.
A stone wall erupted in front of him. With a booming crash, it blocked the fire fist—though it crumbled significantly in the process.
"Fire Bullets!"
Tiny sparks launched from Kiyosuke's hand like bullets, peppering the air with fiery dots.
Orochimaru's hands blurred through signs. A burst of wind shot from his palm, snuffing out the flames mid-air. Some stray embers, however, landed on the wooden cabin and ignited it.
Orochimaru: "…"
He put out the fire with a sigh.
This kid's kind of a walking hazard… but the experiment must go on.
"Again," he said.
"Solar Flare!"
Kiyosuke extended his hand and released a blazing pillar of fire directly at him.
This time, Orochimaru didn't use Wind Release. Instead, he summoned a shadow clone to take the hit.
The clone was incinerated. The flash of pain and memory relayed back to Orochimaru instantly.
The heat was higher than standard Fire Release. That last blast was comparable to a B-rank fire-style technique.
A body that could transform into fire, regenerate, and launch jutsu without even forming hand seals…
Orochimaru's interest in Kiyosuke only deepened.
...