Did you know that Chimera Bugs are monogamous? If you win the affection of one, you win its mate as well. Among the many insect summons in the ninja world, few impress the Aburame Clan as much as these rare creatures.
---
Danzo Shimura gave a soft cough, his voice low but carrying a warning.
"I must remind you," he said in a measured tone, "Orochimaru is currently staying at the Senju residence. Think carefully about how you plan to question him about this. And remember—the Hyuga Clan's Main Family will not let the matter slide."
The three shinobi standing before him exchanged uneasy glances. Danzo's meaning was clear: I want no part in this.
"Don't involve me," he added curtly. "Whatever happens, it has nothing to do with me."
Danzo had only just earned Orochimaru's favor and intended to keep it. The young sannin's potential was limitless; alienating him would be a fool's move. Power could wait, money could not. He was already profiting from the booming sales of Shimura herbal tea and his stake in White Snake Pharmaceutical Technology Company, which publicly credited his family's recipe. Why cling to the narrow title of Assistant Hokage when wealth and influence flowed so freely?
When a man releases certain attachments, he realizes how small his old ambitions truly were.
---
A Knock at the Senju Residence
Dusk settled over Konoha as an ANBU operative stood before the grand doors of the Senju compound, nerves coiled tight. He raised his hand toward the doorbell, hesitated, and lowered it again. Even as a member of the elite, this assignment weighed heavily. Orders from the Hokage and the village advisors were absolute, but this was the house of the First Hokage—the legendary God of Shinobi. A single misstep could be perilous.
"Hey! What are you doing at my house?"
The sharp voice jolted him.
Tsunade stood with hands on hips, her golden hair catching the last streaks of sunlight. Her amber eyes narrowed at the masked intruder. Encounters with ANBU never heralded good news.
"He's looking for me, I assume," a smooth voice said behind her.
Orochimaru stepped forward, placing a pale hand lightly on Tsunade's shoulder.
"Am I correct?" he asked.
The ANBU operative inclined his head respectfully. "Orochimaru, Hokage-sama requests your presence at the Hokage Building."
Few in Konoha commanded such wary respect. Orochimaru was not merely one of the Sannin; his influence touched the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans, and the Iburi even addressed him as Lord. His recent feats had only heightened the village's regard—and caution.
"Hiruzen-sensei?" Tsunade's eyes hardened. She stepped between them protectively. "What does he want with Orochimaru? This isn't some new problem, is it?"
"I'm not authorized to say," the ANBU answered flatly.
"Then I can't allow him to go with you," she shot back. Dinner was nearly ready, and she had been looking forward to tasting Orochimaru's carefully prepared meal. He had promised it after much persuasion; she wasn't about to let the Hokage spoil it.
The masked ninja cast a helpless glance at Orochimaru. How could he defy Lady Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage and grandniece of the Second? He was but a lowly operative.
"Tsunade," Orochimaru said gently, "don't worry. Hiruzen-sensei likely just wishes to speak with me."
He understood the summons all too well. The turmoil within the Hyuga Clan had finally reached the Hokage's ears. A decaying, rigid system could only rot further; perhaps tonight it would crumble.
"If you're going, I'm coming too," Tsunade insisted.
"No." He handed her the basket of fresh ingredients and, in a rare display of warmth, drew her into a brief hug. "Go home and wait for me. It won't take long."
Probably. Unless the village elders overreached.
Tsunade felt the echo of his embrace long after he and the ANBU disappeared into the night. Her cheeks burned, the moment replaying in her mind.
"Xiao Gang, why is your face so red?" asked Uzumaki Mito when Tsunade entered, still dazed.
"Red? Who said it's red? It's just… hot outside!" Tsunade waved her hands in frantic denial.
"And Orochimaru? Didn't you two go out together?"
"Hiruzen-sensei called him away," Tsunade grumbled. "So annoying. I was waiting for his cooking!"
Mito chuckled softly. "You can't always rely on Orochimaru to cook. You should learn yourself."
"Grandmother, are you sure you want me to?" Tsunade remembered her last attempt at soy-sauce chicken—a charred disaster unfit even for a soldier pill. She'd followed Orochimaru's recipe to the letter and still produced inedible ruin. Clearly, the fault lay not in the recipe but in her own hands.
---
The Hokage's Summons
Orochimaru entered the Hokage's meeting chamber to find not only Hiruzen Sarutobi but also advisors Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu present—and Danzo Shimura sipping tea with quiet amusement.
"Hiruzen-sensei," Orochimaru greeted, eyes scanning the tense assembly. "You summoned me?"
Homura wasted no time. "Orochimaru, you were close to Hyuga Mio. You must have heard of the conflict within the Hyuga Clan today."
Koharu's gaze sharpened. "Were you the one tampering with the Caged Bird Curse Mark? We expect an honest answer."
"I haven't interfered with the Caged Bird Seal… not exactly," Orochimaru replied.
Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu all exhaled in relief—too soon.
"I examined Hyuga Mio's curse mark," Orochimaru continued calmly. "I not only unlocked it but improved it. The new seal cannot be controlled by the Hyuga Main Family. Its sole purpose is to protect the Byakugan."
The room froze. Even Danzo raised an eyebrow, though he hid his reaction behind his cup of tea. To break the Caged Bird Curse was audacious enough; to recreate it beyond Main Family control bordered on treason.
"This undermines the Hyuga hierarchy itself," Koharu murmured.
Hiruzen's jaw tightened, but before he could speak, Danzo's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. So the prodigy has struck again.
"Orochimaru, have you considered the consequences?" Homura asked. "The Main Family will not take this lightly."
"My motives were purely scientific," Orochimaru said evenly. "I observed a one-degree blind spot in the Branch Family's Byakugan, absent in the Main Family's. I hypothesized that the curse mark interfered with the optic nerve, creating that flaw. Medical-ninjutsu texts fueled my curiosity. Hyuga Mio volunteered as my research partner. Our arrangement was mutually beneficial, nothing more."
The elders exchanged glances. His logic was impeccable—and dangerously persuasive.
Danzo finally spoke, voice deceptively mild. "Your findings are… impressive. The potential applications of such a seal—"
"You will receive nothing of it," Orochimaru interrupted, golden eyes narrowing. "I will not see my work turned into another instrument of oppression. Hokage-sama, Advisors, I trust you understand. My research is not a weapon to enslave others."
Danzo coughed lightly, hiding his thwarted ambition. Of course he had been tempted; who wouldn't be?
Hiruzen cleared his throat. "The Hyuga Main Family demands that we find whoever meddled with their secret art. What do you intend, Orochimaru?"
"What do you intend, Hiruzen-sensei?" Orochimaru countered with a faint smile. "Will you hand me over to the Main Family, or will you help the Branch Family gain true freedom and integrate fully into Konoha?"
Hidden seals of the Flying Thunder God Technique already marked the village and nearby forests. If betrayed, Orochimaru could vanish in an instant—taking with him priceless forbidden-scroll knowledge and perhaps a few unfortunate guards.
Koharu leaned forward. "Even if we sided with you, how would you resolve the Main and Branch dispute? The Main Family will never willingly release control."
Orochimaru's gaze turned distant. "Their conflict is older than any of us. Generations of resentment cannot be soothed by persuasion. The Main Family will never yield, and the Branch Family will never forget their chains."
Silence fell again, heavy as a storm cloud. The future of the Hyuga—and perhaps Konoha itself—now hung on decisions made in that quiet room.
---
To be continued…
patreon (Obito_uchiha)