In the steamy, mist-filled bathhouse, Kaito lay bare-chested in the scalding water, his eyes blissfully closed.
Princess Tsunade, with her deep pockets, had booked the entire establishment, leaving Kaito as the sole occupant of the men's side.
Soon, however, another person entered.
"Oh, if it isn't Orochimaru. It's been a while."
Kaito lifted his eyelids slightly, glancing at Orochimaru, who was wrapped only in a bath towel. He kept his body perfectly still.
"I've been busy these past few days." Orochimaru stepped into the pool, choosing a spot on the far side, a good distance away. He, too, was not accustomed to being in such close proximity to others.
"Busy with what? Something to do with Tsunade's little brother, Nawaki?" Kaito asked, his tone casual. "Tsunade was looking miserable for days, but she seemed a bit better today. Did you solve the problem?"
"That's classified," Orochimaru answered simply.
"Heh, you don't have to answer. I know everything already," Kaito said with a smile. "Nawaki is the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, isn't he? Due to some external influence, the Tailed Beast went on a rampage, and now you're all discussing how to deal with it."
"Let me guess... your solutions are split between internal and external measures. Internally, you'll strengthen your control and restraints on Nawaki. Externally, you'll try to expel spies from other nations. A pity. These are just temporary fixes, treating the symptoms but not the root cause."
"You know about the Nine-Tails, too?" Orochimaru asked, surprised. For the average person, the nine Tailed Beasts were nothing more than legends.
"I've already fought it once. How could I not know?" Kaito said mysteriously. "I also know a way to solve the Tailed Beast problem once and for all."
"Hmm? You do?" Orochimaru knew Kaito wasn't one to make empty boasts. If he said something like that, it meant he was highly confident.
"Of course."
"If Konoha wanted to obtain this method from you, what price would we have to pay?"
"Hehehe, Orochimaru, you haven't forgotten that you still owe me a favor, have you? Why don't we settle that one before we discuss the next?" Kaito reminded him.
"Fine. What do you want me to do?"
"Simple. You and Tsunade will act as my guarantors and help me facilitate a deal with Konoha."
"What kind of deal?" Orochimaru's brow furrowed. A multitude of guesses ran through his mind, but he couldn't pinpoint what Kaito truly wanted.
"I will become Nawaki's teacher and take responsibility for teaching him how to control the Nine-Tails' power. In return, I want all of the Second Hokage's remaining research notes. Of course, I don't need to take them with me; I can just read them here in Konoha."
That was right. This was Kaito's entire purpose for coming to Konoha.
He wanted to master the techniques of human biological research to study his own unusual body, and the acknowledged authority on that subject in the shinobi world was the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju. Orochimaru himself had only become a brilliant scientist by studying the notes Tobirama left behind.
Rather than relying on the current Orochimaru, Kaito preferred to become a self-taught expert. That way, he could also avoid Orochimaru secretly pulling any strings, like taking some of his tissue samples. The last thing Kaito needed was for Orochimaru to create a son or daughter from his DNA. That would be awkward.
"You want the Second Hokage's research notes?" This was completely outside of Orochimaru's expectations. He looked at Kaito and asked directly, "Why?"
"Don't you find the Second Hokage's research magnificent?" Kaito slapped the water in the pool, speaking with excitement. "To unravel the mysteries of the world with your own two hands... it's like standing on the same level as the gods, isn't it?"
"There are so many mysteries in the world. We don't even fully understand the secrets within our own bodies. How many can one person possibly solve?" Orochimaru lowered his head, looking at his own reflection in the water as if he were talking to himself.
"Then find more people to join in. Orochimaru, I know that you, too, wish to explore the mysteries of the world, don't you?"
"Me?" Orochimaru smiled faintly. "I don't know. It just sounds... interesting. When I was a child, unlike other kids, I didn't like playing childish games. I preferred to immerse myself in puzzles."
"For example, why do frogs change so drastically as they grow? Why can white snakes live for so long? Why do humans look the way they do?"
"You must feel a great sense of accomplishment when you solve those problems."
"A sense of accomplishment? Perhaps." Orochimaru looked up at Kaito. "Regarding your request, I will fulfill my promise and do my best to help you make it happen. However, this concerns the Second Hokage. I can't guarantee success."
"No problem. Just do your best. It's no loss to me, anyway." Kaito's attitude was remarkably relaxed. To him, this matter wasn't particularly crucial. At the very least, Konoha would be more anxious about it than he was.
If it didn't work out this time, he could just wait until he was stronger and come demand the notes from Konoha directly. By then, it wouldn't be a deal; it would be a command.
After soaking until the pool water had cooled slightly, the two left together.
By the time they got outside, the sky had already darkened. Tsunade was nowhere in sight.
"Needless to say, she must have gone off to have her fun," Kaito said, shaking his head.
"Heh. You seem to know her quite well," Orochimaru said. "Are you planning on heading back?"
"No. Since I'm out, I might as well stay out until curfew."
"Then I'll be going."
Orochimaru left on his own. Kaito changed into his clothes and also departed from the bathhouse.
The starry lights of the village began to twinkle, casting a different filter over Konoha at night. Kaito walked alone through the streets, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Konoha under peacetime is certainly nice. What a pity."
Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage frowned as he looked at the report in front of him.
"Tsunade took him to the Uchiha district? And they only visited that one family."
Personally, he didn't hold much prejudice against the Uchiha clan. Among his comrades who had faced life and death with him in the past, one had been an Uchiha.
In dealing with the Uchiha, the Third had inherited Tobirama Senju's policy: win over the doves, involve them closely in the village's development, and gradually diminish the presence of the hawks. For years, this had been quite effective, and there had been no major problems with the Uchiha.
"Kaito has had no prior contact with the Uchiha. He must have just been genuinely curious about the Sharingan."
The Third breathed a sigh of relief and picked up another report, one that Danzo had just delivered.
"Sealing jutsu and Wood Style? About what I expected. Orochimaru has certainly grown a lot."
But as he read further down, his brow furrowed tightly once more.
"A request to use the First Hokage's remains?"
The Third was, of course, well aware of the power of Wood Style. Tobirama had conducted his own research on it but had never succeeded. If he let Orochimaru and the others continue down that same path, the chances of success were indeed slim.
"Lord First... if you were still alive, you would surely smile and say it doesn't matter, as long as it helps Konoha, right?"
In that moment of reflection, the Third Hokage had already made his decision.